Should the Church Teach Tithing?: A Theologian's Conclusions about a Taboo Doctrine

by Russell Earl Kelly

Book Overview

Following a thorough examination of every biblical text on tithing, Dr. Kelly concludes that the church would be best served spiritually by believing and applying better New Testament principles of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595159788
• ISBN13: 9780595159789
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

The Standard for books concerning the tithing issue

This is easily the best book on the topic of tithing out there. It is professionally done and well-written. Not only will the reader learn truths about tithing that are not revealed in church, there is a great deal of quality teaching concerning priesthoods and the new covenant. The only questions I might have are that the author believes that in the old covenant there were three distinct and separate tithes taken. It is my opinion that there was only one annual tithe, spent in three different ways according to the tithe cycle, with every 7th and 50th year having no tithe requirements at all (sabbath rest for the land... the tithe, after all, was food and never money!) This is a book you can dive into and get something new in multiple readings of the same chapters. Kelly even discusses in-depth the secular history of tithing, as well as how the practice crept into Christian circles well after the early church (Which, of course, never mandated a 10-percent temple-tax to build churches, pay pastors, or influence politics.) Your pastor will hate it, but God loves it. The truth will set you free; this book will help loosen the bonds of finacial voo-doo that the mainstream church preaches today.

Eye-opening

This is a great book that really teaches the truth on what tithing was, and how it was practiced. It's unbelievable to witness all the current lies and misinformation about tithing that are from almost every Christian pulpit. I suppose in the vast majority of cases it is because of preachers that are naive about tithing, and just preaching what they've heard others preach (in the hopes of raising money to pay their salaries and building bigger church buildings). As Christians, we have a much higher standard. It's called "stewardship." All that we have belongs to God (time, treasure, & talent), not just 10% of our increase. Also, the church at large should be blessed through giving, not just local churches intent on building a mega-church (because of false pride and ego). Also, it seems like such a sin to extract money from the poor, under the guise of a modern tithe, when in actuality a portion of the tithe went to the poor. This give-to-get mentality that is preached in too many places will be blown apart by the truth found in this book. Please get it, read it, and help be a part of the reformation, against these false "tithe-preachers" found almost everywhere. It must break God's heart to see such emphasis on money nowadays. We should give sacrificially to God. Not on the basis of a tithe, but out of love and obedience. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, and if it isn't given cheerfully, God doesn't want it (read Malachi ch. 2 regarding the heart)! Please don't give because of false preaching and interpretations of Malachi Ch. 3.

This is the Definitive Work on the subject of Tithing!

I brought this book and did not regret it. I could not put it down until I finished it. Now I am reading it again. It is a reference book that can stand alone on it's own scholarly merit. It is the definitive book on the subject of tithing from a theological point of view. It deals with all the main proof texts used by pro-tithe preachers and digs deep and exposes the shallow, dishonest use of these bible verses and how they are used out of the context of these passages as a whole. In fact it shows how the rest of the surrounding text actually dismantles their argument! The whole of the bible is shown to be in agreement and shows that the weight of the argument is truly against a legalistic mandatory requirement and that the New Testament does not command or teach tithing at all. Your pastor may not want you to read this book! It takes a bit of study and concentration to absorb but it is well worth the read if you seriously want to arm yourself with the truth. It is one thing to know in your heart that you believe something, or suspect that something is not right with what you are currently being taught, but it is another thing to fully understand both sides of the argument and be able to defend your position! In fact having read Russell's book I now feel confident to be able to defend my beliefs now on any given verse or argument that someone could try to put to me. Russell shows how God has a better way under the New Covenant and how we are really robbing God and ourselves if we don't give with a proper heart attitude and as per the New Testament patterns and teaching of Jesus and the apostles. It is very liberating to know that I can give from my heart without any compulsion, from a sense of gratitude. We have a great responsibility as Christians but God is not pleased at our giving from any sense of guilt or the like! I enjoyed the part about Melchizedek the most as this example is used often as a pre-Mosaic Law example, but Russell defuses this argument also and leaves no stone unturned with his thorough biblical research which is accurate, logical, honest, consistent, and referenced throughout. He includes early church history, the current biblical customs at the times in the bible, well known historical Christian figure's views, other well known authors, theologians, seminaries and commentaries that also maintain and support this position. It is time we stood against the tide of this current "tradition" that is holding sway over people and "makes void the word of God". I believe many people are waking up to the abuses of what many pastors churches and denominations are doing and we need more scholars like Russell who is unafraid to put his body on the line to reveal the truth about tithing as the bible defines it, in contrast to giving in the New Testament.

Investigative and Informative

This book investigates many aspects of the Bible and provides informative analysis. Unlike most tithing books, there is very little because-I-say-so going on. Unfortunately, many would rather follow tradition than discover what God's Word truly says. This book helps ease the transition to the latter.

The most informative, intriguing book I've read on tithing!

Should the Church teach tithing? This is a question that, it seems, more and more Christians are desiring an answer to today. Certainly there are many different opinions that exist on the subject. But what does God's Word clearly teach on the matter? After reading more than 40 books, commentaries, lexicons, Bible dictionaries and various study aids and position articles on this subject (from all different perspectives), I came across Dr. Kelly's book. To be honest I wasn't expecting to be surprised much after all of my previous research on the subject, but Dr. Kelly's book was a mind-blower!Should The Church Teach Tithing, by theologian Russel Earl Kelly, Ph. D. (343 pages), is one of the most thorough and intriguing investigations of the biblical tithe I have read to date. This book answers questions and challenges against many traditional arguments and misconceptions that have been made concerning the subject of tithing and also traces the early development of church support as found in the Church Fathers before Nicea. The writing is completely void of negative critical commentary, yet presents the biblical truth in a fascinating, precise and clear cut manner. Kelly also offers his insight and perspective concerning the mysterious biblical character known as Melchizedek and offers some surprising conclusions.Russel Earl Kelly's work is accompanied by scores of quality references and a multitude of Scriptural support for each point made. The reader is encouraged and given the resources to do their own biblical investigation into the subject along with the author.This is a book that will encourage Christians in the area of understanding the tithe and true, biblical, New Covenant giving principles. It will help the reader to understand clearly when tithing originated, why it was implemented in the Law and how it has been fulfilled completely through Christ. Wonderful emphasis is made upon the priesthood of the believer in Jesus Christ, his New Covenant privilege of intimate relationship with God and the role this plays in blessing others. No biblical stone is left unturned in this amazing presentation.I believe this book has the potential to strengthen the understanding of many pastors and evangelists who have commonly taught tithing to the Church. If a person is teachable and eager to embrace the simple Word of God, this book will be an exciting, fresh look into the subject of Christian stewardship and right perspectives on biblical giving principles. It is an absolute must read for anyone desiring to better understand and embrace biblical truth and right doctrine as it concerns this topic.