Kingdom Finances
Jesus made it very clear that we can either serve God or Mammon. Therefore, we need to pay great attention to how we administrate our finances. In the modern day tradition of Church, it is expected that the Christian pay a tithe. This is the equivalent of a 10% invoice on our income. If one works 40 years, this bill totals then 4 years of our working life.
The wise and discerning will test to see whether the tab is justified, otherwise he is a poor superintendent of wealth. A person of middle intelligence and of higher honesty, when left to himself and all the verses pertaining to the subject matter, is able to convince himself to a solid degree inside of 8 hours of study that the Christian is in no way obliged to pay any tithe. Is 8 hours worth 4 years of your life? If yes, read on.
The study you are about to read is the result of 18 months of initial effort for several hours a day. I have not only convinced myself that the tithe is no obligation for the Christian, and a few others along the way, but also that a proper understanding of the Bible demands that we are not allowed to pay any tithe. Yes, you read that correctly. If you as a tithe payer are not ready to have your foundations shaken to the core with the Scriptures, this analysis is not for you. As one readily sees, I am not selling "How to open the windows of Heaven" tapes, seminars or books.
We start handling the tithe by showing what instigated the tithe, and then proceed to qualify all of its various facets. In the end of the tithe analysis, we discover what the tithe means to the Christian. The tithe is part and parcel to the Gospel. There is no salvation without it. After the analysis, we filter standard tithe teachings through the Scriptures, such as Abraham's tithe with Hebrews 7, Jacob's tithe and Malachi 3.
In the second document, we turn our eyes to the offering. Some pitfalls typical of giving are uncovered. The prerequisites of giving are shown. "Giving in faith" is handled. The third document delves into the consequences of financial manipulation in the Church - that is to say that we reap what we sow. This third document is hard to swallow, and more difficult to digest. It lets the facts speak for themselves, and take us to the unmistakable conclusion that Mammon is sitting in and ruling the conventional Church.
The last document by Mr. Kelly considers the topic of tithing in deeper historical detail with respect to the technical use of the tithe in formal Jewish religion. If my document left unanswered questions about the intricacies of the priesthood and its relationship to the tithe, this document fills in the gap. Be forewarned. One will not be able to read it in one day.
"Rethinking the Tithe"
"Rethinking the Offering"
"Sowing and Reaping"
"Should the Church Teach Tithing?" by Russell Earl Kelly
CBS Special on Tithing with Russell Earl Kelly
Links of Tithe studies
Audio Clips
QuickTime Presentations with Audio
Rethinking the Tithe - Introduction
Rethinking the Tithe - The Mosaic Tithe
Rethinking the Tithe - The Tithe and the Christian
Rethinking the Tithe - The Tithe in the New Testament
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