CAMERON, BARRY: TITHING REBUTTAL

The ABCs of Financial Success, Barry Cameron

Chapter 3, Eight Principles of Tithing, pages 79-85.

Original statements by Barry Cameron

Additional comments by Rick Stedman

Critique by Russell E Kelly

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CRITIQUE: From Russell Earl Kelly: When compared to other pro-tithing articles I have read and critiqued, this the worst one.
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“I believe they are all great valid questions that deserve straight answers –biblical honest answers.”
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CRITIQUE: If you really mean this, then you will be open-minded to a full and in-depth study of tithing in your church. Yes, we all deserve “straight answers – biblical honest answers” and this presentation is extremely shallow and ignores the context.
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1.  The tithe belongs to the Lord.

Lev 27:30 “A tithe of everything …belongs to the Lord.”
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CRITIQUE: Why does Cameron (and almost every tithe-teacher) insert “…” when quoting this text? It is because the omitted words are “food.” Although money was already an essential item from Genesis to Deuteronomy, God only expected tithes from landowners and herdsmen who profited from His increase from His holy land. The 15 texts which describe tithes covering over 1500 years never include anything other than food. Skilled laborers who produced their own profits were not included as tithe-payers. They gave freewill offerings.
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2.  We are to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse” Mal 3:10. The storehouse in the OT was the temple. In the NT it’s the local church.
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CRITIQUE: Tithe-teachers completely ignore Numbers 18, the Levitical cities and the 24 courses of priests who took turns ministering in the Temple in one-week intervals. Contrary to what most teach, the “whole” tithe was brought by the people to the Levitical cities where it could feed 98% of the Levites and priests who were not at the Temple (Neh 10:37b). The older males of the course which was ministering brought their “whole” portion to the Temple for that week. In Malachi God cursed the priests who had stolen the Levite’s portion of the tithe out of its storeroom in the Temple (Neh 13:5-10; Mal 1:14).

The NT church does not correspond to the OT Temple. The NT “temple” is within every believer-priest.  Since Christianity was an illegal religion, it did not have buildings or storehouses for many centuries after the NT was written.
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3.         We’re to bring the whole tithe. Mal 3:10

Partial obedience won’t bring partial blessings.

Partial obedience is total disobedience.
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CRITIQUE: This is a scare tactic. In the Bible the large landowners paid the tithe while their day-laborers, the poor gleaners and those who did not earn a livelihood (off the increase which God provided from His land) had nothing to tithe. While one course ministered in the Temple, the other 23 courses, their wives, their younger children and their servant/slaves ate the tithe in the Levitical cities.
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4.         We’re to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, Mal 3:10. Not your house for you to decide how to use. It’s to be brought to His house and used for His purposes. It’s His tithe.
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CRITIQUE: (1) Malachi 1:6 to 3:7 is clearly addressed to dishonest priests whom God cursed four times. Early church history reveals that offerings were equally distributed among all church members and special care was given tot the poor who had nothing to give. “This whole nation of you” means “of you dishonest priests,” “every priest in the nation” (Mal 1:14; Neh 13:5-10). (2) The first whole OT tithe went directly to the Levites and not to the priests. The Levites who were paid by the first tithe functioned as servants, carpenters, craftsmen, guards, choir members, bakers, treasurers, judges, soldiers and politicians. Churches ignore this primary principle of how the tithe should be used. See Numbers 3 and 1 Chronicles 23 to 26.
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5.         We’re to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse on Sunday, the first day of the week.

1 Cor 16:1-2. The context is a missionary offering.
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CRITIQUE: The text says absolutely nothing about tithes, pastoral support, missionary support, or local church support. It does not imply that some of the offerings stayed in the local church. The headquarters church in Jerusalem would be offended if they were told that famine relief food was a “missionary” endeavor. It is also noteworthy that OT tithes were NEVER used to send out missionaries to the Gentiles. There is no direct correlation.
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6.         The tithe belongs to God. We are not free to designate it, divide it, or direct it wherever we want. [1 Chron 29:14 David’s giving.]
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CRITIQUE: (1) In Acts 15 and 21 the entire church body participated in the discussions. How to spend church money should include the entire body; the elders make the plans and entire church approves them. (2)  As king, David owned land in every tribe and was extremely wealthy. The Bible records his great freewill offerings to build the Temple but does not mention David tithing. (3) Look at 1 Chron 26:29-32. Levites functioned as BOTH religious AND political employees of the government. This principle is not followed today.
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7.         In the OT priests administered the tithes and offerings. Today church leaders are in charge of that responsibility. [1 Tim 5:17 elders; double honor]
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CRITIQUE: This is a biblically false statement. The vast majority of the first tithes were received by OT Levites and not the priests (Num 18:21-24; 1 Chron 31:15-19; Neh 10:35-38). The priests only received one tenth of the first tithe (Num 18:25-28; Neh 10:35-38). A second OT festival tithe was brought to Jerusalem as a pot-luck meal for all to eat. A third-year tithe was kept at the homes throughout the land to feed the poor.
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[7.] Rick Stedman: The MPW team decides what amounts from the tithes and offerings should go to which missionaries. It is vitally important that [ordinary] church members [do not interfere].
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CRITIQUE: This inserted statement by the local pastor reveals the desire for total control of the church funds to be in the hands of an elite group. This kind of decision should really be voted on by the entire church body in a called business session. However, again, since the OT did not use tithes to fund missionaries, then the whole discussion is unbiblical for the NT church.
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8.  It is Biblical for leaders to set aside a sum of money from the tithes and offerings from God’s people for mission work. [1 Cor 16]
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CRITIQUE: 1 Cor 16 is not discussing funds to be kept at the local church for any purpose. Paul was telling the people to bring whatever food supplies they had previously stored at home for the famine and be ready to load it on his ship when he arrived. Store it at home ahead of time on the first day of the week. Do not wait until the last minute to decide what to give. All of it would go to relieve the famine in Judea. None of it is to pay salaries.
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Prov 10:22 blessing of the LORD brings wealth
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CRITIQUE: Read and compare all of what God’s Word says about the poor. Sincere born-again Christians will always be among the poor.

God honors the amount of sacrifice in giving more than the value of the things given (Mark 12:42-44). He makes it clear that oppressing the poor is sin (Deut. 10:19; Prov. 14:31; Jer. 22:16-17; Ezek. 16:49; Amos 2:6-7; 4:1; 5:12; 6:4; Zech. 7:9-10; Mal. 3:5-6). God will certainly punish those who oppress the poor (Isa. 3:14-15; 10:1-2; 11:4), and the righteous will be known according to their treatment of the poor (Deut. 12:13; 15:11; Ps. 140:12-13; Prov. 19:17; 31:20; Jer. 22:16).