Last year, I was chosen to be on a “Dream Team” of top notch Bible Scholars to defend a client who discovered that her pastor had been taking tithes from her for several years under the color of “official right”, even though the Word of God reveals that she was never required to tithe her money to the Church from the beginning.
Does she have a case? Is her request to be compensated restitution of all tithe money justified?
Since I was brought on board with the “Dream Team”, I needed to go to the Book of the Law to see what it says concerning stealing and restitution… I also needed to take appropriate action if it was proven that the pastor had stolen from my client by relying on what is written in the Law in order to practice his deceit.
Before going to the Law, I examined the writings of the Apostle Paul concerning those who are under the Law. I found the following verse:
Galatians 3:10 (KJV) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
From the above verse, I determined that the pastor who relies on the Law, “The tithes of the land are the Lord’s”, must also submit to the remaining 612 ordinances contained in that Law.
That fact established, I searched the Law books to see what they say about restitution. I discovered that the Law did call for thieves to repay that which they were guilty of stealing.
Leviticus 6:2 (KJV) If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
Leviticus 6:3 (KJV) Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
Leviticus 6:4 (KJV) Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
Leviticus 6:5 (KJV) Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, [and] give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.
Leviticus 6:6 (KJV) And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:.
According to the above verses, found in the very Law that the pastor used to extort money from my client, and since Leviticus 27:30-33 identifies God’s holy tithes as agricultural, not monetary, I was able to prove that the pastor did indeed owe my client whom he had robbed, restitution… He was required to repay all money which he had taken from my client unlawfully, adding to that amount an additional 20% as the Law demanded.
