Kleptomaniac: Who's Really Robbing God Anyway?

By Frank Chase Jr

KLEPTOMANIAC is a journey into the annuals of biblical history concerning what the Bible teaches about tithing and giving. This book will take you on the proverbial archeological quest to uncover the true meaning of biblical words that deal with money. When confusion exists about what certain words mean in the Bible, such as tithe, tithing, tenth or ten percent, this book will examine the Hebrew and Greek language to bring to life what these words actually mean in context. This book will upend the common beliefs held by believers concerning giving and tithing based on the history of the original people of the Bible and how they related to money. From the very beginning to the end of the book, everything is supported by Scripture and research. You will know from the onset why the author, Dr. Frank Chase Jr., wrote the book and learn about his personal story of what happened as a result of embracing New Covenant giving principles from the New Testament. No book asks questions like this book. And some of those questions are: does the Bible talk about tithing? Did God change the tithe at some point in biblical history? Are first fruits money? Is the tithe food or money? Is the church the storehouse? Did Jesus, Paul and the Disciples tithe? Did the early church honor a money tithe system? Are Christians really cursed for not tithing ten percent of their income? These questions will be answered based on scholarship, the land, the language and the literature of the original Biblical people. Not only does the book cover the Old Testament tithe, but it will travel through time to unveil what the New Testament teaches about giving and tithing by analyzing some of the epistles of Apostle Paul concerning his views and the instructions he gave on charitable giving. This book defines biblical terms using the Hebrew and Greek text to bring clarity and understanding of the scripture in context. KLEPTOMANIAC defines the actual orthodox biblical tithe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9780975521762

Book preview

truth.

Preface

The words written in this book are for biblical education and should never be a tool for waging war against each other as believers when discussing biblical giving. This book should start a conversation about tithing and inform those who are seeking biblical accuracy. When searching for understanding and truth about any subject, appropriate biblical interpretation is a key factor.

The erroneous tithing phenomenon that people follow today has prominence because many believers have not seriously studied the subject. When some Bible teachers talk about tithing and giving, they unwittingly or purposefully combine the distinct separate terms to mean the same thing. In doing this, they reconstruct the biblical food tithe into a monetary tithe based on a false premise that creates unbiblical giving patterns.

This book will examine the two distinct terms of tithing and giving as separate Biblical doctrines. Using hermeneutics, proper exegesis and common sense interpretation, you can decide whether the facts of tithing and giving that exist today are true or not true. With these tools, you will be able to determine if the different tithe doctrines pontificated across many pulpits with promises of abundant financial blessings look more like authentic giving or a Christian lottery system.

As you read this book, you will learn what the tithe conspiracy is and how you may have been the victim of a Sunday morning stickup. This book challenges the conventional understanding of the tithe. After reading it, you will know the difference between tithing and giving. The book culminates my research and explains my shift from tithing to practicing post-tithe freewill systematic giving in a non-sectarian manner. Before getting into the biblical tithe debacle, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge what R.S. Rood said:

Tithing has done a lot of good in the world; it has helped build churches, schools, hospitals, and missions. Tithe money has helped missionaries; it has paid for ministers, and staff salaries, and other church expenses, in addition to paying for buses, and electronic and music equipment, Sunday school literature, cribs for nursery, Christmas baskets, and fertilizer for lawns. Tithing has helped countless individuals and families to put God first (albeit out of context), budget their money, and live within their means.

On the other hand, tithing has kicked the poor believer to the curb, driven out those who have fallen on hard times, caused Christians to neglect their families, padded the pockets of the well-to-do, barred the church door against those trying to enter, allowed God-given gifts to go unused, constructed a wall of separation within the church, established a cult of exclusion, a caste system, and a pecking order, and weakened the body of Christ both financially and spiritually (by the untruth of the Word).

This will never do. Sound doctrine does not produce mixed results of this nature. Unsound doctrine does. A doctrine that cannot be followed by the vest majority of Christians in the least developed countries and by many in the richest country in the world is spurious, right up there with the prayers to Mary and the saints. True doctrine can be followed by any Christian, rich or poor, American or Ugandan, migrant worker or CEO, wheelchair bound or Olympic athlete, 24-7.

Financing the Great Commission takes money and will continue to require money because financial needs never end. That is a given. However, the ends no matter how worthy, do not justify the means. God’s truth is dishonored when counterfactual teaching (such as money tithing), refuted rather than substantiated from the Bible and church history, is foisted off as fact.¹

Finally, you may disagree with the analysis and the conclusions of this work and that is okay, as no published book is the conclusion of any subject. I am certain other authors will write books that build upon the foundations of this book and some will write books that rebut what I have written. However, it is up to readers to research and conclude for themselves what God defines as a tithe and whether He requires a tenth. I can only hope this book takes you where no other tithing book has taken you before in your reading history. Contrary to popular belief or what detractors may say, this book never instructs people not to support or give to their church.

If I have made any mistakes in this book or interpreted any Scripture in a way that is incorrect, it was never intentional, and I pray the Lord erases it from the memory of each reader as they personally study and research the subject to uncover more truth. One thing is certain about this book; your attitude about giving is what concerns God and not the amount or percentage you give.

Introduction

From the cowardice that shrinks from new Truth,

From the laziness that is content with half-truths [about tithing],

From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,

O God of truth, Deliver us, [from tithing falsehoods]

---Ancient prayer²

In moments of great spiritual and theological challenges, people rise and fall on their sword of beliefs to the point of risking death. Some fall on their spiritual sword out of a passion for knowledge, faith and understanding of the truth. Others fall on their sword out of ignorance; they simply do not know the full history or truth of a subject.

You are about to engage in a debate on a doctrine near and dear to many Christian believers across multiple denominations and religions. The birth of the modern-day money tithe system has its roots loosely based in Hebraic tradition, oral Jewish laws and early Catholicism dating back to the sixth century. Now the time has come to more deeply examine the tithing practices from antiquity to discover what biblical tithing really is.

After 30 years of contemplation and several years of studying tithing, what follows is my assessment. When I first accepted Christ, tithing was a practice I embraced in a half-hearted way. I questioned the doctrine for years but never took steps to pursue deeper study. From every paycheck, I handed over 10 percent of my net income. At other times, I tithed on gross income and when I did not have enough money, I did not tithe. When I mustered the courage to sit down and study tithing 30 years later, I was faced with the following choices: continue practicing tithing to avoid a curse from God or adopt post-tithe freewill giving according to the New Testament.

For years, I thought tithing was the right thing to do to support the church. Perhaps it is; however, paying 10 percent of my salary was more like a self-imposed tax, not an authentic biblical tithe. Tithing money is a tax that has nothing to do with the biblical tithe required in the Bible. In the end, do you really tithe or are you just paying temple taxes to obtain a refund from the IRS? To say that tithing is a church tax will ruffle some feathers and no doubt will garner the wrath of Christian Sadducees and Pharisees who would snatch out my beard if I had one like they did Jesus during his trial. In order for tithing to work in our society, as the Bible really teaches, we would have to dismantle the US Constitution and replace it with a theological, theocratic constitutional government. The actual tithe system of the Bible only works in theocratic societies.

When preachers told me that tithing was a non-negotiable command for believers, I outwardly accepted the tithe doctrine without question; however, inwardly my theological struggle persisted and my mind swelled with questions. I never spoke up to pastors who I respected as credible authority figures when they preached about tithing but when I decided to practice post-tithe free-will giving, all hell broke loose. In the aftermath of all the drama, my family and I had no choice but to leave our former church. The response I encountered after my decision was not one of endearment, but one of utter disdain for departing from what some call a time-honored tradition. People treated me like I had blasphemed the Holy Ghost by embracing a different form of giving. As I experienced backlash for not tithing, it brought me to four turning points in my life. Even though turning points are annoying and demanding, God uses them to strengthen and provide spiritual growth resulting in positive change. Here is how they worked out in my life.

1.The characteristics of my turning points took place in the normal routine of my daily life. I discovered the fallacies of tithing as an act of purposeful, routine Bible study.

2.Discovering that tithing was not money happened unexpectedly.

3.The truth about tithing will influence my life forever.

4.I know that God ordained me to discover the truth about the varied forms of tithing because He authored these turning points in my spiritual journey as a result of my wife’s prayer for a short break from tithing for financial reasons.

Teaching money tithing from different theological perspectives is creative preaching; especially, since it often goes unchallenged by the masses of believers, who never study tithing in a serious manner. This method works because church administrations and denominations cannot financially sustain themselves without receiving regular donations from congregants. If churches know they will receive 10 percent of their congregation’s weekly paychecks, no faith is required.

This book will examine the tithing subject; however, not in order to discourage giving, as giving is encouraged in the New Testament. Every page of this book will shed light on tithing and how Scriptures are used in creative ways as fund-raising techniques. Some say Scriptures warn people of curses from Yahweh if they do not tithe, while other Scriptures promise great wealth and blessing if people tithe the whole tithe on their gross income, including paying offerings. Taking on this controversial subject is not new because tithing debates have existed for centuries. During the Holy Roman Empire and the early stages of Catholicism, there were attempts to convert the biblical tithe from crops, cattle, herds, and flocks to cold hard cash.

You will trek through this book and will uncover hidden truths about tithing from biblical and secular history. We will begin by establishing that the foundation for understanding tithing is through hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is defined as the science of interpretation using scripture; however, the pillar of hermeneutics cannot stand on its own without exegesis. Exegesis is the science of critical examination, exploration and investigation of the Scripture, which relies on context to interpret the text. Many fancy tithe teachings remain unchallenged today because people do not understand the context of Scripture. When you remove text from the context of Scripture, all you have left from is the word con. When a verse has no context, you end up with a pretext for erroneous teachings. Peeling back the layers of what biblical tithing is cannot rest totally on hermeneutics and exegesis. Therefore, our journey to breakdown the concept of tithing will involve examining Jewish sources familiar with the land, the language, the literature and the culture of the Hebrew/Israelite people.

Brushing aside the Hebrew history about tithing shows a lack of understanding about the topic. When you shield Christians from critical biblical scholarship, which is a natural process of learning the Bible, it shows how susceptible they are to the problem of dogmatic theology. When critical scholarship exposes some Christian doctrines as inaccurate and when new information is revealed, it can trigger a crisis of faith. Sometimes that leads to de-conversion, as some believers never learn how to embrace factual scholarship to lessen the traumatic impact of discovering that some teaching from the Bible did not pan out as truth. I experienced a crisis of faith when I attempted to figure out how to exit from the tithe tradition without shipwrecking my faith and ruining my relationship with God. I learned that critical scholarship, study, and a willingness to embrace a new understanding of truth helped me de-convert from tithing to giving from the heart. When you have religious beliefs and thoughts that are shielded from critical analysis, it can lead to dangerous unclear scriptural assumptions that emanate from a religious black hole.

It is no wonder that Paul encouraged all believers to fulfill their responsibility to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15 KJV). The people in this verse who demonstrated their study habits, were believers in Berea who Luke writes about in Acts 17:11: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (KJV). From 2 Tim 2:15 and Acts 17:11, the words study, approved and search are drivers behind this historical journey to discover the undiscovered truth about the tithe.

The word study in Greek is, "Spoudazo," (Strong’s #4704). It carries the meaning that study should be approached with "speed, to make an effort, to be prompt or earnest. Studying involves hastening to do a thing, to exert oneself in the endeavor by giving diligence."³

The word approved in Greek is "Dokimos," (Strong’s #1384).⁴ It is a state of authority to speak after the work of study is undertaken. When you are approved, it means you have tested every facet of the text until nothing remains. Approved is the idea of refining metal by fire. Placing Bible verses about tithing under the fire of study makes you approved of God and gives you the ability to rightly divide the word of truth when speaking on the subject.

The word search in Greek is anakrino, (Strong’s #350). It is the act of examining the Scriptures beyond reading the text. This Greek word anakrino is found in Acts 17:11 and is a verb which implies action and encourages one to scrutinize, investigate, interrogate, judge, determine, and examine Scripture. Examining also involves asking questions.⁵

Based on the context of Acts 17:11 and 2 Timothy 2:15, we can see the drive for study by the Bereans in their response to Paul. They did not fully accept what Paul taught until they searched and studied the Scriptures to verify the facts and truth of his message. I adopted the same approach to studying and researching tithing in order to arrive at my belief system today. As you read through this book, make an informed tithing decision based on biblical and secular research. Always keep the context of Scripture in mind and never interpret from your own personal theological bias. I encourage every person to seek truth in an honest, open way. Challenge and question what you think you know about tithing. Do your own research and base your decision on conviction and surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit who leads us all into truth.

Every person who reads this book must acknowledge that giving is a natural law built into the human heart. All cheerful people are givers, and God wants believers to give out of love not out of abuse, compulsion, extortion, necessity or threats. Remember, God never threatens anyone with a curse in order to encourage giving because tithing is not giving. So-called money tithing is a self-imposed tax that individual believers practice and the Bible never imposes a 10 percent tax on believers’ paychecks.

Preachers who know what the real tithe is in the Scriptures do not actually tell the whole truth. However, they spin, confuse, juxtapose, obfuscate and equivocate concerning the real tithing facts by weaving stories together about tithing benefits, which sound true, but are not. When you study tithing, it is not hard to uncover the weaknesses of modern tithe teachings. Throughout the ages, tithing has been virtually unchallenged by the Christian masses and remains so until this day.

The great tragedy about tithing is that seminaries, theological schools and Bible colleges know the truth about the original tithe, but fail to educate Bible students on the subject. Biblical education is becoming a system of learning that is rote. Memorizing phrases and concepts, and writing papers that regurgitate the mind of the professor instead of the mind of Yahweh does not constitute legitimate biblical scholarship. Independent thinking is neither required nor expected in some theological schools. However, the ability to challenge, perform critical analysis and evaluate specific subjects, especially tithing, is not required. If tithing truths are in plain sight in the Bible, then why is the information not shared with the masses in congregations? Tithe teachers have absorbed, repeated and taught what others teach without studying for accuracy. I call this parrot preaching and teaching.

The truth is the truth and yet people will attack and malign this book as a conspiracy against the institutional church. But let me be clear, no page in this book encourages believers not to support their church. Yet you might hear discrediting statements that suggest that I am a disgruntled believer with a vendetta. There is no telling what hideous statements people will utter, who think tithing cannot be questioned under any circumstances. Some of the strongest opposition will come from tithe proponents who have a vested interest in keeping people uneducated about tithing to protect the status quo. I will be viciously attacked in unimaginable ways all because I seek the truth about giving. Some may accuse me of being a heretic; however, no amount of pressure will stop believers from discovering the truth about tithing. Some readers of this book may have to choose whether or not to ignore censorship commands from pastors who demand they not read Kleptomaniac. The question is, will you capitulate to censorship threats or curses from God and not read the book or will you seek the truth? If you are interested in theology, interpretation and research, you must never hesitate to question your beliefs. Your faith will be strengthened from investigating your beliefs. When you find something uncertain about your belief system, the best way to find answers is to undertake research and study. This is how you will come to know the truth. Do not deny yourself the opportunity to learn further and strengthen your faith. I researched tithing, found the truth and the truth set me free. Now my faith is strengthened since I have abandoned tithing. However, my decision has not been without unforeseen pain and hurt.

Examine the facts in this book. Look into every teaching angle on tithing and make an informed decision about whether you are tithing or paying temple taxes for tax-deduction reasons. After searching the Scriptures in a non-sectarian manner, you can decide what the Bible commands regarding tithing in the New Covenant. What I hope you discover is that while orthodox food tithing is biblical, money tithing is nothing but man’s demand on your money; it has never been God’s command.

Any person who teaches biblical principles must value theological, hermeneutical, and exegetical integrity. When handling the Word of God, you should never ignore the secular, historical and cultural influences of the Scripture. Any teaching propagated to God's people without these elements is a message full of eisegesis and void of context. A message can never be effective if it lacks the background and considerations of the land, the language, and the literature of the original audience, the Hebrew people. If you listen to some Bible teachings today, it can be summed up as filibustering the Word of God, which is intellectually disingenuous. When you ignore the context of Scripture what do you have? Author David Lee, in his book, Sunday Morning Stickup, describes the modern tithe teaching as a marriage of control and manipulation resulting in ConMANlation.⁶ The way to show yourself approved of God is to study His Word rather than just read it. We must follow the example of the Berean believers in Acts 17:11, who became investigators that searched the Holy Scriptures daily to determine if Paul’s teachings passed the biblical smell test.

I did not get into the tithing debacle out of a sense of rebellion against pastors or churches; rather, it was out of an obligation to seek the truth. Discovering the truth about tithing occurred as a result of in-depth study and a revelation from God. So I ask, are you really a kleptomaniac robbing God of his tithes and offerings every Sunday? Keep reading and you will find the answer to that question. This book is necessary because for centuries many pro-tithing books have been used as a gag order against believers who disagreed with the practice. Pro-tithing books have overrun the publishing industry, effectively silencing tithe opponents who called for truth from the first century until the present day. As you study tithing, do not swallow any teaching or writing whole without examination and that includes this book. However, use this book to further your own independent study. Let the Word of God speak, let history speak, let empirical research speak, let scholarship speak, let exegesis speak, let hermeneutics speak, and let the land, the language, and the literature of the Hebrew people speak. Subsequently, allow the Holy Spirit to speak and confirm through more conclusive biblical research so you can determine whether or not a tithe conspiracy exists.

This next statement could settle the whole tithing argument and I would not have to write another word. It is a well-known fact among Jewish people that tithing one’s income is only a custom and is not obligatory under Mosaic Law or Rabbinical Law. However, because God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge, even Jewish sources on tithing carry no weight. According to tradition, a Jew who gives a tenth of their income must give the tithe to the poor and no part of the money can be used for any other religious purpose.

Therefore, using tithe money for church mortgages, salaries, and other administrative obligations other than helping the poor violates the principles of zedekah (charity). I know those words will not be enough to convince anyone about tithing, so it behooves me to unpack the truth about the Kleptomaniacs who really rob God.

Regarding the search for truth, Thomas A. Edison argued, To those searching for truth—not the truth of dogma and darkness but the truth brought by reason, search, examination, and inquiry, discipline is required. For faith as well intentioned as it may be, must be built on facts not fiction—faith in fiction is a damnable false hope.⁷ (http://www.azquotes.com/​quote/​522713). Likewise, this book is a journey to compile all the elements of truth, facts, and reason along with faith so that you will not go to your grave believing in damnable falsehoods about tithing. The tithing system today has created an aristocracy in Christianity by splitting the body of the Messiah into two groups of people: the haves and the have-nots. This is totally contrary to the herd and flock tithe that served the Levites, the poor, strangers, widows, orphans and the people who consumed tithes throughout the Old and New Testament. The biblical tithe was anti-aristocracy, and it was meant not only to support the poor but also to advance solidarity by creating a meaningful interface between haves and have-nots.⁸ Today, the tithe does the very opposite because it does not follow the strict application and obligation to tithe land-based products (crops, herds and flocks) to provide a balance between those who have and those who don’t.

The doctrines from Malachi that you must give 10 percent of your income to God or risk being cursed is the most heinous form of theological financial slavery. This teaching has plagued the congregation of God’s people every since the first attempt to convert the tithe to money eons ago. Anyone who pays 10 percent of their income to charitable organizations including churches are really taking part in a tax return giving system set up by the IRS to help people lower their taxable income. A self-imposed tax of 10 percent to a church has no direct relationship to the Bible, but giving from the heart to support those in need does have a direct biblical relationship.

The modern tithe doctrine has hoodwinked many of God’s people. Tithing stands as an eisegetical idol that must be demolished so true freewill giving can reign from the heart. The rule of biblical interpretation says we cannot apply every command or statement in the Bible to ourselves. For example, in the Old Testament, God commanded that when one brother dies without a child to carry on his name, the living brother, whether married or not, was suppose to impregnate his dead brother’s wife and raise a child in his brother’s name. Are we required to follow this practice in the present day? The point is, we must consider the original audience for whom the command is written, the historical time period, the context, and the stage of God’s plan for humanity. Is a tithe payable in crops, herds, and flocks or money? To find the answer to this question, let’s peel back scriptural history across the centuries to see if the so-called cursed non-tithers were kleptomaniacs who robbed God. Also, let’s see who is really behind the conspiracy to change tithing from food to money.

Out of respect for the Hebrew people of the Scripture, I will interchangeably use the word Yahweh to refer to the Lord or God, and I will use the word Yeshua or the word Messiah to refer to Jesus.

Because of the nuances of the tithe in Israel, some parts this book will be technical in nature. Much of the tithe research material could not be boiled down into simple language because the history of the tithe, the Hebrew people, their culture and literature is counter intuitive. So take some time to digest the information. For parts of the book you find difficult, you can also gain understanding and insight on my blog, Are You Confused About Tithing at http://tithenomore.com. Visit the blog and post questions and reviews about the book, and I will research answers to give you an informed response. You can also visit my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/​c/FrankChaseJrtithenomore.

Chapter 1

My Story for Writing this Book

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32 NKJV).

The words, The Truth Will Set You Free, proclaimed by Christ centuries ago changed my life forever in unimaginable ways. What I painfully know is this: searching for and discovering truth can separate people, destroy friendships, and throw unsuspecting believers into exile from institutional Christianity.

The truth that set me free is what I learned about a century’s old teaching called tithing. My quest for truth begged for an answer to the proverbial sixty-four thousand dollar question. Does the modern day multifaceted tithing system have any resemblance to biblical tithing? The hermeneutical and exegetical answer based on the land, the language and the literature of the biblical Hebrew Israelites is no! God never issued a new commandment to convert the orthodox biblical food tithe into money as a method to support the New Testament church in age of grace. The change of economic systems across history from agricultural to monetary did not cause God to change his holy food tithe to money.

I practiced the tax-deductible greenback tithing system for 30 years. After extensive research on the subject and prayer, I discovered Christ never endorsed tithing as a command or a principal for New Testament/New Covenant believers. When I peeled back the tithing onion in biblical and secular history, shock and dismay beat upon my theological head like a 2x4. When I regained consciousness, it was apparent Christ never endorsed money tithing as many modern preachers assert. The Savior followed 613 instructions of the Law and the only authentic stipulated tithing law He endorsed was the tithe the Bible emphatically claims are eatable items such as crops, cattle, herd, flocks and sheep. In Jesus’ own words, in Matthew 23:23, he acknowledges that the Pharisees tithed mint, rue and cumin, which were eatable items and yet somehow people assume money is implied? The bottom line; tithing is not money, but food and Yahweh never commuted the food tithe to money in the 1st century nor the 21st century. Defining the authentic biblical tithe to include non-food sources is not mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. To command the tithe of money is teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:9). Also, tithing money violates what Yeshua said, Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition (Matt 15:6). The New Testament has no tithing commands; however, you will find much concerning abundant giving from the heart.

I knew that my decision to switch from tithing to giving from my heart carried a cataclysmic risk. Looking back at the process of what I learned about tithing, fear struck me because now I had to face reality and the truth. In many ways, I was unprepared for the consequences of what would happen to my family or me emotionally and spiritually as a result of not tithing anymore. I somewhat understood that my decision to abandon tithing would put me in the crosshairs of the institutional church, but it still was heartbreaking once I changed. People who say that tithing is a non-negotiable command or principle jump to conclusions because they often assume that non-tithers are selfish and have no desire to support the church. That is a persistent lie told every day about non-tithers.

Some might say I made too much of the tithing issue and created a mountain out of molehill because the stats on money tithing overall have remained in the single digits for years among tithing churches across all denominations with non-denominational churches having slightly higher tithing percentages. What is important is that opponents of money tithing have been speaking up against the doctrine since the first century. The question is, if money tithing is biblical and accurate beyond doubt, why has there been disagreement among tithing and non-tithing believers for centuries? Bible students must answer that question for themselves. And as one of them, I decided to write a book to answer the tithing questions that people silently think about.

I wrote this book to begin the healing process resulting from the pain I suffered, and to help others understand what true giving is so they can avoid experiencing similar situations in their Christian journey. While writing this book, I had to commit my pain and emotions to a safe room and only allow them out when necessary. This permitted me to concentrate and study tithing without my emotions and biases to cloud my research and interpretation. Now that the work is done, it’s time to open the floodgates of my heart to examine the events of this experience and grow from it.

It is painful and hard to say that my former church leadership shoved aside my giving convictions and opted for money involving tithing over a personal relationship. The elephant in the room became mandatory tithing. The basis for relationships and memberships and even serving in church leadership hinges on whether you tithe faithfully. That hurts people. My money had a relationship with my former church and in my reality right or wrong—as a person—I was not in the picture, but money was. According to today’s standards, I wasn’t rich, but I tithed and gave in a generous fashion to the church and often to my detriment.

The body of Christ has an annoying nasty little secret that’s swept under the carpet of religion and hates to admit: some pastors and churches befriend rich people, while the poor are considered an embarrassment because they have no money. In some cases, this is true and it reminds me of a comment that came from a friend who stated, because you were one of the top givers, you perhaps bought your leadership position or title. In changing your giving theology, you were no longer a valuable cash flow asset and that perhaps hastened your removal from leadership. From that experience, I can only conclude that it was not about a relationship, Christian brotherhood or sisterhood or love. When I changed my theology on giving, I became a threat to the bottom line of the weekly cash flow program. If a person gives money absent of percentage, why are people so afraid? My giving convictions had to take a back seat and become secondary to the tithing truths the Scriptures actually teach. All I wanted was to follow my personal giving convictions as God revealed. Several years of service, fellowship and breaking bread together with fellow believers ended as if someone blew out a match. Friendships, connections and relationships were sacrificed on the altars of the tithing doctrine to ensure a continuous cash flow. To stimulate dialogue about the subject, I sent my original tithing study to my ex-pastor hoping he would respond with a theological rebuttal to all 116 tithing power point slides. I welcomed a response and a discussion, but I knew it was over when I received no reply. His silence and lack of feedback were the final nails in the coffin that left me feeling I had disappeared from the face of the earth.

The Bibles says, Parties are made for having a good time, wine adds cheer to life, and money has an answer to everything, (Ecclesiastes 10:19, The Jewish Bible). I know churches need money to operate and it is money that answers all their needs. All businesses need money and the church is no exception. My position has never been not to support the modern-day institutional church business. If you are a member of something, like the church, or the YMCA, you pay to support it with tax-deductible giving. That’s not a problem because the tax code allows individuals to deduct giving up to a certain limit. Do some people need to give, fifteen or twenty percent of their income to non-profits like a church to lower their taxable income to avoid a huge tax bill? The answer is yes, but that’s a financial decision every church member privately makes based on his or her budget. So the word tithe does not apply here because it does not refer to money.

We can argue the theological and hermeneutical relevancy of the 10 percent mandate just as it has been done since the first century until the end of the world. However, what brought many tears to my eyes over the years is how so-called people of the way (Christians) whom you’ve spent time fellowshipping with recklessly decide to sequester themselves from you? How does one handle being stoned with a life sentence of silence by former Christian friends, associates and pastors who no longer fellowship with you because you give from the heart? My question is: Why was my desire to not be driven by a dogmatic 10 percent doctrinal mandate so repugnant to those who are not free to give without a percentage? The answer to that question is an individual affair because giving is a personal and private matter like Yeshua said in Matt. 6:1, Be careful not to parade your acts of Tzedakah (alms, charity, giving) in front of people in order to be seen by them! If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven (The Jewish Bible). Some tithe teachers and tithers love to parade their works of tithing before men. Even though Jesus forbade acts of selfish self-promotion, many tithers love putting themselves on display like Pharisees to shame others who give differently.

In the aftermath of my experience and excommunication from the institutional church, I have struggled to find answers as to how to process the pain. My hurt has found me struggling to follow the Hebrew writer who said, "See to it that no one misses the Grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (NIV). Dealing with the reckless and inconsiderate actions of so-called believers has tempted me to paint pastors with a broad brush. Not painting pastors with a negative opinion is difficult especially when you have no trust and a sense self-protection against those you believe have harmed you in the past. When Torah teachers, scribes, priests and religious leaders could not handle what Stephan said about them and their theological positions concerning the law, here is how they responded in Acts 7:54, "When they [scribes, priests, Torah teachers, elders] heard these things, [what Stephen said about them] they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth (NKJV). As a result of Stephen’s message, they could not accept the truth and in verse 59, the text states, …they stoned Stephen… and the last words from Stephen’s lips as religious leaders murdered him in cold blood were, …Lord do not charge them with this sin…" Wow! When my supposed brothers and sisters in Christ are cut to the heart because I choose not to follow the money tithing law, they may murder me with words, stone me with silence, exile me, excommunicate me, and utter unsavory words with nasty looks—I will look to the Father above like Stephen to fight against the root of bitterness. When they gnash their teeth at me with venomous verbal assaults that my tithing theology is from the devil, my response must be Father forgive them and don’t lay it to their charge because they know not what they do.

Years ago, I agonized over my decision to divorce tithing. It was an open and honest deliberate communication process. The tithing doctrines have been a financial debacle for many people who are unaware of its true meaning. Across the annals of Christendom from the sixth century until now, the way tithing has been taught has left a trail of tears, pain, persecution and damaged lives.

Many people who attend seminary and other Bible theology schools know the truth about tithing. But because of wrong giving concepts and the fear that congregations will not give to support churches, leadership must deploy a powerful weapon of mass destruction called fear as a motivating factor to encourage giving. What works better than a curse from God torn from the context of Malachi 3:8-10 and given new meaning to ensure a continuous cash flow? Or perhaps the opposite: a promise of receiving unimaginable riches from God for handing over 10 percent. It is as if God is a mob boss, breaking legs and cracking knees and the only way to receive His protection and to prevent calamity in your life is to cough up 10 percent. I know people will say they tithe out of love as a response to how God has blessed them. However, that giving decision is personal. I also say that people who give money irrespective of percentage see God’s blessings too. So what is the incongruity here? It is not because people pay ten percent that’s important. It’s a matter of giving from your heart irrespective of percentage. Coughing up 10 percent of my paycheck out of fear of a curse from Malachi Chapter 3 for 30 years destroyed the Holy Spirit’s role in my giving life. Percentage giving turned me into a grudging giver for 30 years, which

Reviews for Kleptomaniac

[pacof81234 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is eye an opening acccount of the history of tithing. From the very beginning of the book, an empirical defintion establishes where the author will take the journey. Kleptomaniac: Who's Really Robbing God Anyway? will take you into the land, language and literature of the biblical people to help readers understand the authentic biblical tithe and who was authorized by God to actually pay tithes. Every page is a scholarly examination into biblical tithe practices that will shock most readers. Though many people teach that tithing is ten percent of person's income, this book takes a second look at that assumptiion and presents sound scriptural theological alternatives that blows up many mondern day monetary tithe doctrines. Not only will you get a thorough Bible lesson, you will be challenged to study the subject, and by doing so, readers could save their financial future and the future of their children's children for generations. The overall argument of this book is that no one in the church today or in the ages gone by has ever robbed God of tithes and offerings and reveals who the real God robbers are.