Isn't it convenient for the churches that such a doctrine is so widely accepted? Too bad for them it's quite unbiblical, too. Tithes were never money; they were food. Even the verse so often [mis-]quoted by churches to guilt people into giving, Malachi 3:8, is being abused. Pay close attention to what follows, Malachi 3:10: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house..." Also note Deut. 14:24-26, where it explicitly says the tithe is to be food--in fact, "whatever you like," because the tither was going to share the meal with the Levites.

The purpose of the tithe was for the Levites (Deut. 14:27), because they didn't have an allotment of their own; they could not own land and otherwise provide for themselves. Today's preachers--far from the Biblical definition of a Temple priest!--can easily provide for themselves without having to burden their congregation. I have known a very few preachers who had real jobs to support themselves. In contrast, I have known many disciples--those who follow our Lord wholeheartedly and completely--who see no reason to get church jobs, preferring instead to minister wherever they may be and to whomever the Lord leads to them, and to support themselves with a trade as Paul did.

While we're at it, it's difficult to see a Biblical justification for a multi-million dollar church facility, especially when the first churches met in homes. (The "modern" housechurch movement is certainly alive today.) My own church--the one I attend each Sunday morning--has a monthly budget of over $17,000 just for the building, and it's not that big of a church! This doesn't include all their other expenses and staff salaries.

I have no problem giving money to the glory of God rather than to the poor. This was, after all, the purpose of the Temple as well as amply demonstrated by pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet. However, the modern church facilities are a far cry from the actual Temple, and the modern pastor is a far cry from the Levites; and the perversion of the tithe can only be achieved by denying the plain, face-value interpretation of God's Word. When will sinful churches stop perverting the Word in this way? When we teach them what the Bible really says about tithing and when we stop giving them our money erroneously.

There is a common practice in today's errant churches to claim the Old Testament is only valid insofar as it is affirmed by the New Testament. When God inspired 2 Timothy 3:16-17 to be written, the only Scriptures were the Tenakh, the Old Testament! This doctrine of NT superiority is unbiblical and heretical; be warned that whoever claims it is trying to pervert the Word, usually for his own gain.

I've also written before about how the New Testament actually adds very little the Bible. If any portion could stand to be left out with no major, doctrinal gaps, it's the New Testament, not the Original Testament.

What I find particularly sick are those churches who claim the OT is subordinate to the NT, but still teach tithing (wrongly, mind you), which is strictly an OT doctrine!

I have never known a church (an incorporated one, that is--yeah, like that's Biblical!) that didn't pervert tithing into something unbiblical and conveniently beneficial to them. If you find a church that teaches tithing properly (Biblically), let me know.

My pastor was pleased to announce today that he still "tithes" even though he has two sons in college. The relative worthlessness of colleege and suspect stewardship therein notwithstanding, it was a disgusting site to behold--the opposite of what he intended, I'm sure.