WHY I HAVE DECIDED TO STOP PAYING TITHE

( By Chukwu, Celestine Nkemakolam)

I used to be an advocate of tithe payment, and throughout the period I began to earn a living, I
have been very careful to ensure that I pay my tithe in the church. My decision to keep paying
tithe was not just born out of the
but for the immense blessing I
have received by virtue of obeying this command.
The big question now is this: why would I, who has been blessed for obeying this command,
decide suddenly to stop paying tithe? Why would I decide to stop being among those co
unted
as faithful brothers in the church, and not minding that I may be excommunicated, again, or
treated as a strange fellow? The answer is simply that anything which has the tendency to
prevent me from making heaven must be shoved away. Yes, I mean that
I have seen tithe as
one of those obstacles!
My search through the scriptures has opened my eyes. I do not hate the church. I do not hate
my Pastor or the Deacons. I do not see people who collect tithe as thieves because I have come
to understand that some things are often done out of ignorance. Moreover, I do not claim to
know the scriptures more than anybody for I still have a lot to learn from my Elders in the Lord.
I wish to prove through this articl e why I said that tithe payment can hinder me from ma king
heaven irrespective of the blessings. If my questions and proof are considered wrong, then I
would humbly submit to any explanations which should correct my recent belief.
This article shall be broken into the following sub

- headings:

A. TITHE PAYMENT IS ONE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT LAWS ( MOSAIC LAW

B. NONE PAYMENT OF TITHE BROUGHT CURSE WHI

LE ITS OBEDIENCE BROUGHT

BLESSINGS .
C. THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF

PRIESTHOOD , AND ANNULING OF THE OLD LAW

D. THOSE WHO LIV E BY THE LAW ARE IN DEBT TO KEEP THE WHOLE LAW
FROM THE GRACE OF JESUS AND CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED

, HAVE FALLEN

E. NONE OF THE APOSTLES ASKED BELIEVERS TO PAY TITHE. YET THE NE

EDS OF THE

CHURCH WERE MET. HOW WAS THAT ACHIEVED?

A. TITHE PAYMENT IS ONE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT LAWS ( MOSAIC LAW

Hebrew 7:5 (KJV) says

And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a
COMMANDMENT to take TITHES of the people ACCORDING TO THE L AW , that is, of their
brethren, though they come out of the loins o

f Abraham (KJV).

Now the priests, who are descendants of Levi, are commanded

IN THE LAW OF MOSES
collect a TITHE from all the people, even thou gh they are their own relatives
(NLT)

Hence, we can authoritatively say that tithe payment is came from the law of Moses

B. NONE PAYMENT OF TITHE BROUGHT CURSE WHI

to

LE ITS OBEDIENCE BROUGHT

BLESSINGS
Ye are CURSED with a CURSE : for ye have robbe d me, even this whole nation

. Bring ye all

the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mi

ne house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not
OPEN YOU THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN , and
pour you out a

BLESSING , that there shall not be room enough to receive it

. Mal 3:9 - 10

C. THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF

PRIESTHOOD , AND ANNULING OF THE OLD LAW

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of nec

essity a change also of the law

Heb

7:12 (KJV)
Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was
For the L AW made nothing perfect
we draw near to God

SET ASIDE be cause it was weak and useless.

, and now a better hope has taken its place. And that is how

. Heb 7:18 - 19 (KJV)

F or Christ is the END OF THE LAW , with the result that there is righteousness for everyone who
believes

Romans 10:4 ( NET) .

D. THOSE WHO LIV E BY THE LAW ARE

FROM THE GRACE OF JESUS

IN DEBT TO KEEP THE WHOLE LAW

, HAVE FALLEN

AND CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED

The onl y thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the
WORKS OF THE LAW

or by believing what you heard?

began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finis

Are you so foolish? Although you

h by human effort?

Have you suffered so

many things for nothing?

if indeed it was for nothing. Does God then give you the Spirit
and work miracles among you by your doing
THE WORKS OF THE LAW or by your
believing what you heard?

Gal 3:1 - 5 (NET)

For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God

BY KEEPING THE LAW , you have
been cut OFF FROM CHRIST! YOU HAVE FALLEN AWAY FRO M GOD'S GRACE . Gal 5:4

(NLT)
THROUGH THE
LAW , then Christ died for nothing
But that NO MAN IS JUSTIFIED
The just shall live by faith

Gal 2:21(NET)
BY THE LAW IN THE SI GHT OF GOD , it is evident: for,

. Gal 3:11 ( KJV)

We can conclude from these passages that anybody who lives under
the law cannot be
justified in the sight of God. If an ybody cannot be justified before God, is it then possible
for such a person to make heaven? No way!
It is pertinent to remember that those who live under the law are under a curse
. None
payment of curse brought curse as Mal3:9 emphasized. However,
those who refuse to
be under the law but under the grace of Jesus are delivered from the law. Gal 3:13
(KJV)
say s Christ hath REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW , being made a curse for
us: for it is written, Cursed is every one t hat hangeth on a tree

E. NONE OF THE APOSTLES ASKED BELIEVERS TO PAY TITHE. YET THE NE

EDS OF THE

CHURCH WERE MET. HOW WAS THAT ACHIEVED?

Let us look at Heb.10:1, 7 -9 (NLT) in order to understand the law as only a show of
things to come . If the law is a mere shadow, then what is the real substance?

The OLD SYSTEM IN THE LA

W OF MOSES WAS ONLY

COME , not the reality of the good

A SHADOW OF THE THIN GS TO

things Christ has done for us. The sacrifices under the

old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to
provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship
. Verses 7 - 9 Christ said, "You
did not want animal sacrifices or grain offerings or animals burned on the altar or other
offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them" (though they

are r equired by th e law

of Moses). Then he added, "Look, I have come to do your will."

HE CANCELS THE FIRST

COVENANT IN ORDER TO

ESTABLISH THE SECOND

We should also remember that in the Old Testament , the children of God were
promised prosperity if they paid their tithes and offerings . However, if this prac tice of
the law tha t brings prosperity has been annulled , what then are people required to do in
order to prosper? What is the new covenant of prosperity? The answer to all these
questions can b e found in 2 Corinthians 9: 6 - 12, Act 2:44, Act 4:32 - 35, Gal 6.6 and 1 Cor
16:1 - 4.
2 Cor 9:6 -12 (KJV) :
But this I say, He which

SOWETH sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which

soweth bountiful ly shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as HE PURPOSETH
IN HIS HEART , so let him give; NOT GRUDGINGLY , OR OF NECESSITY : f or God loveth a
cheerful giver. 8 And God is ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRA
YE, ALWAYS HAVING AL L SUFFICIENCY IN ALL

CE ABOUND TOWARD YOU ; THAT

THINGS, MAY ABOUND T O EVERY GOOD

WORK: 9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the

poor: his
righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 NOW HE THAT MINISTER ETH SEED TO THE SOWE R
BOTH MINISTER BREAD
INCREASE THE FRUITS
all bountifulness,

FOR YOUR FOOD, AND M ULTIPLY YOUR SEED SO WN, AND

OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNES S;) 11 Being enriched in every thing to

which causeth

through us thanksgiving to God.

12 For the

ADMINISTRATION OF TH IS SERVICE NOT ONLY SUPPLIETH THE WANT O F THE SAINTS ,

but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God
.

From these passages, it is clear that the way to prosperity is by sowing. The more one
sows, the more one prospers. This sowing in the church was required by Apostle Paul
and shall be used to supply the needs of saints. Our Ministers are part of the saints. The
needy in the church are part of the saints. It is from this collected s eeds from believers,
which they gave willingly without compulsion, that the needs of the church a re met.
Tithe payment was not mentioned as prerequisite for being blessed!
Moreover, when we read the other chapters referenced in Acts of Apostles, we would
understand that believers went as far as selling their houses and goods
, and broug ht the
proceeds to the church so that the needs of everybody could be met.
The Old
Testament (shadow of things to come ) asked for particular percentage of one s
proceeds. The New Testament , on the other hand, required sowing seeds accordi ng to
what we have decide d within out heart. Anybody that wants to prosper should start
sowing in the church and a lso remember the needy around them
who may not
necessarily be members of the church.
I earnestly pray that my intent in writing this article would not be misunderstood. I Lo
ve
my church; I love my Pastor and I love t he Deacons. But, I must refuse to obey the
church in only this area : payment of tithe! I shall endeavor to fulfil l other financial
obligations ( according to my capability) in the church.