Should Christians Tithe? Exploring The Grace That Keeps The Windows of Heaven Open
By Tony Peters
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About this ebook
When it comes to the topic of tithing, the Church is roughly divided into two opposing sides. One side believes that tithing is an obligation every Christian must practice faithfully and consistently—if they want to stay in God’s good books. If they don’t, they are robbing God and are under a curse. The other side believes that tithing was given to the Jewish nation under the Law of Moses. It was abolished in Christ and should no longer be practiced by Christians today.
This book has been written to show you that there is some truth and some error in both positions. There is a third way to explain the teaching of the tithe—that embraces the divine intentions of the Old Testament and the divine teachings of the New.
In this refreshing book on a thorny subject, you will learn:
•Why God instituted the tithe and what it represented.
•Whether the tithe was abolished under Christ or not.
•The higher principles of giving in the New Testament.
•What grace conscious Believers are instructed to do today.
•The difference between tithing to the Levitical Priest and releasing the tithe to Melchizedek—or Jesus Christ.
My prayer is that you will read this book prayerfully and patiently. If you do, I believe it will free you from guilt and confusion, and establish in your heart what God wants you to do and teach about tithing.
Tony Peters
Tony Peters was born in England, but immigrated to Africa with his parents when he was 5. There he completed his studies and graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Lagos.After he got married to his University sweetheart, he returned to England in 1986 to complete his postgraduate training at Goldsmith University. For the next 13 years he taught Design & Technology, and Electronics. In 1997 he established Dynamic Words Discipleship College, and planted The King's House (a.k.a London's Alive Church), shortly after.He has written several books, manuals and training materials, and continues to serve as a marriage adviser and relationship coach in a few Countries around the world.
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Should Christians Tithe? Exploring The Grace That Keeps The Windows of Heaven Open - Tony Peters
SHOULD CHRISTIANS TITHE?
EXPLORING THE GRACE THAT KEEPS
THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN OPEN
By Tony Peters
Published by
T.P.PUBLICATIONS
4 Pegamoid Road. London. N18 2NG
Copyright © 2018 by Tony Peters
ISBN 978-1-874332-69-5
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken form the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979,1982.
Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Scriptures marked (NLT) are taken from the
New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004.
Tyndale House Publisher.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Author or Publisher – with the exception of brief excerpts in articles and reviews.
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1 — The Purpose Of The Tithe
Chapter 2 — My True Story
Chapter 3 — Protection Against Failure
Chapter 4 — The Anatomy Of The Tithe
Chapter 5 — The Motivation To Tithe
Chapter 6 — The Divine Twist
Chapter 7 — Right Or Wrong Thinking
Chapter 8 — The Power Of Tithing
Chapter 9 — Can You Afford Not To Tithe?
Chapter 10 — The Conclusion Of The Matter
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies."
(Malachi 3:10-12.) NLT.
Preface
When it comes to the topic of tithing, the Church is roughly divided into two opposing sides. One side believes that tithing is an obligation every Christian must practice faithfully and consistently, if they want to stay in God’s good books. If they don’t, they are robbing God and are under a curse.
The other side believes that tithing was given to the Jewish nation under the Law of Moses. It was abolished in Christ and should no longer be practiced by Christians today.
This book has been written to show you that there is some truth and some error in both positions. There is a third way to explain the teaching of the tithe—that embraces the divine intentions of the Old Testament and the divine teachings of the New.
I felt compelled to write this book to respond to some of the questions people have about tithing and living under an open heaven today. I am convinced that the enemy of our faith wants us to be confused about this all-important subject, so that he can plunder us financially.
I am painfully aware that people have serious questions about the tithe. Is it necessary today? Did Jesus teach us anything about it? Did the early Church practice tithing? Do today’s Church leaders simply make up these rules to take money from gullible and ignorant people?
Are people who give a tenth of their income to God being deceived and led astray, or are they are merely returning the first-fruit of their increase to God like Abraham and Jacob did?
Does the discipline of tithing honour God today or does it impoverish the people of God? Should releasing 10% of your income to God, be something you do under compulsion, threat or fear? Or should it be a spiritual discipline you practice to help you grow in your generosity?
Will tithing today qualify you to claim the blessings God reserved for the people who tithed in the Old Testament? Are the blessings of Malachi 3 for today or are they only for the Jewish people?
Did the writer’s of the New Testament forget to mention the tithe or were they trying to tell us something? And, can New Testament Believers practise the ‘spirit of the tithe’ and give generously to God under grace without becoming legalistic?
These and several other crucial questions will be answered in this book. My prayer is that you would be enlightened by it and that it would put an end—once and for all—to much of the confusing and detrimental teachings about the tithe floating around on the world-wide-web.
Dr Tony Peters
Author
Chapter 1
The Purpose Of The Tithe
Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
(Numbers 18:21.)
God didn’t inspire men to record irrelevant ideas, concepts, parables or stories in the Bible. If it’s in the Bible, it’s important. If it is repeated several times, it is essential, and it’s our duty to figure out why God put it there and how to apply the answer we come up with, to our lives today.
Several times in the Old Testament, people decided to give a tenth of their profit or possessions to God. This type of giving was called the ‘tithe’. The English word ‘tithe’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘maash’ or ‘maaser’—and it means a tenth part. So, when a person tithed, they gave a tenth of their profit or possession to God through the priesthood He had established.
We know that people were giving the tithe to God long before God established it as a law in Israel. Abraham for instance, gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek. Jacob also gave a tenth of his wealth to God in appreciation of His protection over him. (See: Genesis 14:18-20 & 28:20-22.)
Nevertheless, the tithe was added to the Law under Moses for several reasons. Here are a few of them:
Funding For The Tabernacle
First of all, the tithe was God's way of making sure that the institution He established for His people’s spiritual welfare was fully funded. God commanded the priesthood to attend (exclusively) to the sensitive and delicate work of the Tabernacle, and later on, the Temple.
Animals were to be bought and sacrificed daily to cover the sins of the Levites and the people. Oils, perfumes, and incense were to be made for the fires and lamps that lit up the Temple. Food and drinks had to be purchased and prepared for the Levites and their families. In effect, their provision or ‘income’ came from the tithe.
They also had to employ and pay for the services of furniture makers, textile workers, masonry workers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, sculptors, and several other people—who made and maintained the substantial furniture and altars, in and around the Tabernacle. (See: Exodus 31:1-11 & 35:21-35.)
Funding The Priestly Duties
Secondly, the tithe was used to sustain the Priesthood. These godly men were