Should the church teach tithing? 13of22

13: MALACHI: Malachi 3 is the Most Abused Tithing Text in the Bible. The whole tithe never was supposed to go to the Temple! The false teaching about tithes from Malachi 3 ignores important Bible facts. A. CONTEXT: Malachi is Old Covenant and is never quoted in the New Covenant to validate tithing (Lev. 27:34; Neh. 10:28-29; Mal. 3:7; 4:4). B. CONTEXT: In Malachi 3:10-11 tithes are still only food 1000 years after Leviticus 27. C. LAW: Malachis audience had willingly reaffirmed the Old Covenant (Neh.10:28-29). The blessings and curses of tithing are identical to and inseparable from those of the entire Mosaic Law. The rain in Deuteronomy 28:12, 23-24 and Leviticus 26:1-4 is only obtained by obedience to all 613 commandments. Galatians 3:10 (quoting Deu 27:26) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Trying to earn Gods blessings through tithing only brings curses for failure to keep all of the law. See also Galatians 3:19. D. PRIEST-THIEVES: Beginning in 1:6 you in Malachi always refers to the dishonest priests and not the people (also 2:1-10; 2:13 to 3:1-5): Even this whole nation of you --priests (3:9). In 1:13-14 the priests had stolen tithed animals vowed to God. In Nehemiah 13:5-10 priests had stolen the Levites portion of the tithe. Gods curses on the priests are ignored by most tithe-teachers (1:14; 2:2 and 3:2-4). E. LEVITICAL CITIES: Point #12. The Levitical cities must be included in a correct interpretation of Malachi 3:10 and they are not. Most tithe-recipients lived outside of Jerusalem. F. 24 Courses: The 24 courses of Levites and priests must be included in a correct interpretation of Malachi 3 and they are not. Normally only 2% of the total Levite and priest work force served at the temple one week at a time. Subtract wives, males under the age of 30 and daughters. Therefore 2% did not require all of the tithe. See 1 Chron 23-26; 28:13, 21; 2 Chron. 8:14; 23:8; 31:2, 15-19; 35:4, 5, 10; Ezra 6:18; Neh. 11:19, 30; 12:24; 13:9, 10; Luke 1:5. G. Nehemiah 10:37-39 is the key to understanding Malachi 3:10, The people were commanded to bring their tithes, not to the temple, but to the nearby Levitical cities. Verse 38 says that the priests were with the Levites in the Levitical cities when they received the tithes. H. STOREHOUSE: According to Nehemiah 13:5, 9 the storehouse in the Temple was only several rooms. The real storehouses were in the Levitical cites per Nehemiah 10:37b. Only the Levites and priests normally brought tithes to the Temple (10:38). Two rooms in the Temple were far too small to contain the tithe from the entire nation and 98% of the Levites and priests lived too far away to eat from them. Therefore, Malachi 3:10s Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse only makes contextual sense if it is only commanding dishonest priests to replace the tithes they had removed from it or had failed to bring to it. While the 3:10 of the Law in Malachi is so important to tithe-teachers they ignore the 3:10 of the Gospel in Galatians and 2nd Corinthians. Perhaps those wanting to enforce the 3:10 Law of Malachi should also enforce the 3:10 Law of Numbers. They share the same context. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B629166196B770CB