What is Spirit Filled Freewill Giving?

Free-will giving is spirit controlled. It is an act of love, based on what you determine in your heart to give in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.

When grace is translated from the Greek word “Charis”, it means that which brings pleasure, delight, joy, happenings, good fortune or causes favorable regard. Mandatory tithing does not produce any of these attributes, instead forced tithing produces giving out of fear. The Bible says in 2 Tim 1:7, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear…”. If you tithe money to escape a curse, you are tithing in fear. God cannot receive or bless fear money. He blesses cheerful giving not forced giving.

When we know their is a need and compassion arises in our hearts we give …this is spirit- led giving. Free-Will giving in the New Testament is based on voluntary acts not on motives for a return on investment as taught or assumed by some.

Free-Will giving is voluntary from the heart.
If tithing is required in the New Covenant, there would certainly be a strong rebuke for

not tithing in the NT, like there is in the Old Covenant, but there is no rebuke. Why? Because there was no tithing requirement and Paul never restated Malachi in the NT at all when he talked about giving, not tithing.

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. KJV ( See Also Acts 2: 42-45 on next slide) Act 2:42-45 and Acts 4: 32-35d

What is the Context of this Event and was This Event Happening Throughout the Entire Community?

• 1. The context of this giving event in scripture shows how the Holy Spirit initiates giving which produces generosity when it is not mandated by men. The Holy Spirit fell on all of them.
• 2. This giving was among believers who were motivated by unity (one heart and one soul). There was agreement
• 3. The people in this context are Jewish Believers not Gentile because early after Pentecost mostly Jews wereaccepting Christ, Acts 10. In this context it is a predominately Jewish community of believers doing the giving.
• 4. This event was a localized event in Jerusalem and did not happen throughout the provinces of Rome wherebelievers lived or anywhere else.
• 5. The context here is that the Holy Spirit did not ask for 10 percent from the sale of the property they sold becausethe Temple was still standing and they would still be tithing crops and herds, the food tithe to the Levites.
• 6. The Apostles did not use any scripture from the TORAH to teach or require Ten percent from this freewill giving
• 7. The Apostles did not take a tithe from these proceeds because they knew they were not Levites.
• 8. The Apostles re-distributed the entire fund to those in need and they took nothing for themselves.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. KJV

What is the Context of this Event and was This Event Happening Throughout the Entire Community?

• 9.  The Holy Spirit was establishing free-will giving as the main means of supporting ministry among believers knowing that the Temple System of tithing would come to an end.
• 10.  The money was given only to those who had a need. There was a system to how the money was handed out. A need had to be proven before it was handed out. There was no free-loaders, deceptive practices, or slick fund raising going on and if so, the Holy Spirit did not play around with God’s People’s money and struck people dead.
• 11.  The context here shows that the people who gave among these believers were wealthy real estate and land owners and does not show one poor person giving a dime in this effort.
• 12.  There was no problem with freewill giving in the early church because the text shows what was being given was sufficient to meet all the needs without instituting a mandatory tithe based on a text from the TORAH.
• 13.  The text of Acts 2 and 4 is interesting “All Things Common.” This common element in the text is that they shared everything as if they lived in a commune. The Greek word is Koinos. Believers don’t live in communes today.
• 14.  This giving effort was totally voluntary and was not a mandatory requirement. No where did the Apostles encourage or demand anyone to sell their land and or houses. It was the great grace that fell on them through the Holy Spirit and was under their control as Peter stated in Acts 5.
• 15.  The people had extra houses and lands so it looks like this sell off was real estate investment property. They did not sell everything they owned. If they did, they would be instantly poor after the sale.

What is the Context of this Event and was This Event Happening Throughout the Entire Community?

• 16.  The radical selling of property and communal living seen in these early chapters of Acts was God’sopening “kick-off of the gospel glory and was not habitually repeated after the initial events.
• 17.  The pastor or teaches that teaching tithing does not practice what he preaches and does not live in acommunal house and share equally with all the poor as they did in Acts.
• 18.  To have “all things common”, it must be understood that all these believers operated in very closepersonal relationships where there was no individual autonomy. This eventually caused problems.
• 19.  This communal/common-ism system (Which Says What Is Mine Is Thine) type of giving was temporary and was not a standard continual practice. We never see it appear again as a practice in any of the Epistles written by the Apostles.
• 20.  The communal system of giving in this fashion began to have problems in Acts 5:1 and 6:1.
• 21.  There was no one in the entire assembly who lacked anything. They all received what they needed. If tithing truly works, why are so many people in today’s churches suffering from lack, and are poor under the system of tithing when those in the first century church had no lack at all. Isn’t that amazing!
• 22.  Final point about giving. Giving in fear is extortion. When giving under compulsion, the offering is obligation and giving an offering to get something back is manipulation.
• 23.  SOURCES: Why Christians Should Not Tithe, James D. Quiggle, pages 62-63. Should the Church Teach Tithing, Russell Earl Kelly, Ph.D, pages 217-218. Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, Page 371
• The Tithe is the illegitimate offspring of the Catholic Church and this doctrine has existed so long because it requires ignorance of the people and is sustained by the ignorance of history by believers. The Catholic Church has admitted  they had “…to make [tithe] laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the Clergy” in year 585.” This doctrine was created by a room full of shrewd Bishops not by God.

Did Sha’ul Assume Tithing from Silence  of the  Scriptures? No
1 Cor  16:1-3

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. KJV

What is the context of this giving event?

1. This event is not about tithing. It is about giving to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. See Gal 2:1-10, 2 Cor 8: 1-15 and Rom 15: 25-26. 

2. This event was a special offering to be saved up weekly by the Corinthians and put aside so Paul would not have to ask for the collection when he arrived to preach to them.

 3. This giving was addressing a need in Jerusalem for believers and does not address systematic giving in general.

4. Some preachers teach incorrectly that since this verse is addressing fundraising only, then is it assumed that tithing 10 percent of money was in practice for Jews and Gentiles in the church. This assumption is incorrect because the Jewish Christians would still be taking the tithes (crops and cattle) to the Temple and to the Levites. No gentile Christian would not be practicing this obligation because it was for Jews only. 

5. The KJV version says “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him,” The Jewish bible says, “Every week on Motza’eishabbat, (Saturday) each of you should set some money aside, according to his resources, and save it up.”

6. The intent of this context was to save up the “money” and or food somewhere based on your resources and then give it when  Paul arrived. Paul’s integrity with money was so profound, he told them to pick people they trusted to deliver the money to Jerusalem. 

7. Each of them had to decide the amount they would put aside somewhere to save up. If they were saving it up then the amount was not the same for each believer every week. The text clearly teaches that each week they had the freedom to choose the amount or change the amount they saved each week according to their resources. 

 8. The discussion in First Corinthians 16 does not relate to local church fund-gathering except as it might apply to aid for the poor Jews in Jerusalem.

9. There was a famine in the land at the time and Paul sought help from others.

10. There is also another problem here. Does “collection” in this verse mean money? Not so fast preachers. The verse must be referred back to the book of Acts because there was a famine. So would money be part of the collection or would the collection include food too. What’s the most pressing need in a Famine, Money or Food. Let the Word teach you.  

11. The word Collection in the verse means “LOGIA in the Greek and that is the word contribution. Is the contribution Paul talks about MONEY only?  Or could a contribution could be anything.   

12. Paul did not define what the contents of the collection was. Why? His audience knew what he was talking about. It is us who interpret and who make the mistake to conclude it is only cold hard cash in the verse. But is this verse talking about money only? Maybe or maybe not.  

13. Paul is not and Paul did NOT say “On the first day of every week let each one of you bring your tithes and offerings for the local church budget.” Such manipulation of the text ignores its context of the verse. Russell Kelly pg 202.

14. The context “everyone laying by him in store” could be a consideration of those giving who were less well off. That way they could give even if it were little. There is no set amount in this verse to teach tithing. 

15. The text suggests that they put aside week to week according to their ability not proportionately. 

16 .The true biblical tithe was a specified amount (10th Part) from a specified source (food stuff, crops and animals). 

17. The context of the verse says the collection for the saints, not for the building mortgage, the pastor, or the apostle.  

18. There was a famine in the land at the time and Paul sought help from other believers. See Acts 11: 27-30 so would food or money be more important at this time in a famine. 

19. Each believer kept the weekly contribution at home until Paul arrived and collected the collection. 19. Since a tithe means tenth part and not ten percent, studying Israel’s giving shows that tithing was not equal across the board 10 percent. See item 20 for an example. 

Source

“The collection (tees logeias).” Paul’s readers knew exactly what he was referring to by “the collection,” thus, he did not need to explain himself (2 Cor. 9:1). However, almost 2,000 years later, verse 2 often gets separated from its context of verses 1 and 3. The needs of the poor have therefore been overshadowed by the needs of the local church. Yet such is contrary to Old and New Covenant priorities. Exactly what was being collected “for the saints”? Was it “money,” “food,” or “money and food”? The Greek word, logeia (Strong’s 3048), only occurs twice in the Bible, as “collection” in verse 1 and as “gathering” in verse 2. It could be a gathering of almost anything. Paul and Luke (in Acts) never specify exactly what the “collection” contained. Acts 11:29 calls it “relief ’; Acts 24:17 says “alms” and “offerings”; Rom. 15:25-28 reads “contribution,” “material things,” and “fruit” (non edible). Second Corinthians 8 and 9 uses terms such as “gift” (8:4); “their want” (8:14); “this grace” (8:19); “this abundance” (8:20); “this service” (9:12); “this ministration” (9:13); and “distribution” (9:13). Should the Church Teach Tithing, page 201.

20. In Israel the tithe varies between 0 % to 10 %. The vast majority of the time it is less than 10 percent. Here’s how the breakdown works. For example, three sheep herders in Israel . The first has nine sheep, the second has 19 sheep and the third has 29 sheep. So the herder with 9 sheep, his tithe would be zero. The herder with 19 sheep, his tithe would be one sheep and the herder with 29 sheep, his tithe would be 2 sheep. See Leviticus 27:32. Benny Price, Why Tithing Is Not for the church page 121-122.

21. This scripture cannot be used legitimately for teaching tithes or offerings for two reasons. One, the context of the text does not address the mode of their regular giving or how they gave, whether weekly or monthly. This text only addresses a special collection. Two. Paul does not mention giving 10 percent of income as a regular money tithe in this text. If a Pastor uses this text to mandate tithing or offering, he is committing unethical exegesis.

Though the text is talking strictly about emergency relief efforts for Jerusalem there is insight into general giving habits that could be suggested for Modern Day Churches with legitimate needs. 

A. Giving should be done regularly, Paul tells them to set aside on the first day of the week. It’s easier to give small amounts weekly than larger amounts on a monthly or even a yearly basis. 

B. Giving should be proportionate in keeping with income as God Prospers you and considering expenses People who make more give more, people who make less give less. Giving is not based on percentage. That’s why Paul did not specify a percentage or suggest one from the TORAH. 

C. Every believer is to give something by stating “everyone of you”. The amount is left up to the giver in the text. Source You Mean I Don’t Have to Tithe, David Croteau Pages 245, 146. No Tithing Commandment Can Be Assumed From These Verses

Tithing Under the Priesthoods

Did Sha’ul Teach or Suggest Tithing in 2 Cor. Chap 8 or 9? No! 

—What is the Context of Chapter  8?—

The context of 2 Cor. Chapter  8 is Sha’ul asking the Corinthians to complete or finish their relief efforts they promised a year earlier.  He said he was not asking them to complete their giving by commandment. It was optional. Why do NT Pastor issues commands to give when Paul did not but wanted an authentic gift given in willingness and not something extracted by pressure. 

—In Verse 12, Sha’ul told them there must first be a willing mind in giving so the gift could be acceptable. So to give you must have a willing mind. Conversely, if one does not have a willing mind and gives anyway, the gift is not acceptable.  If you release your money unwillingly it will only bless the receiver, but God can do nothing with the gift on the givers behalf because it was given in an unwilling mindset. This mindset if often caused by forced giving using threats of curses. —

If there is not a sincere desire willingness, or eagerness, keep the money in your pocket because God cannot bless it. —

All giving should be based on what a man has and not on what they did not have. You may have heard it preached (explicitly or implicitly) from a pulpit The Paul teaches 10% but you will not hear it from the Word of God! And guess whose words count at the end ?! , Paul’s, “Out of what you have” means “according to what you have”and so that there are no misunderstandings, Paul makes it clear: “not according to what you don’t have”—

The giving here is out of surplus (After satisfying obligations 1Tim 5: 7-8 A commandment) among the believers. Paul had no intention to help the poor in Jerusalem by making the Corinthians poor! He had no thought at all of burdening the one to ease the other! They would help, out of their abundance. It was this abundance that would supply the lack of the poor saints in Jerusalem at this time, so that the abundance of these, now poor, saints could supply the Corinthians’ lack in another time. TITHING, GIVING AND THE NEW TESTAMENT by Anastasios Kioulachoglou pages 25-26—

In verse 8, Sha’ul clarified that he was not commanding them to give. Question?  Why do some pastors command people to give and even give 10 percent of their gross income when Paul strictly said there must be a willing mind first to be able give in love. If the gift is not Willing, it is not acceptable to God.