The Trojan Horse of Tithing

How Tithe Traditions Have Undermined a Pure Gospel Message

By: Jonathan Brenneman

Narrated by: Steve Bremner

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

The Trojan Horse Of Tithing is a plea to Christian leaders, written from a Charismatic/Pentecostal perspective. Jonathan Brenneman exposes the inherent problems with common tithe teachings, highlighting serious issues with even so-called “grace tithing.” He demonstrates how deception starts subtly and documents the growing acceptance in mainstream Christianity of even overt teachings of salvation by tithing. Millions of people today now believe they will never even enter heaven without their tithes. No matter how much we try to dress tithe teachings up as grace, they continue to be the root of serious problems.

The arguments contained here against the modern tithe tradition are thorough, compelling, and overwhelming. The gospel is worth giving not only our money but even our lives to promote. However, modern tithe traditions have no place in this because they are not based on truth and misrepresent the way God relates to people. Rather than helping to advance the gospel, they distort it. God is calling his church to get rid of the leaven and return to a powerful and pure gospel message!

The Trojan Horse of Tithing is one of the most comprehensive overviews of multiple arguments against tithing. It also makes a compelling case as to why tithing is incompatible with the gospel and deals thoroughly with less logical but emotionally powerful objections such as “but tithing works!” We include:

• What could have possibly convinced strong proponents of tithing such as Derek Prince to change their minds?
• Documentation and evidence of the extent of literal “salvation by tithing” doctrine in today’s churches, and demonstration that this is the logical implication of even many of the most common so-called “grace tithing” teachings.
• Dozens of serious logical problems with all of the common pro-tithing arguments.
• A historical study on Melchizedeck and the related terms “El Elyon,” “Zedek,” “Salem,” “Heaven,” and “Earth.”
• 11 commandments of God that churches regularly break for their tithe tradition.
• 9 serious problems with using Malachi as support for Christian tithing.
• The history of tithing.
• Contrast between the Babylonian tithe and the Jewish tithe. Which is our modern tithe tradition based on?
• How the modern tithe tradition violates the statutes and the basic principles of the Jewish tithe.
• What tithing and witchcraft have in common.
• How tithing undermines Spirit-led giving.
• How people are stepping into supernatural giving and supernatural provision without the tithe.
• The historical and cultural context of ministerial support in scripture.
• Why some of the world’s most successful church planters see tithing as a hindrance to church multiplication.
• How tithe teachings promote a poverty spirit.
• A prophetic dream for the church.

©2020 Jonathan Paul Brenneman (P)2024 Jonathan Paul Brenneman

This is essential teaching for all Christians

The author does an excellent job at totally demolishing the myth of the tithe having any role in New Testament Christianity. Not only does he explain, with sound Biblical exegesis, why the tithe went out with the Law of Moses, but he also sheds valuable light on the very real and negative consequences of incorporating this works-based doctrine into our understanding of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

At just over 10 hours, this is a lot of teaching, and, like me, you might be tempted to give up once you've been convinced of the truth of the author's message. However, I would encourage you to keep going as there are so many wonderful truths and revelations contained throughout the entire book. The narratation is well done and assists the reader in accompanying the message of the audiobook.

The author cites many contemporary and historic figures to strengthen his assertions, although I personally don't believe that the T B Joshua references and citations have weathered at all well. However, the strong Biblical basis to the book's message helps ensure its credibility, regardless of the quotations that have been used to support it.

I would strongly recommend this audiobook to all serious Christians who want to deepen their own understanding of the Gospel and are passionate about reaching those around them with the simple and glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Fresh air of freedom concerning the topic of Tithing

The Author openly discusses the elephant in the room of Tithing and makes an abundant number of eye opening and thought ptovking points that stirs the reader/listener to dig deeper into scriptures to understand the true Biblical emphasis on joyful giving. Many have approached pastors and leaders regarding the topic of tithing only to have the discussion stifled from the beginning, myself included but it really is an area where New Testament perspective on giving needs to enlighten a great many. I am giving heavy consideration to my past attitudes regarding giving and seeking to embrace giving joyfully because of the realities of all the Lord Jesus has done. it is not Jesus + Tithing that saves, the cross Jesus embraced did that.

Good book

The author writes from a Pentecostal/Charismatic perspective. He provides many examples of how preachers/teachers have turned the tithe message into a gospel of works salvation. Basically, if your preacher teaches tithing as essential, then he is teaching a works based salvation. The NT clearly teaches free will giving.

Solid Foundation; Very Repetitive

This was an interesting treatment of the concept of tithing and how this idea for the foundation of doctrine within the charismatic/pentecostal wing of the Christian churches. While it appears to me that most of the scriptural interpretations are supportable, the author is mostly targeting fellow pentecostals … a community that I am not personally a part of. As such, there is a tremendous amount of virtue signaling and argumentation along with anecdotal characterization of current doctrine that didn’t really do much for me (you might say these are distracting segues or “rabbit holes’). In addition, that are several references to people/figures that are apparently well known to this community for which I have not exposure … so that does not really add much to the debate for me either. However, references to scripture always seemed appropriate for the topic and his interpretation appeared to be reasonable given what I know of the context (again … I already subscribe to spirit-led giving over tithing, so I don’t need to be convinced here). Then we get to the author’s own experiences within his community and the harm done by the teaching of a tithing doctrine and without any means to refute those specific examples was truly dismayed by them … which I think was the point … but makes the whole come across a lot more angry that I was comfortable with … which again … given the inclusion of the concept of the Trojan Horse … is probably the point … but which meant that I simply tuned out portions of the audible that seems repetitive and targeted for emotional manipulation. Over all this was an average book, but it was well researched and important enough of a topic that I am adding 1 to my overall rating.

The chapters and sections in this work are:

Ch. 1: Let’s Get Ready To Take On an Intense Topic! (36:34)
Ch. 2: My Tithe Story (41:36)
Ch. 3: Who’s Teaching Salvation by Tithing? (43:59)
Ch. 4: Subtle Deception Paves the Way for Blatant Error (39:02)
Ch. 5: Is the Tithe “Law?” (16:52)
Ch. 6: Dealing with bullying and teasing (60:43)
Ch. 7: The History of Tithing (41:33)
Ch. 8: You Break God’s Commandments for the Sake of Your Tithing Tradition (45:38)
Ch. 9. “But Tithing Works!” (31:33)
Ch. 10. Tithing Undermines Spirit-Led Giving (66:31)
Ch. 11. Spirit-Led Giving (34:00)
Ch. 12. Corrupted Wisdom and Jesus’ Temptation (34:00)
Ch. 13. What About Ministerial Support? (27:20)
Ch. 14. Good News for the Poor (22:52)
Ch. 15. When Not To Accept an Offering (17:54)
Ch. 16. Mothers Are Pleading for Someone To Tell Their Children the Truth (15:38)

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Interesting listen

I was given this book for free,

This is an interesting listen and narration is fine as well.