Reply to Florida Baptist Witness' Wiley Richards on TYithing

Russell Earl Kelly, PHD: This article by Wiley Richards shows how far good hermeneutics of Law in the SBC have deteriorated.

Richards: In regard to the times of Malachi, we observe the importance of attitude (2:17). Malachi accused the PEOPLE with wearying the Lord with their words. Oblivious of being transgressors by what they said, they had the audacity of challenging him to prove them wrong by asking, “Wherein have we wearied him?”

Kelly: Malachi 2:17 is a question asked, not by the people, but by the priests who (beginning in 2:13) “cover the altar with tears.” The immediate rebuttal of the priests in chapter 3, verses 1-5 is unmistakable. He will “come to his temple” (v1), “purify the sons of Levi” (v3) and “come near to you in judgment” (v5) – a reference to “judgment” from 2:17 and the “coming near” of priests in the temple.

Richards: He gave two rebuttals. First, they did evil in the presence of the Lord while proclaiming loudly about the goodness of their actions.

Kelly: Read the context! Chapter 1, verse 6 and chapter 2, verse 1 clearly identify the transgressors as “you priests.” It is the priests, and not the people, who are cursed in 1:14 and 2:2.

Richards: The truth was, they had been offering females from the flock, claiming they had no males to offer, a lie a simple examination of the herds would reveal.

Kelly: Wrong. This is not found in the NAS or RSV. There is no mention of females. Actually, females were acceptable according to Leviticus 3:1, 6; 4:28, 32. The priests of 1:6 had vowed to give God the best [of the tithes] they had received from the people (Num 18:25-28), but instead exchanged the best for the sick, lame, and blemished (Mal 1:13-14).

Richards: Second, they complained that God was delinquent in dispensing judgment against evil doers, even letting them prosper. Kelly: Again, the “you” of Malachi are (1) the “priests” of 1:6 and 2:1, (2) those who shed tears in 2:13, and (3) the “sons of Levi” in 3:3. Priests are also “sons of Jacob” (3:6) and 3:9 stays consistent if the “you” remains the priests as in “this whole nation of you priests – “every priest in the nation” (compare the NAS and RSV).

Richards: Although God did not attempt to justify Himself, He promised instead to send His messenger (3:1-3).

Kelly: Yes – to the Temple (3:1) to cleanse the priesthood (3:3). If Nehemiah sent emissaries to enforce his rules, the people had no choice, but to tithe (Neh 10:35-38). Richards: Our point of view is so self-centered, we need reminding occasionally that God may be using our circumstances to bring about His larger purposes. He tapped into Israel’s professed desire for the righteousness of the covenant to be restored.

Kelly: The covenant in chapter two is that made with Levi and the priests.


Richards: …. Malachi even compared the Baptist’s preaching to a refiner’s fire. … For Malachi’s day it would begin with the sons of Levi. ….

Kelly: Now Richards seems to be interpreting the reply of 2:17 in 3:1-5 as the priests. He has given two different interpretations of 2:17.

Richards: How faithful we are to God can be indicated by the way we handle the tithe (vv. 8-12).

Kelly: There is not a hint of truth for New Covenant Christians in that sentence. The “we” of Malachi is Israel (1:1-5) and “you priests” (1:6 and 2:1). God never commanded the Church or Gentiles to tithe be under the Old Covenant Law.

Richards: Jesus approved tithing (Matt. 23:23).

Kelly: Of course He did! Jesus was born, lived and died while the Old Covenant Law was still in full force (Gal 4:4-5; Heb 8:13). If Jesus had taught contrary to the Law, He would have been sinning. Note that Jesus’ use of the word “tithe” agreed with Malachi and was “food” from inside God’s holy land of Israel. Also note that Jesus would have been sinning if He had commanded either His Jewish or Gentile disciples to pay Him tithes.

Richards: Although some Christians say that we are under grace, not the law (?some?), we can observe that grace never requires less that the law.

Kelly: This weak argument is easy to refute. The only persons under the law who were required to tithe were food producers who lived inside Israel. While money was common even in Genesis and essential for sanctuary worship, money was never a tithed item. Tithing never applied to Gentiles or those in non-food-producing occupations inside Israel. Jesus, Peter, and Paul did not qualify as tithe-payers. Thus the requirements of the law were extremely limited. The post-Calvary giving principles found in Second Corinthians 8 and 9 are, indeed, far more comprehensive: freewill, generous, SACRIFICIAL, joyful, not grudgingly, not by commandment, and motivated by love for God and others. And the “equality principle” of 2 Cor 8:12-14 expects far more than 10% from many Christians. There is no minimum standard.

Richards: The fact is tithing preceded the giving of the law. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek following his victory in battle (Gen. 14:18-20).

Kelly: More facts about Abram’s pre-circumcision tithe are: (1) it was not a holy tithe as defined in the Law and used by Malachi and Jesus, (2) it was only spoils of war from Sodom, (3) the Bible does not say that it was either commanded or a freewill choice; it may have been obedience to the Canaanite law of the land regarding spoils of war, (4) Abram kept nothing; he gave it all away and (5) Abram gave the 90% back to the King of Sodom. There is no example of faith to follow concerning tithing in Genesis 14.

Richards: Just as Israel supplied for the physical needs of the priests as they took food from sacrificial offerings, the Bible says pastors are similarly cared for (1 Cor. 9:13-14).

Kelly: No. The temple-support laws and tithing law also require (1) that only priests “come near” the presence of God; kill anybody else. And (2) Levites and priests who receive the Levitical tithe cannot own or inherit property in Israel. Why is it today that gospel workers demand 10% but also are allowed to own and inherit property? Concerning First Corinthians 9:13-14, the argument is self-defeating and proves too much. Why? Verse 13 includes far more than tithes. If, as Richards suggests, verse 14 only refers to verse 13 (and not to 7-13), then everything included in verse 13 should be received. The fact is that verse 14 concludes that each vocation has its own principles; gospel workers receive from gospel principles of grace and faith.

Richards: The Bible approves gathering the money into each church, the principle of storehouse handling of money (Mal. 3:10).

Kelly: In reality, (1) the church is never called a storehouse and the early church did not even have buildings for over 200 years after Calvary. (2) Nehemiah 10:37b teaches that the first whole Levitical tithe went to the Levitical cities where it was needed most. And (3) Malachi 3:10 is addressed to “you priests” and “this whole nation” -- probably “of you priests.” Why? The Temple storeroom was much too small to contain the tithe of the nation (compare Nehemiah 13:5 with First Kings 6:6).

Richards: (opening statement) According to Jesus, we can discern how we treat God by looking at the way we treat fellow believers who are in distress.

Kelly: The SBC erroneously defines tithes as “firstfruits” and wants tithes to be paid before any other bills. This reeks of cruelty. (1) Tithes and firstfruits are never the same in God’s Word; firstfruits are very small token offerings (Deut 26:1-4; Neh 10:35-37a). (2) First Timothy 5:8 says “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” That means that medicine and essential food and shelter must come before any church offerings. It is wrong to teach otherwise and many are suffering without medications and essentials because of this false doctrine.

Wiley Richards is a professor of philosophy and religion at Florida Baptist College in Graceville, Fl.

Russell Earl Kelly, PHD, is the author of Should the Church Teach Tithing? A Theologian’s Conclusions about a Taboo Doctrine. His web leading web site is www.tithing-russkelly.com.