We have been getting lots and lots of emails from our readers to cast some light on the tithe that the TPM Clergy extorts from them on a monthly basis. After yesterday’s article, we got more emails regarding this subject. Many people have even complained of economic pressures because the fanatics of their families are brainwashed and thinks this is the path of God’s Blessing. So here you go. The tithe is an OLD TESTAMENT ORDINANCE and it has got no connection with the Pastors demanding 10% of your income which you earn working secular jobs. Let us learn some basics of that in this first article.
What is The Tithe?
A tithe is a word which means “the Tenth”. At the same time let me make it clear that “The Tenth” is not 10%. Let us come to the scriptures for that. The below verse is very important for this article as It will be referred to prove many nuances about the tithe.
30 “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.31 Whoever would redeem any of their tithes must add a fifth of the value to it. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. 33 No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’” Lev 27:20-33
Consider the highlighted text “every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod“.
Q. How much is the Tithe for a Shepherd who has Nine Sheep?
Ans. ZERO. This is because The tenth animal is not available to pass under the Rod. This is God’s mathematics of helping the poor.
Q. How much is the Tithe for a Shepherd who has Ten Sheep?
Ans. ONE. This is because the tenth(last one) that passed under the Rod is available.
Q. How much is the Tithe for a Shepherd who has Nineteen Sheep?
Ans. ONE. This is because only one passed under the Rod as the tenth.
So essentially, a Tithe becomes 10% only when the count of the total number is divisible by 10. Otherwise, it will always be less than 10%.
What Qualifies for the Tithe?
FOOD MATERIALS ONLY. Let us come back to the earlier verse again. Consider the Highlighted Texts.
30 “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.31 Whoever would redeem any of their tithes must add a fifth of the value to it. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. 33 No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’” Lev 27:20-33
The materials that you should tithe should be the product from your land and it is to be consumed as Food.
22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. 24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, 27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee. Deut 14:22-27
The tithe was of yearly increase, not of everything one owned or grew. Specifically it was only of things grown; both in the ground and of livestock. Nowhere in the Law is any person commanded to give a tithe (in any form) of lands, clothing, and other merchandise, except for these grown or cultivated items.
What does not Qualify for the Tithe?
MONEY. Today’s Pastors have been twisting the Old Testament Tithe under the Pretext of a lie. That lie is that the Old Testament people did not have money and hence they gave the agro produce. Now consider the same verses with different portion highlighted.
22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own. Deut 14:22-27
Tithe cannot be converted to Money for consumption. It can be temporarily converted for the convenience of the journey but has to be reconverted as Food materials before you celebrate the ordinance by eating it yourself. This is how the money changers landed up in the temple of Jerusalem during Jesus’ time.
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts, he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves, he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” John 2:13-16
Does not the above two scriptures tell you that money was in circulation and was also a means of exchange those days? Selling and buying using currency was a norm even in the days of Abraham. So when somebody tells you this lie, stop him and show this below scripture
12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels[e] of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” Gen 23:12-15
How is Tithe to be observed?
The tithe is observed by eating the food that you have designated as Holy unto the Lord. For that, you have to go to the designated place once in a year and have a blast. Now consider the highlighted text again.
22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own. Deut 14:22-27
Also note that in verse 26, it says that you can even have strong drinks as part of that observation of tithe. Primarily it’s you and your household is the one eating and you may invite the Levite and other underprivileged people to enjoy the celebration.
Conclusion
By now you might have understood the following.
- The tithe is an Old Testament ordinance to be observed ONLY by the Israelites. It is not for the Gentiles or anybody else. New Testament believers in Jesus is exempt from all these kinds of ordinances (Col 2:19,Rom 6:14, Gal 5:4)
- The tithe is calculated based on the annual increase and not on the whole. It is a delta calculation.
- The tithe is not 10% but the Tenth.
- The tithe is the 10th of Food materials increased in production from the last year, produced in your own land. If you did not increase from the last year, you are exempted from the tithe. If you had 15 sheep last year and this year you have 18, you are exempted from the tithe of the flocks because the increase is only 3 and you do not get a 10th out of the 3.
- Tithe cannot be offered as Money.
- Tithe has to been eaten by you and your household, not lazy people who are out to build an organization.
Play the audio to hear Tamil Translation summary of the above article:
இந்த படிப்பினையை தமிழில் கேட்க கீழே கிளிக் செய்யவும்
Excellent explanatory article on tithes. I hope people like Jose Gilbert read it.
@”Tithe cannot be converted to Money for consumption. It can be temporarily converted for the convenience of the journey but has to be reconverted as food materials before you celebrate the ordinance by eating it yourself. This is how the money changers landed up in the temple of Jerusalem during Jesus’ time.”
Wonderful …
How many religious tpm believers and workers have read entire Bible in year and testified about it. Strange it is that they have missed verses quoted in article above every year. Or was it that they read and neglected it?
Excellent article!
All of these passages do not gleam to them when they read the Bible, cause it will end in halting of all church income.
If the tithe equivalent produce was laid there, it will no more be faith homes, but ‘food homes’.
Applying Tithe in N T is a prosperity gospel in disguise.
Learn from our dear brother Paul:
“1 Cor 9: 11-18
11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?
Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.”
Parents and Sunday School teachers, please train up the Children with the right interpretation. Swindling us was enough, not another generation. Let true warriors rise from within.
“Psalm 127:4
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth “
Tithe must be stopped in TPM. Please stop.
These people don’t work and sits on top of poor believers and eat.
Shocking thing is educated people get drifted away by their outside drama. Those who didn’t read bible and understand the truth will easily get affected by their false teaching.
there are many cases, some of the cases below
1. Many cars, Jeeps and tempo traveller …Getting painted yearly or monthly.. since car looks new 🙂
2. Whitewash the faith home often
3. One brother will construct his room with all facility. other brother will come and change everything
and construct his own. Money is flowing like anything… (no audit, no tax)
4. If you want to see the height of their humbleness, then go and visit brothers and sister room in first floor
of the anna nager and chengalpattu faith home near chennai. Chennai is worst affected.
5. Horlicks boosts etc in faith home .. strictly no tea or coffee. Tea or coffee is for poor people
6. Altering all things in faith home when every brother or pastor comes and go. does it mean vastu complaint 🙂
7. Getting food from organic shops… more concern about their food and poor people can eat anything and should not take medicine. These false apostle can take all organic food and high quality diet. Mineral water etc.
8. saw one brother having exercise instruments inside faith home. Asked why? he said it is for curing back pain. (should have taken a photo at that time)
9. HEard one brother is constructing 3 story faith home in vellamadam near nagercoil to be look like similar to irumbliyur center. (Crazy people where money is not a matter for them.. this is just to show off themself)
Below are the verses for these people.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. Matthew 23:27
In the same way, you appear to be righteous on the outside, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.Matthew 23:28
Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk across without even noticing.”Luke 11:44
Dear Titheconcern
It’s true that tithe must be stopped to these money-minded people. In fact the believers of TPM must be blamed for being made fool by their gurus. Once these people wake up & stop the flow of money into this cult system, everyone will see that how this gurus will run in panic. But the big question is, who will wake up & take the action?
Very nice article explaining the truth about tithing. Once a sister told me that the offering money in Kelly’s fake home in Chennai was so much that on a new year service they found no time to count . TPM folks those who are reading this article please stop feeding those lazy people.
As Long as they think God speaks through these people, it will continue
Attachment
Most men pay the tithe .. .
1) its an investment on God , he ll repay in the future double or triple the amount .
2)to get favor from these white clad gang leaders .. .. like monthly “hafta” .. …
the believers who mailed u are in a sad state ,
As they don’t have much problems with the other doctrines or superiority over the other churches and believers , but find it hard to pay the monthly dues , oh poor thing .. for me those who are in the pulpit and on the dance floor are scums .
those who know Christ wont stay in this church for a longtime . ..no matter what .
will continue ….
Dear , all your articles are good and eye opening. fine..
can u plz tell us what are the good qualities you have seen in TPM churches and servants of God.
If the people in TPM incl Ministers are believing the TPM Doctrines, they are living in deception. If they know that the TPM Doctrine is not right scripturally, but continues in TPM leading people away from God, then they are deceiving others.
2 Tim 3:13 says while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
On a personal level, most of them are nice people but that is how the worldly people are.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? Matthew 5:46
The moment you talk scriptures and say that their doctrine is wrong through the scriptures, some of them just hear you out without any response. But Some of them start cursing and threatening.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Rom 3:10
Dear admin please put the article s in Tamil also
Dear Jaishakti
We do not have any Tamil translators. Unless somebody volunteers we may not be able to get this done.
Dear Jai Shakthi,
If you need explanations of the article in tamil you can get my phone number and mail id from admin. I can explain in Tamil.
Reg,
Surya