Tithing and Clergy Salaries, Sore Spot on the wallet By Frank Viola George Barna Excerpt from "Pagan Christianity"

8/7/2019 Tithing and Clergy Salaries, Sore Spot on the wallet By Frank Viola George Barna Excerpt from "Pagan Christianity"

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" 'W I ll A M A N R O B G O D ? Yet you rob me. But you ask "Ho d b~"In ·th ' w owero

you. tl es and offerings. You are under a curse-the whole nation

of you-because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the

storehouse, that there may be f ood in my house. Test me in th· ,the LORD Al . h' '. IS, says

m lg ty, a nd see If I wIll not throw open the floodgates

of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room

enough for it'" (Malachi 3:8-10, NIv).

~his passage seems to be many Christian leaders' favorite Bible textespecIally h " . 1 '

, w en glVlng ISat ow tide. If you have spent any time in the

contemporary c~urch, you have he ard this passage read from the pulpit on

numerous occaSIOns. Consider some of the rhetoric that go ·tl· ."G d h es WI lIt.

o. as commanded you to faithf ully give your tithes. If you

do not tlthe, you are robbing God Almighty, and you put yourself under a curse."

"Your tithes and offerings are necessary if God's work will go on I"("G d' k " f . .. a s war, a course, mcludes paying the pastoral staff and f oot-

mg the mo.nthly electric bill to keep the building af loat.)

What IS the result of this sort ofpressure~ God's pe 1d . . ~e~~~

sua ed to gIve one-tenth of their incomes every week . When they

do, they feel tlley have made God happy And they H'. . can expect 1m to

b~ess them finanCIally. When they fail, they feel they are being disobe-

dIent, and they worry that a financial curse looms over them

But let's take a few steps backward and ask the pt' .. .". ene ratlng ques-

tlon. Does the BIble teach us to tithe~ And ... . ... are we spmtually

oblIgated to fund the pastor and his sta[f?"

The answer to these two questions may shock you.

I S T I T H I N G B I B L I C A L ?

Tithing .d~es appear in the Bible. So, yes, tithing is biblical. But it is

not. ~hnstlan. The tithe belongs to ancient Israel. It was essentially

~elr mcome tax. Never do you f ind first-century Christians tithinm the New Testament. g

Numerous Christians do not have the foggiest idea about what

the Bible teaches regarding the tithe. So let's look at it. The word

tit he simply means the tenth part.' The Lord instituted three kinds of

tithes for Israel as part of their taxation system. They are:

)0 A tithe of the produce of the land to support the Levites who

had no inheritance in Canaan.2

)0 A tithe of the produce of the land to sponsor religious festivals

in Jerusalem. If the produce was too burdensome for a family

to carry to Jerusalem, they could convert it into money.3

)0 A tithe of the produce of t he land collected every third year for

the local Levites, orphans, strangers, and widows.4

This was the biblical tithe. God ~manded Israel to give 23.3

percent of their income every year, not 10 percent.s These tithes con-

sisted of the produce of the land-which included the seed of the land,

the fruit of tlle land, and the herd or the flock . It was the product of

the land, not money.

A clear parallel can be seen between Israel's tithing system and the

modern taxat ion system present i n America. Israel was obligated to

support their national workers (priests), their holidays (festivals), and

("heirpoor (strangers, widows, and orphans) with their annual tithes.

Most modern tax systems serve a similar purpose.

With the death ofJesus, all ceremonial codes that belonged to the

J ws were nailed to Christ's cross and buried, never to be used again

to condemn us. For this reason, we never see Christians tithing in the

New Testament, just as we don't see them sacrificing goats and bulls

I()cover their sins.

Paul writes, "When you were dead in your transgressions and the

IIII . jrcumcision of your f lesh, He made you alive together willi Him, hav-

IIIg f orgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out llie certificate

I 1 1 1 1 1 1 0O ld T e sta m e n t, th e H eb re w w o rd fo r " t it h e " is m a as er , w h ich m e a n s a te n th p ar t. In t h e N e w T e sta m e n t. th e G re ek w o rd isrl n k n l o , w ll ic h a g a in m ea n s a te n th . T he w o rd is n o t t a ke n fr o m th e re l ig io us w o r ld , b u t f ro m t he w o rld o f m a th e m a t i c s a n d f in a n ce .1 1 "l l Io li s 2 7 :3 0 -3 3 ; N u mb ers 1 8 :2 1 -3 1.1 I1 1 1 1 10 1 01 I0 ll lY1 4 :2 2 -2 7 . T h is is s o me tim e s c a lle d " th e fe s t iv a l t i th e ."

1 1 II I I II I I I0 1 I0 l l1 Y1 4 :2 8 - 2 9, 2 6 : 1 2 -1 3 . J e w is h h isto r ia n J o s e ph us a n d o th e r s c h o la r s b e l ie ve th i s is a t h i r d t i t h e u se d in a d i f fe re n t w a y1 1 1 11 1 11 1 1 0s e co n d. S tu a rt M ll rr a y, B e yo n d T I th ing (C a rl is le , U K : P a t e rn o ste r P re s s , 2 0 0 0 ), 7 6 , 9 0; "W h a t Is a T ith e ? " Q u e sti o n s a b ou tI I lh l I lK , G on o ro u s G ivin g , h ltp : ll w w w .g e n er o us g iv in g .o r g /p a g e .a sp ? se c = 43 & pa g e= 5 8 9 .IW ll lll y 1 I0 lco n t y o a ri y a n d 1 0 p e rc e n t e v e r y th re e y e a rs e q ua ls 2 3.3 p e rce n t p e r y e ar . G od co m m a n d e d a ll th re e ti t h e s IN e h e m ia h1 / 4 4 1 M n lo c l l l3 :8 -1 2 ; H e b re w s 7 : 5 ).



of debt consisting of decrees against us, which washostile to us; and He

has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.... Theref ore

no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect

to a f estival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-things which are a mere

shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.,,6

Tithin . belon ed exclusiv Y-to srael under the Law. "When it

comes to financial stewardship, we see the first-centur; Christians

giving c~leerfully according to their ability-not dutif ully out of acommand.

7Giving in the early church was voluntary.8 And those who

\ J~enefited f rom it were the poor, orphans, widows, sick , prisoners and

'1 \ st:rangers.9

. We can hear someone niak ing the following objection right now:

"But w hat about Abraham? He lived bef ore the Law. And we see him

tithing to the high priest Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-20). Does this

not overturn your arglilllent that the tithe is part of the Mosaic Law?"

No, it does not. First, Abraham's tithe was completely voluntary.

It was not compulsory. God did not command it as He did with the

tithe f or Israel.

Second, Abraham tithed out of the spoils that he acquired after

a particular battle he f ought. He did not tithe out of his own regular

income or property. Abraham's act of tithing would be ak in to you

winning the lottery or a mega jackpot, or receiving a work bonus,

then tithing it.

Third, and most important, this is the only recorded time that

Abraham tithed out of his 175 years of life on this earth. We have no

evidence that he ever did such a thing again. Consequently, if you

wish to use Abraham as a "proof text" to argue that Christians must

tithe, then you are only obligated to tithe one time!IO

* ., C o lo ss ia n s 2 ,]3 -1 4 ,1 6 -1 7 , N A S 8; se e a ls o H e b re w s 6 -1 0.

7 T h is is ve ry c le ar fro m 2 C or in th ia n s 8 J -1 2 , 9 ,5 -1 3 . P a u l' s w o rd o n g iv in g is t h is , G iv e a s G o d h a s p ro s p e re d yo u -a cco rd in g to y o u ra bi l it y a n d m e a n s.

• G o u g h , E ar l y C h ri s t ian s, 86 .

• "H o w W e C h ris ti a ns W o rs h ip ," C h r i s t i an H is t o r y 1 2 , n o .I(1 9 9 3 ), 1 5 .

I D T he s a m e is tru e fo r J a c o b . A c c o rd in g to G e n e s is 2 8 ,2 0 -2 2 , J a c o b vo w e d to ti th e to th e L o rd . B u t l ik e A b ra h a m 's t i th e J a co b 's tith ew a s co m p ie te ly vo lu n ta ry . A n d a s ta r a s w e k n o w , i t w a s n o t a li f e tim e p ra ct ice . If J a c o b b e g a n t ith in g re gu la r ly la n d'th is ca n no t b ep ro ve n ), h e w a ite d fo r tw e n ty ye ars t o p a ss b e fo re h e s ta r te d I T o q uo te S tu a r t M u r ra y , " T it h in g a p pe a rs to b e a lm o s t in c id e n ta l t o t h es tO fie s (o f A b ra h a m a n d J a co b ) a n d n o th e olo g ic a l S ig n if ica n ce IS a cc o rd e d to th is p ra ct ic e b y th e a u th o r ."

This brings us back to that of t-quoted text in Malachi 3. What

was God saying there? First, this passage was directed to ancient Israel

when they were under tlle Mosaic Law. God's people were holding

back their tithes and of f erings. Consider what would happen if a large

portion of a country's citizens ref used to pay tlleir taxes. This would

be viewed as a form of stealing by many, and in some countries, those

unwilling to pay would f ace consequences. II

In the same way, when Israel held back he taxes (tithes) shewas stealing f rom God-the One who instituted the tithing system.

The Lord then commanded His people to bring their tithes into

the storehouse. The storehouse was located in the chambers of the

Temple. The chambers were set apart to h old the tithes (which we:.e

oduce, 0. noney) for tlle support of the Levites, the poor, the

strangers, and the widows. 12

Notice the context of Malachi 3:8-10. In verse 5, the Lord says

that He will judge those who oppress tlle widow, the f atllerless, and

the stranger. He says,"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will

be quick to testif y against sorcerers, adulterers and per jurers, against

those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows

and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me"

(N Iv ).

The widows, f atherless, and strang~e~ the rightf uLrecip-

ients~the tithe. Because Israel was withholding her tithes, she

;;; guilty of ignoring the needs o f these three groups. Herein is

t he heart of God in Malachi 3:8-10: He opposes oppression of the

poor.

How many times haveyou heard pastors point this out when they

preached on~alachi 3?In scores of sermons I have heard on tithing,

Iwas never told what the assa~ was actually talk ing about. That is,

Iirhes were given to support tlle widows, the f atherless, the strangers,

IIIHt tl';-eLevites (who owne no ing.

II N II I th a i s o m e b e lie ve p a yi n g ta xe s is n o t a le ga l o b lig atio n in c e rt a in c o un trie s . W e a re s im p ly u s in g th is a s a n il lu s tra t io u a n d

IU l lhl l lg m o re ." N llh l lm lo h t2 A4 , 1 3 J 2 -1 3 ; D eu te ro n o m y lH 8 -2 9 , 2 6 ,1 2 .



--- ..-----h (tithes} are hardly =ihundred years t ey : : : t :h 1 "For the first seven Z

sc 0ar, ,,21 , t' g exer- In

ever mentioned.. of Christian tithing is a f ascm~ me sto. ~Charting the histOry the church. Here s th ry CJ

d f the state to T char-' 22Tithing sprea rom '1' land was a fami iar (")Cise. , hth centunes, easmg , the tenth, ~In the seventh and eig The use of the tithe, or h::O

.' f the European economy. 1 dlords. As the churc ~actenstic 0 1 yments to an

1 used to calcu ate pa he 10 percent rent- (J')

wascommon Y 'f 1 nd acrosSEurope, t 1 'tical : J : = l o

'ncreased its ownership 0 a ds to the church. Ecc eSias , S ;1 h' fted from secular landlor 'h b me the ecclesiastical ~charge s 1 landlords. And the tit e eca , It was cre- (J')

leaders becameththe \ 0 percent rent charge new mean::gbe identif ied (J')

This gave 1 and came 0

tax. , tl Old Testament aw ., 'th an insti- ::0. 1 apphed to le tl the Chnstian ti e as rn

ative y ., 1tithe123Consequen y, . and a common (J')

with the Levltlca " f Old Testament practice " " 0

b d on a f uslOn0 24 ~

tution was ase d' 1 Europe. (J')

system of land-leasing in m~ ;e;~e became required by law in ma~: 0

B the eighth century, 1 th d of the tenth century, ~

y 25But by e en d Th tithe : : : t :reas of Western Europe. . 1 d had all but f ade. e , rn

a ent charge for leasmg an, d a moral requirement <::tithe as arb Vlewe as 1 1 . . . c : ; ;

h Wever remained and it came toThe ti.the had evolved into a lega y ~0, d'T< ment e 26

supported by the 01 est~ thr~ughout Christian Europe·.th

was ~mandatory religious practice the eighth century the ti e

To put it another way, ~ef~~~ut b the end of the tenth century,

'd voluntary offenng. y f u d the state church-practice as ale uirement to n ., 12

8' h d devolved into a lega r q db the secular authonties.It a th lergy and enforce ydemanded by e c

176 T H E O R I G IN O F T H E T IT H E A N D T H E C L E R G Y S A L A R Y

The New Testament urges believers to giveaccording to their ability.

Christians in the early church gave to help other believers as well asto

support apostolic workers, enabling them to travel and plant churches. 13

One of the most outstanding testimonies of the early church has to do

'th how generous the Christians were to the poor and needy. 14This is

what p;;;;;g outsiders, including the philosopher Galen, to watch

the awesome, winsome power of the early church and say: "Beholdhow they love one another."15

In the third century, Cyprian of Carthage was tlle first Christian

writer to mention the practice of financially Supporting the clergy.

He argued that just as the Levites were supported by the tithe, so the

Christian clergy should be supported by the tithe. 16But this is mis-

guided think ing. Toda , the Levitical system has been abolished. We". -.----..- ~ . .

. ,are all Wiests no.w;So if a priest demands a tithe, then all Christians~'k should tithe to one anothe ! .

Cyprian's plea was exceedingly rare for his time. It was nei-ther picked up nor echoed by the Christian populace until much

later. I? Other than Cyprian, no Christian writer before Constan-

tine ever used Old Testament references to advocate tithing.18 It

was not until the fourth century, three hundred years after Christ,

that Some Christian leaders began to advocate tithing as a Christian

practice to support the clergy.19But it did not become widespread

among Christians until the eighth century.20 According to one

" Help ing ot her be lievers,Acts 6 ,1-7, 11,27-30,24 ,17; Rom ans 15,25-28; 1 Corinthians 16,1-4; 2 Corinthians 8 01-15, 9,1-1 2; 1 Tim oth y

503-16.S up po rting ch ur ch p lan te rs, Acts 1503;Rom ans15,23-24; 1 Co rinthians 9 ,1-14, 1 6 ,5-11; 2 Corinthians U6; Phi lippians4,14-18; TItus 113-14; 3 John 1 ,5-8. The re is a close connec tio n be tw ee n the w allet and the hea rt . One out of every six ve rses in

Matthew, M ark, and luke have to do w ith m oney .Of the thi rty-eight parabies in the NewT es tam ent ,tw etve have to do wi th m oney." A te lling and mo vin g hi sto rica i accoun t of third- and fourth-cen tury C hr ist ian generosity is foun d in Kre ider, W o rs h ip an d E van g e l ism

in P re - C h r is t e n d o m , 20 . Seealso Ter tul lian's tes tim ony o f Chr ist ian chari ty in Jo hn so n, H is t o f ) ' o f C h r is t ia n i t y , 75, and Tan, L o s t H e r i tag e , 51-56 .

15 Tertu lli an , A po lo g y39 , ); Ro bert W ilke n, T h e C h r is t ian s as th e R o m an s S aw T h e m (New Ha ve n,CI Un iversity Press, 1984), 79--82." Cyprian, Epistle 65 .1; Mu rray, B e yo n d T ith in g , 104 .

11 M urray, B e yo n d T ith i n g , 104 -105; Ferguson,E ar l y C h ris t ian s S pe ak , 86 .

" M urr ay , B e yo n d T it h in g , 112. Chr ysostom advocated tithing to t he poor in so m e of h is writings (pp . 112-117).

" ib id., 107. T h eA po s t o l ic C o n st i tut io n s (c. 380) support tith in g to fund the c lergy by a rguin g from the Old Testamen t levitica l sys tem(pp . 1 13-116). August ine a rgued for tithing, but he d id not p rese nt it as the norm . In fact , Augusti ne knew that he did not represe ntthe h istoric pos ition of the ch urch in his s upport o f tithin g. TIth ing w as pract iced by so m e pio us Chri stians in the fifth ce nt u ry, but itwas by no means a w idesp read practice (pp. 117-121).

" HatCh, G ro w t h o f C h urch In s t i tut io n s, 102 - 11 2 .

. -6 . evolved from rent paym ents for t heo ~s:of

:~ ~~~;a;~~~cwt es hit sf~~~r~~ i /~~ t% ~~i:::,o;g3 Ti~~~; t'S~ t~~:;~~~~~~ ~~~~;:t :~sai:~i~~~ ~I~~~i~~~ ~;fa \:t~~:i~~;:~~' t 'P~oult O~ ~~~5~SeeIl Uatc h, G ro 0 . , f Va ience m 855 s a e es the" ge nera pay

0 1 ch ur ch l ands. The COU~CIa~pear to have beenslack , and then urg . f biblical an d sec u la r elem ent s,lhe iesseesof chu rch i an s 138 . dom em erge dfrom j ust such a fUSion 0

also M urr a~, .B e Y f ; 1 ~ ~ ; ~ ~ writ;s, "Many aspects ~f ~:~~~~~s titutions and Ideas." d kingdo m in 779 and 7 94 (p. 139); Dur an t," Il o yo n d T i t m g , t·i an d p ract ices With Rom an an. br ato ry thro ughout hi Se nlarge

Old Testament m o IS .. d tithi ng and m ade It 0 Ig

II Ihid ., 134 .Gharlem ag ne co dlf le . . m and ator y in the reg ion. The Synod

II ~ ~ ~ : : / ~ ; ; ~ ~ ; ~ t h i n g ,~li~' i : ~ , ·durin g the s ix th ce ntury.T~~c~~~u~1cT ~~~~ '~;r6:~~~e b~~~~~ai ledd isc uss ion on Chrrsltan g lvm g

" ~\'~~X~ :::~o~~~:~:~~:ned ~h O~~;~o;:~~;e :n~ i ~ : ~ ; ' ; ~ : min :r: -;~~~ t:~:~ ~is3: f~~~ tith ing system .1 1 1 th e pa tristic chur ch , ~ \; ;'rh;O IOgians and leg islators w or e

/ \ Murray, B e yo n d T it h m g " .





One of the lingerin .roo •.beh·nd the sustained push for tithing

in the church today is th . clergy sala Not a few pastors feel that

they must preach tithing to remind their congregation of its obliga-

tion to support them, their operational costs, and their programs.

Regrettably, the romise of financial lessing or the fear of a financialrn curse has been em loyed too often a~n incentive to ensure that thetithes keep-Lclling .n.

In this way, tithing today is sometimes presented as the equivalent

of a Christian stock investment. Pay the tithe, and God will give you

more money in return. Refuse to tithe, and God willpunish you. Such

thoughts rip at the heart of the good news of the gospel.

The same can be said about the clergy salary.It, too, has no New

. Testament merit. In f act, the clergy sala run gainst ...the...grain of the

~flntire New Covenant.J6 Elders (shepherds) in the first century were

not salaried.J7

They were men with an earthly vocation.J8 The ave

to the flock rather than taking from it. It was to a group of elders that

Paul uttered these sobering words: "I have not coveted anyone's silver

or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine

have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In

everything I did, I showed you that by this k ind of hard work we must

help the weak , remembering the words the LordJesus himself said: 'It

is more blessed to give than to receive'" (Acts 20:33-35, NIV).

Giving a salary to pastors elevates them above the rest of God's

tpeople cLe~s a clerical caste that turns the living body of Christ

into a business. ince the pastor and his staff are compensated for

ministry, they are the paid professionals. The rest of the church lapses

into a state of passive dependence.

If all Christians got in touch with the call that lies UPOQ them to

36 S e e A c ts 2 0 , ] 7 ·3 8. N o te th a t t h e se a r e P a u l 's la st w o rd s t o t h e E ph e s i a n e ld e rs , t h ink in g h e w o u ld n e ve r s e e th e m a ga in - s o t h e y a res ig n ifica n t ( l T h e ssa lo n ia n s 2 ,9 ; 1 P e te r 5 ,] -2 ).

" S e~ S im o n J . K is te m a ch e r, N e ,w T es t a m e nt C om m e nt a ry , A c t s (G ra n d R a p id s , B a ke r B oo k H o u se , 1 9 9 0 ) , 7 37 , 7 4 0; R ol l a n d A ll e n,

M IS S I O nar yM e t ho d s , S t . P a ul s o r O u rs ? (G la n d R a p ids , E e rd m a ns , 1 9 6 2 ), 5 0 ; W a tch m an N e e, T he N o r m al C hr is t i a n C hu rc h L i l e ( A n a h e im , C A , l lvm g S tr e am M m lS tr y, 1 9 8 0) ,6 2 -6 3 ,1 39 - 1 4 3 ; R . C . H . le ns ki , C om m entar y an s t . P au l ' s E p is t le s t o T i m ot h y (M m n e a p a hs , A ug sb u rg P u b lls h mg H a u se , 1 9 37 ) ,6 8 3 ; a n d R . C . H . le n s ki , C om m entary an S t . P au l 's E p i s t l e t o t h e G a la t i an s (M m n e a p ol ls , A u gs b ur g P u bl is h in g H o use , 1 96 1 ) ,3 0 3 - 3 0 4; F . F . B ru c e , T he B ook 01 A c t s (G la n d R ap ids· E e rd m a n s 1 9 8 8 )3 89 ,3 95 . . "

3 6 T he N e w T e sta m e n t re fe r e n ce s 10 e ld e rs m a k e s .th is p la in .. ln a d d it io n, 1 T im o t h y 1 7 s a ys th a t a n o ve rse e r m u s t b e w e ll th o ug h t o f i nth e co m m u n ity . T he n a tu la l lm p l ic a t lO n a t th IS IS t h a t h e IS re g u la r l y e m p l o y e d i n s e cu l a r w o r l t

be functioning priests in the Lord's house (and they were p~rmitted

t ( ; exercise ~all) the g~:.stion would immediately arise: f What on

earth are we paying our pastor f or!?'" \ - .

But in the presence of a passive priesthood, such questrons are

never asked.J9 On the contrary, when the church functions as she

should, a professional clergy becomes unnecessary. Suddenly, the

thought That is the job of the pastor look s heretical. Put simply, a pro-

fessional clergy fosters the pacifying illusion that the Word of God

is classified (and dangerous) material that only card-carrying experts

can handle.40

But that is not all. Paying a pastor encourages him to be a man

pleaser. It makes him the slave of men. His meal tick et is attached to

how much his congregation likes him. Thus he is not able to speak

f reely without the fear that he may lose some heavy tithers. (Many a

pastor has confessed this very thing to us.)

A further peril of the paid pastorate isthat it produces clergy who

feel "stuck" in the pastorate because they believe they lack employable

skills.41 I (Frank) personally know a good number of pastors who f elt

convicted to leave the ministry. All of their schooling and training had

been dedicated to studying and preaching the Bible. While these skills

are noteworthy, they are of limited appeal in the secular job market.

The major hurdle they now face is forging a new career to support

their fami 'e ...friend of mine, ail"ex-pastor himself, is writing a

b~n how pastors can find employment and enter new careers

af ter leaving the clergy system. His ideas are not based on theory. He

and others like him have fleshed them out.

Even so, it is exceedingly difficult for many contemporary pas-tors to acknowledge the lack of scriptural support for their off ice

simply because they are financially dependent upon it. As Upton

II A cc o rd i n g to E lto n T ru e b lo o d , "O u r o p po rt u n ity to r a b ig s te p li e s i n o pe n in g th e m in is tr y o f th e o rd in a ry C hri s tia n in m u ch th e sa m e

m an ne r that o u r an ces to rs o p en ed B ib le read in g to t h e o rd in ar y C hr is t i a n . To d o th i S .m e~ ns, t~ o n e s~ nse ,. th e, in au g u ra t io n ?~a n ewR e lo rm a tio n w h ile in a n o th e r i t m e a ns th e lo g ic a l c o mp le t io n 0 1 th e e ar l ie r R e lo rm a ll o n m w h ic h t h e Im p l ica l io n s o f t h e p O S il io n

la ke n w e r e n e ith e r lu l ly u nd er s to o d n o r l o ya l ly lo l lo w ed " ( Y our O th er V o ca ti o n [N e w Y ork , H a r p e r & B r o th e rs , 1 9 5 2 ),3 2). "

. , T il e w o rd s 0 1 Je su s c o m e to m in d, "W o e t o y o u e xp e rts in th e la w , b e ca us e y o u h a ve ta k e n a w ay th e k e y t o k n o w le dg e ... ( lu k e t l ,5 2,

N 1 V) . f .. . I t h O th" 1 l ie G re ek s s p o ke p u b l ic l y f o r a f e e . J e w is h ra b bis le a rn e d a sk i ll a n d c o u ld n o t a cc e p t m o n e y o r re li g iO U S se rv iC e s. n Isw a y , e

lII u l lo r n p re a c h e r h a s a d o p te d th e G re e k c u sto m la th er t h a n t he J e w is h c u s t o m t ha t P a u l o f T ars u s f o llo w e d e ve n a s a C hn stl8 n .



Sinclair once said, "It is difficult to get a man to understand some-

thing when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." No

wonder it takes a person of tremendous courage and f aith to step

out of the pastorate.

A number of my (Frank's) ex-pastor friends have admitted that

they were part of a religious system that subtly but profoundly injured

them and their f amilies.42

Unfortunately, most of us are deeply naiveabout tlle overwhelming power of the religious system. It is a f aceless

system tllat does not tire of chewing up and spitting out its own.43

U S H E RS A N D T H E C O L LE C T IO N P L A TE

Despite these problems, collecting tithes and of f erings is now a part

of almost evelYchurch service. How did the practice of ushers passing

collection plates take shape? This is anotller postapostolic invention.

It began in 1662, altllough alms dishes and alms chests were present

before then.44

The usher originated from Queen Elizabeth 1's (1533-1603)

reorganization of tlle liturgy of the Church of England. Ushers were

responsible f or walking people to their seats (in part to ensure that

reserved spots weren't taken by the wrong people), collecting the

offering, and keeping records of who took Communion. The pre-

decessor of the usher was the church "porter," a minor order (lesser

clergy) that can be traced back to the third centur y.45Porters had the

" I 'v e d e ta i le d a n u m b e r o f th e se e ff e cts in c h a p te r 5 , u n de r "H o w th e P a sto r D a m a g e s H im se lf . "4 3 M a n y p as to r s ar e c o m p le t e l y u n a w ar e o f w h a t th e y ar e ge t ti n g in t o w he n th e y e n te r p ro fess io n a l m in is try . I h a v e a yo u ng fri e n d w h o

r e ce n t ly r e sig n e d f r o m b e in g a M e th o d is t p a sto r . H e to ld m e , " I h a d n o id e a w h a t I w a s g e t l in g in to u n t il I g o t i n t o i t . I t d e ep ly h u r t

m y w if e . It w a s n o th in g l ike I h a d e ve r im a g in e d ." T h is w a s n o t th e fi r s t t im e I h e a rd th e se w o rd s. A cco r d in g to E u g en e P e te r so n ,"A m e r ica n p a sto r s a re a b a n d o n in g th e ir p os ts, le ft a n d r ig h t, a n d a t a n a la rm in g ra te . T he y a re n o t le a vi n g th e ir c h u rc h e s a n dg e ttin g o th e r jo b s. C o ng re ga t io n s s til l p a y th e ir s a la ri e s . . . . B u t (th e se p a sto r s ] a r e a ba n d o n in g th e ir ca i li n g ." W o rki n g th e A n g l e s,T h e S h ape o f P as t o ra l I n te g r i ty (G ra n d R a p id s, E e rd m a n s, 1 9 8 7 ) , I .

" J a m e s G ilc h r is t , A n g li ca n C h urch P la l e ( lo n d o n , T h e C o n n o i s se u r, 1 9 6 7 ), 9 8 -ID t. E a r ly o ff e r in g p la te s w e r e ca lle d " a lm s d is h e s. "T he s i lv e r a lm s d is h d id n o t a p pe a r a s a n o rm a l p a r t o f c h u rc h f u rn is h in g u n t il a f te r t h e R e fo rm a ti o n (M ic h a el C la y to n , T h e C o lle c t o rs O ic li o n ar y o f t h e S i l ve r a n d G o ld o f G re at B r i t a i n a n d N o r t h A m e r ica [N e w Y o r k , T h e W o rd P u b lis h in g C om p a n y, 1 97 1 j, II ). A cc o rd in gt o C ha rle s C o x an d A lf r e d H a r v e y, t h e u se o f a lm s b oxe s , co l le ct in g b o xe s , a n d a lm s d is h e s is a lm o s t e n ti r e ly a p o st -R e fo rm a tio np ra ct ice . I n m e d ie v a l t im e s , c h u rc h b u ild in g s h a d a lms c h e sts w i t h a s lo t in th e li d . I n t h e f o u r te en t h c e n t u ry , th e a lm s d is ha p pe a re d . In th e se v e n t e e n th ce n tu ry , a lm s b a sin s b e g an to b e p ass e d a ro u n d b y d e a co ns o r c h u r c h w a rd e n s . 1 . G . D a vie s, e d . , A N e w

D i c t io n a r y o f L i t u r g y an d W o rs h ip ( lo n do n , S C M P re ss , 1 9 8 6 ), 5 - 6 ; C h a r le s O m a n , E n g l ish C h ur c h P l a t e 5 9 7 - 1 83 0 (l o n d o n , O x fo rdU n ive r s i ty P re ss, 1 9 5 7 ); J . C h a r le s C ox a n d A lf r e d H a rve y , E n g l ish C h u r c h Fu r n i t ur e (E P P u b l is h in g l im it e d , 1 9 7 3), 2 4 0 -2 4 5 ; O a vidC . N o r r i ng to n , "F u n d-R a isi n g , T he M e th o d s U se d in th e E a rly C h u rch C o m p a re d w it h T h o se U se d in E n g l is h C h urc h e s T o d a y, " E O 7 0 ,

n o . 2 (1 9 9 8), 1 3 0. N o r rin g to n 's e n t i re a r t i c l e is a w o rth w h i le r e ad . H e s h o ws th a t p re se n t d a y " so l ic i t in g " m e th o d s in c h u rc h h av e n oa n alo g in th e N e w T e sta m e n t (p a g e s 1 15 -1 3 4 1 .

< 5 T h e C a th o lic E n c yc l o pe d i a, s . v . "p o r te r, d o o r ke e p er," h ttp d /w w w . n e w a d ve n t. o rg /ca t h e n / 1 2 2 8 4 b .h tm .

. h h h d k eeping order in thedu of locking and openmg t e c urc oors, 46

ty 1 d' . t the deacons Portersbuilding and providing genera uectlon 0 . .

' 1 d by "churchwardens" in England before and dunng thewere rep ace h

1: . 'od 47 Mter tlle churchwarden came the us er.RelormatlOn pen .

C O N C L U S IO N . . .As we've seen, tithing, while biblical, is not Chnstlan: ~sus ~ht;ISt

did not teach it to His disciples.48The first-century Chn~tlan.sddldn:;

b't A Oldf or tl1f eelllmdred years, f ollowers of Chnst dl not.

o serve 1 .ru. . Chnsit. Tithing did not become a widely accepted practlce among -

. tl'l the el'ghtll century, tllough tlley gave generously-oftentlans un . .well above 10 percent of their resources-f rom the begmnmg. B

1: • . the New Testament. utTithing is mentioned only19ur tlmes m th.- . - -1-to Christians.49Titlling belonged to e

none of these mstances app Y thOld Testament era where a taxation system was needed to su~p.ort e

. 1 . thood tllat had been set apart to mmlster topoor and a specla pnes " hrh.eLord. With the coming ofJesus Christ, there has been a c ange

of tlle law"-the old has been "set aside" and rendered obsolete by

th.enew (Hebrews 7:12-18; 8:13, NIV). .' , h use TheWe are all priests now-free to functlon m God s . 0 .

1 -awthe old priestllOod, and the tithe have all been c~cllf ie~. Tthhered•• , . rr, 1 d no specla pnes 00

is now no Temple curtam, no J.empe tax, an f th. d b God and man. You have been set free rom elh;lt s tan s etween b'bI" 1honda e of tithing and from the obligation to support.the un .1 .lca

g M like the f irst-century Maced011lanChnstlans,vi orgysystem. ayyou, ., bI"',ivcfreely, out of a cheerful heart, without guilt, relIgIOUS0 .lga~on,I, .' 1 helping tl10sein need (2 Conntl11ansor ma11lpulatlon... generous y .

H:~

. b 2 3 2 0 0 2 T h e w o rd u s h e r co m e s fr o m A n g lo -S a xo n a n d re f e r s t o1 'I II 1 0 5 so rJo h n M c G uc ki n , e -m a il m e ssa g e t o F ra n k V i o la , S ~ te m e ~ T :s e l le ~ -m a il m e ssa g e to F ra n k V io fa , S e p te m b e r 2 2, 2 00 2 .1 1 \1 1\1 so n w h o g u id e s p e o p l e in t o co u~ o r c hu r c h . P ro fe ss o r u ge n e . , . .

\ I 1 : l Ix [ \ lId lI a r ve y , E n g li s h C h ur c h F urn i tur e , 2 4 5 . . t f t h e P ha r ise e s a n d te a c h e rs o t t h e la w . H e w a s n o t p r e sC flb lO g•• I I I M l l llh o w 2 3 2 3 , J e su s w a s ch a l ie n g lO g th e IO co n s lS e n cy a .

[ l l i l i l l i l il lo 5 lo r H is d isc ip le s. . . . t th e a re n ot p r o o f t e xt s fo r C h rist ia n s t i th in g . H e a lso s h ow s th a t a cc o rd lO gII M III I I I Y h a n d le s a ll to u r in s ta n ce s 10 d e t"l , p r o v lO g t h a Y t h t ha n a m o d el t o im i ta t e ( se e B e yo n d f J l h m g , c h . 3 ) .

III I I I 'I II S , I I lh in g is l in ke d to le g al is m a n d s e lf- fl g h te o u s n e s s r a e r

http://httpd/www.newadvent.org/cathen/12284b.htm.




























~delvingD E E P E R

,. You seem t o a s s um e t ha t m any pas to r s en c ou rage t it h in g am on g t he i r m em bers s im p ly bec ause

t hey w an t t o be s u re t hey w i l l ge t pa i d - a n d h a ve m o n e y to fu n d th e ir p r o g ra m s . I sn ' t i t j us t as

l i ke l y t ha t past o r s en c ou rage g i v in g bec aus e J es us an d t he apost le Pau l en c ou raged i t ? C an y ou

e l abo ra t e on w ha t a tt i tude c hu rches s hou ld hav e t ow ard g i v in g ?

Actually,both are true. ~ny pastors have confessed that their salalYis a strong inf lt)-". ---ence. We also know that other pastors have diff erent motives. As f or your other ques-

tion, Christians who wish to tithe are f ree to do so. And if they do not wish to tithe,

they are f ree not to do so. Pan! outlines the proper attitude of giving when he writes,

i- / ""Each man should give what he has decided in his heart togi~ reluc~antlyor \

'I \ ~ under compulsion, f or God loves a cheerf ul giver" (2Corinthians 9:7, NTV) -)

- - - - - ----- - - - - - -

2 . F irs t T imothy 5 : 17 says that " e l de rs w ho do the i r w o rk w e l l s hou ld be r es pec ted an d pa id w e l l " ( N L T ) .

Doesn ' t t h i s s uppo rt t he i dea o f pay i ng pas t or s ? I f no t , w ha t do y ou t h in k t h is pas s age m ean s ?

To begin with, tllis passage deals with elders, not witll the modern pastoral office.

The actual Greek says that the elders who care f or God's people well are wortilYof double honor. The New American Standard, tile King James Version, and the New

International Version translate tl1etext witll tl1ewords double honoT ".

In verse 18, Paul quotes tl1eOld Testament to buttress his argument. Just as tl1e

working ox deserves corn, and just as the laborer deserves payment, the elder who

cares f or God's people well deserves "double honor," that is, greater respect.

So the critical question becomes, what does "double honor" mean? Does it

mean a clergy salary, an honorarium, or simply greater respect?

First,~the specific Greek words that tl1eNew Testament uses for payor wages

are not used in this text. Ratl1er, tlle Greek word f or honor in this passage means

to respect or value someone or something. The same word is used four times in

1Timothy. In every case, it means respect.

Second, all Christians are called to honor one2not:!:ter ~Ro~ans 12:10). It

would be absurd to take this to mean that all b elievers are to receive payment from

one another. Again, those elders who serve well are to receive more honor-or

greater respect.

Third, the f act that respect is what Paul had in mind is borne out by verse 19.

Paul goes on to say that the elders are not to be accused (dishonored) unless there

are two or three witnesses to conf irm an accusation.

Granted, double honor may have included free-will offerings as a token of

blessing from time to time (Galatians 6:6). But tlliswasnot the dominating thought.

Scripture tells us elders deserve honor (respect), not a salary.

Consequently, 1Timothy 5 is perf ectly consistent with Paul's words to the

elders recorded in Acts 20:33-35. There he told tl1e elders in Ephesus ~ did

k . c_~ " " God's eople b~t instead supplied his own needs. Paul thennot ta e mqp~Y--W-Ull __ _ -

- . tho l'h I e argues against thetold tile elders to follow his example III IS. at passage a on

idea of a hired clergy or a paid pastoral staff .

SU'ik ingly, 1 TimotllY 5:17-18 and Acts 20:33-35 were addressed to the same

group of people-the elders in Ephesus. Thus tl1ereis no contradic~on ..~..::.auseth.e

elders were local I en, tl1eywere not biblically sanctioned to rece!.vefull f inanCIal

support lik e~lt apostles w ho traveled f rom region to region to p lant churches.

(lCorinthians 9:1-18).

Paul was an itinerant apostolic worker. Therefore, he had a legitimate right

to receive full financial support from the Lord's people (see 1 Corintl1ians 9). But

he intentionally waived tllat right whenever he work ed witll a group of Christians

(1 Corinthians 9:14-18; 2 Corinthians 11:7-9; 12:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 2:6-9;

2 Thessalonians 3:8-9). We wonder what would happen if more nUllIsters today

would follow in the steps of Paul.Paul's argument in 1 Timothy 5: 17 -18 is simply this: Just as me working ox

deserves food and tile work ing employee deserves payment, the elders who serve

well should receive double respect. (In 1Corinthians 9, Paul uses this same analogy.

In mat text, however, Paul is speak ing of apostolic workers rather than local elders,

and he makes it clear tllat finances rather than honor are in view.)

Documents

Tithing and Clergy Salaries, Sore Spot on the wallet By Frank Viola George Barna Excerpt from "Pagan Christianity"