Kleptomaniac

Nowhere does Paul teach either from the Old Testament or from historical accounts that money was paid to priests and Levites as a salary to preach or teach the Word. When you consider Paul’s financial advice on giving to the Corinthians, it refers to meeting the needs of God’s people, not salaries, church mortgages, or electric bills. Paul was an astute man, so why would he write so much about giving and purposely leave out the word “tithe” from everything he wrote in the New Testament?

Today, the opportunity for preachers to insert the word “tithe” in the text to justify church support, even though it is out context, is irresistible. The urge is so great that tithing becomes compulsory as if the tithe were an obligation for those under the New Covenant. If the New Testament requires tithing, a reasonable person would expect that an important financial instruction would appear in a verse that addresses how to finance God’s Kingdom. But it doesn’t. Isn’t it obvious the compilers of the New Testament were aware of the financial needs of sustaining cathedrals, edifices, and buildings used for what we call ministry today? It seems totally out of character and foolish for them not to translate something from the original language that commanded a New Testament tithe. Since that is what happened, it is presumptuous and preposterous to assume that tithing is required for believers as an obligatory principle. It is an undeniable fact that the Apostles never mentioned that anyone should tithe money. If Paul taught tithing and failed to mention it, then his writings on giving would have to be viewed as false doctrine if Christians are bound to tithe. Even if you say paying 10 percent is based on a pre-law doctrine under the New Testament, the tenth is still a fixed number and is not based on giving from the heart where believers choose the amount, as Paul instructed.