This article page is a work in progress. I will remove this top line of text when it is complete.
Brian Kluth is a pastor who put together a program designed to help evangelical churches to teach the doctrine of the tithe. In the devotional book that accompanies the curriculum, the users is presented with scripture passages for each of 40 days. The top of the page has a topic that is the theme of the page and then there is some quote that somehow connects to giving. On first glance it is easy to just accept this at face value, after all all scripture is God Breathed and profitable for... Right? There are a few problems I have with how this devotional book is laid out:
1). Paraphrases and versions switched out whenever one wording would give an advantage to the point Brian Kluth is trying to make. One example is: Day 7 Luke 11:42 is quoted from Tyndale Living Bible and it says "Though you are careful to tithe even the smallest part of your income, you completely forget about justice and the love of God. You should tithe yes, but you should not leave these other things undone." TLB This same passage in the NASB says, "But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." the NIV says, "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone." This passage from TLB seems to indicate that Jesus is telling Christians that tithing is something that should be done but keep in mind he is speaking directly to the Pharisees. The support for this verse being a proof that Jesus wants believers to tithe is weak at best, it maybe implies tithing, it does not command it for the believer.
2) No New Testament support for the doctrine of tithing. Luke 11:42 is as good as it gets. Really.
3) Passages taken out of their context.
4) Passages truncated to mislead the reader as to the intent or message of the passage.
