A clear discussion with Dr. Bob Thiel and Steve Dupuie on what the Bible teaches about tithing, generosity, and supporting the gospel work today. This interview explains how the Continuing Church of God allocates tithes and offerings, highlights global mission efforts, and shows how biblical stewardship supports the Great Commission in these end times.
Audio Transcription
00:15 Greetings friends. This is Steve Dupuie for the Bible News Prophecy Program with Dr. Bob Thiel bringing you news and analysis of world events in the light of Bible prophecy.
00:26 Dr. Thiel, are real Christians still supposed to tithe in the church?
00:31 Yes. You know, Jesus said in Luke 12, verse 34, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. He's talking about giving money. And when he was talking to the Pharisees in Matthew 23, verse 23, he said to them, you pay tithe of mint, anise, cumin.
00:51 So you're paying attention to tithe even on minor things, he says. But you've neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith, things you ought to have done without the others undone.
01:02 So you still were supposed to tithe, and we're still supposed to tithe.
01:06 Now, the apostle Paul in Hebrews chapter seven, starting in verse nine wrote, Even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was in the loins of his father when Melchizedek, who was Jesus, met him.
01:24 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, what further need was there for another priest who should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and that be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
01:42 Is there still a Levitical priesthood to send tithes to?
01:47 No, but because it has changed the law, the tithes go to the church and not from Levitical priesthood anymore, so supporters should send their tithes to the Continuing Church of God.
01:56 And although he didn't always exercise that right, Paul did take wages, tithes from the churches, as he declared in Second Corinthians 11, verse eight. Now, the Apostle Paul also wrote that we should give generously. I'm going to read and paraphrase parts of Second Corinthians nine, starting in verse six. He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Let everyone give, as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God's able to make all grace abound toward you, having all sufficiency in all things.
02:34 Basically, he's saying, if you give, God will bless you. As is written, he says, He's dispersed abroad, he's given to the poor, his righteousness endures forever. And then he prays that God will give you everything if you give.
02:52 Well, he also wrote in Galatians six, starting in verse six, let him who was taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. He's talking about money. Verse seven, do not be deceived. God's not mocked. Wherever man sows, he also reaps. He who sows of his flesh. Will this flesh reap corruption? But he who sows the Spirit will the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good. For in due season we shall reap if we don't lose heart. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, especially those of the household of faith.
03:28 So when Paul says we should share in all good things with him who teaches, are you saying that includes tithing and money?
03:40 Yes, Christians are supposed to be generous with their finances. In Romans chapter 10, verse 14, he said, he wrote, How then shall they call on them who have not believed? How can they believe in him who have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they're sent? And they're sent with money. Okay.
04:05 So Jesus and the apostle Paul basically taught Christians are supposed to tithe, support the ministry, travel, and proclaim the gospel. Now, in Proverbs 3, starting in verse 27, we read something interesting. It says, Do not withhold good from those to whom it's good when it's in the power of your hand to do so. And don't tell your neighbor, 'Go and come back, and tomorrow I'll give it to you when you have it with you.' What does this mean, amongst other things, we're not to delay to give as we should.
04:36 By the way, the Continuing Church of God, we do accept tithes, offerings, and other financial donations.
04:41 But what does the Continuing Church of God do with any tithes and offerings it receives?
04:47 Well, regarding funds, consistent with what Jesus said, Jesus said in Matthew 25, starting in verse 35, I was hungry, you gave me food. I was thirsty, you gave me drink. Insomuch as you did this toward the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me.19-20, it said, Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptized in the name of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you, lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age.
05:17 And our spending is consistent with those words of Jesus. We ended last calendar year with additional congregations in South America and Africa. Which is consistent with the prophecies about the fullness of Gentiles coming in.
05:36 They had other members in other lands. We remain the fastest growing ex-WCG group in the 21st century. And we do have the fruits of a prophet, as Jesus talked about in Matthew 7:16-20.
05:50 As far as spending funds, the Continuing Church of God, we really do focus on others in reaching the world with the gospel of the kingdom of God. We've traveled to make disciples in many lands. You baptized in Canada. I did it in South America and in the Midwest, the United States.
06:08 And we've had and I also I went to Asia and ordained a minister there who said growth in Asia as well. We also took major steps preparing for the short work of Romans 9:28 as we work toward the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 by getting the gospel, the world's a witness.
06:28 Now, if you sent The Continuing Church of God, a check for $100 in 2025. Here's how it was spent. Number one, internet proclamation, $8.70. Number two, literature production, $14.73. Video and animation production, $7.07. Four and final phase of the work, $3.01. Broadcast radio, commercial radio, $9.97. US Feast of Tabernacles costs and travel, $3.72. Administrative and legal expenses, $0.03, so just $0.03. Salaries, health insurance, retirement plans for US leaders, $0.00. Reserves, $2.57. Youth programs, $2.34. Support, two or four Africa. Proclamation and preaching, about $26.27.Charitable, $21.59.
07:26 Yes, our income goes to support the physically and spiritually poor as we work to fulfill Matthew 24:14, Romans 11:25, the Ezekiel warning, and Matthew 28:19-20.
07:35 It's an awful lot of fruit for a hundred bucks. Can you get into a little more detail about those categories?
07:44 Yeah, number one, like internet proclamation, that includes paying for servers, malware protection, URL fees, websites, video platforms, and our Google and Microsoft campaigns. Our Google campaign made 24 million impressions on personal computers, tablets, laptops, and smartphones last year. It's been over half a billion now in total.
08:07 Our Microsoft campaign targets Sabbath Keepers, and it had 589,710 computer impressions last year. As far as literature, that includes production costs, printing, some translation costs, although more of them we're doing ourselves now. It also includes formatting these in forms that can be used on the internet to allow them to be printed in the United States and over in Africa.
08:35 The good news is supposed to be published. That’s the word used in Mark 3:10 in the Old King James. And we're doing that in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres.
08:45 Video. Video and animation covers the cost to produce our Bible News Prophecy videos, our animations, our Behind the Works video, and something that we're doing new now. YouTube shorts, which are reaching many thousands of people, creation of DVDs that we send to international areas during the Feast of Tabernacles.
09:07 For final phases of work. This is professional fees, project support, government fees and travel for non-USA matters. This involves making contacts and working with various government agencies, NGOs, private organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
09:25 We're able to make contacts and solidify various ones in these areas, which will provide support for the final phase of the work.
09:32 Radio expenses. We’re paying for commercial radio. Okay, we're on 20 stations. Two are shortwave. One of the shortwaves out of Europe, which hits the Middle East and Europe. We also run AM in Europe. We have shortwave in the United States, which also covers parts of Asia. And we're on a bunch of commercial radio stations in the United States, as well as around one in Kenya and in Ghana as well. So that's what those costs are for.
10:04 USD's and Tabernacles costs are costs associated getting there, paying for the hall rental and some assistance to some members. Administrative expenses. trivial, some office supplies, and it was like nothing. Anyway, we don't pay salaries for our U.S. leaders, so you and I don't get anything like that.
10:25 We freely donate our time … Although Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:11, he had the right to be paid. Certain times, he said, like the next verse, he didn't use that right in lest he hinder the gospel. That's why you and I don't take a salary from the church.
10:46 It doesn't mean we've never considered paying a minister in North America, but we never have had to do it.
10:53 Youth programs. Mostly for youth camps in Africa and sometimes some other things. This is needed for a lot of reasons, including hunger support, as well as some end time things, such as you see warnings in Malachi 4:6.
11:09 Now, support for Africa. That includes paying for ministerial expenses to reach, teach, travel to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, printing some literature, certain translation expenses, distributing literature, meeting space assessments, supporting the poor, including widows and orphans.
11:27 In meeting space, sometimes we'll provide the Africans cement and iron sheets, and they'll build meeting poles on their own property and use their own labor.
11:40 Some people think trying to support poor Africans is terrible because they'll always be poor, but Paul wrote that we're not supposed to grow weary while doing good. For due season, we'll grief if we don't lose heart, and if we have the opportunity to do good for all, especially those of household of faith, and we're doing that.
11:57 The majority of our members reside in Africa, and many fruits are being produced there. The Bible is clear that the fullness or the full number of Gentiles has to come in before Jesus returns. 25, and our spending reflects the seriousness of this.
12:15 It appears that never before in Church of God history, by the way, if so few people helped with so many, with so little for so long, they have the impact that continuing Church of God is having.
12:28 And we also have a multimedia page that you can go to. You can find that at CCOG.org, explain more details how we're reaching people.
12:35 We strongly believe that whatever you send to the Continuing Church of God is well spent to support the Philadelphian remnant as we work on Matthew 24:14, Matthew 28:19-20, but we strive to be ready for the short work of Romans 9:28 and do our part in the final phase of the work, consistent with Daniel 11:32, Luke 21:12-17.
13:01 And we also have an article called Why is there a Philadelphia Remnant Church of God that some might want to read?
13:08 If I wanted to give to the Continuing Church of God, how would I go about it?
13:14 Well, you can mail it in the form of a check, cash, or money order. Our mailing address is Continuing Church of God, P.O. Box 109, Grover Beach, California, 93483, that's Continuing Church of God, P.O. Box 109, Grover Beach, California, 93483.
13:33 Now, many in the United States, particularly overseas, they send funds to us using the Continuing Church of God PayPal account. And that goes to the continuingcog@gmail.com PayPal account. And so that's a common way we get funds.
13:49 Now, here are the words of Jesus, Luke 10, verse two. The harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
14:03 So please pray for more laborers to harvest as we push forward to do God's work in these end times. Thank you for your support.
14:14 Thank you, Dr. Thiel. For more interviews with Dr. Thiel, in addition to written as well as audio articles, visit our website at biblenewsprophecy.net. This is Steve Dupuie for the Bible News Prophecy Program.
14:27 This Bible News Prophecy Program was sponsored by the Continuing Church of God. For more information, including access to our free literature, visit BibleNewsProphecy.net or www.ccog.org.
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