Tithes and Offerings Doctrine – The Commandments of Men

Have you ever wondered why the churches of this world tell you the old Covenant along with its ordinances and regulations is "done away with" (which is true); yet, they still quote the old Testament requirement for you to give them tithes (10% of your income) to support "their ministry" and "their churches"?

One of the main Scripture the peddlers of God’s word use to support their doctrine of demanding and extorting "tithes and offerings" from those who are seeking God's favor is Malachi 3:

Let’s look at the main Scripture that all these self-appointed gospel peddlers love to use: (those who peddle the word of God for profit and gain - see 2 Corinthians 2:17 below), these tithes and offerings extorters, ministers who follow the doctrine of Balaam (Jude 1:11); who claim these verses in Malachi 3 give them the authority to extort "tithes and offerings" from the people that are seeking to be saved from this evil and adulterous world; and that is Malachi chapter 3.

But, first let us look at Malachi chapters 1 and 2 to see who the word "man" refers to in verse 8 of Malachi 3 when God asks the question, these gospel peddlers love to quote when they want more of your money in their control; and that is "Will a man rob God? They never tell you who God is speaking to in this Scripture (they just speak about it in such a way to lead you to believe that God was speaking to you the member of their human organizations) - they have deceived you into believing God was speaking to you rather than to them - more specifically God is speaking to the Levites and the priesthood of Aaron and not the people giving the tithes and offerings to them.

These Levites and priests behavior had caused the people to be discouraged in that by saying the "Lord’s table is contemptible" (much like those today who take your tithes and offerings to buy for themselves the best of goods and services while refusing to help those who are not a member of their church); they were making the people give defected and sick animals for God as tithes and offerings; and taking the best of the livestock and grain offerings for themselves to sell for profit. Nor were these priests of Levi keeping God’s command to the Levites in Deuteronomy 26:12-13, where God said to them… "12 When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year--the year of tithing--and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the LORD your God: "I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them""…

The Levites were commanded to receive tithes and offerings from the people; however, in the third year they were to share this tithe given to them by those who had livestock and land to tithe on with "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow". In Malachi 3,  these "sons of Levi" were not during this because they did not fear God.The below listed Scriptures tell us what most of the ministers today are about - these are the tele-evangelists, the super-ministers, and the mega-church ministers who believe building bigger churches are more important than taking care of the needs of the widows and the poor and needy in their community.

Notice, the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul says, "many" not a few ministers are peddling God's word for profit from your "tithes and offerings"

• 2 Corinthians 2:17... "For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ."

Here again in Jude 1, the Scripture points us to those who "run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit". They live in mansions and very costly temples while claiming to serve God and His Christ Jesus. Many of you know these super ministers and their up and coming students of their greed (see Rev. 2:14). 

• Jude 1:11 ... "Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah."

In Malachi 1:6-8, it is shown that God were speaking to the leaders (the Levites and Priests of Israel) who were defrauding and robbing God of the tithes and offerings not the people who brought the tithes to them (the people continued to give and tithe to them even while these corrupt Levites and priests stole from God - and the widows, the poor and strangers in the land). These priests were not giving God His due honor before the people by taking care of those widows and orphans in need nor were they sacrificing the best of the grain and livestock to God rather they were keeping the best for themselves to sell and increase their own wealth from the things tithed and offered by those who were required to tithe. Just think of the glory our God in heaven would receive if these so-called "tithes and offerings" ministers actually followed these old Covenant instructions by helping the poor and needy with your "tithes and offerings" money instead of helping themselves. Today, we as Christians are called upon in the New Testament (or Covenant) which requires much more in giving and helping those in need than the Old Testament. For, we as Christians shall be judged by our treatment of those in need and those well to due Christians will be judged by what they did with their money (Matthew 19:16-24; Luke 12:33; Luke 19:1-10 and Matthew 25 - See The Poor and Widows Page).

• Malachi 1:6-8... "6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a Father, where is the honor due Me? If I am a Master, where is the respect due Me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for My name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for Your name?' 7 "You place defiled food on My altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled You?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty…"

Notice in verse 6 of Malachi chapter one God says, "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for My Name"; there you have it, it were the priests not the people, who were not respecting God as a Father and Master (if they were sons or servants then they did not show it, making them neither as for as God was concern). God says these priests showed Him contempt instead of honor and "place defiled food on"(v. 7) His altar (this phrase give us more proof that God was talking to the Levitical priesthood because they were the only ones commanded by God to offer the sacrifices on the altar). These priests said to the people, "the Lord’s table is contemptible"(v. 7) causing the "whole nation" to be cursed because of their evil deeds (Malachi 3:9); this gives us further Scripture proof that it were the priests and not, I repeat not the people who God is talking about in Malachi 3. Because only the priests sins brought sin on the nation, the sins of the people were atoned for by the priests; therefore, it was not possible for the people not tithing to bring a curse on the whole nation. So, I say to you today where these self-appointed gospel peddlers claim the people were robbing God - its not the people but the Levites and the priests who were robbing God - read it for yourself. This makes Malachi a prophecy for these same ministers who claim the right of extracting "tithes and offerings" from you because they are during the same thing these "sons of Levi" were doing; and that is keeping the better part of your money for themselves and "their churches pet projects". 

Now, when we move to Malachi chapter two we see God is still speaking to the priests and not the people as so many Christians have been led to believe by their leaders, these money lovers and self-proclaimed "tithes and offerings" collectors who have declared themselves to be God. For they say to those who they demand money from, that if you don't give to them you are robbing God. Thereby, claiming if you want to give to God then you must give to them and no one else. These ministers peddles the word of God for profit and financial gain - teaching for doctrine the traditions of men and doctrines of Satan concerning tithes and offerings; something God have not command them, and He have not given them this authority to demand money from you under the new Covenant. They are misusing the Holy Scripture to fill their pockets and "their churches" bank accounts. They are "living it up" on the word of God rather than being content, and helping those in need. These ministers are refusing to preach the word without cost. The Holy Spirit speaks of these ministers in 2 Peter 3:16… where it is said, these ministers have used Malachi 3 as "untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scripture". Yes, some twist the Scripture through ignorance and some through deceit and evil motives, and they all resist sound doctrine.

In Malachi 2:1-9, the Admonition for the Priests (Notice here God through the prophet speaks of the admonishment of the Priests not, I repeat not the people):

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  Malachi 2:1-9... "1 And now this admonition is for you, O priests. 2 If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me. 3 "Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will spread on your faces the offal from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. 4 And you will know that I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue," says the LORD Almighty. 5 "My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. 7 "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction-because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty. 8 But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi," says the LORD Almighty. 9 "So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law."

Notice verse 1 "this admonition is for you, O priests", and verse 4 where God says, He is sending these evil priests this admonition because of His covenant with Levi that it may continue. Then in verses 5 and 6 God speaks of His covenant with Levi and how Levi "stood in awe" of His Name and gave Him "reverence and revered" His Holy Name (this is why ministers should refuse to be called reverend - for only God deserves to be called reverend - yet, since this sin is so common among the churches of Babylon the Great these ministers refuses all sound reasoning in this matter even resisting the Holy Spirit). For as Christ Jesus says, they love to be revered by the men, parading themselves as someone important, and to have "the best seats in the synagogues [or in the churches], greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men 'Rabbi, Rabbi' [or 'Reverend']" (Matt. 23:5-12).

Next, God praises Levi for giving "true instruction" and that "nothing false was found on his lips"; but these priests in verses 7 and 8 are bearing false witness about the word of God nor are they preserving knowledge (you would expect men of God to give sound doctrine). They were causing many to stumble because of their teaching; and of these "sons of Levi" God says, they "have violated" (v. 8) His covenant between Him and Levi. God also says in verse 9 that He have caused them "to be despised and humiliated before all the people", because they did not follow His ways and showed "partiality in matters of the law". [We see and hear this today where the men of this evil world refuse to go to these "gospel peddlers" churches (for most of them are filled with women), and others even accuse these lovers of money of living high on the hog while their churchgoer can barely pay their rent and feed their family]. And for those of you who are faithful givers of tithes, you will be able to see this when these "gospel peddlers" only help those who give to their churches (if you are not a member then you of out of luck), and only those who tithe to them are allowed to speak in their churches. Yet, these "gospel peddlers" wonder out loud in their sermons, why people despise them for their behavior; and they still believe you should reverend them when they have not honored and revered God nor kept His laws.

Now, let us re-read Malachi 3 again, where it speaks of these priests robbing God. [Today, they are commonly called ministers or some other names which I will not mention nor should they use them because it blasphemes God Holy Name]. We will start in verse one, and I want you to pay particular attention to verses 3-5, and 9; where we see the phrases "sons of Levi", "that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness", "then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem", "those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans", and "even this whole nation". You know the more I study what God really says about "tithes and offerings"; the more I wish these "gospel peddlers" would rightly divide God’s word for a change and give God His honor and reverence among the people of this world. For many of our poor widows and fatherless children would be cared for with the tithe money they collect, and God would receive His honor and be reverend. Yet, these ministers uses your "tithes and offerings" for "their pet projects". Oh yea, they will definitely declare to you the word of God when they stand to profit from it, but never are they truthful when it may take money out of their pockets and their "human organizations" aka "their churches".

For the Truth About Tithes and Offerings Click Here to Enter Our "Tithes and Offerings site" and finish the real understanding of Malachi 3.

• All the Scriptures used to extract "Tithes and Offerings" from You are Explained in the Section Below:

Tithes and Offerings Website

More on this subject can be found in my "Tithes & Offerings" section above, There I will speak on many other Scriptures these "tithes and offerings" ministers will use to extort money from you; and exploit those who earnestly seek God and His Christ. Also, if you are in the Glen Burnie / Baltimore, Maryland area listen to radio station 1590 AM and see my Spreaker Page.