Tithing is a controversial topic. It is definitely one of those issues that can ruin a dinner conversation. Some people believe in tithing and hold that it is the key to financial prosperity. Others say that it is only the key to the financial prosperity of the preacher who is promoting it. Are these the only perspectives on tithing?
Both views of tithing are promoted in the church today. One view is held by those are attached to the so-called “prosperity gospel.” Those who claim to see through the greed and corruption of the pastors who preach the prosperity gospel hold another view. These folks have usually abandoned the church and see it as nothing more than a moneymaking machine. What about those of us who have not abandoned the church but at the same time don’t see God as a cosmic Santa Claus or vending machine. What if there was a third way?
1. We are obligated to tithe
The first view that summarizes the prosperity preachers basically says that as believers we are obligated to tithe. The law says to tithe and therefore in order to be blessed by God, we tithe. They espouse that just like ancient Israel, those who are in the church will receive material blessings as we give our material wealth into the hands of the church.
The usual sermon text for this idea is Malachi 3:8-10 where it says:
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Here Malachi references the obligation the Israelites had under the Mosaic law to bring tithes, or a tenth of their produce and livestock, to the temple (Numbers 18:21–32, Deuteronomy 14:22–28).
The assumption that those who promote this view of tithing hold is that the church is the new Israel and that all the promises that were given to Israel still hold true for those of us who are under the new covenant.
And if they are challenged on this, they could also bring up the fact that even Abraham tithed. In Genesis 14:17-21 it says that after Abraham fought a battle to bring back his nephew Lot, he offered a tenth of the spoil to Melchizedek the priest of Salem. If Abraham paid tithes to Melchizidek before the Old Testament law was handed down to Israel then tithing is more than just a requirement of the written law.
They would also point to the fact that even Jesus told people to keep tithing (Matthew 23:23). So if it was good enough for Jesus then it should be good enough for us. I mean, the seal of the Son of God is enough, right?
So you have all of these Scriptures backing up tithing. How can someone say that you don’t have to tithe?
2. We are no longer obligated to tithe
Those who hold to the view that we are not obligated to tithe cite a scriptural concept that’s interwoven through the Bible. There is an old covenant that God made with the people of Israel and a new covenant that God has made with His people now that Jesus has died and been resurrected.
The logic is that since we are no longer under the old covenant God made with Israel, those old covenant stipulations no longer apply to us. They point to the fact that tithing is a part of the ceremonial and civil laws of Israel and those types of laws are no longer binding on believers under the new covenant.
Jesus mentioned tithing directly only once (Matthew 23:23) and in that instance the main point he was making was not to be like the Pharisees. In context, the passage isn’t about giving; it’s about hypocrisy. So Jesus was just talking to people who would have tithed given their cultural context and obligation to the law.
Another negative instance of Jesus mentioning tithing is in the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. Here Jesus makes the point that even though the Pharisee tithed that is not what made him righteous. His heart attitude was more important than the amount of money he gave. While this does not clearly denounce tithing it does show that Jesus cared more about people’s internal attitude than about whether they externally gave ten percent of their income.
Those who hold to the view that we are under grace say that we are just commanded to give and to give cheerfully (1 Corinthians 9:7). There is no obligation for a tenth of our income.
They claim that the people who do advocate for tithing are only trying to line their pockets so they can keep their money making machine, i.e. the church, going.
So which one is it? Are we supposed to tithe? Are we not supposed to tithe? Let’s take a look at a third way of tithing.
Thw word TITHE written in vintage lead letterpress type
3. We are privileged to tithe
Instead of looking at tithing as an obligation we keep or on the other hand as an obligation that no longer applies to us, what if we looked at tithing as a privilege? In fact, what if tithing is just the first step in our journey of giving?
When we look at tithing as an obligation, it may seem like a lot, but in fact when we consider what the greatest commandment is, a tithe is nothing. The law says a tenth. Jesus says our all (Matthew 22:36–37, Deuteronomy 6:5). In Matthew 22:36–37 Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, from a central passage in Jewish theology. In this verse, the Israelites are commanded to love the Lord with all their mind, soul, and strength. The word “strength” is the physical aspect of human functioning and by extension any resources or possessions gained from it. This would include our wealth.
From the point of view of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, being under grace makes tithing a privilege. It is a way of showing our total commitment. In fact it is only the beginning step in excelling in the grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7).
If we are commanded to offer our whole lives as living sacrifices, then that would include our wallets and bank accounts as well.
Tithing was required for those under the law. It was more like a tax. Tithing supported the priestly class and the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). It was mandatory. Now we are to give cheerfully as an acknowledgment of the debt we can never repay. Tithing is just a first step toward excelling in giving.
When it comes to giving to God, a tenth is nothing. Jesus left heaven and glory to give His life for us. He owns everything we have anyway. Tithing is just a sign of that.
The early church father Irenaeus in his book Against Heresies contrasts the system of tithing under the law with the generous disposition required in the New Covenant by saying: “And for this reason they (the Jews) had indeed the tithes of their goods consecrated to Him, but those who have received liberty set aside all their possessions for the Lord’s purposes, bestowing joyfully and freely not the less valuable portions of their property, since they have the hope of better things [hereafter]; as that poor widow acted who cast all her living into the treasury of God.”
I love how Rick Warren and his wife Kay have practiced a reverse tithe. To put it simply, they give away 90% of their income and live off 10%. This may be extreme, but it sure puts the baby step of giving a tenth of your income in perspective. If all we have is His, then a tenth is a good starting point on the road to giving more.
Thank you for this. There are problems with the common approach of equating the church to the temple. Does the Bible actually say or imply that the tithe belongs to your local church? A friend was denied the deaconate when he, a naval officer, joined a church because he wasn’t tithing to the church. As he moved from post to post he had established a pattern of giving over 10% to missions.
How would pastors minister if people their giving should reflect their relationship with God and was not a legal mandate. Perhaps pastors would focus on discipleship and being catalysts in their members’ faith. Maybe it would redirect some to kingdom building away from pastor empire building.
Christians are not under the Law. We should give liberally and cheerfully but without obligation. The church we attend should be helping us in our relationship with God with integrity. We should be able to eagerly support its ministry financially without a legal mandate.
Writing this has surfaced a question in my mind. If a person cannot give to a local church as an act of worship but only if they feel that God makes them, should they be part of that church?
We have Scripture that commands tithing to Levites, but not one single Scripture that states one is to tithe to a pastor, elder, or bishop of a New Testament Church.
We have Scripture that commands tithes of an agricultural content, but not one single Scripture that states one is to tithe his or her money to a New Testament Church.
When the Berean’s of the first century heard preaching, they did not automatically accept it. Nor did they immediately dismiss it as not being worthy to research. No, the Word of God teaches us that they “searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” As those professing Christ today, we should be willing to do no less.
The young Timothy was instructed by the Apostle Paul to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” As Christians today, we should endeavor to study the Word in the same manner as instructed by the Apostle Paul.
That said, I encourage all to grab their Bibles and follow along as I present some Biblical truths concerning the tithes that God commanded, who He commanded them from, and how tithing was to be observed.
Hebrews 7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
Here, men that die receive tithes. Who are the men that die that receive tithes? The sons of Levi…
Hebrews 7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
But there He receiveth them. Receives what? Tithes. What tithes? The tithes that the sons of Levi receive of their brethren.
And what tithes do the sons of Levi receive? The tithes according to the Law. What does the Law say concerning the tithes?
Leviticus 27:30-34 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.
1. They receive the tithes of the seed of the land. This is speaking of garden produce. Food for the sustenance of the workers of the Temple and for their sustenance at home as well.
2. They receive tithes of the fruit of the tree. This is speaking of that which grows on trees, such as pomegranates, dates and figs. Again, for the sustenance of the workers of the Temple and for their sustenance at home.
3. They receive tithes of the livestock in Israel. Animals born in the flocks and herds, were to be tithed from. Every tenth animal to pass under the counting rod.
4. They were to receive tithes of the children of Israel. God gave no command in His Word for peoples of Gentile nations to travel to Israel to tithe. Nor was there a command for peoples of Gentile nations to tithe once God gave the tithe to the Levites.
Numbers 18:24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Numbers 18:26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.
Numbers 18:28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD’S heave offering to Aaron the priest.
The tithes “according to the Law” were agricultural.” There is no other type of tithe commanded in the Word of God.
Every single command concerning tithes in the Bible reveals that the tithes were for those living in the land of Israel.The tithes “He receiveth” are the tithes “according to the Law”…agricultural tithes. He is not the one commanding or demanding the monetary tithe that men preach today. And yet, preachers will stand behind the sacred desk and tell their congregations that God requires tithes of them… monetary tithes. If God requires monetary tithes, such a command should be in His Holy Word. And yet, there is no such command therein.
Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Is tithing an eternal moral principle as some people claim? If so, then what is that principle? Under the dispensation of the Law, God stated that His tithe was of crops and livestock only. This means that not everyone was able to tithe. A tentmaker, who raised no cattle, nor cultivated a garden, would not have been required to tithe. One cannot tithe agricultural products if one does not have agricultural products to tithe. Nor could a fisherman tithe. His trade was not a land trade. Brickmasons, artificers of brass, tax collectors, etc., none were required to tithe.
The poor were exempt from tithing. Instead, according to Deuteronomy 14:28-29, they were fed by the tithe. Deuteronomy 14:22-29 reveal to the reader that the tither was supposed to eat his tithe with his family, his servants, and the Levites, widows, fatherless and strangers in Jerusalem. Eat, not spend. This is a truth that few preachers will have their congregations turn to, because it reveals that the tither was to partake of his tithe too. Do these preachers give back to their congregations the “tithe” that they receive? It is highly doubtful.
So ask yourself, where is the principle when not all were required to tithe? Where is the principle when there are only four passages in the New Testament concerning tithing (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; Luke 18:9-12; and Hebrews 7) and all those passages are referring to the tithe under the Law (an agricultural tithe) and a tithe before the Law that was voluntary? (tithes of the spoils of war; tithes of property that Abram would not even call his own)
One would think, that the Apostle Paul would have mentioned tithing in at least his pastoral epistles. And yet, he was completely silent on the matter when it came to instructing Titus and Timothy in matters of the Church and how it was to operate.
Hey Ronald,
Thanks for your input.
I would say that since we do not have an agricultural system our giving should come from our harvest i.e. money earned from labor in an industrial/knowledge economy. Also Paul was not completely silent about giving. Maybe not a tithe but the point of the article still stands: our giving should be our whole lives and we should be out giving folks from the old testament with giving from our heart.
Our giving should be from the heart,… I agree.
The Apostle Paul had a lot to say about giving.
For example:
It is not to be a dictated percentage, rather, we are to choose what we want to give ourselves. 2 Corinthians 9
Our giving should not be such that we leave ourselves burdened. 2 Corinthians 8
As recorded in Scripture, the tithe was always a food offering “so that there may be food (not silver or gold) in my house.” The money that churches collect now really is called a tax in the Bible, like the “census tax” from Moses in Exodus 30:11-16. But, the biggest argument against tithing is Acts 15:28,29, where the requirements of the Holy Spirit from the Law are listed without including tithing or circumcision. Tithing is a “greater burden” that the Holy Spirit omitted from Christianity. No one who promotes tithing is focused on God answering prayers by grace. In fact, read Gal 3:10-14. Those who tithe without keeping the rest of the Law are actually under a curse, whether or not you believe Gal 3:10.
I agree that the tithe is similar to a tax. I also would say that a tax is something for people who have to be forced to give. Under the New Covenant we freely give and not under compulsion. So our giving should outdo the giving in the Old Covenant. So for those who say we are not supposed to tithe or give a tenth I would challenge you to give even more than the tithe. The Israelites gave because of their obedience to the law. We ought to give because of our gratefulness for Jesus’ sacrifice and that should be more than 10% in my opinion. See the article above.
An argument I would present is, that neither tithes, nor taxation should be imposed upon the Body by the religious organization dba a Church.
I believe tithes and taxation would cause ones giving to be contrary to the giving sanctioned by the Apostle Paul when he said that giving was not to be under compulsion, (2 Corinthians 9:7) and that it should not be such that others are eased and the giver himself/herself burdened. (2 Corinthians 8:13)
Generous and cheerful giving should be the hearts of God’s children. However, it is wrong for anyone to guilt another into giving by claiming rhat they should be giving “more than the Israelites.”
Ronald,
I don’t believe that saying New Testament believers should be giving more than the Israelites is guilting others. It’s just saying that as a person who has experienced grace I would expect someone to want to give more than just ten percent. I’m not advocating for imposing this as a law. I’m saying suggesting this as a place to start. I
Check out what the early church father Irenaeus had to say about it: “And for this reason they (the Jews) had indeed the tithes of their goods consecrated to Him, but those who have received liberty set aside all their possessions for the Lord’s purposes, bestowing joyfully and freely not the less valuable portions of their property, since they have the hope of better things [hereafter]; as that poor widow acted who cast all her living into the treasury of God.”
All I’m saying is that under the new covenant ten percent is nothing when we have laid aside all our possessions for God and those who have tasted grace will be eager to give