New Course - The Tithe is a Lie · Profit Fellowship

New Course - The Tithe is a Lie

Check out the course in the Classroom.

THE BIBLICAL CASE FOR THE SELF-TITHE

PART 1: WHAT THE TITHE ACTUALLY WAS

The tithe was agricultural, not monetary.

"Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD." - Leviticus 27:30

"And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal that passes under the herdsman's rod, shall be holy to the LORD." - Leviticus 27:32

Notice what's missing: money, wages, income. A shepherd didn't calculate 10% of his net worth. he literally passed his flock under a rod and every tenth animal was set apart.

Fishermen didn't tithe their catch.

Carpenters didn't tithe their labor.

Merchants didn't tithe their profits.

"Give 10% of your paycheck" is not in the text.

THERE WERE THREE TITHES (Not One)

The modern church teaches one tithe of 10%. The Old Testament actually prescribed three:

1. The Levitical Tithe (Numbers 18:21-24) Given to the Levites who served in the temple. Why? Because they received no land inheritance:

"To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting... they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel."

The Levites had no farm, no vineyard, no way to feed themselves. The tithe was their compensation for full-time religious service. Your pastor has a mortgage and a 401k. The Levites had nothing.

2. The Festival Tithe (Deuteronomy 14:22-27) Here's where it gets interesting:

"You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the LORD your God... you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil..."

Wait — the giver ATE their own tithe? Yes. This was essentially a funded vacation to Jerusalem for the national feasts. If you lived too far away:

"Then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses: and you shall spend that money for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul desires: and you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household."

Read that again.

God commanded them to take 10% and spend it on a celebratory feast, wine, strong drink, whatever their soul desired, and rejoice with their family before the Lord.

The second tithe was for the giver's own refreshment and celebration.

3. The Poor Tithe (Deuteronomy 14:28-29) Every third year:

"At the end of three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall lay it up within your gates: and the Levite... and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied."

This tithe was kept locally and distributed to those in need — Levites, foreigners, orphans, widows.

The math: If we add these up across a seven-year cycle, scholars estimate Israelites gave approximately 21-23% annually, not 10%. But crucially, only one of the three went to religious workers.

The other two were for celebration and social welfare.

PART 3: THE TITHE NEVER BUILT THE TEMPLE

This is the nail in the coffin of institutional tithing.

The tabernacle and temple were built through nedabah, freewill offerings. Not tithes.

Exodus 35:21-29:

"Everyone whose heart stirred him up. brought the LORD's offering for the work of the tent of meeting." "The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts prompted them to bring."

Exodus 36:3-7:

"They received from Moses all the contribution. for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. And they continued bringing him freewill offerings every morning. Then all the craftsmen. said to Moses, 'The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work.'"

The people gave so much voluntarily that Moses had to tell them to stop.

1 Chronicles 29:3-9 (David's Temple Offering):

"Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver." "Then the leaders of the fathers' houses. offered willingly. Then the people rejoiced because they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the LORD."

Key phrase: offered willingly. Not tithed. Not obligated. Willingly.

The tithe system was already in place when the temple was built. God didn't redirect it to construction. Different stream, different purpose.

PART 4: THE NEW TESTAMENT NEVER COMMANDS TITHING

What Jesus said:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness." Matthew 23:23

Jesus was speaking to Pharisees under the Law, pre-cross, criticizing their priorities. He never instituted tithing for the church.

What Paul said:

"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7

Notice what Paul doesn't say:

"Give 10%"
"Give to the church"
"Give or else"

He says: as you have decided. Not under compulsion. Cheerful.

What the early church did:

"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds. and it was distributed to each as any had need." Acts 4:32-35

No systematized percentage. Radical generosity. Needs-based distribution.

PART 5: THE PRINCIPLE UNDERNEATH - FIRST FRUITS

Here's what the church missed while building their 10%-to-the-building-fund doctrine:

The tithe was never a random 10%. It was the first and best portion, given before you knew how the rest would turn out. It was an act of faith and prioritization.

"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce." Proverbs 3:9

First fruits. Not leftovers. Not what's convenient. The first and best.

The church made "what matters most" mean the institution itself.

But what if the first fruits principle applied to something more valuable than your money?

PART 6: THE PARABLE REFRAME

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability." Matthew 25:14-15

The master didn't give cash to donate. He gave assets to multiply.

"He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man... so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.' His master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant!'" Matthew 25:24-26

The servant wasn't condemned for immorality or rebellion. He was condemned for burying what he was given.

In the parable, YOU are the talent. Not your money.

The question isn't "did you give enough away?" The question is "did you grow what you were given?"

PART 7: THE BIBLICAL CASE FOR THE SEVEN PILLARS

If we're going to tithe the first 10% of ourselves, where does it go? Scripture provides the framework:

1. HEALTH - The Body as Temple

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?" 1 Corinthians 6:19

You ARE the temple. Not a building.

2. MINDSET - Renewed Mind

"Be transformed by the renewal of your mind." Romans 12:2 "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." — Proverbs 23:7

3. RELATIONSHIPS - Iron Sharpens Iron

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 "Two are better than one... if either of them falls down, one can help the other up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

4. FINANCE - Stewardship

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." Luke 16:10 "The plans of the diligent lead to profit." - Proverbs 21:5

5. LEADERSHIP - Influence

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant." Matthew 20:26 "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18

6. SPIRITUALITY - Connection to Source

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." — Matthew 6:33 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." -jJohn 15:4

7. HAPPINESS - Joy as Fruit

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace." - Galatians 5:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine." Proverbs 17:22

1 comment

Profit Fellowship

skool.com/profit-fellowship

Growing together by exploring the true nature of reality from a Biblical Perspective (Jesus without the Dogma).