Wednesday, September 2, 2026
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).
If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?
The Holy Spirit requires the bishop (overseer, leader) and the deacons (his assistants) of the local church to be men “not greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Timothy 3:3,8) and “not given to filthy lucre” (Titus 1:7); Peter stated how the elders of believing Israel in 1 Peter 5:2 were to serve “not for filthy lucre.” Read Titus 1:10,11: “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision [Jews]: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.”
“Lucre” (think, “lucrative”) is “gain” (money); “filthy” means “ill-gotten,” wealth obtained immorally or dishonestly (thievery). “Greedy of” and “given [inclined, disposed] to” intensify the action, rendering it synonymous with covetousness. Men in ministry are described and cautioned thusly in 1 Timothy 6:6-10: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (The “all evil” of verse 10 is the various false teachings in verses 3-5, views adopted to broaden one’s audience and thereby maximize profits! Recall Titus 1:10,11.)
To be blunt, denominations are money-making schemes. There is no better way to make a scam sound more convincing than if a Bible verse is cited, and passages about tithing are quoted continuously in religious settings. We do not doubt for even a millisecond that tithing is Scriptural. Howbeit, what matters is: Is tithing dispensational? To answer this question, we have to remove any denominational eyeglasses we might be wearing, for they distort our vision and cause us to see things not there. What is tithing? What is it not? As we stay silent, the Bible speaks and has preeminence….
333 Words of Grace 