The Tithe Debate >
Arguments Against Tithes & Tithing
The following articles are offered in opposition to a mandatory tithing doctrine.
Garry Pifer, was formerly an unpaid elder in the United Church of God (UCG). On the 30th April 1999 this essay was published as the first in a series of articles on the subject of tithes & tithing in The Journal.
Chapter 3 from his on-line book: The Tithing Dilemma.
This is a summary of Russell Kelly PhD's book: Should the Church Teach Tithing? A Theologian's Conclusions about a taboo doctrine, which is an expanded version of his PhD thesis. A full copy of the book can be obtained from Dr. Kelly's tithing web site.
Some characterise the Mishnah as being the equivalent of the New Testament to Jews. It was compiled between the second and third centuries, as a means of preserving the previously unwritten oral traditions of the Jewish religion known as the "Oral Torah", (not to be confused with the "Written Torah" or "Pentateuch", namely: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy).
As such, the Mishnah documents many of the earlier Pharisaic "traditions of the elders" and gives some helpful indication about how the doctrinal subject of tithes and tithing was practically applied when the Levitical priesthood was indeed functioning up until AD 70, and also by implication during the time of Christ.
Noticeably the Mishnah indicates that at this time tithing was applied only to agricultural produce and not to other forms of income.
Return to the start of The Tithe Debate: About Tithes and Tithing?
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Why do many christian theologians believe even after the crucifixion that Paul kept Nazirite vows and offered sacrifices at the temple? In the predominantly Jewish New Testament church, why isn't any fuss recorded if most of the Old Testament laws were "done away" yet in Acts a small and predictable change to one "Old Testament" law about the circumcision of gentile proselytes caused massive turmoil? The Mosaic law - is it really "done away" in Galatians?
