Customer Reviews

Beyond Tithes & Offerings

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Beyond Tithes and Offerings is a wonderful book! Many of the books and articles I have thus far read concerning this perspective of the tithe are often negative, critical and neglect to encourage the practice of true Christian giving principles according to the Word of God, which can only be effectively enacted out of a changed heart, filled with God's love and divine purpose. Beyond Tithes and Offerings is for certain a brilliant exception!

This book not only outlines clearly and simply the proper biblical context of tithing (in contrast to the traditional view taught in most churches today - including my own, yikes! hehe), but it presents a practical challenge to invite the Lord to come and inspire our motivation to give out of our abundance to supply the lack of others; not out of necessity or by compulsion, but out of love.

If you are one who perhaps has chosen a non-tithing position thinking that this means you are now exempt from a responsibility to give (even of your finances), this book will, on the contrary, prove you otherwise and challenge you directly in your faith and your relationship with Jesus.

Beyond Tithes and Offerings does not neglect the importance of understanding Christ's heart as it concerns our giving.

Since reading this book, in addition to my own personal Bible studies and prayer, I have experienced a revitalized sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and a fresh liberty in the area of giving that I had been missing before. I learned so much more than what tradition has taught me over the years (or perhaps I should say mis-taught). I highly would recommend this book to pastors as well as any Christian who would invite a challenge to their faith and the opportunity to grow in their understanding of God's Word as it applies to the subject of true Christian giving.

The motivation of this book is not to divide churches or turn members against their tithe-preaching pastors or from giving financially to care for the needs of the local church, on the contrary it encourages spiritual growth and attention to the reality and power of God's Word that needs to be wholly applied to our lives in every area. This book is not against giving, in fact it encourages it and pastors needn't feel threatened by the title. It is certainly not the common perspective of most church leaders and Christians in general today (and for many may be a little hard to swallow because it so severely offends the tradition many have religiously observed for years), but it is the biblical perspective and one that I believe has the potential to revolutionize the way churches operate today.

I especially encourage pastors to read this book, because, rest assured, probably a good number of your flock already are! It's going to make preaching the traditional tithe (with Scripture) a whole lot harder, as people begin to just read for themselves the simple truth revealed right in the pages of God's Word.

Michel webb et al, have done a masterful job of proving once and for all that tithing is NOT a New Testament command.

It has been taught by many ministers and TV preachers that tithing is THE key to prosperity for the believer. Some preachers and teachers even go so far as to state that unless you tithe (work of the law, mind you) you don't even qualify for blessing.

Excuse me, but the New Testament example for prosperity and any gift we receive from God is based on 2 Corinthians 8:9. By His poverty, we become rich...not through the work of tithing. Giving should be from the heart as we have purposed; not by compulsion to a law. We are under Grace NOT the Law. We give because we are already blessed NOT to get blessed.

**The authors have covered this masterfully in their book.**

In addition, tithing was under the OT Law to which Christ did several things:

* Fulfilled it
* Abolished it
* Nailed it to His cross
* Slew the enmity (through his cross)
* Blotted out the handwriting of ordinances which were against us

All of these references deal with the Law. Consequently, as a one Dr. Jay Snell has noted, we obey the Law not as an external document which damns; but as an inward impulse. And further, if you are a Gentile by birth, you were NEVER under the Law to begin with. Only the Jew was given the Law.

Under the New Testament, the Christian was never and is never told to give a certain percentage by compulsion; on the contrary, we have the freedom to give freely as we have purposed in our hearts. Not a legalistic 10%, but an amount that we have chosen from the heart because we give out of love. This also means that giving beyond 10% is both possible and probable.

**The authors cover this in their book as well.**

Ask yourself reader: "Have I ever been blessed so much that I have not had room to receive it?" This is an oft-quoted promise based upon Malachi 3. But as you drive down the streets of anywhere, USA, you cannot tell the tithers on one side of the street from the non-tithers on the other side. Something is wrong somewhere.

And consider this: the very ministers who teach tithing as binding upon a New Testament Believer as THE way of prosperity are actually placing the very people they are trying to get blessed UNDER A CURSE!

How? Simple: by placing you under the Law in this one area of tithing, they are actually placing the burden to obey the ENTIRE Law upon you. Ministers cannot say, "Yes, we were redeemed from the Law but in this one area of tithing, it is still binding." These ministers even quote Malachi 3--an Old Testament passage written to those under the Law--as proof that we are blessed by tithing. However, you cannot pick and choose which parts of the Law to keep. As Paul said in Galatians, "he that chooses to obey the law in one point is a debtor to the WHOLE entire Law." In other words, if you take it upon yourself to obey one part of the Law, you are OBLIGATED to keep the entire thing! And with 613 different commands and ordinances to keep, it'll keep you busy. But this kind of teaching frustrates the very Grace teaching of the New Testament.

Either Christ

* Fulfilled the Law
* Abolished the Law
* Nailed the Law to His cross
* Slew the enmity (the Law)
* Blotted out the handwriting of ordinances (The Law) which were against us

or He didn't.

The Bible says He did. Therefore, tithing is no longer binding upon today's Christian.

Many who teach tithing agree that it was under the Law and then go back to the period before the Law to substantiate tithing as a principle. In other words, if tithing or the giving of ten percent occurred before the Law, then it is binding today.

But that is no argument. All of those who tithed before the Law were spiritually dead and there is no record of Adam and Eve tithing. Any appeal to the period of time before the law as proof of tithing being binding today in principle, is on shaky ground at best.

**This book covers this as well as other objections.**

I recommend that if you purchase this book, also get other books such as NO More Tithing," and "Did the Apostle Paul Teach Tithing to the Church?" These will prove once and for all that you are free to give...not obligated to give.

I have felt coerced and guilty by my (former) pastor who insisted we give 10% of our gross salary to our local church, or else face God's wrath... I have always given 10% out of love but then after being hammered at, I started doing it out of guilt, fear and self-righteousness. Money seems to be very important today. This is a good - but rather long book. Also read the great internet article "Old testament giving vs. New testament giving" by Brian Anderson of Solid Rock church in Milpitas, CA.

I want to commend the writers for a wonderful and uplifting book. On the surface this book is about money, but in reality it is more about the freedom and grace that we have as christians. Next to the Bible this is one book that has truly shown me the love and grace of God, this book has had a profound effect in my walk with the Lord. From now on I will be lead by the spirit in my giving and not lead by well meaning but mislead men or women.

My hope and prayer is that we who have read the book and realize the truth in it will have the courage and conviction to stand up for those who are less fortunate than we are, to not fear men but to fear God. Let us also put this book in the hands of men and women that are responsible for handling the money in our churches. As for me I am going to get a few copies and send them out to my church leaders, if they read this book and are not touched by it than I will know that their heart is not for the poor but for the money. Now I know the true freedom I have in Jesus Christ.

Once again I thank the writers for letting God use them in such a powerful way. And most of all I thank Jesus my savior for my salvation and for my FREEDOM.

I am so please to find the truth about tithing. Now my doubts about tithing has been answered. The author has done an outstanding job scripturally concerning tithing. I now feel freer than I have been in years of this subject. And I am happy to see that there are others out there who feels the same as I did. I want to thank Mr. Webb for this wealth of information on tithing. I recommend anyone who has questions about tithing to read this book, because it is a big eye opener. It has brought santity to my confused mind about giving. I was thinking correctly, but always felt like I was wrong because of the incorrect teaching I now know I received. There is a Pastor/Teacher Bob George, who did get me started on the correct giving and about tithing with his tapes, that was one witness and Michael L Webb is now two. I just thank my God for them for boldly coming forth in setting God's people free. FREE AT LAST, THANK GOD I'M FREE AT LAST, ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA. MR. WEBB DON'T STOP.

When I found out about this book on the internet, I knew I had to have it. I quickly ordered it and devoured it quickly after receiving it in the mail. I was stunned by the depth and detail with which the author exposes the true purpose and practice of the old testament tithing ritual. The book is exegetically sound and heavily reliant on scripture. The amount of scripture used to support Mr. Webb's arguments (as shown in the index of quoted scripture verses) is impressive.

The discussion of the old testament practices, in itself, was enough to conclusively demonstrate the fallacy of applying the tithe to the new testament church. The later chapters on the relationship between Christians and the old testament law (another area in which I believe tradition has supplanted truth) are succinctly and persuasively written. .... Finally, the book concludes with a fabulous discussion of why and how spirit-led grace giving should occur.

No doubt there are die-hard advocates of the tithe who will dismiss this book as written for people who want an excuse not to give. The beauty of this book is that it does NOT discourage giving. Rather, it ENCOURAGES GIVING THE WAY GOD INTENDED US TO GIVE. I felt such an incredible sense of validation as I read this book. My approach to giving will never be the same. I will NOT give less as a result of Mr. Webb's book. Rather, I will exchange Baptist tradition for biblical truth, and the oldness of the letter for the newness of the spirit. Thank you Mr. Webb!!!

I highly, highly, highly, highly, highly (one for each star) recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with these same issues.

You must read this book if you desire to know the truth for yourself. Don't just blindly take what you hear from the pulpit as the scriptural truth within proper context, search it. I have said Yes to the Lord and will help teach this long-hidden truth. It is my hope that The Church will eventually accept the truth, no matter how it may hurt or go against the motives of some of the leaders and members. I am excited about this book and the authors for e-mailing me. Read it! Catalog it! Re-read it, then pass it on.

I believe that the authors did a great job. A majority of the people will never believe that this is a very scripture based book. I could not stop reading this book and it sheds so much light on tithing. I will say that in the last chapters, everything that was mentioned about pastors was true. I have had a pastor say that it would be hard for him to put in his tithe that Sunday, because of low funds, well this book points out the fact that you shouldn't give grudgingly. Final words, magnificent and hope to see more of your writing. God Bless

Mr Webb takes the traditions of men that we as Christians have followed in our giving practices and puts them on the altar of God to be burned up! He then takes the Truth of the Word and lets it bring revelation to us in regards to the freedom of giving by and through the Grace of God. I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with rigid 10% "tithing". You will be released and blessed and you will be able to give as we are called to - CHEERFULLY.

This is by far the best book that I have read on the subject and I have read a few. The authors examine the doctrine from just about every possible angle. Very tastefully done. I highly recommend this book.