Tithing

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jun 1, 1905

THE subject of tithing was considered at the ninth session of the ministerial institute, at 11 A. M., May 24, 1905.

Elder R. A. Underwood was the principal speaker, and he spoke substantially as follows:—

Every intelligent Bible student must admit that the subject of tithing is referred to in 1 Cor. 9:13, 14. Not only here, but all through the Scriptures the duty of every individual—believer or unbeliever, agnostic or Christian—is clearly set forth; the same moral obligation rests upon all to whom God has given life; all alike are under obligation to return faithfully to God a tithe of all that he gives them.

This is a question of more than minor importance; it rests on moral principles involved in the law of God. A man can not disregard the most sacred, solemn obligations he has to his Maker, and claim to be loyal to God's law; for I read, “To defraud God is the greatest crime of which man can be guilty, yet this sin is deep and wide-spread.”

These are the words of God. Shall we not hear his voice, and change the order of things and co-operate with Christ? I wish to read a statement or two from a recent Testimony concerning the use of the tithe:—

The Use of the Tithe

“The tithe is to be used for one purpose,—to sustain the ministers whom the Lord has appointed to do his work. It is to be used to support those who speak the words of life to the people, and carry the burden of the flock of God.

“But there are ministers who have been robbed of their wages. God's provision for them has not been respected. Those who have charge of our church buildings are to be supplied with the means necessary to keep these buildings in good repair. But this money is not to come from the tithe.

“A very plain, definite message has been given to me to give to our people. I am bidden to tell them that they are making a mistake in applying the tithe to various objects which, though good in themselves, are not the object to which the Lord has said the tithe is to be applied. Those who make this use of the tithe are departing from God's arrangement.

“God will judge for these things. One reasons that the tithe may be appropriated for school purposes; still another would reason that canvassers and colporteurs should be supported from the tithe; but a great mistake is made when the tithe is drawn from the object for which it is to be used,—the support of the ministers. There should to-day be in the field one hundred well-qualified laborers where there is now but one. . . .

“The tithe is sacred, reserved by God for himself. It is to be brought into his treasury to be used to sustain the gospel laborers in their work. For a long time the Lord has been robbed, because there are those who do not realize that the tithe is God's reserved portion.

“Many ministers are lying in their graves, brought there by sorrow and disappointment, and by the hardship brought upon them because they did not receive sufficient for their labors.

“Let us remember that God is a God of justice and equity. There would to-day be many more ministers in the field, but they are not encouraged to labor. Many workers have gone into the grave heart-broken because they have grown old, and could see that they were looked upon as a burden. But had they been retained in the work, and given an easy place, with a whole or a part of their wages, they might have accomplished much good. During their term of labor, these men have done double work. They felt so heavy a burden for souls that they had no desire to be relieved of overwork. The heavy burdens borne shortened their lives. The widows of these ministers are never to be forgotten, but should, if necessary, be paid from the tithe. . . .

“God has not changed; the tithe is to be used for the support of the ministry. The opening of new fields requires more ministerial efficiency than we now have, and there must be means in the treasury.”

God's plan for the support of the gospel was perfect. If it was perfect, and if it included the tithing system (which all must admit), then the tithing system alone is sufficient to support the ministry.

Shall our ministers pay tithe? How can we tell other people to do a thing which we do not do ourselves? I say there is an evil among some of our ministers, for they do not pay tithe. If we are to have a reformation on this question, we as ministers must set the example; we must believe it; we must practise it; we must preach it. And we must do more. We must lay the tithing question upon the Bible platform the same as we do all the other commandments. We would not take persons into the church who did not keep the Sabbath. God declares that the Sabbath is holy. It is a certain portion of time that God has reserved unto himself. And so with the tithe. He has reserved it unto himself.

We should consider not only the question of tithing, but the subject of offerings. God says we should not come before him empty; we should bring an offering when we come within his courts. How can we cause our brethren to enter upon a plan by which the tithe shall be looked upon as sacred and holy to God? In the first place, we must believe it; we must practise it; and we must teach our brethren that moral, sacred obligation rests upon them to pay their tithe, the same as they are required to keep the Sabbath. Underlying the tithing system are the same great principles that underlie the Sabbath. We must put men into the church as officials, and onto our conference committees, who practise what they preach.

This question is based upon the moral obligation that all humanity owes to God for redemption,—based upon the moral principles that are found in the commandment, “Thou shalt not steal;” and when a man takes that which God has reserved unto himself, and has set apart as his own, he is guilty of robbery against God. And this covers not only tithes, but offerings. When a man diverts either tithes or offerings from their sacred purposes, he is guilty before God.

Is it right to bring offerings on the Sabbath day aside from the tithe? We read in Psalm 96 that we should bring an offering when we come to worship the Lord. The same is stated in 1 Corinthians 16; and in Deut. 16:16 the Lord declares that the people were not to come before him empty; each was to bring an offering according to the blessing of God upon him.

I know that some are sensitive about giving anything on the Sabbath. They think they would violate the Sabbath by taking a piece of money in their hands. But they need to have their consciences educated by the Word of God. Upon this point we read in Lev. 27:28 that “every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.”

Now here is a piece of money. I do not know how many have had it; I do not know how many times it has been used in double dealing. I want to give that money to God. I devote that to the Lord. When I consecrate that to the Lord, what does the Lord recognize in that money? Read the answer in Ex. 28:36-38. When they brought their gift that had iniquity upon it by double dealing or anything of the kind, that was offered to God, representing a type of Jesus Christ; and God said that it then became holy. So when you give your Sabbath-school offerings, your missionary offerings, on God's holy Sabbath, there is then a convocation of holy people, and there is no violation of God's holy law in making that offering, for God himself makes that offering a holy thing.

L. F. Starr: Since the origin of our message, we have been led more and more to believe that our work was

world-wide; and as the years pass, we are laying greater and stronger plans to hasten the message of God to the world. In order to carry this message to the world we must devote our means to this end.

Let us see what a full tithe would mean for the support of our work. I am satisfied that our people are not paying a full tithe. From our statistical report it will be seen that the average tithe of the denomination for the year 1904 is $8.47 per capita. I am satisfied that our tithes should be increased to twenty dollars per capita. If this was done, we should receive in this country alone, in addition to the amount received for 1904, the enormous sum of $942,243.13. With this amount we could put into the field 1,510 men, and pay them at the rate of twelve dollars a week; we could send to foreign fields 838 men, paying them at the same rate, and pay an average of five hundred dollars to send them to their fields.

What a mighty movement there would be if all paid a faithful tithe! If this were done, soon the whitening fields would be garnered. A mighty movement would be set on foot which would bring this about. That is what a full tithe would mean in the support of this work. This matter should be seriously considered by every loyal-hearted Seventh-day Adventist.

“Great objects are accomplished by this system; for if one and all accept it, each is made a vigilant and faithful treasurer of God; and there would be no want of means to carry forward the great work of sounding the last message of warning to the world. The treasury will be full if all adopt this system, and contributors will not be left the poorer.”—Testimony for the Church, No. 24, pages 83, 84.

D. T. Bourdeau: I regard the tithing system as an essential part of the gospel as a means of salvation; and therefore to regard this system, and to be exact and prompt in paying tithes, is to enforce God's law.

M. C. Wilcox: We ought to present the blessing side of the tithing system; for God has proclaimed that he will pour out a blessing upon those who thus prove him.

S. H. Lane: A minister will never be complete in his work until he preaches upon the tithing system; and every member of our churches should talk to others who are not paying tithes, and in that way endeavor to increase the tithe.

H. M. J. Richards: Regarding the question of whether a minister should pay tithes or not, I wish to read two texts: Num. 18:26, 27; Neh. 10:38; also 1 Cor. 6:13, 14. The same system exists to-day which existed anciently, and the Lord requires, as we have read, that the ministers pay tithe.

Others who spoke in favor of this plan and of making an earnest effort to increase the payment of tithe by the members of the churches were J. N. Loughborough, L. Johnson, G. F. Haffner, W. S. Hyatt, J. E. Jayne.