Test Yourself on the Tithe!

[spirituality]

Does God require 10% of your gross income to go to the local church - for the rest of your life? What do you really know about this important Bible teaching? Well, here's your chance to find out! Each question is worth 5 points. Normally, a score of 60% would be a passing grade. But, in this case, I want you to study this subject until you score a 100! My reason is simple. If you make $50K a year, after 50 years, you will have given $250K to the local church - a quarter of a million dollars! It seems reasonable to me you should ask questions about this - and know some answers. In fact, I am quite sure it is wrong to give 10% of your gross income to anybody - until you are 100% sure this is God's Biblical command for your cash. That's why I want you to work on this until you score 100!

So, ... get your pen and paper and take this 3 minute test right now. I know you are not going to cheat. Go!

1. How many Bible authors wrote commands about the tithe - its purpose, amount and procedures?

2. Who are they?

3. What was done with the third and sixth year tithe? Who had access to it?

4. Can you explain the "tithe cycle" of the Israelites?

5. What was done with the tithe every seventh year?

6. Explain Abram's tithe. What did Abram give Melchizedek?

7. Did any of the Levites tithe? If so, to whom and how much?

8. How much money did the tithers give to the Levitical Priests?

9. In the "to the Levites" tithing years, did all the tithe go to the Levites?

10. What group did Jacob give his tenth to?

11. What were the conditions God must meet before Jacob would give that tenth?

12. When was the tithe "rediscovered?"

13. Who is credited with that "rediscovery?"

14. What was the catalyst for that "rediscovery?"

15. Is tithing the number one responsibility for the Christian and his/her money?

16. What kind of curse should the Christian expect for failing to tithe (Mal 3:17-23)?

17. Where did Jesus tell Christians to bring their tithe?

18. Where did Paul, or the other New Testament writers, tell Christians to bring the tithe?

19. When the Corinthians, and others, were making their collection for the saints, what was done with that collection before Paul and company took it to Judea?

20. Can the tithe be given to parachurch ministries?

Before grading yourself (why the rush?), let's first consider one other thing. If someone is telling you that God commands 10% of your gross income go to the local church for life - that person should be willing to answer a few questions (like ... maybe twenty?). And if that person fails to score 60%, well, ... where I come from, that constitutes an "F." Should you be expected to yield to such "expertise?" But, even if expected ... should you?

How to administer "The Tithe Test" to others.

1. Practice on a friend or two (I did). It's fun.

2. Tell your "testee," you took a tithe test - and how you scored. Tell them you are interested in seeing how well they will do. My friends jumped at the chance to put up a better score.

3. Either place a copy of this test before them, or give it orally. In either case, let them write down their answers. All that really matters is that the test is taken right then, in the order written, as a "pop quiz." No questions are to be taken home - or given in advance.

4. Grade it right then - they will want to know their score.

The Answers

"The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly" (Pr 15:14).

Multiply the number of correct answers by 5 to get the percentage score.

1. One.

2. Moses. In Malachi, God was speaking and simply reiterated the commands in the Law.

3. It was kept in the local town. It was for the local Levite, alien, orphan, and widow.

4. Year one, two, four and five were taken to the designated place (eventually Jerusalem). For years three and six - refer to the answer in question 3. Year seven - see below.

5. There wasn't one. There was not one on year fifty (Year of Jubilee) either.

6. He gave him 10% of the choicest spoils of a bunch of stuff he had no intention of keeping anyway. He gave nothing of his own possessions.

7. Yes. Those Levites not of Aaron's family gave a tithe of the tithe they received. They gave it to the priests of Aaron's family.

8. None. The tithe was never money.

9. The tithe of year one, two, four and five were shared by the tither with the Levite in a celebratory meal when the tithe was given. What was left over stayed with the Levite. In year three and six, it appears the tither deposited the whole amount in the local town without partaking of any of it.

10. There was no "group" to give it to of which we know. If the testee simply says, "God," go ahead and give him/her credit. The testee is still going to flunk.

11. God had to be with him, keep him on his journey, give him food to eat, give him garments to wear, and return him safely to his father's house. At that point, God would be his God. The tenth came (we assume) twenty years later. It was a vow fulfillment.

12. After the Bill of Rights was adopted in the United States.

13. American Theologians in the Higher Criticism of Systematic Theology.

14. The loss of the church's ability to tax citizens (The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights) caused a financial crisis in the church. That led to this "rediscovery."

15. No. Family responsibilities come first. There is no tithe for Christians anyway.

16. There aren't any. Christians are not Jews under Law.

17. He didn't, because there isn't one.

18. They didn't, because there isn't one.

19. It was saved - probably at home by each contributor.

20. There is no such thing as a parachurch ministry, and there is no tithe for the Christian either. All the assumptions in this question are nonsense.

These answers are correct.

The teaching being presented today - is not the tithe of the Bible. In fact, this "new teaching" is totally foreign to the Bible. An important Biblical teaching and word (tithe) has been stolen away - and applied to this new, and Biblically foreign, teaching.

God does have specific priorities for your money. But those purposes are not a part of this "new teaching." This teaching is extortion in the Name of, and by the authority of, Jesus Christ. But, it is not just the extortioner who will be held to account. The duped one is accountable too. It is ultimately our responsibility to learn God's will for us - especially when it is written in black and white. And in this matter, "I have not spoken in secret, in some dark land" (Isa 45:19). God's material on the tithe, and His priorities for our money, are clearly stated in the Bible - there for the reading.

So, how did you do? Are you comfortable with your current knowledge level on this matter?

By: Robin Calamaio
Article Source: Depositarticles.com

[austintorn@aol.com]

1. How many Bible authors wrote commands about the tithe - its purpose, amount and procedures?

One, but he was only hearing voices from a dream within him. God’s treasury is bottomless and is not affected by our low economy. He can send the money.

2. Who are they?

Not a ‘they’, but Moses who got lost for 40 years in the desert because, being a man, he wouldn’t ask for directions.

3. What was done with the third and sixth year tithe? Who had access to it?

It was the beginning of the welfare system by the government. They kept it under their beds.

4. Can you explain the "tithe cycle" of the Israelites?

No, for they had no bicycles.

5. What was done with the tithe every seventh year?

There was none, but I don’t know how they paid for the Jubilee.

6. Explain Abram's tithe. What did Abram give Melchizedek?

He gave him 10% of the choicest spoils of a bunch of stuff he had no intention of keeping anyway. He gave nothing of his own possessions. What a cheapskate!

7. Did any of the Levites tithe? If so, to whom and how much?

Yes. Those Levites not of Aaron's family gave a tithe of the tithe they received. They gave it to the priests of Aaron's family, but Hank Aaron was rich already and so he gave it back.

8. How much money did the tithers give to the Levitical Priests?

None. The tithe was never real money, just monopoly money.

9. In the "to the Levites" tithing years, did all the tithe go to the Levites?

Too complicated to answer.

10. What group did Jacob give his tenth to?

None, for this is a trick question.

11. What were the conditions God must meet before Jacob would give that tenth?

God had to walk with him, keep him on his journey via GPS, give him a restuarant, a clothing store, and drive him safely to his father's house. The tenth came (we assume) twenty years later, being ten years late.

12. When was the tithe "rediscovered?"

Whe he looked in the back of his sock drawer.

13. Who is credited with that "rediscovery?"

Thomas Jefferson, who was an agnostic.

14. What was the catalyst for that "rediscovery?"

The Church spent too much on Cathedrals.

15. Is tithing the number one responsibility for the Christian and his/her money?

No, computers and video games come first.

16. What kind of curse should the Christian expect for failing to tithe (Mal 3:17-23)?

Damned if I know.

17. Where did Jesus tell Christians to bring their tithe?

He didn't, because there isn't one. (This was the actual answer provided by the poster, as are all in italics.)

18. Where did Paul, or the other New Testament writers, tell Christians to bring the tithe?

Again, they didn't, because there isn't one, but Paul kept a cash box of them anyway.

19. When the Corinthians, and others, were making their collection for the saints, what was done with that collection before Paul and company took it to Judea?

They gambled it away.

20. Can the tithe be given to parachurch ministries?

Again the actual answer provided: There is no such thing as a parachurch ministry, and there is no tithe for the Christian either. All the assumptions in this question are nonsense.

Hey, good joke!


The teaching being presented today - is not the tithe of the Bible. In fact, this "new teaching" is totally foreign to the Bible. An important Biblical teaching and word (tithe) has been stolen away - and applied to this new, and Biblically foreign, teaching.

God does have specific priorities for your money. But those purposes are not a part of this "new teaching." This teaching is extortion in the Name of, and by the authority of, Jesus Christ. But, it is not just the extortioner who will be held to account. The duped one is accountable too. It is ultimately our responsibility to learn God's will for us - especially when it is written in black and white. And in this matter, "I have not spoken in secret, in some dark land" (Isa 45:19). God's material on the tithe, and His priorities for our money, are clearly stated in the Bible - there for the reading.

So, how did you do? Are you comfortable with your current knowledge level on this matter?

Yes, I can now rest easily and sit on my money.

[Mikal]

Now let me get through chuckling here now and draw my countenance into some rational space!

Titheing is over...the economy is bottoming out.

Some women also do not like to ask for directions but prefer to steer and figure things out...

Looks like the welfare system might get larger but of course the titheing back will be meager...we will soon discover who the cheapskate really is....
maybe titheing one way is appreciated but titheing in the opposite direction not suppossed to happen...

No use looking for the sock...its empty now..it grew a big hole from the quest for the TOE...

The cash-box not in much better condition...like pandora's box should have kept the lid on it...

Do you really think Judea may have had casino's?? Maybe thats what the pyramids really were...the Kings room...the counting cash room and the Queen's room...the ancient high ladies in waiting...

Sitting on money today rather the experience of sitting on a thimble...no throne just the pauper's stump....titheing becoming a paradox...


Mikal

[MJA]

A tithesket a tathsket a brown and yellow empty collection basket.

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MJA