Pastors can go astray: Pastor David Ibiyeomie Reacts As Creflo Dollar Preaches Against Tithing
The founding pastor of Salvation Ministries, Bishop David Ibiyeomie, has weighed in on the fresh controversy trailing the topic of tithing by Christians.
His reaction on Monday came about 24 hours after a foremost American preacher, Creflo Dollar, apologized for misleading his congregants about the doctrine of tithing.
Dollar had asked his congregation to throw away every book, videos and tape he had taught in support of tithing over the years, adding that if one is under grace, Jesus took away the curse of not paying tithe.
He added that “Nowhere commands that Christians should submit to a legalistic tithe system: the new testament does not designates a percentage of income a person should set aside but only says gifts should be in keeping with the income.”
Although Ibiyeomie did not mention Pastor Dollar’s name, his sermon is believed to be in response to the American preacher’s message.
Ibiyeomie, during the church’s Week of Spiritual Empowerment service monitored by our correspondent, said the subject of tithe is approved by the Bible and a pastor who condemns tithing never had a solid foundation in the study of the subject.
He said “They quote Bible upside down, that’s why you have to be a Bible student, even a pastor can deceive you, please read Bible for yourself.
“So that somebody cannot preach something up-side down and you believe. All manner of things are everywhere, some people preach tithe and they said no more tithe because they did not have solid foundation in the Bible and some of you believe it.
“What’s my business, didn’t I read my Bible? Follow anything you like, you too, read Bible for yourself, let nobody deceive you.
“Can somebody now tell me not to pay tithes? I will be foolish, I’ve read Bible for myself so nobody can preach to me, I saw it from the Bible so nobody can tell me not to pay tithes.
“I don’t need you to preach to me, I will pay tithes till I die.
“I’ve read it from the Bible, if another said grace made it, let him stay there. You can turn the Bible upside down, please don’t follow all manner of doctrines. Read Bible, God gave it to you. Pastors can go astray. I learnt all manner of gospel are in town. Any man can change any day.”
**Tithing and the Church**
The subject of money in the modern Church brings out a lot of debate and evil. Mainly, because man has created a society that is based on money for survival and without money, no one can live in civilization. Money has become the god that we all are forced to serve. And if you think not, then try living without it. All the religious talk in the world won’t pay the rent.
Even in the bush, unless you want to live like a caveman, it takes some form of money to live. How many of us are willing to live without anything made of metal, or glass, or plastic? Without matches to light a fire, and without a gun to hunt for food. No metal means no knife, or saw, or axe to cut wood with. And we won’t even mention what kind of clothing you would have to wear.
My foolish brother defiantly once said to me: “I don’t need money to live!”. But he failed to consider that other people were paying his bills for him. His heat, water, electricity, food all cost someone money. Not to mention all the beer that he drank!
“the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore, I have said unto them: ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying: ‘Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them: ‘When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.’” Num.18:24-26
There is a great deal of debate among the various Churches in Christianity today about whether or not Christians are obligated to pay the tithe. This should never even be an issue in the Church, because we are supposed to be in the Spirit and behave like the very first Church did when it comes to material things. In Acts 2 and 4, we read that “neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common” (Acts4:32).
When you have the love of Christ in you, this is how you will behave. You will “love thy neighbor as thyself”, so the matter of money is not an issue. If you truly loved your brothers and sisters in Christ, you would behave exactly as Paul said: “I mean not that other men be eased and ye be burdened. But by an equality. That now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want. That their abundance also may be a supply for your want. That there may be equality.” (2Cor.8:13,14)
If we were spiritual and had the love – the ‘agape’ love – that we like to talk about, this is the way we would all behave towards money and material things. Just as they did in Acts 2 and 4.
But the modern Church today is nothing at all like it was in the beginning. Instead of being spiritual and walking according to the Spirit (Gal.5:16), the Church has become carnal, “and walk as men” (1Cor.3:1-3) Worldly men. Men who trust in money rather than in God, in spite of what so many in the Church might say.
Talk is cheap, and religious talk is even cheaper.
“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: ‘Wherein have we robbed thee?’
In tithes and offerings.” Mal.3:8
I won’t even bother to show that the tithe doesn’t have to be money. There is more than ample evidence in the Bible that tells us the tithe was mainly something you could eat and not money. But is there a pastor living who will accept a live chicken or a bushel of potatoes as tithe? Nope.
At the heart of this matter of tithing is the question: “Are we under the law or not?” But even that is not the main point here. Most have no idea of what the Old Testament is, or what the New Testament is. They misguidedly believe that the Old is the first 39 books of the Bible and the New is the last 27 books, not realizing that in the days of Paul, the last 27 books didn’t exist. They hadn’t even been written yet.
The truth is, that the Old Testament is the word of God written on stone or paper, whereas the New Testament is the word of God written in the hearts of God’s people. It is the same word, but different places. The one is dead letters you read, and the other is the Living Word written by God in the heart. BUT IT IS THE SAME WORD. So, if all you have is the Bible, then all you have is the Old Testament. All 66 books of it.
We read in Num.18, that the tithe of the people is to be given to the Levites. But in the Church “there is neither Jew nor Greek” (Gal.3:28), so there are no Levites in the Church to pay tithes to.
“Oh, but there are ‘spiritual’ Levites. Our ministers are now the spiritual Levites that we must pay tithes to.”
This may sound good, but there is no such thing in the gospels or the epistles that talk of any ‘spiritual’ Levites. Even if this were the case, it would make ALL the ministers of the word to be spiritual Levites. Not just the pastors. The teachers, prophets, evangelists and apostles would all be partakers of the tithe.
But what do we see taking place? When was the last time you saw the teachers in your Church collecting the tithe?
There is a passage that speaks of “a royal priesthood” (1Pet.2:9), but this isn’t a Levitical priesthood. If anything, it would be a priesthood “after the order of Melchisedec” (Heb.6:20), and not Levi.
“If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it, the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”
My, my, my! “a change also of the law”.
Haven’t you ever wondered why Paul or Peter never talked about tithing? To be sure, they spoke of taking up a collection. But when they did, it wasn’t to pay bills or money for the pastor. When Paul spoke of taking up a collection of money, it wasn’t the tithe. It was money for the poor saints in Jerusalem that were having a hard time. (1Cor.16:1-3)
You will not find a single instance of anyone in the Church talking about tithing because it has no place in the Church. If we have the same love in us that Christ did – (not “as much love”, but the ***same kind*** of love) – then we would automatically behave like those in the very first Church did towards money.
As long as we remain carnal, money will always be an issue because we will “walk as men” instead of as Christ. But how many pastors do you know who are willing to admit that they are carnal and “walk as men”? (1Cor.3:3)
It is a disgrace for ministers of the word of God to preach tithing and trying to use something intended for carnal man to live by. Namely, the law. Jesus never did, and neither did Paul or any of the other apostles. And whenever Jesus DID talk about tithing, it was to the Jews who were under the law.
If a man is genuinely called to the ministry, he must first become spiritual himself, before he is able to minister the Spirit to others, and this is what the Church is all about.
“I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” 1Cor.9:27
If we don’t bring our body into subjection to the Spirit, the body will rule over us and make us to be carnal and a servant to the body instead of to the Lord. We will remain a servant of the flesh.
“I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection. Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
A “castaway” here, is someone who is out of fellowship with the Lord. Someone who is “cast forth as a branch” (John 15:1-6). Someone who was at one time nourished by the source of life in the vine, but has since left his first love (Rev.2:4) and returned back to the body of flesh.
Preachers who demand the tithe, love to feign love for you by saying things like: “I don’t want you to miss out on a blessing by not paying the tithe.”, and they will then quote you scriptures that support this.
Personally, I find it disgusting and deceitful for a minister of the word to say such things. He is lying through his teeth when he says that he is concerned about you missing a blessing, and then tries to us the scriptures to “prove” his motive. If he were spiritual, he would be like Paul, who said:
“I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” 2Cor.12:14
“Oh, but the Church has bills that need to be paid?”
Of course it does. And if there are bills to be paid, then take up an offering and pay the bills with it. And if the minister is providing the spiritual needs of the Church, then it is only right that the Church provide for his “carnal things”. (1Cor.9:11) But let’s not demand the tithe. Tithes and offerings are not the same thing. All such things as this are anti-spirit, and therefore anti-Christ.
Tithing is giving ten percent of what you earn, no matter what, and has nothing to do with the Spirit. It is regimented and legalistic, and is not motivate by love. If our giving is done out of love, then there is no need for the tithe. The love of Christ would constrain a person to meet the needs of others.
Jerry Neil
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