Salary Issues
Let's look at the salary issues. Paul taught that a preacher has a right; that the leader in the church and the one who ministers spiritual things, has a right to be blessed financially. People seem to have this idea that if a man works hard and puts in long hours; if he studies hard and pursues a career, builds up a business and becomes financially successful, whether he be charging high prices or not, people look at him and say, "He is a successful man." They take off their hats to him and say, "Wow. This man really has something to have been able to build himself up from nothing and become a successful businessman."
There is not an outcry because he is charging for his services. There is not an outcry because he is charging for the products that he is giving out. But let him call himself pastor and the whole thing changes. Let him call himself a minister of God and suddenly the whole dimension changes. Suddenly all his efforts in studying, all his efforts in increasing his knowledge, all his efforts in giving forth in long hours every day, are meant to be without reward. He is supposed to do it for free. After all, he is working for the Lord, so the Lord is going to pay him.
People seem to have the attitude that to give to a servant of the Lord is like giving to charity, where we throw a pittance out when we feel like it; when our conscience tugs at us a little bit. No, let's make no bones about it. The Word of God is very clear that if you are ministered to in spiritual things, you have an obligation to minister back in financial things. You see the ministry is a calling, it is not a career. It is a calling, and those who commit themselves to it do not think in terms of money. The apostle Paul refused to even exercise his right to be financially supported. Too often the mindset in the church is this.
There is a little saying that my late dad used to say years ago. He said, "You know in most churches, the people pray like this for their pastor. 'Lord, you keep our pastor humble, and we'll keep him poor.' "
It might sound funny, but it is true. The pastor is meant to just barely get by. He is meant to just have enough to live on, no luxuries. If the pastor has a good car then he is stepping out of line.
"What does a man of God want a good car for? What does he want to live in a good house for? What does he want to wear fancy clothes for?"
Let me tell you, he has put a lot more effort and worked a lot harder than that rich millionaire out there, who has arrived at the top by trampling on everybody else. People will gladly pay the price for his products without batting an eyelid. But let them be asked to give something towards this man of God who has poured out his heart and soul for them, and they want to winge about it.
1st Timothy 5:17
"Let the elders [Gk: 'elderly, older, a senior, specifically an Israelitish Sanhedrist (also figuratively member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter ({in the early Christian church} an office bearer who exercised teaching, priestly, and administrative functions, a priest, and elder in a Presbyterian church)", elder'] that RULE [Gk: 'to stand before, i.e. (in rack) to preside, or (by implication) to practise:--maintain, be over, rule'] well [Gk: 'Well (usually morally):--(in a) good (place), honestly, + recover, (full) well'] be counted worthy [Gk: 'to deem entitled or fit:—desire, think good, count (think) worthy'] of double [Gk: 'Two-fold:--double, two-fold more'] honor [Gk: 'A value, i.e. money paid, or (concretely and collectively) valuables; by analogy esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself:--honor, precious, price'], especially they [elders] who labor [Gk: 'To feel fatigue; implication to work hard:--(bestow) labor, toil, be wearied'] in the Word [of God] and [the wholesome] doctrine [Gk: 'Instruction (the function or the information):--doctrine (of Christ), learning, teaching'--'which is according to godliness' (1 Tim. 6:3)]."
Since the work of elders is primarily based on speaking gifts, they must, as Paul told Timothy, be
“able to teach [Gk: 'Instructive ("didactic {educational, informative, edifying, moralizing, moralistic, improving}"):--apt to teach']” (1st Timothy 3:2).
This means far more than simply being able to teach a lesson. Paul told Titus that elders must
“be able by SOUND [Gk: 'To have sound health, i.e. be well (in body); figuratively to be uncorrupt (true in doctrine):--be in health, (be safe and) sound, (be) whole, (be) wholesome'] DOCTRINE [Gk: 'Instruction (the function or the information):--doctrine, learning, teaching'] both to EXHORT [Gk: 'To call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, exhortation or consolation):--beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, exhort, (give) exhortation, entreat, pray'] and to CONVINCE [Gk: 'To confute, admonish:--CONVICT, CONVINCE, tell a fault, REBUKE, REPROVE'] the GAINSAYERS [Gk: 'the dispute, the refuser:--answer again, THOSE WHO CONTRADICT, THOSE WHO DENY, gainsay, the gainsayer, THOSE WHO SPEAK AGAINST'].” (Titus 1:9).
Elders must grasp the Word of God at such a profound level that they are able to accurately explain it, express it, and contend for it. They must be dedicated students of the Word, workers who do not need to be ashamed,
“rightly [Gk: 'in a straight manner, correctly, plainly, honestly, directly, uprightly'] dividing [Gk: 'to make a straight cut, i.e. to dissect (expound, explain) correctly'] the Word [Gk: 'the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ)'] of truth [Gk: '(the divine message), truly, verity, true (as not concealing), to be true (in doctrine {teaching} and profession {acknowledgement, confession, to assent, i.e. covenant, give thanks, praise}), speak (tell) the truth'].” (2nd Timothy 2:15).
Elders must give themselves to the ministry of the Word.
We have a responsibility to support the work of God. This is the first time I am touching on this subject, because I do not like to preach on it. I like to have Paul's attitude. My boast is in the Lord, and if I have to work with my hands in order to earn, I will do that. But God's work needs to be supported.
Instead, what is going to happen now is a church organization is going to set things up and they are going to become like the world. They are going to structure it in such a way that the pastor has to be given a salary, an income specifically. The whole thing is determined in a worldly way, and the whole thing is run in a worldly way. People have to pay their tithes and they are given receipts for their tithes, as though they are paying their monthly subscriptions.
The church has become like the world. Why? Why has the church come to the place where the pressure is put on people to force them to pay tithes, which is contrary to the New Testament pattern? We will talk about that another time. But people are forced to pay tithes in terms of an Old Testament covenant. Why? People are coerced, people are threatened, people are filled with fear if they do not pay. Why?
I will tell you why. Because they are not paying. They are not rewarding the one who feeds them. Paul quotes from the Old Testament and says, "You will not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain." While the ox is treading out the grain, let him eat some of it. There needs to come a change in the church system. The church system has adopted the World System, and the church system has become like the world, which is squeezing finance out of people and controlling it just the way the world controls it. It is the wrong pattern. It is not God's order. The church was never meant to be that way.
SOME SHOCKING TRUTHS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN TITHING DOCTRINE
1. Abraham never tithed on his own personal property or livestock.
2. Jacob wouldn’t tithe until God blessed him first.
3. Only Levite priests could collect tithes, and there are no Levite priests today.
4. Only food products from the land were tithable.
5. Money was never a tithable commodity.
6. Christian converts were never asked to tithe anything to the Church.
7. Tithing in the Church first appears centuries after completion of the Bible.
The Church would prefer you not know the following:
· The tradesmen who made the baskets for harvesting, did not tithe.
· The cobblers, who made the shoes for the servants of the field, did not tithe.
· The carpenters, who made the wagons used for harvesting the fields, did not tithe.
· The potters, who made the jugs for carrying water to the servants in the fields, did not tithe.
· The women, who made the garments for the field-workers, did not tithe.
· And certainly, the servants who worked in the fields for wages, did not tithe.
Here are the simple facts regarding the Biblical teaching of tithing:
ONLY LANDOWNERS TITHED
ONLY PRODUCTS OF THE LAND WERE TITHED
ONLY LEVITES COULD RECEIVE THE TITHES
TITHING WAS A LAW OF MOSES
CHRISTIANS ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES!
Does anyone have a Scripture that contradicts what I have just said?
By the way, Jesus Christ was a carpenter by trade, and as such, JESUS DID NOT TITHE!
The tithe in the Old Testament was not 10% of their total income, but 10% of this and 10% of that, right on up to as much as 40 to 60% of their total income. I don't know anybody who truly tithes according to the Law of Moses.
Here then is the bottom line: Neither, Jesus nor His apostles tithed themselves or taught tithing to others. And within a generation God pronounced to the entire world by the total destruction of both the nation of Judah, and their city of Jerusalem with its temple, that the church established in the wilderness, was now superseded by the Church of Christ. The nation of Israel was gone, the temple was gone, the priests were gone, the Levites were gone, and concerning the very Law of Moses containing the law of tithing, we read this:
"In that he says, A NEW covenant, He has made the first OLD. Now that which DECAYS and waxes OLD is ready to VANISH AWAY" (Heb. 8:13).
But the Church today doesn’t want the New Covenant to replace the Old. They want to put the New Wine (of the New Covenant), in the Old Bottles (of the Old Covenant). And they want to put the New Cloth (of the New Covenant), on the Old Cloth (of the Old Covenant). And what did Jesus tell us would be the result of such an unharmonious and unequal yoking?
"And no man puts new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled and the bottles shall perish [be ruined]."
However, in two thousand years, the church is still trying to put the Old and the New together as One, and the results are always disastrous.
Just why is it that they like the Old covenant better than the New? Here’s the answer from the lips of our Master Himself:
"No man also having drunk old wine [lived by the Old Covenant] straightway ['immediately'] desires new [the spiritual New Covenant]: for he says, The old is better" (Luke 5:39).
A warning to all charlatans and would-be tithe extractors and collectors:
There is NO temple of God being officiated in Jerusalem today. There is NO Levitical priesthood to officiate at such a temple. There is NO NEED for such a temple or priesthood at this time. Only Levites could collect tithes at the temple. Therefore, EVERYONE collecting tithes today is a charlatan and a fake. If one cannot historically trace back his genealogy generation by generation with no lapses to the family of Aaron, he IS NOT and CANNOT be a priest authorized of God at this time to collect tithes for the temple services and sacrifices. (Of course Jesus IS our Sacrifice, and therefore that whole system funded by the tithes of the law is no longer applicable).
God started the church in the Wilderness by bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt (out of sin).
Only a few entered the Promised Land because of unbelief (they wanted to go back to Egypt, back to sin).
From the Promised Land, God drove both Israel (the many called) and Judah (the few chosen) into captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively.
Under Ezra and Nehemiah along with priests and Levites, they returned and rebuilt Jerusalem.
Jesus Himself, tells us how utterly corrupt the religious leadership was in His day.
Paul tells us that it was the MAJORITY in his time that were making merchandise out of God’s word, corrupting and selling it for a personal profit!
In 70 AD all of Jerusalem including the whole temple system was totally destroyed, but the Church that Jesus built continued on.
HELP THE NEEDY, NOT THE GREEDY
Give to the fatherless, the orphans, the strangers, the widows, the poor, and the needy, the homeless, and the beggar on the street, as God gives to you, the wherewithal. Give to reputable charities if you have extra. Give to your family members and relatives in need—don’t humiliate them by making them ask you first. Give to a neighbor in financial distress. Even when tipping someone, let it be a reflection of the One that you are representing in your Christian walk. Our God is a generous God—may you become generous also. Develop a "love for giving." Paul tells us in Acts 20:35b to:
"Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE"
HOW THE APOSTLE PAUL FINANCED HIS INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY
Worldliness in the Church today is not looked upon as shameful, but rather as being chic. Power, wealth, and notoriety are not things to be repented of, but are rather to be lusted after and pursued with great vigor. Young aspiring ministers are not thought to be vain or ambitious when seeking worldliness, but are rather thought of as being enthusiastic for the work of the Lord. Let’s see how Paul did things.
"For yourselves know how you ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you: Neither did we eat any man’s bread for naught; but wrought with labor and travail NIGHT AND DAY, that we might not be chargeable to any man. Not because we have not power, but to MAKE OURSELVES AN EXAMPLE UNTO YOU TO FOLLOW US" (2nd Thessalonians 3:7-9).
But how many truly follow Paul’s example? You be the judge.
"For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for LABOURING NIGHT AND DAY, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the Gospel of God" (I Thessalonians 2:9).
Imagine that: Paul could not only walk and chew gum at the same time, but he could work "night and day" and "preach the Gospel of God" at the same time! Just maybe there is a lesson in there somewhere. Paul travels to Corinth:
"And because he was of the same craft [trade], he abode with them, and wrought [worked]: for by their occupation they were tentmakers" (Acts 18:3).
"I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye [all of you] yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:33- 31).
Don’t kid yourself, there’s a whole army of men of the cloth out there coveting your gold and your silver. Many television ministries are little more than highly sophisticated Hollywood-produced, tithe-collecting infomercials. They make me ill watching them.
One final example of how Paul ministered and financed his ministry:
"For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle [Gk: 'A PLACE FOR PUBLIC SHOW ("THEATRE"), i.e. GENERAL AUDIENCE-ROOM, by implication: A SHOW ITSELF'] unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
We are fools [Gk: 'DULL OR STUPID (as if SHUT UP), i.e. HEEDLESS (neglectful, oblivious, without regard, rash, reckless, careless, unmindful), (moral) BLOCKHEAD, (apparently) ABSURD:--FOOLISH'] for Christ's sake, but ye [all of you] are wise in Christ;
we are weak [Gk: 'STRENGTHLESS (literally, figuratively, or morally), MORE FEEBLE, IMPOTENT, SICK, WITHOUT STRENGTH, WEAK'], but ye [all of you] are strong; ye [all of you] are honorable,
but we are despised [Gk: '(negative) UNHONORED or (positive) DISHONORED:--DESPISED, WITHOUT HONOR, LESS HONORABLE {comparative degree}'].
Even unto this present hour we both hunger [Gk: '(through the idea of PINCHING TOIL, "PINE") TO FAMISH (absolutely or comparatively), figuratively: TO CRAVE: BE A HUNGERED'],
and thirst [NEED FOR LIQUIDS, DEHYDRATED, DRYNESS, DESIRE, LONGING, HUNGER, CRAVING, EAGERNESS],
and are naked [Gk: 'TO STRIP, i.e. (reflexive) GO POORLY CLAD (POORLY DRESSED, POORLY CLOTHED):--BE NAKED'],
and are buffeted [Gk: 'CHASTEN-FROM (RESERVED FOR INFLICTION), TO RAP WITH THE FIST, A BLOW, A HARD HIT (AS WITH THE FIST), A SUDDEN ATTACK, A SUDDEN CALAMITY OR SHOCK, A STRIKING WITH THE HANDS, A SUCCESSION OF BLOWS, STRIFE, OPPOSITION, ADVERSITY, A HARD HIT (ESPECIALLY TO THE FACE)'],
and have no certain dwelling place [Gk: 'TO BE NON STATIONARY, i.e. (figuratively) HOMELESS:--HAVING NO CERTAIN DWELLING PLACE'];
And labor [Gk: 'TO FEEL FATIQUE, by implication: TO WORK HARD:--(BESTOW) LABOR, TOIL, BE WEARIED (TIRED, TIRED OUT, SLEEPY, EXHAUSTED, WARN OUT, FATIGUED, DRAINED, SOMNOLENT)'],
WORKING [Gk: 'TO TOIL (AS A TASK, OCCUPATION, EMPLOYMENT, TRADE, ETC.), (by implication) EFFECT (ACHEIVE, PRODUCE), BE ENGAGED IN OR WITH, ETC.:--COMMIT, DO , LABOR FOR, MINISTER ABOUT (AROUND), TRADE (BY), WORK'] WITH OUR OWN HANDS:
being reviled [Gk: 'TO REPROACH, i.e. VILIFY (SPEAK ILL OF, MALIGN, DEGENERATE, RUN DOWN, PULL TO PIECES, BELITTLE, DISPARAGE, LIBEL):--REVILE, ABUSIVE, i.e. A BLACKGUARD (A LOW CONTEMPTIBLE PERSON, SCOUNDREL, A GROUP OF MENIAL WORKERS (USUALLY IN THE KITCHEN OF A LARGE HOUSEHOLD, THE SERVANTS OF AN ARMY, CAMP FOLLOWERS), TO REVILE IN SCURRILOUS LANGUAGE):--RAILER, REVILER'], we bless;
being persecuted [Gk: 'TO PURSUE (literally & figuratively), by implication: PERSECUTE:--ENSUE, FOLLOW (AFTER), GIVEN TO, (SUFFER) PERSECUTION, PRESS FOWARD'],
we suffer [Gk: 'TO HOLD ONESELF UP AGAINST, i.e. (figuratively) PUT UP WITH:--BEAR WITH, ENDURE, FORBEAR, SUFFER'] it [the persecution]:
Being defamed [Gk: 'VILIFY (SPEAK ILL OF, MALIGN, DEGENERATE, RUN DOWN, PULL TO PIECES, BELITTLE, DISPARAGE, LIBEL), specifically: TO SPEAK IMPIOUSLY (SPOKEN OF AS SINFUL, IRREVERANT, WICKED, BAD, IMMORAL):--(SPEAK) BLASPHEMED, DEFAME, RAIL ON, REVILE (INSULT, ABUSE, SCORN, CONDEMN, SENSURE, DESPISE, BERATE DISPARAGE), SPEAK EVIL'], we intreat:
we are made as the filth [Gk: 'SOMETHING CLEANED OFF ALL AROUND, i.e. REFUSE (DECLINED, REJECTED, SAID NO TO, SNUBBED, REBUFFED, TURNED DOWN, REPUDIATED) (figuratively):--FILTH'] of the world [Gk: 'ORDERLY ARRANGEMENT OR SYSTEM OF THE WHOLE OR SOME PART OF HUMAN SOCIETY, (figuratively) SATAN'S KINGDOM, BABYLON'],
and are the off scouring [Gk: '(TO RUB), SOMETHING BRUSHED ALL AROUND, i.e. OFF-SCRAPINGS (figuratively; SCUM):--OFFSCOURING'] of all things unto this day.
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons [children] I warn you.
For though ye [all of you] have ten thousand instructors [teachers, masters, doctors] in Christ, yet [STILL] have ye [all of you] NOT MANY [but only FEW] fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
Wherefore [for this reason] I beseech [BEG OF] you, BE YE [ALL OF YOU] FOLLOWERS [Gk: 'AN IMITATOR:--FOLLOWER, (A "MIMIC" {IMITATE, IMPERSONATE, TAKE OFF, APE (like 'money see, monkey do'), COPY, IMPRESSIONIST})'] OF ME." (1st Corinthians 4:9-16)!
Cheerfully giving from the heart is a virtue. However, fraudulently fleecing the flock by exacting ten percent of parishioner's paychecks under fear of breaking an Old Testament law of tithing is a sin!
It is far past time that we offer a little comfort to the millions of people in our nation and around the world who are chafing under the constant burden of supporting ministers and televangelists who live lifestyles so materialistic and worldly that even Hugh Heffner would be envious. I’m not trying to be humorous about these characters; I’m dead serious.
Well I certainly don’t begrudge any minister an honest living. However, I do believe that when many of these modern televangelists (and others) feel the need to have everything they own gold gilded, just maybe their greed and vanity starts to destroy their effectiveness as dispensers of God’s Truths.
There is no need for people to feel guilty over any religious doctrine. It is time we rid ourselves of guilty consciences. Hopefully, by the time you have finished reading this paper your guilt over tithing or non-tithing will be gone forever!
It is our sincere desire that all who have been chafing under the unscriptural burden of Christian tithing will feel free at last to follow their heart in giving to whomever they desire as God prospers them. John 8:32 tells us that Truth is Freedom:
"And ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you FREE."