Recently a friend asked me:
Let me ask you two things. First, I believe in prosperity, but what is the New Testament basis for it? Second, how have we gotten so off on tithing?
Two good questions.
If you go back to the early days of what’s called the Word movement, there was little to no emphasis on tithing at all. The core premise for prosperity was rightly tied to Galatians 3.13:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. (NASB)
The early Word teaching held that redemption from the curse of the Law not only meant redemption from having to keep the Law, but also from the effects of breaking the Law (something quite different from more than a few seminaries). Deuteronomy 28 sets out the curses for Law-breaking:
But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.
You’d think that covers just about everything, but the curses go on (and on) for another 52 verses.
The irony about Galatians 3.13, at least when viewed through the prism of today’s “Word” prosperity teachings, is that it is absolute. Jesus became a curse for us and redeemed us and that is that. The Christian cannot add anything to this finished work to receive the blessings of God, including cutting a check to the pastor every Sunday. He just learns to walk in his redemption. Consequently, in the early Word days, tithing was preached, but more in the sense of supporting the pastor (the workman is worthy of his hire) and fulfilling the Great Commission through the means of foreign missionaries.
So what changed?
It’s just my personal opinion, but it appears that the cost of ministry of recent years has been more the driving force of the rise of the current tithing teachings than good exegesis of scripture.
Back in the old days, meeting in converted barns (one of my first churches), tents, or strip shopping malls wasn’t a big deal at all. Itinerant preachers usually stayed in church members’ homes when they came to preach and no one really had second thoughts about the Colonel Sanders look-a-like that led worship. Sure, it was a little backwoodsy at times, but many of those folks knew the Lord, and it was fun.
Today, the old wooden pulpits, Grandma intercessors, and the ragtag missionary who just spent 6 months in the jungle are soooo yesterday. In their place we’ve hired professional worship bands, corporatized everyone-bring-one campaigns, and treated our guest speakers (none who have ever even seen a jungle let alone preach in one) to the Waldorf Astoria.
The upshot of it is that it takes more than a couple of widow-offerings to stay at the Waldorf.
[Addendum:
Here are a couple of rambling thoughts about ministry culture and money:
One television ministry boasts that it takes in more than $100 million per year. Think about this: you could pay 10,000 missionaries $100,000 (which is a pretty good chunk of change for a missionary and more than twice the salary of the average American) for that amount of money.
*****
One pastor I know rents out a professional recording studio when he wants to do a video or audio recording outside of the church service. Sometimes he does these for special occasions or when he is out of town. They last anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes (kind of like a pastoral commerical).
Markets differ, but according to my numbers, a recording like that cost around $500 or more just for the studio time (by the hour). Post-production editing, etc. would add to that.
The equipment to produce the podcasts on this site cost about $250.00 total (well, I did have the Mac). The podcasts here have an audience that is more than ten times the size of this pastor’s congregation.]
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
That was an interesting analysis. I had not realized that early WOF preachers shared my pragmaticism when it comes to tithing. It’s always nice to know one is not in the life raft all alone.
The cost factors you mentioned for today’s “ministry” make me wonder if that is the right word for it. Ministry is about serving people, it seems like the current paradigm is for the benefactors to serve the “ministry”.
[Reply]
slw,
The emphasis on tithing is pretty recent. While I don’t believe that a minister must take a vow of poverty, there is certainly something to be said about the treasures of the Spirit versus the toys of the flesh.
We’ve got lots of room in our raft.
[Reply]
I appreciate your ministry. I’m trying to find the truth, not
put down any teacher. However, I think it’s necessary to
look into current teachings to see if they line up with
the Word of God and its intent, or not.
We attended a meeting held a fancy hotel by a rhema
grad in our area years ago. Unfortunately not too many
people showed. At the end, the preacher went on and
on about how we all needed to cover the cost of the meeting.
We gave a good chunk which we frankly could not afford to give at the time, and I later resented it. I realize that I should not have been giving unless I did so freely but I point it out as an example. I couldn’t help thinking the preacher could have started out meeting in homes until the ministry had grown enough to warrant such an expense. We all make mistakes and we all learn. However, I personally feel the same kind of “pressure”, even if it’s unintended by the ministers, at church. They EMPHASZE tithing and believe if you tithe you will be protected in your finances. If someones’ faith is that their tithe is obeying God,they probably will
experience more protection and blessing, but I believe that
is because of WHERE their faith is focused not because it is obedience or disobedience to God in itself. Ok, does
this mean if a believer does not tithe, they are “unprotected”?
I have also heard teaching/preaching that you are leaving
yourself under the curse if you don’t tithe, because by not
tithing, you are disobeying the Word. I disagree with
this emphasis.
We are redeemed from the curse by Christ’s redemption, period. I’m still not certain how our “confession” (vocal confession of the Word and of other things) falls into place. It is also taught that since “life and death is in the power of the tongue” that if you say negative things you will “get what you say”. I’m interested to know what you would say about
this subject of confession?
In what areas, if any, are our actions/behaviors a
condition or producer of God’s grace? I realize that our
thoughts, words and acts would have a normal result
in life. However, is it true we are literally speaking
things into existence? Thanks
[Reply]
How early are the “early days”? Before the 1870s no non-state church in the USA taught tithing. And the OT tithe was never used for missionaries. Jesus could not possibly have included Gentile disciples in his “matters of the law” from Mt 23:23. Gentile Chrisians could not tithe even it they tried.
[Reply]
Russell,
Thanks for the comment. I agree with you on Mt 23.23 and the Gentile believers. In referring to the Word movement, I am loosely referring to the beginning of the 1900’s. Many of the leaders back then were in the forefront of the Pentecostal movement. The Word movement is usually viewed as a sub-category of the Pentecostal movement.
Interestingly enough, during that time some of the churches employed pew subscriptions to raise funds and ensure operating expenses.
[Reply]
I think Russell wrote a book on tithing.?
I found these scriptures relating to tithe in the old testament and was really excited when not only myself, but my family, servants (i don’t have any), Levites in my town (there aren’t any), aliens (we have a few), widows and orphans (those in abundance) get to eat my tithe with me before the Lord. That was shocking.
I asked one of our elders before a Sunday morning service if he’d ever heard of this. He agreed he hadn’t either. Needless to say that started me on an investigation into the tithe.
Then I found Paul waving off support in verse 12 and 15 of 1 Cor 9. Amazing he waived his rights to income from preaching the gospel, said it would hinder the gospel. Again another shocking revelation Paul was a volunteer too.
No doubt you’ve all studied this online and found many folk who’ve discovered the tithe likely ceased with the fulfillment of the Old Covenant.
http://www.shouldthechurchteachtithing.com/
Russell, look what I found. I’m going to check this out. Thanks for the great thread Peter.
[Reply]