When most Christians want to support their churches financially, they come up with the idea of giving ten percent of their income. Moreover, they have been taught that this percentage of their income belongs to God.  However the New Testament teaches nothing of the tithe. In opposite to the man’s traditions teaching, the New Testament makes clear that all our income belongs to God, yet the percentage we give in our offerings is up to the individual Christian’s conscience.

Basically, it is recorded in the Old Testament that the children of Israel were recommended to tithe (giving 10% of their income). However, before we can learn much in this topic, let us first ask ourselves these questions: What, How and why did the children of Israel tithe? Who tithed? And tithe to whom?

Well, it is understandable that the tithe is Ten out of One Hundred (10%) of the income that God commanded the children of Israel to give. When God brought the Israelites from Egypt, it was not a simple thing, nor ordinary miracle. God had organised everything in order. God decided to live among His people (Israelites), so He commanded Moses to build a Sanctuary for Him. God divided the Sanctuary’s tasks to the Israelites according to each one’s ability. He also gave them the free territory (land) which was an inheritage.

These Israelites were happy to receive their own place, in spit of there were some people who were not given any land. But, it was not by stake that all these people did not get their own places. Take in consideration the example through Aoron’s portion. God did not allow  Aoron to have an inheritage (land), or any portion among Israelites because He (God) was his (Aoron) portion and his inheritance among them. (Numbers 18: 20).

In the same token, Levites did not have any inheritance among the Israelites (Numbers 18: 23), because God was their portion through tithes given by Israelites.

Truly, God organised an authentic ministry opportunity for His people. Those who were appointed to serve in the sanctuary (Temple) of God did not have any land. Then, God commended Israelites to give the tenths of their income in order to feed those who served in the Temple . (Numbers 18: 24). When God called someone into ministry in the Sanctuary who owned or possess a land, this person has to give up fully his land and goes to the ministry and God Himself agreed to be their portion through the tenths given by Israelites.

Do not get wrong here or be confusing my friends! God did not call out the Levites only to deal with the special duties of the Levites, but also to deal with the mainly service of worship at the tabernacle which was conducted by the priests. Levites were not given any land as an inheritage (Joshua 13: 14), because they lived through the tenths as God allowed them to be theirs. They collected these tenths from the children of Israel,  they combined all together and they had to take the tenth from those tenths for the  Priest/high Priest. (Numbers 18: 25, 26). Thus, the tenths seem to be the portion (salary, ration) of the people who conducted the tabernacle of meeting’s ministry. (Numbers 18: 31).

When the law of tithing was promulgated to the children of Israel, they eagerly agreed to give the tenth of all their income to the appointed people. (Nehemiah 13: 37- 38). Unfortunately, all the children of Israel did not keep this agreement of tithing all the time. Sometimes they stopped giving the tenths; and as consequence, the Levites and the singers who carried out the activity in the Temple, stopped their work and got out of the temple as they went back home to their normal activities.(Nehemiah 13: 10).  It was the reason why God told the children of Israel that they are robbers of tenths of God. God made clear this by saying that they robed Him in tithing. (Malachi 3: 8- 10).

Kinds of the tenth God required from the children of Israel:

-Grain, New wine and Oil. (The increase of grain that the field produces year by year; they had to eat them before the Lord their God, in the place where God chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of their grain and their new wine and their oil of the firstborn of their herds and their flocks, that they may learn to fear the Lord their God always). Deut. 14: 22, 23.

-Produces (this must be practised at the end of every third year). Deut. 14: 28; 26: 12.

-Holy tithe. (They had to say before the Lord their God: “I have removed the HOLY TITH from my house, and also have given them to the Levit, the stranger, the fatherless, and the window, according to all your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. (Deut. 26: 13).

- Etc…

If, Dear friends, you believe and practise the tithing, you should see first the way and how and what to tithe as it is investigated above. When you understand all about it, and if you still agree to tithe, then you MUST apply for all these kinds of tenth investigated above. (Note that many principles can be found in the Bible.) And you MUST identify the Sanctuary, the priests and the Levites as recorded in the Old Testament, because the tithing required the sanctuary (temple), the priests and the Levites. Therefore without these, the tithe should not be practised.

Look at Jesus Christ! Jesus did not come to take away the Law and the prophets, but to fulfil them. (Mat. 5: 17).  The tithing law has been fulfilled. Jesus brought an end to the sacrifice and offering (Daniel 9: 27) including the tithing.  Do not get discouraged, the full information is coming in one minute.

Jesus Christ, as our example, did not support the tithing during His earthly ministry. Jesus used sometimes parable to illustrate the evidence of the event or advent, thus He used the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to show the public that the Pharisee

who paid the tenths was not recognised as a welldoer. (Luke 18: 12).  Paul, an elect Apostle of Jesus, who was commissioned to carry out the Gospel to the Gentiles, never taught in the church of God at any time about the practise of tithing at any time, rather he encourages people of God to give offerings, thanks and gifts. Why then do the Christian churches of today are still practice this dead doctrine? Why the tithing doctrine is the main teaching and the peer doctrine of those churches? Please, not get tired! Step down to next section.

Tithing’s condition is, If the New Testament fails to teach tithing, then why do most Christians continue to believe that it is Scriptural and therefore binding?  By  examining the preaching of these people, one example to be looked at is  the preaching of one Minister (Mutsiri Antoine) who taught people in Refuge Camp Tanzania by emphasizing  Malachi 3: 8- 10 why they should tithe.  This Mutsiri says: “we should tithe because if we don’t, we are disobeying and robbing God. God has given us everything we have, but He does not want much of us, only He wants us to be obedient and give 1/10 of it back to Him. He does not need our money, but He does require our obedience.”

While Mutsiri is supporting his ministry in that way, what he has shared does not square with the New Covenant teaching on tithing. There is not one word in the New Testament to suggest that Christians ought to tithe.

Some will say, “The New Testament is vague on the topic of giving.” That is not true. Friends, the New Testament is as clear about giving as it is on any other doctrine. But, the Old Testament tithing (altogether amounting to about 23 %) was not adopted by the New Testament Church.

New Testament Believers (Christians) are encouraged to give liberally (Rom. 12: 8), but the New Testament itself never gives a percentage as a required standard for giving. Instead, it says, “So let each one give as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9: 7). Notice that believers are not told how much to give. Apostle Paul does not give them a fixed percentage as a standard. Rather, he simply tells them that they should give whatever they have “Purposed in [their] heart,” that is, whatever they have decided to give beforehand. He insists that Christians should be faithful to follow through on what they have decided to contribute to the Lord’s work, but the amount is up to us. There is to be no compulsion whatsoever in our giving; the amount must be our decision.

In 1 Corinthians 16: 1- 2 Apostle Paul says: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” It is understood that here Paul instructs the church in Corinth to give proportionately to how they have been prospered by God. It is very clear that the tithe was not mentioned at all. Believers are instructed to give proportionate to their prosperity.

Apostle Paul also writes in 2 Corinthians 8: 3- 4: “For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”

In this account, Paul emphasizes the fact that the churches of Macedonia gave “of their own accord.” Nobody twisted their arm. Believers are always to give voluntarily. God wants us to give because we want to do so. Our gifts should be “generous” (2 Cor. 9: 5) and given with “liberality” (2 Cor. 9: 11), for God will see to it that their generous giver will not suffer want.

In fact, what should our attitude be when we give? Keep this statement of 2 Corinthians 9: 7 in your mind: “So let each one give as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” Giving is a joyful privilege, not a joyless duty. God wants us to give from an attitude of cheerfulness, not out of sense of obligation.  It is interesting that the only text in New Testament that describes the mind-set with which we are to give describes it as joyless! Such cheerful giving is the appropriate response to God’s “indescribable gift” His own son. (2 Cor.  9: 15).

Note that the words of Jesus’ sermon are divine and powerful.  Let us seek an advice from the words spoken by Jesus as it is recorded by Matthew 6: 19- 21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

We need to store our treasure in heaven. Look at Jesus ministry!  Jesus as our true Teacher, one day He wanted to teach His disciples how to have a faith in God through what they have. He sat down and watched how people put their money in the treasury (Mark 12:  41- 440). When Jesus saw the window gives much money, then He called His disciples very quick to come and to see how to have a faith in God through what we have. This window never paid the tenth of her income or tenth of what she have. No. Why then did Jesus consider her as true example before His disciples and before us as well? Disciples as students of Jesus Christ learnt and understood how the followers of Christ should give.  They learnt very carefully as they were prepared for the future ministry. Thus, the early Church, true church of God never practised the tithing doctrine, because the leaders of church were those who learnt directly from Jesus Christ and sent by Him.

In contrast, the churches of today teach differently, because they seek to establish their own constitutions to meet their needs and desires. They denied Jesus as our High Priest through what they do. Since Jesus is our High priest, He never asks people to tithe to if we want to tithe; we need to tithe to Him. The people of Israel tithed to Levites, Levites to the priests, and priests to the high priests. Bible says that we who believe Jesus; we shall be kings and priests. Therefore, because we shall be priests, when we want to tithe, we should tithe to our High priest, Jesus Christ. How then can you tithe to Jesus?

In short, whereas the Old Testament tithe was required by the Law, the New Testament emphasizes the complete voluntary character of giving. This is exactly what Abraham did before the institution of the Law, and it what Christians are to be doing today. We are free to give any amount we choose-whether it is 10% as Abraham did, or 60%, or 90%, or any other percentage. If then the New Testament itself never gives a percentage as a required standard for giving, isn’t obvious that many of our churches departed from the teaching of scripture? How can we claim to take the New Testament seriously and yet turn a deaf ear to the clear, undeniable pattern that marked the early apostolic church? If we are to see revival in our churches, we must speak out against false traditions and begin to conform all of our practices to the New Testament patterns.

Tatien Nduwimana

AMO Presiding Minister.

Covering or no covering has been a delicate issue for many years. It is seen for Christian churches as a conscience or personal opinion. In reality, how should we treat it as a gray issue?

Was it a trivial admonition, or was it an instruction given to man through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that God expects every mankind to adhere to?  If that is the case and the truth, then we would need a clear and complete understanding of the head covering issue, so that every one would be able to make an educated wise decision whether to stand for the Lord our Creator or for man.
Before looking at 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, let us establish a foundation.

What issue was Paul addressing?  What was the subject matter?

Was Paul addressing men having long hair or women with bald heads?  What was his main concern?

Paul, a follower of Christ, a minister unto the Gentiles (Romans 15:16) had the responsibility of teaching and delivering all the precepts of Christ unto the Gentiles.  Historically, The Corinthians were not Jews, they were Gentiles.  Paul had a grave work to do in Corinth, for Corinth was famous for its wealth, luxury, trade, prostitution and idol worship. Needless to say, considering their corrupted practices, the command to teach, baptize and teach again, was completely exercised in Corinth, so that the Corinthians would instructed the way of the Lord.
Therefore, Paul instructed the Corinthian believers in this fashion:

1 Corinthians 11:2
“Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.”
Paul’s targeting was to deliver the ordinances of Jesus Christ to the Corinthians with the hope that they would keep them.  The ordinance that he was delivering in this instance, was the covering of the head by Christian women when praying or prophesying.  Let us dig through each verse to get the full understanding.

1 Corinthians 11:3
“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”
Paul is laying the foundation in verse 3.  He wants every mankind to honor their head.  Therefore, Paul explained the situations in verse 4 that would cause an individual to dishonor their head.

1 Corinthians 11:4
“Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonored his head.”
Paul addressed first to the men.  He wanted to explain to the Corinthians, the Christian way.  He explained that if a man prays or prophesy with his head covered (a hat or any form of head covering) he dishonored his head, which is Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:5
“But every woman that prayed or prophesied with her head uncovered dishonored her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.”
“But,” the Bible says, which means, “on the other hand,” when a woman prays with her head uncovered, she dishonors her head which is the man.  At this point Paul introduces his first comparison to stress the repulsiveness of not covering by stating, “For that is even all one as if she were shaven.”

How many bald headed women do we see walking around?  Having a bald head as a woman just does not look right, and that is why Paul used the “as if she were shaven” example.  We have to keep focus as well on the subject matter.  The subject matter is the ordinance of a woman covering her head when praying.  “Shaven” is not the issue, nor the subject.  It was used so that the Corinthians would have an example.  Paul uses another comparison a few verses down as a reasoning point to expose the unnatural nature of a woman not covering her head.  Notice that the admonition to cover was given while the Corinthians had hair, else Paul would not have suggested for them to be shaven.  We will follow up on that point later.

1 Corinthians 11:6
“For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.”
In this verse, the subject matter remains covering.  Paul is now explaining what “for that is even all one if she was shaven” means.  Why would Paul compare a woman not covering her head when she prays with being shaven (walking around with a bald head)?

The answer, it is a shame.  It is a shame basically to all women to walk around with a bald head.  A woman understands well, that her hair is her beauty.  Likewise, he is saying unto them, for which they understand well, it is also a shame to pray with your head uncovered.  Christ used the same approach when preaching to the multitude.  He would use something that the people understand so well, something that they could relate to, so that he could effectively drive home his point.  In addition, Paul says, “For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn.”  Which woman would jump to that alternative?  None.  It is easier to just put something on their heads.  So Paul created a situation where making the decision to cover relatively easy, considering the alternative.  The Bible says, “He that winneth a soul is wise.”  Proverbs 11:30.  Paul had good reasoning ability.

1 Corinthians 11:7
“For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.”
Remember, the Corinthians needed to be thought in the ways of the Lord.  They were not Israelites.  The ordinance of head covering was important for them to understand.  Why?  It is all about headship, honoring and giving glory to ones head.  So Paul confirms the fact that a man should not cover his head in verse 7, for he, the man, is the image and glory of God.  On the other hand, a woman should cover her head, for she is the glory of the man.

The Misunderstandings – Shaving and long hair as a covering

Matthew 13:34.
All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke he not unto them:
Christ always used parables when speaking to the people.  The Bible makes it clear that without a parable spake he not unto them.  Why?  Because spiritual things are spiritually discerned.  The entire multitude were not spiritual.   Therefore, he would use earthly examples that the people could relate to, thereby, explaining the way that he would have them to walk.

Paul used the same method.  Many analogies were used in Paul’s writing to communicate effectively his message.  Therefore, when he spoke of shaving and long hair as a covering, they were used to cement his point.  Let us look at those verses.

1 Corinthians 11:13
Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
Paul promotes choice and personal conviction.  As he often spoke words like, “let every man be convinced in his own mind,” likewise he is saying to the Corinthians, “Judge in yourselves.”  Then the question is asked, “is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?”  Paul selective choose the comely for its meaning conveys his message beautifully.  According to the dictionary, comely means, “Suitable or becoming; proper; agreeable, seemly, good behavior”  Paul is saying to the Corinthian women, that praying without covering their head is not becoming, it is not proper.

1 Corinthians 11:14-15
Verse 14: Do not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
Verse 15: But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
Paul wants the Corinthian women to view the act of not covering their heads when praying as against nature, and a shameful practice.  He plans to achieve that by comparing not covering, with a man having long hair.  Therefore, in verse 15, he is merely showing the Corinthians what looks good and what does not.  The subject remains covering, however, the comparison between the hair length of a man and a woman is use to convey the shamefulness of the act of not covering when praying.  When Paul says, “for her hair is given to her as a covering,” that is in direct relation to his comparison of a man having long hair.  “But” he says, if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her.  Then he says “For,” in other words, “Why is it her glory,” for it was given to her for a covering.  In other words, a woman is supposed to have long hair and not a man.  The long hair/covering issue was used as an example to express what is natural, and what’s not.  Thus explaining that not covering is unnatural.

Remember, in 1 Corinthians 11:5, the woman had hair on their head.  The women of Corinth had long hair.  Yet Paul was advocating a head piece, a covering.  We know they had hair, else he would not suggest for them to be shorn or shaven.  Shorn means, “To remove hair by cutting or clipping.”  They must have had hair to shave it or shorn it, right?  Therefore, contrary to the teachings of many, Paul was not saying that the hair of a woman is an accepted covering.

Christian women have been covering their heads a generation and more ago.  Were our fore fathers wrong?  Were the Christians of the 1960′s and 1970′s wrong?  Was it truth then?  Friends, God does not change and we should not change the principles of God in order to conform to this ever changing, corrupted world. It is written: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. Heb. 13: 8.” Wherever you are, wether you are female or male, remember you need a clear and complete understanding of the head covering issue, so that you would be able to make an educated wise decision whether to stand for the Lord our Creator if you believe in Him or for man if you believe in him.

My prayer to you today, I want you to understand that ”the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.“ (Proverbs 1: 7).

Appreciated & recognised as true belief by Authentic Ministry Opportunity [AMO] WORLD WIDE.

Tatien Nduwimana

Presiding AMO Minister.

Throughout the Gospel taught by Jesus Christ, I have been studying it and finding the reality of it.  The Scriptures of this Gospel in particular, have some rather important reflections upon “Authentic Ministry Opportunity.”  We know in the Gospel of the time when Jesus gathered his twelve Apostles (and Seventy disciples as well) together and sent them out on their first mission, and they were given instructions as they were sent out, two by two.  There were six groups of two for twelve Apostles and 35 groups of two for 70 disciples and they were sent out on different paths…to different locations…and they were to take nothing with them for their journey.  They were not to take any food; they were not to take any money; they were not to take any extra clothes.  All that they could take was a walking stick. 

Sending them out without any money…without provisions…caused them to have complete faith in God.  When you have nothing, you have to have complete faith in God, because there’s nothing else to rely on.  Just the act of sending them out in that way was a tremendous lesson for the Apostles to learn about being a disciple of Christ.  You don’t bring a lot of baggage with you that weighs you down, or that comforts you to such an extent that you have no need for God.  It’s when you have nothing, or very little, that you have a greater relationship with God because there are fewer distractions to take us away from that relationship that God wants to have with us…and He will not let us down.  And so, that was a lesson that the Apostles were learning very early in their discipleship…”Don’t worry about this or that.  The Lord will take care of it.”

Also, by sending them out two by two (remember that they probably didn’t know each other), they became dependent on each other.  They came to know each other in a closer way.  They became friends…they became brothers.  And so, it was an opportunity for these Apostles to begin to form relationships and to understand what it means to belong…to belong to a community.  It was a great experience for those Apostles to be sent out in that way, perhaps not even understanding the objectives that Jesus did.

The Apostles really had nothing to worry about as they went out into the unknown, carrying nothing, because my experience with people is, that people will help…people will give…people will share.  If they see that there’s a need, they will help fulfill that need.  And so, I think that the Apostles also learned something about the generosity of the people whom they were sent to serve.

When we take in account the qualities of a good shepherd, and we may discover that one of the qualities that a shepherd had to have is availability (24hrs a day/week) that a shepherd had to be completely committed to the sheep because, as we said, they weren’t the brightest of God’s creation.  It was the shepherd who had to find them food…it was the shepherd who protected them from danger…it was the shepherd who helped them in giving birth to their young…it was the shepherd who helped heal their wounds.  The sheep were totally dependent on the shepherd…and a good shepherd had to be in tune with his sheep.  He had to be willing to commit himself to the sheep.

And today, the author of the second Book of Kings (2Kgs 4:42-44), and the author of the Gospel of John (Jn 6:1-15) direct us to a ministry that is truly a calling of all baptized Christians.  Today, we want to extend about Authentic Ministry Opportunity (AMO) and that it demands from us to have funds.  You know, I don’t mind having funds, but the extra faith…?

I see where you come from as in your letter you addressed the funds news. You know and I know that God is not poor at all. All ministries are God’s. What I ask you brothers in Christ, is to increase your faith. God will provide our needs as long as we serve Him in the truth and Spirit. You can imagine how much money did Jesus have before starting His ministry? How much money was given to Paul in order to start and carry out the ministry? How much did John Baptist have in wilderness when he proclaimed to the people to prepare the way of God? Friends, if we are really called in this ministry [AMO] by God Himself, we should not then be worried at all. This is not a business at all! Rather, it is a sacrifice for announcing and warning the people of these days about the second coming of Jesus Christ.

AMAO is not a trade company or business for goods. Rather, it is a spiritual group of believers called and ordained in Jesus Christ’s name to fulfil the great commission of Jesus Christ.

AMO’s goal is to spread the word of God through evangelism by teaching believers and no believers how to apply the authoritative word to their lives so that they may be prepared in order to meet Jesus in the air for His second coming.

Tatien Nduwimana

Presiding Minister.