Relating to the Tithe: According to the Word

By Stephen Hervey

Relating to the Tithe is an exegetical study on tithing intended to answer all your questions on this controversial subject. This book covers the who, what, when, where and why on the subject of tithing with an exposition of the Word. The mission of this book is to contribute to the spiritual and physical prosperity of all who want to increase in the knowledge of God’s Word.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973673002

Stephen Hervey

Stephen Hervey was born in Cambridge, England as a result of growing up in a military family and he also served in the Marine Corps. As a young adult he suffered a traumatic brain injury which resulted in epilepsy, memory loss and other disorders associated with brain damage. In his early fifties he was diagnosed with diffuse scleroderma a rare life threatening illness. Stephen’s testimony is that he is able to endure, persevere and overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit and with the Lord as his Helper. Stephen is also a poet and author of the book Hymn to the Highest, Biblical Poetry.

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Copyright © 2020 Stephen Hervey.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-7301-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-7300-2 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 09/17/2020

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Mention of Money

Chapter 2 The Three Purposes for Tithes

Chapter 3 The New Covenant

Chapter 4 The Cross

Chapter 5 The Law

Chapter 6 Malachi’s Message

Chapter 7 The Difference in Giving and Paying

Chapter 8 Rights of Ministers

Chapter 9 Scribes and Pharisees

Chapter 10 The True Treasure

Chapter 11 Doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans

Chapter 12 The Governance Jesus Sanctioned

Conclusion

This book is dedicated to my daughters, Rachel and Hannah, who are a great blessing to me from God. I thank Almighty God for the grace and gift that He has given me to glorify Him and to minister to others. I pray that this book will be a blessing for those who are seeking the truth.

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust. (Psalm 91:2)

Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.

Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

—2 Timothy 4:2

To preach the Word, it must be according to the Word.

PREFACE

O ne of the most popular topics by many preachers today is the subject of tithing. One of the first things a novice will learn if he or she does not already know is that the word tithe means a tenth. In many churches it is expected of members to pay a tithe of their income to the church plus give additional offerings besides the tithe. It is ironic how tithing is frequently mentioned by many and is also one of the most misunderstood subjects of the Bible. It is hard to watch a television evangelist without hearing the word tithe at some time during the program. The doctrine of tithing money has been dogmatically taught by many and has been unquestionably accepted by many. One of the iterative warnings within the Bible is that many teaching many is not a factor for creditability.

One of the primary purposes for this book is to address the doctrine of tithing in many of the churches of God. I certainly advocate members supporting church ministries but not by mandating monetary tithes. Church members have the right to freely give whatever amount they choose in supporting the work of God. Mandating monetary tithing was not the policy implemented by Jesus, the head of the body. Ministers are abusing authority when they coerce or mislead people to pay monetary tithes without the consent of our Chief Shepherd. Many are being swindled because of a lack of understanding of what the Word says about tithing.

Hosea 4:6 says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. A lack of knowledge of God’s Word can be destructive, and one of the subjects that the Word talks about is tithing. Every Bible believer should believe what the Word says about tithing, and all believers should benefit from knowing the truth about tithing and godly giving. Second Peter 1:2–4 says,

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Without Partiality

James 2:1 says, My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory, with partiality. First Timothy 5:21 says, I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, do nothing with partiality. Partiality is incompleteness by not looking at all the facts. James 3:17 says, But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. The Word affirms that there is no partiality with God (Eph. 6:9, Acts 10:34).

Deuteronomy 1:1 says, You shall not show partiality in judgment. We should be careful to not be prejudiced, which means to prejudge or judge before getting all the facts. Being biased can involve coming to a conclusion before having adequate knowledge, which is also unfairness or injustice and is contrary to the wisdom of God. The equivocal comments by many preachers on tithing often involve partial truth. Partiality is being blind to the whole truth, and when it comes to the truth about tithing, it seems that most people have only heard about a tithe of the truth.

Prove all Things

The book of Acts records how Paul and Silas went to Berea into the synagogue of the Jews to preach the Word, which the members there received with eagerness. Acts 17:11 says that they searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. If Paul had preached on tithing the way most preachers do today, those at Berea would have found out from searching the scriptures that what many teach on tithing does not concur with the Word of God.

Most people are not aware of the fact that there are two types of tithing. The two types of tithing can be categorized as biblical and nonbiblical tithing. There is tithing according to the Word of God, and there is tithing according to the commandments of men. First Thessalonians 5:21 says, Test (prove) all things hold fast what is good. The old and new covenants talk about tithing, but no one can prove that the tithing of money is a scriptural requirement.

INTRODUCTION

Relating to the Tithe

According to the Word

S tephen grew up in a military family where he participated in a variety of sports and excelled in both football and wrestling. After graduating high school, he entered Lock Haven University, PA on a wrestling scholarship. Two years later Stephen decided to join the USA Marine Corp where he earned a spot on the Greco Roman Wrestling Team. While in the Marines, Stephen learned about the World Wide Church of God, (WWCOG) and eventually embraced and joined the faith.

Believers of the WWCOG faith conscientiously refuse to bear arms or to follow military authority. Stephen completed his tour of duty and received an Honorable Discharge From The USA Marine Corp. It was through the WWCOG that Stephen met his future wife Sarah. They married and settled in Newport News, Virginia eventually starting a family and raising two girls, Rachel and Hannah, the center of their lives.

Over the years, Stephen witnessed issues in the Church of God which resulted in at least one split within their Church. The emphasis on tithing was becoming more uncomfortable both in the Church and sadly within his marriage. Stephen realized that a number of parishioners were being subjected to pressure, manipulation, and even coercion. He was quick to state that members should most definitely financially support their churches, but was opposed to the over emphasis on tithing.

Pressure over tithing increased to the point that his wife left him and his pastor banned him from their church. Meanwhile, a mysterious pain in Stephen’s joints was increasing and spreading rapidly. Within just a few months this health conscious and physically fit former marine dropped 30 pounds and couldn’t keep food down. Doctors were at a loss as to the cause of these symptoms. Eventually, doctors at John Hopkins hospital diagnosed Stephen with diffuse scleroderma, an extremely rare disease with no cure and in his case fatal.

Subsequently, Stephen poured himself into the writing of this book working tirelessly through increasing pain, hardening of joints and inner organs, bouts of hospitalizations and eventually passing away in 2014. He never complained, and pushed himself to complete this book perhaps sensing time might be limited.

This book is the result of Stephen’s research on the topic of tithing and his desire to offer an approach to tithing based on Scripture. It was Stephen’s fervent hope that this book would help believers adopt a balanced approach to tithing allowing the WWCOG and its members to prosper both financially and spiritually.

1

THE MENTION OF MONEY

T here are many references to money in both the old and new covenants, but there are no references to, nor specific examples of, tithing money anywhere in the Bible. Some people erroneously believe that Israel tithed crops and certain animals because money was not commonly used at that time. The Bible reveals that money was used by Israel before entering the land of Canaan, and money was used by various nations well over six hundred years before God gave Israel His laws on tithing.

Money is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 17:12 relating to the covenant that God made with Abraham. Genesis 17:13 says, He who is born in your house and he who is bought with money must be circumcised. In Genesis 37:28, Joseph’s brothers sold him to Midianite traders for twenty shekels of silver. In Genesis 42:2–5 Jacob sent his sons to buy grain with money in Egypt where Joseph was second in command at that time. In Genesis 23:13–20, after years of nomadic wandering, Abraham purchased for four hundred shekels of silver the currency of the merchants a small piece of land for a burial place in Canaan, which was promised to his descendants. Genesis 33:19 states that Jacob bought land for one hundred pieces of money. During the time of the judges, before Israel had human kings, Delilah betrayed Samson, enticing him to discover the source of his great strength for money. The money came from the lords of the Philistines, which involved every one of them giving eleven hundred pieces of silver (Judg. 16:5–18).

Exodus 30:13–15 reveals that the nation of Israel gave monetary offerings but that tithes only consisted of crops and specific farm animals according to the Law of Moses. Leviticus 27:1–34 gives the legislation for dedicating persons, animals, houses, and land vowed as a gift for the service of God. A monetary value or appraisal was placed on people and things that were dedicated to the Lord. Payments of money could be made for the people dedicated to the Lord. The value of the person was based on gender and age. To buy back or redeem unclean animals or a house, the priest would put a value on them, and the person buying back the items with money would add one-fifth to the appraisal.

The Bible talks about money being brought to the temple, as in 2 Chronicles 24:5–12, 34:9–17; 1 Chronicles 29:1–9; and 2 Kings 12:4–15. This money is assessment money from offerings or other freely given offerings and temple taxes. This money was used for the repair or service of the physical temple. The tithe that God commanded Israel to pay under the law never consisted of money. The purpose of the tithe was not for the maintenance or service of the temple, which is why Israel had monetary temple taxes and offerings separate from the agrarian tithe (Exod. 30:13–16, Matt. 17:24). The temple taxes and monetary offerings were used to hire masons, carpenters, construction workers, and metal workers who made articles for the house of the Lord. This money was not used to pay or hire preachers.

Some of the currency mentioned in the Bible that was used by Israel consisted of shekels of silver, darics (gold coins), talents (large round coins of iron or bronze), bekahs (half a shekel), and gerahs (small coins). Since the use of money was so common among the nations even before the time of Abraham, there are few references to bartering or trading without money in the Bible. It has been declared by some biblical scholars that there are more references to money in the Bible than any other subject.

Leviticus 27:30 states that the tithe was to come from the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. The seed did not produce minerals such as gold, silver, or copper. The seed did not produce gems such as emeralds, diamonds, and rubies. Ores excavated from the land were not tithed under the law that God gave Moses to give to Israel. The land that Israel was to possess was described in Deuteronomy 8:9 as a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. The Hebrew word is the same for both copper and bronze. The specification of the fruit of the trees was a distinction from the whole tree. Wood or timber was not an item that was tithed, but wood was given as an offering to burn on the altar, as Nehemiah 10:34 and 13:31 confirm.

During the wilderness journey before Israel crossed the Jordan to inherit the land of Canaan, they bought food and water with money from the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir (Deut. 2:6). Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and offered money for food and water before they entered the promised land (Deut. 2:28). Exodus 16:35 explains why Israel bought food before entering the promised land. Exodus 16:35 says, And the children of Israel ate manna forty years until they came to an inhabited land; They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. Manna ceased two days after the Passover in the promised land, according to Joshua 5:11–12.

The tithes that were required under the old covenant from the land were agrarian or predial, which means they came from the produce of the land. Under the Law of Moses, the required tithes were only consumable products or food. Fruits from the trees, crops from the field, and specific farm animals were tithed, according to Leviticus 27:30–32 and Deuteronomy 14:22. Leviticus 27:31 states that Israel could buy back or redeem agrarian tithes