¹ Tithing was an ordinance to be collected by the Levitical priesthood. When Jesus offered up himself to death, he became the everlasting priesthood, annuling the Levitical priesthood and its ordinances. Tithing is dead, as clearly stated in Hebrews 7. Those who quote these tithing verses are false prophets, coveting your money. Here are the many fallacies of tithes:

1. The Levitical priesthood is the only priesthood to be commanded by God to collect a tenth of the product of the land.
   Priesthoods before or after had no such command. To be a priest to collect tithes, you had to be a descendant of Levi.
2. Land limits tithing to grain, cattle, oil, fruit, etc. — the product of the land. God had distributed the land to all
   Jewish tribes except the Levites; so a portion of the land's production was commanded for the Levites, and to provide for the poor.
   The tithe was for the increase from the seed — the produce of the land.
3. Tithes were collected by Levites priests only in a named place selected and specified by the Lord.
4. Since the produce was food, the people were supposed to eat the food with their children, servants, and
   any Levites living within the boundaries of their lands, with thanksgiving and rejoicing to the Lord;
   and this celebratory thanksgiving meal was supposed to be eaten in a place specifically chosen by the Lord.
5. After eating in celebration to the Lord, any excess was to be placed in a storehouse, location chosen by the Lord,
   to be distributed by the Levite to the stranger, the widow, and the fatherless — the provision for the relief of the poor.
6. Money was not part of tithing — with one exception. If the distance to the location chosen by the Lord was too far to travel with the tithes of food, the food to be tithed was to be sold for money. Then the person was to travel to the location, with the money buy whatever food he particularly enjoyed, and then eat the food in celebration as in #4 above.
7. MOST IMPORTANT: Christ eliminated and abolished the Levitical priesthood. He became the new priesthood. So the command given to the Levitical priesthood, (to collect tithes), was eliminated also. Christ eliminated tithing, just as he ended the ordinances and old covenant. Below is the scripture backup to this elimination of tithing:
   

Hebrews 7: Begin Verse 1

7:1 This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

7:2 To whom Abraham gave a tenth of all the spoils. His name when translated means "King of righteousness;"and also "King of Salem," which means "King of peace."

7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains as a priest continually.

7:4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.

7:5 And truly those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, even though their brothers have descended from Abraham.

7:6 But this person, whose descent is not counted from Levi, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises.

7:7 Yet without contradiction the lesser is blessed by the greater.

7:8 Here tithes are received by men who die; but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives forever.

7:9 And I may also say that Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham.

7:10 For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

7:11 Therefore, if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than be called after the order of Aaron?

7:12 For when the priesthood is changed, there is a necessity to change the law also.

7:13 For he [Jesus] of whom these things are spoken applies to another tribe [Judah], of which there is no record of a man performing priestly functions at the temple's altar.

7:14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of the tribe of Judah [not Levi]; of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning the priesthood.

7:15 And it is even more evident, when another priest arises who has a similarity to Melchizedek,

7:16 Who is made, not based on the legality of a commandment relating to the family of Levi, but based on the power of an endless life.

7:17 For He testifies, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."

7:18 For there is truly a cancellation of the previous commandment¹ [the commandment for the Levite priests to take tithes from the people according to the law, (Verse 5 above)] because of the weakness and ineffectiveness of it.

7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by which we draw near to God.

7:20 And since he was made a priest with an oath [from God himself],

7:21 (For those [Levite] priests were made without an oath; but this was with an oath by him who said to him, "The Lord swore and will not change it, 'You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'").

7:22 By so much greater [a promise] Jesus became the guarantee of a better covenant.

7:23 And truly there were many priests [of the Levites], because they died and so could not continue.

7:24 But this man, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

7:25 Therefore he is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by him, because he lives forever to make intercession for them.

7:26 For it was appropriate for us to have such a high priest [Jesus], who is holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners², and made higher than the heavens.

[From the Word of the Lord within: "See myself — thus no sin has a place in me." If Jesus joined in union with one still sinning and defiled, everyone in His body, including Jesus Himself, would be defiled. Sin has to go before you can partake of the divine nature.]

7:27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for the people's, because he did this once and for all when he offered up himself.

7:28 For the law makes men high priests who have infirmities; but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son, who is perfect forevermore.

Hebrews 7: End

Tithing died with Christ's resurrection. Christ is the new priest, replacing the Levitical priesthood — for which tithes were commanded. To tithe is to deny Christ's priesthood.

Any minister who asks for money, even other than tithing, is a false prophet and violating the commands of Jesus and Peter as echoed by Paul. But as Christians, we are called to be generous without a limitation of ten per cent to those in need, particularly the poor. This does not include a poor pastor who is asking for tithes; for to pretend he has such authority, either shows him to be an unqualified, ignorant, blind teacher — or worse, dishonest. In either case, you should disassociate yourself immediately from anyone trying to hold up tithing; and recognize that you will be condemned for supporting any such false ministry. Give to the poor not to religion; (ten percent is good, but give as much as you can to the poor), for more on this see George Fox's writing on tithing.

² book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and who meditate upon his name. Meditate on the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus is one of the three sources of God's power to purify you by his grace:

• the name of Jesus, (there is power of his name).
• the true gospel — the good news that one believes, seizes as their hope, and exercises in faith to attain, and
• the cross of Christ — the inward cross of self-denial

All three are necessary to reach salvation. You must believe that purity and holiness are possible to attain through the grace of God and the inward cross of self-denial. You must stay in the cross through self-denial, and through sitting in humble silence, waiting on the Lord, listening for his commands, and then obeying all moral commands that you hear.

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