This presentation provides a biblical basis for proper collection of tithes and offerings on the Sabbath day of worship. It demonstrates how the non-biblical custom of plate passing has crept into Seventh-day Adventist church services sometime after 1915. A call for reform is solicited.

1. Plate Passing and Collecting
Tithes on the Sabbath:
Is it Biblical?
A Response Using the Holy Bible
and
the Spirit of Prophecy

2. Text for Meditation
Contrary to Established Doctrines
“But we see that the God of heaven sometimes commissions men to
teach that which is regarded as contrary to the established doctrines.
Because those who were once the depositaries of truth became
unfaithful to their sacred trust, the Lord chose others who would receive
the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and would advocate truths
that were not in accordance with the ideas of the religious leaders.And
then these leaders, in the blindness of their minds, give full sway to what
is supposed to be righteous indignation against the ones who have set
aside cherished fables.They act like men who have lost their reason.They
do not consider the possibility that they themselves have not rightly
understood the word.They will not open their eyes to discern the fact
that they have misinterpreted and misapplied the Scriptures, and have
built up false theories, calling them fundamental doctrines of the faith.”
— Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 69.

3. How Were Tithes Gathered in
the Old Testament?

4. “But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in
the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as
one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests
that kept the door put therein all the money [that was]
brought into the house of the LORD. And it was [so], when
they saw that [there was] much money in the chest, that the
king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in
bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the
LORD.” — 2 Kings 12:9, 10

5. . . . continued.
“And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it
without at the gate of the house of the LORD.
And they made a
proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD
the collection [that] Moses the servant of God [laid] upon Israel in
the wilderness. And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and
brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto
the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that
[there was] much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's
officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to
his place again.Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in
abundance. ” — 2 Chronicles 24:8-11

6. How Did
Jesus and
the
Disciples
Deposit
Their
Tithes?

7. “Jesus was in the court where were the treasure chests, and He
watched those who came to deposit their gifts. Many of the rich
brought large sums, which they presented with great ostentation.
Jesus looked upon them sadly, but made no comment on their
liberal offerings. Presently His countenance lighted as He saw a
poor widow approach hesitatingly, as though fearful of being
observed.As the rich and haughty swept by, to deposit their
offerings, she shrank back as if hardly daring to venture farther.And
yet she longed to do something, little though it might be, for the
cause she loved. She looked at the gift in her hand. It was very small
in comparison with the gifts of those around her, yet it was her all.
Watching her opportunity, she hurriedly threw in her two mites,
and turned to hasten away. But in doing this she caught the eye of
Jesus, which was fastened earnestly upon her.” — Desire of
Ages, p. 614

8. Did Jesus Approve of Plate
Passing in the Temple?

9. “And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the
temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in
the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-
changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would
not suffer that any man should carry [any] vessel through
the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not
written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of
prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.” — Mark
11:15-17

10. When Did the Early Church
Return Their Tithes?

11. “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have
given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon
the first [day] of the week let every one of you lay by him in
store, as [God] hath prospered him, that there be no
gatherings when I come. ” — 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2

12. Is Paul’s Counsel
StillValid Today?

13. “The directions given by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle
Paul in regard to gifts present a principle that applies also to
tithing. "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you
lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." Parents
and children are here included.” — Adventist Home, p.
389

14. “And what more appropriate time could be chosen for
setting aside the tithe and presenting our offerings to God?
On the Sabbath we have thought upon His goodness.We
have beheld His work in creation as an evidence of His
power in redemption. Our hearts are filled with thankfulness
for His great love. And now, before the toil of a week
begins, we return to Him His own, and with it an offering to
testify our gratitude.Thus our practice will be a weekly
sermon, declaring that God is the possessor of all our
property, and that He has made us stewards to use it to His
glory. Every acknowledgment of our obligation to God will
strengthen the sense of obligation. Gratitude deepens as we
give it expression, and the joy it brings is life to soul and
body.” — Counsels on Stewardship, p. 80

15. Did the Pioneers of the S.D.A.
Church Follow Paul’s Counsel?

16. “SYSTEMATIC BENEVOLENCE--IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE
MESSAGE, MEN IMPELLED BY THE URGE OF CONVICTION WENT
FORTH TO PREACH THE NEW-FOUND TRUTHS.THEY WERE
DEPENDENT FOR THEIR SUPPORT UPON THEIR OWN LABORS OR
THE FREEWILL OFFERINGS OF THE BELIEVERS. SUCH AN
UNCERTAIN METHOD WAS MORE OR LESS SPASMODIC AND
FLUCTUATING. EARLY IN 1859 THE NEED FOR A MORE CERTAIN
PLAN WAS FELT,AND EARNEST STUDY WAS GIVEN TO THE MATTER.
THERE GREW OUT OF THIS STUDY THE PLAN CALLED SYSTEMATIC
BENEVOLENCE. IN HARMONY WITH 1 CORINTHIANS 16:2 GIVING
REGULARLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK WAS
RECOMMENDED,AND,AS SUGGESTED BY 2 CORINTHIANS 8:12-14,
AN EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.THE
PLAN CALLED FOR BRETHREN TO LAY BY IN STORE WEEKLY FROM
FIVE TO TWENTY-FIVE CENTS;THE SISTERS, FROM TWO TO TEN
CENTS;AND FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO GIVE WEEKLY FROM ONE
TO FIVE CENTS ON EACH HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF
ASSETS.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 12, par. 4
[APPENDIX]

17. “THE PLAN WAS GENERALLY RECEIVED WITH FAVOR,AND
HERE RECEIVED THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE SPIRIT OF
PROPHECY.THE GREATEST SIN IN THE CHURCH WAS
POINTED OUT TO BE COVETOUSNESS. (PAGE 194.)
SYSTEMATIC BENEVOLENCE WAS NOT PRESENTED AS A
PERFECTED PLAN, FOR IT WAS ALSO STATED THAT "GOD IS
LEADING HIS PEOPLE" IN THE MATTER,AND "IS BRINGING"
THEM UP. (PAGE 191.) AS PLANS FOR SUPPORT OF THE WORK
AND THE MINISTRY BROADENED,THE SPIRIT OF LIBERALITY
WAS ENCOURAGED MORE AND MORE UNTIL AT LENGTH
LIGHT FROM THE SCRIPTURES REVEALED THE SYSTEM OF
TITHES AND OFFERINGS AS THEY ARE KNOWN IN THE
CHURCH TODAY.” — Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p.
12, par. 5 [APPENDIX]

18. “After the plan of paying tithe was presented to the
believers, [Sister] Maud [Sisley] was usually one of the first
in line when the collector came by on Sunday mornings.” —
Adventist Review, March 3, 1994, p. 12 [brackets
added]

19. What Does Inspiration Say About
Money Raising on the Sabbath?

20. “A great mistake has been made by some who profess present
truth, by introducing merchandise in the course of a series of
meetings and by their traffic diverting minds from the object of the
meetings. If Christ were now upon earth, He would drive out these
peddlers and traffickers, whether they be ministers or people, with
a scourge of small cords, as when He entered the temple anciently
"and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and
overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them
that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be
called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."
These traffickers might have pleaded as an excuse that the articles
they held for sale were for sacrificial offerings. But their object was
to get gain, to obtain means, to accumulate.” — Testimonies for
the Church, Vol. 1, p. 471

21. “ Who can truthfully say: "Our gold is tried in the fire; our
garments are unspotted by the world"? I saw our Instructor
pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness.
Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath.
Then He said to me: "Can you not see how they have
pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of
character? 'How is the faithful city become an harlot!' My
Father's house is made a house of merchandise, a place
whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For
this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking."” —
Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 250

22. Conclusions
1. Since there are no Biblical examples or authorization to collect
funds during services in the Sanctuary, then, as the testimony of
history bears out, plate-passing must have originated outside of
the Bible and made its way into Catholicism, Protestantism, and
then into the Seventh-day Adventist church sometime after Ellen
White’s death in 1915.
2. As there is a call for revival and reformation from our church
leadership then this unbiblical pagan custom should be one of
the first things reform, lest we lose the favor of God.
3. As the practice of plate passing and money raising goals in the
church sanctuary on the Holy Sabbath day resulted in Christ
cleansing the temple, so to, in the end of time when judgment
for the living first begins with the church, will Christ cleanse His
church from the abominations practiced in her midst.

23. For more information
• Request copies of additional publications on timely
topics of present truth for your own study and
investigation.
• Speak with a Bible teacher familiar with the advanced
message of revival and reformation for the Seventh-day
Adventist church.
• To arrange for a formal Bible Study at your convenience.
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