Dedicated Christian minister and author Kithcart has devoted much attention to the issue of tithing, seeking to separate the sometimes weak or false understandings that are often evidenced among his fellow believers. In this extensive work, he examines these complex concerns by focusing on the Apostle Paul, supported by numerous quotations from biblical teachings. He begins with the tithing advice outlined in the Old Testament book of Malachi, which he then asserts according to the letters of the apostle Paul and church history.

The text transcribed suggests that three tithes were to be given not to priests, as is commonly supposed and often supported by modern churches, but instead to the Levites, who were servants of the temple and, as such, needy and deserving of assistance. The priest, according to the books of Numbers and Nehemiah, would receive a tithe of the tithe designated for the church storehouse. This leads to the role of the apostle Paul in the newly forming Christian religion. Paul never suggested any form of tithe but stressed that Christ provides “liberty” and warned against entanglement with “the yoke of bondage” (Gal.5:1). As the narrative repeatedly stresses, donations from conscientious churchgoers should not involve any specific percentage and should benefit those most in need.

Kithcart, an active church leader for more than thirty years, has cleverly arrayed his assertions regarding Paul’s teaching in the form of letters to fellow pastors, although he reports that he has received only limited response. He boldly refers to this phenomenon as a “code of silence.” He urges his readers to consider carefully the principles he reveals in this far-reaching thesis. His hope, bravely set forth, is that Christians who give, whether in the sense of a “tenth” of their resources or simply as an outreach of generosity, will seek to support those in greatest hardship. Kithcart’s thoughtful premise will doubtless provide lively material for group discussion and individual study.

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