Test Yourself on the Tithe!

[spirituality]

Does God require 10% of your gross income to go to the local church - for the rest of your life? What do you really know about this important Bible teaching? Well, here's your chance to find out! Each question is worth 5 points. Normally, a score of 60% would be a passing grade. But, in this case, I want you to study this subject until you score a 100! My reason is simple. If you make $50K a year, after 50 years, you will have given $250K to the local church - a quarter of a million dollars! It seems reasonable to me you should ask questions about this - and know some answers. In fact, I am quite sure it is wrong to give 10% of your gross income to anybody - until you are 100% sure this is God's Biblical command for your cash. That's why I want you to work on this until you score 100!

So, ... get your pen and paper and take this 3 minute test right now. I know you are not going to cheat. Go!

1. How many Bible authors wrote commands about the tithe - its purpose, amount and procedures?

2. Who are they?

3. What was done with the third and sixth year tithe? Who had access to it?

4. Can you explain the "tithe cycle" of the Israelites?

5. What was done with the tithe every seventh year?

6. Explain Abram's tithe. What did Abram give Melchizedek?

7. Did any of the Levites tithe? If so, to whom and how much?

8. How much money did the tithers give to the Levitical Priests?

9. In the "to the Levites" tithing years, did all the tithe go to the Levites?

10. What group did Jacob give his tenth to?

11. What were the conditions God must meet before Jacob would give that tenth?

12. When was the tithe "rediscovered?"

13. Who is credited with that "rediscovery?"

14. What was the catalyst for that "rediscovery?"

15. Is tithing the number one responsibility for the Christian and his/her money?

16. What kind of curse should the Christian expect for failing to tithe (Mal 3:17-23)?

17. Where did Jesus tell Christians to bring their tithe?

18. Where did Paul, or the other New Testament writers, tell Christians to bring the tithe?

19. When the Corinthians, and others, were making their collection for the saints, what was done with that collection before Paul and company took it to Judea?

20. Can the tithe be given to parachurch ministries?

Before grading yourself (why the rush?), let's first consider one other thing. If someone is telling you that God commands 10% of your gross income go to the local church for life - that person should be willing to answer a few questions (like ... maybe twenty?). And if that person fails to score 60%, well, ... where I come from, that constitutes an "F." Should you be expected to yield to such "expertise?" But, even if expected ... should you?

How to administer "The Tithe Test" to others.

1. Practice on a friend or two (I did). It's fun.

2. Tell your "testee," you took a tithe test - and how you scored. Tell them you are interested in seeing how well they will do. My friends jumped at the chance to put up a better score.

3. Either place a copy of this test before them, or give it orally. In either case, let them write down their answers. All that really matters is that the test is taken right then, in the order written, as a "pop quiz." No questions are to be taken home - or given in advance.

4. Grade it right then - they will want to know their score.

The Answers

"The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly" (Pr 15:14).

Multiply the number of correct answers by 5 to get the percentage score.

1. One.

2. Moses. In Malachi, God was speaking and simply reiterated the commands in the Law.

3. It was kept in the local town. It was for the local Levite, alien, orphan, and widow.

4. Year one, two, four and five were taken to the designated place (eventually Jerusalem). For years three and six - refer to the answer in question 3. Year seven - see below.

5. There wasn't one. There was not one on year fifty (Year of Jubilee) either.

6. He gave him 10% of the choicest spoils of a bunch of stuff he had no intention of keeping anyway. He gave nothing of his own possessions.

7. Yes. Those Levites not of Aaron's family gave a tithe of the tithe they received. They gave it to the priests of Aaron's family.

8. None. The tithe was never money.

9. The tithe of year one, two, four and five were shared by the tither with the Levite in a celebratory meal when the tithe was given. What was left over stayed with the Levite. In year three and six, it appears the tither deposited the whole amount in the local town without partaking of any of it.

10. There was no "group" to give it to of which we know. If the testee simply says, "God," go ahead and give him/her credit. The testee is still going to flunk.

11. God had to be with him, keep him on his journey, give him food to eat, give him garments to wear, and return him safely to his father's house. At that point, God would be his God. The tenth came (we assume) twenty years later. It was a vow fulfillment.

12. After the Bill of Rights was adopted in the United States.

13. American Theologians in the Higher Criticism of Systematic Theology.

14. The loss of the church's ability to tax citizens (The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights) caused a financial crisis in the church. That led to this "rediscovery."

15. No. Family responsibilities come first. There is no tithe for Christians anyway.

16. There aren't any. Christians are not Jews under Law.

17. He didn't, because there isn't one.

18. They didn't, because there isn't one.

19. It was saved - probably at home by each contributor.

20. There is no such thing as a parachurch ministry, and there is no tithe for the Christian either. All the assumptions in this question are nonsense.

These answers are correct.

The teaching being presented today - is not the tithe of the Bible. In fact, this "new teaching" is totally foreign to the Bible. An important Biblical teaching and word (tithe) has been stolen away - and applied to this new, and Biblically foreign, teaching.

God does have specific priorities for your money. But those purposes are not a part of this "new teaching." This teaching is extortion in the Name of, and by the authority of, Jesus Christ. But, it is not just the extortioner who will be held to account. The duped one is accountable too. It is ultimately our responsibility to learn God's will for us - especially when it is written in black and white. And in this matter, "I have not spoken in secret, in some dark land" (Isa 45:19). God's material on the tithe, and His priorities for our money, are clearly stated in the Bible - there for the reading.

So, how did you do? Are you comfortable with your current knowledge level on this matter?

By: Robin Calamaio
Article Source: Depositarticles.com

 

[Vajradhara]

Namaste,

i'll give it a go..

Does God require 10% of your gross income to go to the local church - for the rest of your life? What do you really know about this important Bible teaching? Well, here's your chance to find out! Each question is worth 5 points. Normally, a score of 60% would be a passing grade. But, in this case, I want you to study this subject until you score a 100!

well... i hope you'll understand if i have more pressing matters to spend time studying

1. How many Bible authors wrote commands about the tithe - its purpose, amount and procedures?

none.

2. Who are they?

since none of them wrote that.....

3. What was done with the third and sixth year tithe? Who had access to it?

priests and other members of the clergy.

4. Can you explain the "tithe cycle" of the Israelites?

nope.

5. What was done with the tithe every seventh year?

i don't know but you can be sure that they didn't give the money back.. institutions that take money in are rarely keen to return it when not needed.

6. Explain Abram's tithe. What did Abram give Melchizedek?

sorry.. i can't.

7. Did any of the Levites tithe? If so, to whom and how much?

the Temple, i'd imagine.

8. How much money did the tithers give to the Levitical Priests?

i don't know... what sort of money did they use back there anyways? by and large commerce was done with barter of goods and services.

9. In the "to the Levites" tithing years, did all the tithe go to the Levites?

undoubtedly not. humans are just as corrupt today as they were back then... there were always tolls and taxes on goods that moved around, even more so when said goods were gold and silver.

10. What group did Jacob give his tenth to?

probably the church or it's duly appointed representatives.

11. What were the conditions God must meet before Jacob would give that tenth?

dunno but then the idea of God having to fulfill a humans requirements seem somewhat at odds with the idea of God as soverign.

12. When was the tithe "rediscovered?"

when the church realized that it needed money and found a lovely way to supplement the tithe income with plenery indulgences.

13. Who is credited with that "rediscovery?"

? i don't know but i'm sure it was a member of the church hierarchy and not a regular farmer that attended worship services

14. What was the catalyst for that "rediscovery?"

a lack of funds by which to secure political power and establish the hegemony of Christianity in Europe.

15. Is tithing the number one responsibility for the Christian and his/her money?

i suppose that would depend on the being in question, i would have to say "no".

16. What kind of curse should the Christian expect for failing to tithe (Mal 3:17-23)?

none.

17. Where did Jesus tell Christians to bring their tithe?

to Ceaser.

18. Where did Paul, or the other New Testament writers, tell Christians to bring the tithe?

to themselves or the church, as it were.

19. When the Corinthians, and others, were making their collection for the saints, what was done with that collection before Paul and company took it to Judea?

hehe... collection for the saints... i'll need to try to use that line when i'm shaking down some rubes

20. Can the tithe be given to parachurch ministries?

probably but that would depend on what "parachurch" means as it's not a term that i've encountered before.

And if that person fails to score 60%, well, ... where I come from, that constitutes an "F." Should you be expected to yield to such "expertise?" But, even if expected ... should you?

nope.

if a person tells me to do something and cannot demonstrate that they know what they are talking about, i typically ignore them.

2. Tell your "testee," you took a tithe test - and how you scored. Tell them you are interested in seeing how well they will do. My friends jumped at the chance to put up a better score.

they did?! you and i have some very different sort of friends!

So, how did you do? Are you comfortable with your current knowledge level on this matter?

yeah, i did ok and i'm more than comfortable with my knowledge of this topic.

i would imagine, however, that you'd have more feedback and discussion were you to post this in the Christian discussion area.

metta,

~v

 

[arthra]

In Baha'i Faith we really don't have a tithe..

But there is a voluntary kind of tax called the Huquq'u'llah or Right of God this is about 19 % after expenses. People are on their honor to contribute as they can and no one tells them how much or when to do this.

Every dispensation has some sort of means or process to contribute to it..

- Art

 

[wil]

My reason is simple. If you make $50K a year, after 50 years, you will have given $250K to the local church - a quarter of a million dollars!

And you think that quarter of a million dollars is to little or to much based on what you receive?

You'll probably have paid twice that in interest to banks and credit card companies to borrow their money.

During that same time you'll have paid one and a quarter million in taxes, local, national, state income, sales tax, use tax, social security, futa suta, and the rest...

Now if you don't get fed physically, emotionally, spiritually from your church, I'd guess you'd have an issue with assisting. Heck let everyone else pay the light and gas bills. Let everyone else pay the mortgage and the help. Let everyone else paint and mow the lawn and serve on committees and usher and such.

I'm wondering why you go? I'm thinking you actually don't go to church, hence your reason to post.

If you do, tell me what your pastor/preacher/priest thinks of your quiz.

 

[Robin Calamaio]

I just found that my "Tithe Test" made its way to this site. When I read this last entry, I thought I would go ahead and join here so I could respond.

I am a pastor.

In my ebook, "No Tithe for the Christian" I not only expose this new teaching (that has hijacked the word "tithe") as extortion - but I proceed to show what the New Testament actually does teach about the Christian's responsibility with and relationship towards one's money. I think it is possible you might really find it of interest. There are some surprises in it ... and it's free.

 

[greymare]

LOL, i fail............