Is that all you got? Umm...I guess you're running out of gas and that's a low blow...If you can say to that fine brother, there is no reason why you can do that to all who is not in agreement with you...
I don't expect you to understand the truth. I only post it so others can see why Evans is a false teacher.
Refuting Herb Evans' Eisegesis of Malachi 3:10
HE: STOREHOUSE TITHING
By Herb Evans
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in my house . . .
-- Malachi 3:10
BRING YE
The tither, unlike the almsgiver (whose right hand is not to know what the left hand is doing) is responsible to know exactly what he is doing. ALL of God's people (YE), (O.T. or N.T.), are responsible to BRING (not send) their tithes, which means that their presence is required. Not one single verse teaches a person to send his tithe anywhere. Obviously, this puts your radio, T.V., and Newsletter "pastor" friend and their supporters in an awkward position.
My Reply: From the start, Herb reveals that he is a) ignorant of what Malachi 3:10 is about, or b) willfully deceiving his readers.
The "ye" in Malachi 3:10 is not referring to all the people, but to the Priests of the Temple.
Can I prove this? Yes, I can.
All one has to do to prove Herb wrong is to read the verse in context. If one does, one will discover who was being spoken to, what was to be tithed, and where the tithe was to go.
The "ye"...
Back up to Chapter 1:6. There, we see the Priests specifically addressed. The rest of the chapter reveals that the Priests were offering unacceptable sacrifices on the altar.
Chapter 2:1 states, "And now, O ye Priests, this commandment is for you.
What commandment? There is no commandment given in Chapter two at all.
It is not until we get to 3:7 that we see a commandment... "Return unto me..."
The Priests ask, "Wherein shall we return?" In our modern vernacular, we would say, 'How are we supposed to return?'
God answers, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." The Priests had robbed God. They stole His tithes and offerings. And, in robbing God, they brought a curse upon Israel,... Thus robbing the nation of the blessings of rain, bringing locusts upon the land and causing a shortage of food.
HE: ALL
Wherever the destination of the tithe, one thing is certain; the entire tithe belongs there and not just a portion of it. Not one single verse teaches that the tithe may be split up.
My Reply: According to Numbers 18:27-28 & Nehemiah 10:37-38, only a tithe of the tithe was to go to the House of God, The Levites were given the tithe, snd they were required by Law to take a tithe of the tithe to the storehouse chambers. This proves Herb to be wrong, for, the tithe was indeed "split up" Ninety percent of the tithe stayed in the farming communities in Canaan, while the remaining ten percent of the tithe went to the Temple chambers.
HE: THE TITHES
Tithing is taught in both Testaments (Matt. 23:23, Heb. 3:8, 1 Cor. 9:13,14), before, during, and after the law. The tithe is the TENTH of ALL your increase. It is not what you have left after you pay your rent, your taxes, and/or your creditors. Honour the Lord . . . with the FIRSTFRUITS OF ALL thine increase . . . (Proverbs 3:9). It is the FIRSTFRUITS not the leftovers. Not one single verse teaches otherwise.
My Reply: while Matthew 23:23 does teach tithing, the tithe it teaches is a matter "of the Law." The Law stated that God's holy tithe was to be agricultural, i.e.; seed of the land, (crops) fruit of the tree, (also crops) and every tenth animal of the flocks and herds. There is no verse in the Bible that teaches that tithes were to be of ones household monetary income.
Further, Nehemiah 10:37-38 proves Herb to be wrong when he teaches that tithes are "the firstfruits, not the leftovers." Firstfruits were taken to the House of God by the congregation, while the tithes went to the farming communities.
Neither the Hebrews 3 reference, nor the 1 Corinthians 9 reference have anything to do with a tithe for the Church. The former is speaking of the Israelites tempting God in the wilderness wanderings. The latter is speaking of support for the Apostles, who were separated from the Church to minister to the lost in their missionary journeys. Context of 1 Corinthians 9 shows that Paul was speaking of Apostles.
HE: INTO
The tithe is not merely DROPPED OFF at the designated place or depository; it is to be brought INTO it. Church members, who tithe but do not bother to attend the church, which they tithe to, are not much better off than those, who send their tithes to their "T.V. pastor."
My Reply: Since Malachi 3:10 is not a command for the congregation to tithe to the House of God, Evans is wrong. Church members are just as deceived if they tithe to the Church as they are if they tithe to a T.V. pastor.. God never authorized the New Testament Church to take tithes from anyone.
HE: THE STOREHOUSE
It is significant to note that the tithes are NOT to be brought into "A" storehouse; they are to be brought into "THE" storehouse. God expects His people to bring the tithes into the storehouse, which HE has designated - not just ANY storehouse. For those, who like the Hebrew, the same Hebrew word for storehouse is used for the TREASURY in Joshua 6:24, ". . .the silver and the gold . . . they put it in the TREASURY of the House of the Lord." The treasury is the storehouse, and the treasury is located in the house of the Lord. Not one single verse teaches otherwise.
My Reply: "The" storehouse was a part of the Jewish Temple. (See 1 Kings 6) There is no verse in the Bible that designates the Church as the storehouse.
Yes, silver and gold were kept in the storehouse chambers, as were the agricultural tithes. The storehouse was comprised three floors with more than one chamber on each floor. It is highly doubtful that the silver and gold were kept in the same chamber as the tithes. The chambers used for silver and gold were the treasuries. The silver and gold were stored there, so it is no wonder the same Hebrew word was used to signify both storehouse and treasury.
HE: THAT THERE MAY BE MEAT
Tithing in the N.T. serves the same purpose that it did in the O.T. "Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? . . . EVEN SO hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (1 Cor 9:13,14).
In the temple, there were some, who were appointed over the tithes (Neh. 12:40, 44) from which the temple ministers were supported. In the early N.T. assembly or church or congregation, the apostles were appointed over the money and valuables that were laid at their feet (Acts 4:37; 5:2). Not one single verse teaches otherwise.
My Reply: Again, the context of 1 Corinthians 9 reveals that the Apostle Paul was speaking of the right for Apostles to receive support. It was not speaking of the New Testament Church having any authority to take tithes of its members.
The Early Church laid money at the Apostles' feet, not by command, but of their own free will. Acts 4 says nothing of tithing at all. Evans is reading into the passage something that the passage never says, nor implies... as usual.
HE: IN MY HOUSE
Reason demands that if the "tithes" are to be brought into and stored in one certain depository or house, then they cannot be brought into another house. God instructs His people that the tithes belong to Him in His HOUSE (Heb. 3:5,6). In the N.T. Christ refers to MY CHURCH as MY HOUSE. The Lord does not use the word "MY" in reference to any other organization -- the Red Cross, Radio or T.V. Bible Class, Tex Humbug, and the Sword of the Lord notwithstanding. Not one single verse teaches otherwise.
THE PLACE
Unto the PLACE which the Lord your God shall choose . . . to put HIS NAME there, even unto HIS HABITATION . . . thither there ye shall bring . . . your tithes . . . -- Deut. 12:5,6
There are certain parallel principles in both Testaments concerning the LORD's HOUSE: 1. The LORD's HOUSE is located in a definite PLACE. 2. It is the PLACE that the LORD CHOOSES. 3. The LORD puts HIS NAME there. 4. The LORD's HOUSE is His HABITATION. 5. The TITHES are to be BROUGHT INTO this HOUSE.
Israel's Old Testament HOUSE was left desolate (Matthew 28:38) and was replaced by CHRIST'S OWN HOUSE, whose HOUSE are we IF . . . IF . . . IF . . . (Heb. 3:5,6). Christ called the PLACE, "MY CHURCH (Matt. 16:18;18:15-18). The Lord added others to His House or Church (Acts 1:5; 2:41). Christ's N.T. house is also a temple that is "FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER" for an "HABITATION OF GOD" (Eph. 2:20,21;1 Cor. 3:9,16). Christ's OWN HOUSE is not the so-called "Invisible,Universal, mystical church of all believers. Such a church would require that we tithed to each other and to those, who have gone on to glory. To such a church, we should send INVISIBLE TITHES. Christ's N.T. HOUSE OF GOD is LOCAL or in a certain PLACE. It is the CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD that is supposed to be BEHAVED in (1 Tim. 3:15). Not one single verse teaches any other kind!
My Reply: The ekklesia, God's called out assembly, is comprised of every single born-again child of God. God does not dwell in buildings made by hands. Rather, God lives in His people, the true Church.
Contrary to what Evans would have his readers believe, God's House is not a brick and mortar building. Members of the Church can meet in 'a house," as we see in 2 John, but the house they meet in is not God's House. (Note in 2John that the Church was in the house that belonged to the elect lady. It does not say, 'and to the Church that is in my house,' it says 'and to the Church that is not n thy house.'
HE: CONCLUSION
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed me. In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse . . . Mal. 3:8-10
Not one single verse teaches that the pattern for God's financial plan, outlined in Malachi 3:8-10. has changed, been fulfilled, modified, or been done away with. Not one single verse teaches a new financial pattern or plan. But you say, "Malachi is Old Testament." Don't bet your boots on it. Read Mal. 1:11; 2:9; 3:1; 4:1,2,5,6.
Anyone refusing to accept O.T. Scripture (given for our example and admonition - 1 Cor. 10:6,11), need only show God's NEW financial plan or pattern for tithing. It is one thing to have O.T. scripture; it is another thing to have no scripture AT ALL. The burden of proof is not on those, who believe God's Finacial plan and pattern, which has not changed, it is on those, who seek to change or replace it.
My Reply: Malachi 3:10 is not about financing the Temple at all. The commanded tithe was agricultural. The Priests were the ones robbing God. The storehouse was in the Temple. There is no verse in the Bible that amends God's agricultural tithe required of Israel for the support of Levites, widows, orphans and strangers in Canaan to a worldwide monetary tithe. Evans horribly distorts the truth of Malachi 3:10 in his feeble attempt to extort money from church members.
