Reply to Dallas Baptist Standard, Aug 17, 2012

Barber said: “Nowhere can it be found in Scripture to hold back the tithe until you're debt-free. By paying debt instead of the tithe, are we not putting other gods before God? We are responsible to pay both the tithe and our debts."

Comment: Nowhere in Scripture can it be found that non-food producers who lived outside of Israel and non-Hebrews should tithe at all. “We” of the commanded Law never included Gentiles or the post-Calvary church.

Ramsey said: “Giving a tithe—10 percent of income—to God's work teaches lessons about stewardship.”

Comment: The biblical definition of the HOLY tithe as used by Malachi and Jesus in Matthew 23:23 was always only food from inside God’s HOLY land which God had miraculously increased. Holy tithes could not come from Gentiles, from income or from outside Israel. Jesus, Peter and Paul did not qualify as tithe-payers. While money was very common in Genesis and required for sanctuary worship, money was never a tithed item.

Ramsey said: "God doesn't ask us to tithe because he needs the money. He asks us to tithe for our own benefit. Tithing allows you to put God first in your life and become a less-selfish person."

Comment: Without a “thus saith the Word of God,” this statement has no value at all. Contrary to what tithe-advocates teach, tithes and firstfruits were never the same thing in Scripture. Firstfruits were only very small token offerings as in Deut 26:-4 and Neh 10:35-37a.

Ramsey said: "Even if you're working to get out of debt, you should still continue tithing.”

Comment: Again, without a “thus saith the Word,” this statement has no value. It is merely Ramsey’s personal opinion. There is no record of the early post-Calvary church teaching tithing. Paul taught sacrificial equality giving; for many that means more than ten percent; many more are giving sacrificially even though less than ten per cent. God does not want the first ten per cent of a sick widow’s welfare check when it means doing without medicine and food. The typical application of tithing today should be criminal.

Dickie said: "The Bible encourages us to honor God from our first-fruits, meaning that we should apportion part of our income to him.

Comment: 1 Tim 5:8 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.

I invite an extended open public discussion from any of your three experts but seriously doubt that they will engage me in such a discussion.

Russell Earl Kelly, PHD

Author of Should the Church Teach Tithing? A Theologian’s Conclusions about a Taboo Doctrine

Reply to Dallas Baptist Standard, August 17, 2012, Drowning in Debt