As long as I have been a Christian, I can remember people arguing and debating about tithing (just read the hundreds of comments below to see what I mean).
Some say Tithing was only an Old Testament Law that doesn’t need to be followed as believers under the New Covenant.
And some say that tithing is just as relevant to New Testament Christians as it was in the Old Covenant.
Tithing in the Bible
My goal with this page is to shine a light on what the Bible says about tithing (in both the New and Old testament) and answer many questions you may have about it.
I tapped into the wisdom of others who have studied tithing in the Bible to great depths and hopefully we can better see what we as New Testament Christians need to know about tithing.
Additionally, since this page is nearly the length of a Kindle book, I decided to create an index to help you navigate through.
What is tithing?
Let’s start by looking at a few tithing definitions:
Wikipedia defines the tithe:
“A tithe (/taɪð/; from Old English: teogoþa “tenth”) is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products.”
Google defines tithing like this:
And Webster’s Dictionary defines tithe like this:
“a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment”
What the Bible says about tithing
Does the Bible actually say to give 10 percent?
If you search for the word tithing in the Bible (and tithe), you will find about 14 scriptures mentioning it (depending on which version you are using).
For the sake of brevity, I won’t list them all here, but these are a few of the most popular Bible verses about tithing:
The first mention of tithing in the Bible
If you are wondering where this idea of tithing came from, this is our first example of it:
“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
Genesis 14:18-20 NIV
The most popular Tithing scripture
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”
Malachi 3:10 NASB
The New Testament scripture on tithing
So, what does the new testament say about tithing? Not a lot, but Jesus said this in Luke…
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.”
Luke 11:42 NASB
It is pretty clear from all the Bible verses on money and tithing (let alone the three above), that tithing is a Biblical idea. Now, what it means for us today is a hotly debated topic that we will explore in a bit.
The 3 types of tithing and the 2 you shouldn’t do:
Tithing Isn’t A Means Of Salvation
This is incredibly important to understand. Our salvation is based on Jesus’ finished work on the cross, not on works.
You can’t earn your way to Heaven by giving, and you won’t be excluded from Heaven by your lack of tithing.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
Out of our Faith, our good works manifest. So, in my opinion, if someone truly understands how great of a gift they have been given, they will expend a lot of energy giving back.
Tithing Verses In The New Testament
There are plenty of verses about tithing in the Old Testament and a lot fewer in the New Testament. So it is true that tithing isn’t talked about nearly as much in the New Testament as the Old Testament.
Personally, I don’t believe that in any way nullifies the value of it as a practice.
Under the New Covenant, our salvation is not based upon our obedience to the 10 Commandments, but does that mean that we shouldn’t still follow them? Are they suddenly of no value? I think the same can be said of tithing.
While you can debate all day long about whether or not it is a command for New Testament believers, I don’t see any reason why it would not still provide a blessing just like it did in the Old Covenant.
History of tithing in the new testament church
Do The New Testament Tithing Scriptures Command It?
Is tithing a new testament principle? In the next section, you can see what Jesus says about tithing, and He clearly does NOT command us to tithe. But, that in no way means that we shouldn’t do it!
As Rev. Bill Miller puts it in his Biblical Financial Newsletter:
“Many believers who don’t want to tithe say that there are no scriptures in the New Testament that tell us we (must) tithe. And I say there weren’t any scriptures for Abram and Jacob either. Why would there be scriptures to repeat for us to do something that God has ALREADY said can be done of one’s FREE WILL in exchange for a blessing?
For those who don’t tithe, what are you doing that is scripturally superior to honor God sufficiently enough to warrant His favor and blessing in return?”
What Did Jesus Say About Tithing?
Blogger FMF brings up a great point about New Testament tithing (Jesus words himself)…
Jesus Endorsed The Tithe
In Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 Jesus referred to tithing as something that should not be neglected…
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
So if you have been wondering what Jesus said about tithing or if “tithe” is in the New Testament, you have it right there in Luke 11:42.
Tithing BEFORE the Old Covenant
The concept of tithing was actually around before the old covenant was established.
“The first person to make a TITHE, which means a tenth (ten percent) of one’s INCREASE, was Abram (Genesis 14:20) … Notice please: Abram’s TITHE was not under the LAW which came more than six hundred years later. It wasn’t requested by anybody. It wasn’t suggested by anybody. It wasn’t coerced by anybody. It was purely a VOLUNTARY act of gratitude to HONOR “the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth.” Abram simply appreciated God’s FAVOR and gave up something of value in order to HONOR the One who had helped him get the victory.”
– Rev. Bill Miller (source)
Is tithing required for Christians today?
Like mentioned above, tithing is NOT a requirement for salvation, God’s love for you, or even God being pleased with you.
There are many leaders who I greatly respect who would answer this question differently, but I really like how Rev. Bill Miller (source) answers it:
“There is only one time in your Bible where tithing was a REQUIREMENT and that was during the fifteen hundred years before Jesus came while Israel was under the LAW.
Before that, there was a bigger picture of HONORING God with one’s substance. An honoring occurs when something that is of value to the one doing the giving is freely or voluntarily giving to someone as a sacrificial gesture of thanksgiving or appreciation. Is God worthy to be highly esteemed for what He has done and what He still does in our lives that we would specially HONOR Him for it? If it was that way before the LAW, how much more should He be esteemed under the New Covenant where we have been given a BETTER Covenant with all things in Christ (Hebrews 8:6)?
Even during the LAW where a specific form of tithing was REQUIRED, it was only for some of the people. There was never a universal tenth that was REQUIRED from everybody. In addition, even during that time after the tithe was instituted at the beginning of the Israelites’ second year in the wilderness, God PREFERRED freewill offerings. Study all this out for yourself starting in Exodus 35:5.
Friend, giving to God is about HONORING Him for the great things He has done in our lives. It ALWAYS has been that way even under the LAW. We are not REQUIRED to tithe under the New Covenant. But where is the scripture that says we can stop honoring God under the New Covenant?”
Quick Sidenote: If this post encourages you to give less, then you’re reading it wrong. Rather, regardless of whether or not tithing is REQUIRED, the goal of this post is to help us all shift our motivation from legalism to one of voluntary, sacrificial, and cheerful generosity as Paul lays out in 2 Corinthians 9.
Billy Graham on Tithing
It comes as no surprise to me that Billy Graham has a succinct, yet powerful quote about tithing in his life that I believe to be 100% true as well:
“We have found in our own home…that God’s blessing upon the nine-tenths, when we tithe, helps it to go farther than ten-tenths without His blessing.” –Rev. Billy Graham
He Said We Could Test Him
Do we have any better invitation than to actually test it out and see if it really works? Most of us who do tithe were non-tithers at one point and had to step out in faith and overcome our fears to try it.
What does God promise about tithing?
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
Malachi 3:10 NIV
It really is like all the other areas of our walk with God – it requires FAITH.
My experience (and in that of countless of our readers) it is an essential part of living the Christian life to the fullest.
Every tither that I can recall talking to has had times where it required lots of FAITH to tithe. And when we are stepping out in faith, that is when we get to see God do the miraculous.
And that my friend is what makes the Christian life so fun. Being a part of the amazing adventure that God leads us on if we obey His voice is one of my favorite things about being a Christian.
No, it doesn’t make sense that when we give all this money away, things will actually be better – but I have found it to be true in my own life and from the countless other tithing testimonies I have heard, clearly, others have as well.
“I Never Would Have Been Able To Tithe The First Million Dollars I Ever Made If I Had Not Tithed My First Salary, Which Was $1.50 Per Week.”
“I don’t tithe because the preacher is just trying to get my money”
Years ago I worked at a bank as a teller, and I witnessed a local pastor do some things with tithe checks that didn’t quite sit right with me. There was nothing illegal going on (that I knew of any way) and there was no proof that he wasn’t using the money as he should.
But it definitely didn’t look good.
As a young Christian trying to wrap my brain around all this, it was definitely a struggle.
But as I wrestled with that, God showed me that when I give to my church, I am giving to God. Not to man.
So it doesn’t matter if he is stealing from the Church. It doesn’t matter if he is using the funds wisely.
That is between him and God, but my job is to give and give in faith to God.
It is similar to how we are called to work heartily unto the Lord (Col 3:23) regardless of how terrible a boss we have because God is our promoter (Ps 75:6-7) who gets us where we need to be.
God sees our hard work, and he honors that and promotes us at the right time. I believe it is no different with giving to the church. Our job is to give in faith and trust God to take care of the rest.
Are you cursed for NOT tithing?
Here is the verse from which this question arises:
Malachi 3:8-9: “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you.”
As Christians, we have to understand that the Old Testament verses like these have to be viewed in light of Jesus’ work on the cross.
In this case, Galatians 3:13 clearly states that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”
“Christian believers have been specifically REDEEMED from the Curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)…If we have been redeemed from the curse of the law, then there is no way we can be cursed for not tithing…So under an entirely New Covenant, it seems to me unscriptural to be telling people that if they don’t tithe, they’re going to fall under a curse because the Curse of the Law no longer applies to believers…”
(source)
Can You Be Blessed Without Tithing?
The short answer is yes.
Just do a quick search for the word “blessed” over at Blue Letter Bible and see for yourself all the opportunities we have to be blessed by God.
But, just like any other opportunity that we have to be blessed, tithing is no different.
It is just a promise that we have available to us in Malachi 3:10 that God will bless those who tithe.
The bottom line is that there is undoubtedly a blessing that comes to givers.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
–Luke 6:38 (NIV)
God Loves A Cheerful Giver
The fact is that HOW we give is of utmost importance. As with everything, man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
If we are giving to impress people, we are wasting our time.
If we are giving because we are being pressured or coerced to give, we are missing it.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) makes this as clear as day:
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
What if you aren’t cheerful about your giving?
Over the years of my giving journey, I have had plenty of moments where I was giving in faith. Moments where I could tell God was asking me to give beyond my comfort level.
Many of these times I wasn’t smiling and jumping up and down in excitement, because it was a huge step of faith and I was battling fear.
If we look at 2 Cor 9:7 again it specifically says that we should NOT give out of compulsion, but it doesn’t say that if we aren’t cheerful about it, we shouldn’t give. It just says that God loves it when we are.
And as I have given in faith over and over through the years, I have found myself becoming more cheerful in those tough moments of obedience.
Each time you step out in faith and see God come through, it just makes it that much easier to get excited (and cheerful) about what God is going to do.
Quick example:
Last year God called me to take a 1-year Sabbatical. And initially, I fought a lot of feelings of fear of how I was going to provide for my family if I didn’t work at all. But as I recounted all the times that God had called me to takes bold steps of faith – and how every single time He had come through – I began to get excited about it.
For me, every major blessing in my life was preceded by a step of faith. And it seems that the bigger the step of faith, the bigger the blessing on the other side.
And as I began to let that dominate my thoughts, instead of the fear I began to get really excited about what God was going to do. I would even say that I was “cheerful” about taking that step of faith.
Bottom line, if you give in faith, and meditate on what the Bible says about giving you will begin to see it more from God’s perspective, and I am convinced that as we do, we become cheerful givers.
Tithing the first fruits
I first got ahold of the power of tithing from our first fruits from Chapter 2 of Robert Morris’ “The Blessed Life.”
A discussion about the first fruits could be a whole book by itself, but suffice it to say: to me, it is clear scripturally that God wants us to give from the first of our income.
Not giving from what is leftover, but rather a deliberate and intentional giving of the first of our income that comes in.
Robert Morris puts it like this:
“It always requires faith to give the first. That’s why so few Christians experience the blessings of tithing. It means giving to God before you see if you are going to have enough. By tithing, it is as if we are saying to God, ‘I recognize You first. I am putting You first in my life, and I trust You to take care of the rest of the things in my life.’ That is why tithing is so important. It is the primary way we acknowledge that God is first.”
Here are a few scriptures for you to dive into for more on this:
- Exodus 13
- Deut 18:4
- Romans 11:16
- Exodus 23:19
Tithing is a heart test
Earlier on this page, we see how tithing is the one area where God says that we can test Him.
But, tithing is really a test for us. If you do a Bible study on the number 10, you will see a pattern with it: it often represents a form of testing.
Robert Morris says it like this:
“How many times did God test Pharaoh’s heart? The answer is 10. How many commandments are there? … How many times did God test Israel while they were wandering in the wilderness? And how many times did God test Jacob’s heart (by allowing his wages to be changed) when he was working for Laban? Or how many days was Daniel tested in (Daniel 1)? In each case, the answer is, of course, 10…
In Matthew 25, 10 virgins had their preparedness tested. Ten days of testing are mentioned in Rev 2:10… the number 10 is associated with testing throughout the Bible. And the tithe represents the ultimate ‘heart test’ for the believer.”
Tithing vs. Giving
I once heard someone say, “Tithing isn’t giving, it is simply returning to God what is His”. While I think you could find a Biblical argument to support this, I think for most of us giving (or returning) 10% of our income is a big step of faith and it certainly (at least) FEELS like giving.
So many of us are living paycheck-to-paycheck and squeezing out just 1% of our income feels like a stretch, that I don’t personally don’t want insult someone who steps out in faith to tithe by essentially saying, “that’s nice, but you really haven’t done anything yet.”
Additionally, you could argue that not only is the 10% rightfully God’s but actually, 100% if you use the Parable of the Talents as a guide.
So, for me, the bottom line is that I think the best thing we can do as Christians is to view ourselves as stewards and always be GROWING in our giving and never being complacent regardless of what percentage we are giving.
What to do when Tithing doesn’t seem to be “working”
For as many tithing testimonies as I have gotten from readers over the years, I get a fair share of readers who say that “tithing didn’t work” for them.
I decided to write a whole article on this topic, which you can read here.
It Is So Much Bigger Than Us
The Much Bigger Issue Here Is That God’s Kingdom Needs To Be Advanced!
Who does He use to do that? Us, the believers! If we aren’t funding and financing Kingdom activities, then who will? How are the lost going to be reached if we don’t send those to preach? (Romans 10:15)
We shouldn’t be getting all caught up in percentages and what we “have to do” according to the Bible – what we (as God’s people) need to do is to forget about our ambitions, goals, and motives and pick up God’s plan. We have been saved from eternal separation from God by grace! With all that we have been given, how can we do anything else but give all we have?
What if we could get our minds off of our earthly bank accounts and focus instead on sowing things that will have eternal value.
“I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.”
Not sure if you know, but eternity is a LONG TIME! 😉
We can either be doing things with our time and money that may benefit us for a few years down here, or we can see ourselves as the eternal beings that we are, get our priorities lined up with God’s, and start giving in a way that will actually last for eternity!
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
–Matthew 6:20 (NIV)
When we give tithes and offerings into our churches and into ministries that are reaching the world, we get to be included in their eternal reward. We are the BODY of Christ, we all have a part to play.
“…from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
–Ephesians 4:16
The amazing thing is that as we start getting our focus off of ourselves and on meeting the needs of others, we will have our needs taken care of.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
It is just the way God set it up. He is so good, isn’t He?
How to go way beyond tithing with your giving
This book is teaches everything I did to go from stranded with only $7 to paying off $400k of debt and giving 40% of my income. Hint: it was God.
It lays out the 4-part formula we followed (that you can copy) to be great stewards with what He has entrusted us with to be in a position for Him to do miracles.
It’ll help you earn more, save more, and have more fun giving than you dreamed possible.
Some practical FAQs about Tithing
Is tithing tax deductible?
In theory, tithing is tax-deductible. But whether or not you can do it depends on your tax situation. Tithing comes under the tax deduction category of charitable contributions. That makes it tax-deductible.
But there’s a glitch. It’s only deductible if the amount of your tithe, plus other tax-deductible expenses, exceeds the standard deduction. For 2018, that deduction is $12,000 for single taxpayers, $18,000 for heads of household, and $24,000 if you’re married filing jointly.
The 2018 standard deductions are a lot higher than what they were for previous years. But there’s also a bit of sleight-of-hand. The new standard deductions have been dramatically increased due to the elimination of the personal exemption. The 2018 standard deduction is higher than the combination of the previous standard deduction, plus one or two personal exemptions, that apply for 2017.
But at the same time, the new standard deduction limits are so high that far fewer people will be able to itemize.
For more on the specifics of this check out is tithing tax deductible?
Should you tithe on your tax refund?
Technically, if you are tithing on your gross income rather than net income, then you would have already tithed on that income, and it is simply money coming back to you.
But I truly believe that we can’t go wrong giving more. We cannot outgive God.
As LG Tourneau says “I shovel it out, and God shovels it back, but God has a bigger shovel.”
But for more discussion on this, check out this post: do you tithe on your tax refund?
Should you tithe while paying off debt?
I also talk a lot more about my thoughts on if you should tithe while paying off debt in the video below:
Need a Tithing Calculator?
God in his infinite wisdom made the math so simple that we don’t really need a calculator to calculate our tithe amount.
My wife says I am good at math, so this is pretty simple to me, but I can sympathize with those who HATE math as much as she does. 😉
Your own tithing calculator right there in your brain!
To calculate the tithe amount, all you need to do is just move the decimal place 1 to the left.
For example: if you earned $1,234.56 you would just move that decimal one place over, and you would get a tithing amount of $123.45.
See how simple that is? I’m sure, even the worst among us at math can do that – right?
Can you give tithes online?
Many churches are making online, mobile, and text giving available, and according to the statistics, all these options are actually increasing giving amounts.
According to one study, “Churches that accept tithing online increase overall donations by 32%.”
If your church doesn’t offer this option, you might want to point them to a few tools that will help them make it possible. Here are a few:
Should you automate tithing?
Using some of the tools listed in the section above, you can make tithing automatic by automating it. While I am thrilled that technology is making it easier for us all to give, I personally like making a bit more of an “event” and use it as an opportunity to give in faith.
So even though we don’t use checks anymore to tithe, we use the app on our phone and Linda and I do it together and pray over our giving each time we do.
It is just a simple way that we can still stay (somewhat) connected to our giving.
That said, for some people creating a set-it-and-forget-it approach to giving is the easiest way for them to stay consistent with it.
So if that is what you need to do, by all means, go for it. I would just encourage you to regularly remind yourself of what is happening automatically and pray over your giving.
Final thoughts
If you have read this far, it should be clear as day to you that I am an advocate of tithing.
For years I always thought the preacher was trying to get my money when he talked about tithing, but if you are a skeptic (like I was) then let me remind you that I have nothing to gain by encouraging you to tithe.
The ONLY reason I would be banging the drum about this so much is that I legitimately care for you and absolutely want God’s best for you!
You see, as a fellow believer, we are brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are on the same team. And God has put a fire in my heart to see His children get ahold of what the Bible says about money.
The fact of the matter is that my life has been changed so dramatically by tithing and giving in faith that I can’t help but encourage others to do the same.
We have some radical financial testimonies as a result, but It goes so far beyond money.
God has done a work in my heart. Submitting to Him and yielding and trusting Him in this area has brought me so much closer to Him and I have gotten to be part of some miraculous adventures.
Like a child jumping into his father’s arms who knows without a shadow of a doubt that he will catch him, I pray that we would learn to trust God in the area of tithing as well as all areas of life!
I would love to hear your comments – so please share them below. Differing viewpoints are absolutely okay, just please be civil. Deal?
Good Post!
Yes, there are more verses that mention the tithe in the old testament but so what? We should read the Bible as one unit.
Furthermore, it should be pointed out that the tithe was never described as redemptive. Its stated purpose (See Malachi 3:10 and others) was for the support of God’s house (i.e. local church). This need did not end with Jesus’ sacrifice. If anything, this need grew exponentially.
Make no mistake, the tithe is 10%. The word tithe literally means a 10th. This is the beginning of giving but not the end-all. There were other types of offerings that apply (i.e. so-called “alms” giving to the poor, support of missionaries, etc.). If you’re attending a local church — and you should! — you should give a tithe to that church otherwise, frankly, you’re a freeloader.
Most important, God gave us His very best — Jesus — to us so that we can have redemption, adoption, and fellowship. Isn’t it a small thing to give him 10% (at least) when, in fact, he owns it all anyway?
It’s somewhat disturbing that anyone would say “…so what…” about something outlined and defined in the OT scriptures, and loosely apply it to modern, dead buildings.
How many times do you see Abraham ever meeting up with Melchizedek after that one time? Where was Abraham’s own personal property when he met up with Melchizedek.
There are many, many aspects to this discussion that you’ve cast aside with total indifference for any necessity for taking personal responsibility for what you believe. Your response seems to be a cookie-cut copy of historic and modern institutionalism, not something derived from any in-depth study of the scriptures.
I’ve debated many an institutional “pastor” about this topic, and brought them to silence because they have no answers for all the false representations they’ve made for years from the scriptures. Such falsehoods simply don’t stand in the light of reality and TRUTH….things for which FAR too many people have no love.
Well, what does the Bible say? Where do you stand and what are your supporting verses?
I’m concerned that my 24 year old daughter is giving too much. She is a single mom to two boys, and works full time. She dedicates all day Sunday’s at church and late one night a week. The boys go to day care, which is quite a bit of money, she lives with me and pays $500 for rent. I care for the boys at no cost when daycare is closed.
I work full time and have had to take the day off when she comes home late.
My problem is she tithes $200 a week. Many times, I pick up diapers and formula because she hasn’t gotten them. The babies can’t be without. I don’t understand how she puts god first before her children.
I loved reading this. But I personally feel that giving too and helping the less fortunate is what God wants me to do and it is always above and beyond a tenth of my resources and income. I truly believe that is my purpose. For years when I didn’t tithe to the church I use to attend I felt guilty because the pastor would always say you are stealing from God. So I stopped going to church and kept doing what I am doing. And God is still blessing me. I have no problem with what others believe or don’t believe. However I do have a problem when they question what I believe. I am not going to argue about my beliefs, I am just going to walk away and pray. Yes churches help communities but they do not reach everyone and every church does not have the same policies. I just love Jesus and I love my Father in Heaven above all else. I love people and I never want to see anyone hungry or hurt. So I will continue what I do till I can find a church that is not bias about tithing. I don’t mind giving, but if I see people hungry in the streets I am going to give to them first because that is who I feel Good wants me to help. And I am truly blessed. Thank you for your eloquent words, I truly appreciate them. I love reading different opinions.
Great comprehensive piece on what God expects. It was balanced an surely a blessing to me. Money is a very touchy topic in and out of church and many times i have questioned even my own views on this topic. I learnt of tithing when i just became a christian at age 15. Back then i had no income. As soon as i got my first job at age 19, Tithing became a practice and i was proud. I would testify every opportunity i got.
I remember even testifying once how i boldly asked my land lady to allow me to pay her later. I did not give her a reason, but i was never late with my rent before or after that time so i don’t think she was too concerned . This was because i was determined to tithe. I also recall that that as life got more complicated it became mo difficult to tithe because i then realized the link between tithing and faith. I remember cases when i didn’t have enough faith to pay my tithe and i felt guilty. I was even even keeping a track of my tithing. At the end of the year i would feel bad because i tithed 10 out of 12 months but when i looked at the total i felt better.
As i grey more mature and studied the word It was clear to that tithing is about my relationship with God. I should not be concerned about the thoughts and actions of others. I have been blessed by God in ways that surprise me even now. and i know its not because of my stewardship but because of His love for me.
I believe in being a good steward of all thing that God has given me, and that is much bigger that tithing.
I believe that 1/10th and the 9/10th must all glorify God.
I was blessed by the article. Thanks for sharing.
I am interested to read about that 1 year sabbatical you mentioned.
To God be the glory!
M.
There is a church close to me that the pastor preaches strictly on grace and teaches that tithing is not new testament that that is why so many Christians walk around broke all the time and i have a friend that joined the church a few weeks ago and said she now believes his teaching but used to tithe i believe
You missed the most important thing about tithing. Exactly what IS a tithe. You glossed right over it when you gave the scripture about Jesus rebuking the pharisees. Old testimony was different than new testament. Under grace our tithing is of one self. Our talents and abilities. Bring into the store house. Hello…lay up your treasures in heaven. Not here on earth. You have robbed me in both tithes and offerings. He is speaking of our worship. Our 1 on 1 time with him in prayer. Worship is our tithe and giving of ourselves is the offering. People listen to professors, preachers, theologians. They are under the John 9:39 curse. We were never under the law. I am a gentile not a jew. Gentiles were grafted in under grace. If people get their noses out of these sinful religious books and back into the only book. Let the word (GOD) himself teach you. We wouldn’t have so many ignorant Christians. Like God needs anything from you, other than to listen and read your bible. Too many people sit in church, WHY?? The Lord never ANYWHERE said to go to church. He said get out and be the church. He never said we needed man to teach us. I have 16 verses that say the opposite plainly. Who better to teach you than the word himself. People are leaning on the understanding of man instead of the truth of God. This type of thinking is why Jesus said and few there be that find it. Pastors need to teach and preach Jesus. There is no place in a true believers life for religion, doctrine, philosophy, psychology, theology or vain philosophies of men. Read your bibles and throw those man educated degrees into the fire because they are worthless. Just like all these so called uplifting spiritual self help book. All of it the bible says is sin. Anything not of God is sin. Where is your faith? Who and what are you believing in. Like sheep we are all being lead away to the slaughter. Jesus had a prayer request. He said when you see the harvest is ripe and ready. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth more laborers. Why? Because the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. When was the last time you shared your testimony outside of church with someone? Any and every scripture you have for tithing to the church I have 4 more for each on that says you don’t. I dare anyone…try me!
Amen I could not have put it better
Hello, I have a question. I am a tither but it’s becoming more difficult as I’m breaking away and starting my own ministry. Should the money I use to give to the church now go into my ministry?
thanks for this tithe preaching,it s long time not giving it.from now on i will never try to do the same mistakes i used to do before i read this.thank you so much my heart decided.
BLESSED be the LORD JESUS! I thank GOD for you my Brother and for the Truth you speak. Be encouraged! Only people without the leading of the HOLY SPIRIT want be able to see. The HOLY SPIRIT leads us and guides us into all TRUTH. So they want be able to see until they receive the HOLY SPIRIT. Continue to be BLESSED CHEERFUL GIVER!
Great post! Appreciate all of your insights and thoughtful research.
We have been GREATLY blessed in tithing, and have felt the lack of that blessing at times too. It IS a heart-issue, and is simply a great BLESSING, when we realize it ALL belongs to the LORD anyway, and we can participate in a faith blessing by trusting and obeying HIM, testing Him in this–and seeing amazing results. Most of all, it deepens our relationship with Him, and our understanding of His Father heart.
I heard a third-world missionary minister say that he never shared tithing with his congregation, because they had so very little, and he didn’t want to make them feel bad, or obligated. The Lord convicted him eventually about this omission, impressing him that the Word either works everywhere, or nowhere. He had been keeping a blessing from his people, though he meant well. He obeyed the Lord and taught them the principle of tithing. The people began to do it, with immediate and amazing results–healings, increased productivity, opportunities, healed relationships, marriages. . .not just financial increase, but many OTHER blessings being poured out–yes, “such as they could not contain.”
This is an opportunity for us to BLESS the LORD in obedience and demonstrate faith–following Him is a joyful journey, and we don’t apprehend much of what He has prepared for us. We need to step out, step up, and ENTER IN to greater fellowship with Him.
What a nice article, you actually exploited most angles on the subject of tithing. In the new testament, Jesus Christ did not actually emphasized on tithing. What I am trying to say is that He did not carry it ahead in His ministry. He never considered tithing like something very important and didn’t dwell on it. That’s why we see that all His disciples didn’t even made mentioned of it. They emphasised about giving , free will giving , giving because you love God.
I am glad you said if someone doesn’t pay tithe, he or she wouldn’t be cursed because we have been blessed already, and Jesus was made a curse for us.
There are some certain practices which Jesus couldn’t reject at that time because His mission was not yet over. He couldn’t tell the Pharisees to stop paying tithes because the law of mosses was still very applicable , respecting the ole of the priest and the laws in place.
But with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ everything changed. Jesus Christ became the high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:13-17).
And Jesus Christ as our high priest has told us how we should give. He made emphasis on giving in general and He told us how to give, did not emphasis on tithing. He made mention on clothing the naked, taking of the sick, and those in the prison and more. He said if you do these thing to theses group of people you are doing it to Him. You can please read more on the link below on how Jesus said we should give, and how we should give to God. https://www.zoetruth.com/how-giving-to-god-should-be-done/
In addition about tithing, in the new testament, giving in general and tithing are two different things, Jesus specified on giving which has a reward and did not talk about tithing. If you read more about the new testament and carry out more analysis you will realise that the foundation of the ministry of Jesus wasn’t on tithing. success, progress ,blessing and victory are no where associated with tithing. The disciples of Jesus Christ had a successful ministry which was not based on tithing or first fruit. People gave into their ministry out of love of God.
The concept of tithing today has lead many astray , not experiencing the abundance of Gods riches.
Because many people don’t understand the true purpose why tithing was paid in the past and what was been done with it. Read the verse below to understand more.
Deuteronomy 14:27–29: At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.
My question is , the church that is collecting tithes today what are they doing with it? are they doing all what they are supposed to do with the tithes as written in the old testament?
The people collecting tithes do they have inheritance or not? after meeting with the bills of the church do they share part of the money with the fatherless, strangers, widows etc…?
When last they the whole church sat down and eat the tithes as one inviting strangers?
Another question, did God asked Abraham to pay tithes?
Did tithing make Abraham rich? or Abraham was rich before He gave the spoils he got from the war to Melchizedek as tithe?
There are many questions we should as ourselves.
I believe giving to church is very important, to support the ministry, paying of bill, support the pastor, finance the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, helping the poor, clothing the necked, feeding the hungry ,taking care of those in the hospital ect. These should be our main focus. If you act this way , taking out the conception of tithing the way its been perceived by many, trust God, you will experience abundance more than you could imagine.
Got much to say but for now we should analyse those ones first.
Wow!
This is quite informative. Thank you for such an interesting article on this subject.
I’m still trusting God for the abundance of blessings that he has promised us in the book of Malachi 10. It’s not easy but I will continue with the adventure of testing him in this (verse 10). I trust him, I will come all right.
Kind regards
I made a mistake in my earlier comment. I meant Malachi 3:10
Thanks
I have been struggling with this. I was sick for 2 years and as a result of this I was unable to work and lost everything. God healed me and restore me but it wasn’t an overnight matter, it took several years. I am an only parent and if I tithe 10% of my income I wouldn’t be able to pay my monthly expenses. I want to give and I was also told that my tithing should all go to my Church. I give to charities I believe in. They told me those are considered offerings and I should first give to the Church. So confused. Why does all my tithing have to go to the Church where I have no say on how this money is being used?
I just started tithing faithfully starting January 2008 (I’ve been a Christian since 1995). And while I haven’t had any wind falls or pay increases (in fact I feel as if I’m under-paid)and I’m in debt over my head, God had blessed me tremendously. There have been numerous layoffs at my job and I’ve been spared each and every time. All my bills are paid and I’ve never been without. I believe that that only reason God hasn’t blessed more is because my heart isn’t right. I’m still hoping money will save me when it’s Him who will save me. I’m in continual prayer about this and hope that you all will pray for me. I love the site! It has been a great blessing to me to read about everyone else success stories. It is very encouraging!
It’s great to hear so many encouraging stories. Once in my early 20’s I was attending school, had 2 babies at home and made hardly anything that I had to limit myself even to good deals like $2 jeans at yard sales. I distinctly remember having a conversation with God about how my tithing $$ would buy me a nice wardrobe at the mall clearance sale, but I paid it. Literally the next day my sisters called me and told me their roommate who was a clothes horse was getting married and her fiance insisted she get rid of 4/5 of her wardrobe that she never wore. I had my new wardrobe including cute shoes to match! God is great!
Fixed expenses of
housing/food
student loan garnishment
medical
comprise 90 percent of my income
Don’t see a lot of room for tithing until income/expenses improve.
I know that your post is from 2008 and you may never see this post seeing as how it is almost six years later. I just read this article and your comment jumped out at me.
I hope and pray that you are in a blessed walk of life. I hope that you had a peaceful almost 6 years since this post and that all is well. I hope that you no longer have student loan garnishment and that you have a wonderful, well paying career that is rewarding both monetary and emotionally. I do not know what your beliefs are… but I hope that your walk of life has shed truth and light on the obstacles in your path. I would like to tell something that I have learned in my walk of life. The job that I have is only mine because God allowed it to be. The car I drive, the home I live in are only available to me because I was blessed with them. Yes, I worked hard to earn them but my abilities and all that I know were not originally mine. I learned well from the people God placed in my life and gained skill from the obstacles placed before me by my Heavenly Father. I can’t claim my children as my own either. They were known by God before I ever thought of them. He loved them first and entrusted me to care for them. They were dependent on me and it is not my job to teach them to be independent, but rather… to teach them to be less dependent on me and more and more dependent on God. If you believe that we are the creation and that God is the creator… then, everything already belongs to God. He simply asks that we realize that we are nothing without Him. He doesn’t need us but he chose to love and keep us. I believe that God enjoys giving to us and blessing us, after all, we are his children. I don’t know if you have children or even want children but in my experience, when I see one of my kids doing a selfless act is raises my hope that they are gonna be okay. It fills me with joy to see that they understand how it feels to give. If your Heavenly Father looks at you or me and see our hearts what does that fill Him with. Our goal as Christians, (again I don’t know your beliefs) are to be more Christ like everyday and further the Kingdom of Heaven. If the Lord can give this much it should be our goal to give as well. Tithing is more that giving a mathematical percentage. It is devoting your time and energy to a cause. It is spending your resources to give back. It is giving your love and kindness to a stranger expecting nothing in return. God does more for us daily than we can even imagine, the very life we live is precious and priceless. Having said all of that I have to tell the other side of things too. It may seem like the words I just wrote are painting this perfect ideal life and I must not know hardships or pain. I would like to say that I have had my share of troubles and trials. I have shed tears and been sad and angry, and I have had moments of feeling like nothing is fair. I’m not going to share the details of these events on an internet post that I’m not even sure will be seen. I have been through every event up until now. Some trials I passed with flying colors while others I have had to crawl to the finish thinking that I can’t move one more inch. I have also failed and had to learn and move on so the next time I could pass. I hope your walk of life has been full of joy among the hard times. Look through a new pair of eyes and see the positive in all things. It is hard sometimes, that is the curse of man from the beginning. I don’t know why I wrote all of this other than to let one soul know that they are not alone. You may not ever lay eyes on this but someone else might. I truly hope and pray that all is well and that giving is something on your top priorities list. You are not alone, take a breath and seek the truth. 🙂
Thank you very much, may God give me wisdom as far as tithing is concerned. i have debts to settle and im struggling with my finances, please pray for me.
Amen.
I found that tithing is really a principle of faith. It takes faith to pay $20 in tithing when we made only $200 a month as when we were in the military in 1970. It takes faith when one sells a house and tithing is $9,000. So whether we think that we make too little (can’t afford it) or we make a lot ($9,000 is too much to pay!), it still takes faith to pay tithing. You will be able to do more with the 90% of your income left after paying tithing that with the 100% on your own. Have faith that the Lord will help you in your difficulties.
Don’t wait until the end of the month to see if you have enough money left for tithing. Have faith that the Lord will provide for you and pay tithing first as you receive your money, and everything else will fall into place. As it says in Malachi, try it and see. Pay on gross instead of net. It’s a principle of faith.
CoolHappyGuy said:
Make no mistake, the tithe is 10%.
Okay, try this…
A’s employer pays him $50K cash plus $10K non-cash fringes (e.g. health insurance).
B’s employer pays him $60K cash without fringes. B buys his own (non-group) health insurance for $15K.
C’s employer used to pay $50K cash plus $10K non-cash fringes, but changed the compensation to $60K cash without fringes.
Questions:
How much is A’s tithe?
How much is B’s tithe?
Did C’s tithe change when his employer changed the compensation?
What a lot of people say about tithing (on the gross):
A – $6 grand
B – $6 grand
C – $6 grand either way
Tithing on the net:
A – $5 grand
B – $6 grand
C – $5 grand at first, $6 grand after the switch..
To make all of this easier, I would say give of the heart and only of the heart. This way, you can actually be honest with God and not hold grudges because you feel like you gave too much.
I have spent a lot of years looking at churches, seeing these “prosperity” preachers justify their private jets while their members break their backs to tithe. While there are many good churches out there, bad ones will always exist.
After reading all of the comments here, I have decided it is best for me to give what I feel lead to give and nothing more/less. If it is truly what the Lord would have me to give, it will satisfy the needs of the recipient.
We go by what the IRS says is our gross income and we give to our church at least 10% of that amount.
This is why the NT emphasis on giving joyfully is so important. With modern compensation/benefits/tax deductibility (or not) and with many having investments (do I tithe on gains every year, or only when I withdraw to spend?), it isn’t easy to keep track of exactly 10% – and it doesn’t matter because God isn’t a pharisee and doesn’t want us to be pharisees either! A closer reading of OT tithing shows that there were multiple tithes such that the average annual giving was closer to 23%/24% (though 10% of that every year was for throwing a feast for everyone to enjoy!).
What we have in Christ is freedom. We are free to be miserly (and be blessed accordingly) and we are free to be generous (and be blessed – not always financially, but sometimes financially and always spiritually – accordingly).
The 10% “target” tithe by no means should be a cap. Once we experience the joy of giving, it should encourage greater and greater giving. While there are many, many ways God blesses us as a result, one of them is finding how much better life is with a little bit less then we might otherwise be able to buy – contentment in Christ (the only place it is truly found) rather than attempting to find it in more stuff.
I believe that god speaks to your heart and lets you know what is best to do in your own personal situation. As a student, I don’t have a lot of cash but I would say that I still “tithe” – it’s just not all to the church, or all at once. I give about 5% of my income to the church through the collection plate, and spend another 5% on charitable giving that god encourages me to do (paying for someone else’s coffee in a time when they need my counsel, contributing to charities) or saving to contribute in goods to offer to the church rather than money (I have just bought a new couch for our prayer room). I think that for me, the Lord has just asked in my life to live in the spirit of giving… and who am I to argue? 🙂
praise GOD
Malachi says to not rob God in tithes or offerings. So your tithe should go to the local Trinitarian where God has put you ( where they are preaching/teaching the gospel). But then after the tithe is transferred back to God ( it is His), then give offerings above and beyond your tithe. You will be blessed. 10% of your gross income goes to your local Trinitarian church where God has placed you and offerings can go to your church also or offerings can go to Trinitarian ministries that are preaching/teaching the gospel, that God has laid on your heart to give to.
Hi Bob,
I tell you this just as an illustration, not to toot my family’s horn. My husband and I have decided within our hearts to give, and to give generously. Much of that time, it equates to approximately 10% of our monthly income which we give to our church. However, more recently, we determined, after much prayer and discussion that our giving is better served by being given directly to those that are in need, within the Body, rather than simply our church as a building. We belong to a church that is a type of “mega” church (it serves over 2000 a week) and as such it has many administrative costs. It may be that they are not unreasonable for the size of our church, however, we do not feel that the bulk of our OFFERING (we don’t call it a tithe, unless we are sharing food, which the “tithe” was ALWAYS) is being given to the areas where it is most needed by giving it to the church. (Because so much of it goes to administrative needs.) So, it’s our opinion that the giving we do, should be generous and with a willing heart so we give to those that we know are in need. And in those circumstance, more often than not, we give well above the 10% which is the definition of “tithe.” So while I agree that we, as believers, are blessed by giving monetarily or even with our time or with food, etc. That giving in monetary ways is not the only way to OFFER ourselves and what we’ve been given, unto the Lord. That is just our opinion, but I thought I’d share. I will agree that giving to the Body, in whatever capacity we give, has been a blessing; a tremendous blessing, and I would also encourage others to do so, as the Holy Spirit leads them. Thanks for letting me share. Be blessed!
I totally agree with Shalene. My husband & I give to the church but not near as much as we once did. We now give to those in need – the poor of the poor. We give to those as an example the typhoon in the Phllippines. The Bible speaks of those who are poor and widowed more than anyone. I was Treasurer of my church and I was not in agreement of how monies were spent. I still support them but most of our monies go to those we know for certain are in need. We are not rich by any means, but giving is a blessing to us.
That’s what I do! I give to people in need when I see an opportunity, and they are many! Some times I end up giving 500% other times 2% . It doesn’t matter! Love your neighbor as yourself covers the whole law and the prophets! Galatians chapters 3 and 4 explain this perfectly! What are those pastors teaching? What are they doing? what are they reading it upside down?! Paul says it clearly ” let each one give as he determines in his own heart, not reluctantly or out of compulsion” Now, if a LAW makes me pay a tithe every week, how is this not out of compulsion?
Simeon, that’s a very good question. That so-called “law”, which, by the way, doesn’t exist, demands tithing to church organizations with buildings and professional staffing. Many people continue towing the false line of the Bible supposedly teaching that there’s some sort of parallel between the OT temple and its priestoohd, and modern church organizations. Most people fail to realize, from their lack of Bible study, that the OT tithe never had one solitary thing to do with wages earned by wage earners, like most of us here today, and yet many people are beat over the head every week by being told that they are robbing God by NOT forking over a minimum of a tenth.
Some preachers are more ‘nice’ in their approach to supporting them and their organization. Some never hammer the subject, and yet they also don’t teach the absolute truth about the OT tithe and modern giving. By their silence, they lie!
It’s so very sad to watch people week in and week out place the importance of supporting facilities and staffing from which they reap direct benefit ABOVE the needs of the needy in their midst.
The Lord will not ever say to any man or woman:
“Blessed art thou for loving more thy dead buildings and professional staffing, by way of thy primary giving in support of brick, mortar, steel and sheet rock above the needs of the needy in thy midst. Thou hast been more faithful than most because thou hast put the needs of man-made organizations and real estate ahead of the needs of flesh and blood. Go unto thy great mansion I have prepared for thee, and look within upon all the play-pretties I have bestowed upon thee as reward for loving more those dead buildings than the destitute.”
Don, good morning. Galatians chapter 5 verses 1 through 15 settles it all. 😊
Simeon,
That’s a good section of scripture for the freedom we have in Christ Jesus as opposed to bondage to the Law or to tradition.
One thing I would caution people about, however, is that liberty can never be used as an excuse for turning on its head God’s priorities in our giving. Liberty never trumps obedience.
Although we are free to give or not give, when we do give, placing buildings and hirelings before and above the needs of people is still a strong indicator of some serious heart-issues that must be addressed within the body of believers. Mutual accountability is a powerful truth within scripture that most professing believers these days seem to dislike, and therefore reject.
Don
I’m a seasoned minister and I would encourage you to go back to the Word. Where does God say the tithe belongs? It’s in His storehouse, the church. We cannot choose how we give the tithe when God has made that decision for us. The tithe belongs where God desires it to be, since His servants need to be cared for and the needs of the physical church. So we should not decide on our own, apart from God’s instruction, where the tithe should go. It’s right to adhere to God’s Word instead of making decisions on our own, that don’t align to God’s instructions. Keep reading the Word on the subject and ask God to help you obey His Word in this area, regardless of what seems more reasonable to you about the tithe.
We cannot justify paying tithes in this new dispensation because Abraham did so! There are many other things that Abraham did that we have decided not to follow because we label them as Old Testament practices. Everything Abraham did, he did before the law: animal sacrifice, circumcision, tithing (a one time event) etc. So we can well argue that animal sacrifice is compulsory for the church today because it had been a standard practice from the beginning. Abel did it, Noah did, Abraham did it, Isaac did it, Jacob did it and the list goes on. They definitely did it before the law was introduced. However, we do seem to forget that our relationship with God in this new dispensation is completely different from the relationship God had with Abraham.
If we carefully consider the events surrounding Abraham’s encounter with Melchizedek, we will see how ignorant we are of God’s word. Abraham goes on a battle to rescue his relative, comes back victorious, meets a High Priest and decides to give a tenth of the recovered plunder to him and then proceeds to give the rest of the plunder to the King of Sodom. How does that singular act become binding on us today? We are just misapplying scriptures and drawing our own conclusions because they seem plausible. A noble act does not validate God’s word. We already have a hard time obeying clear-cut commands why then do we want make additional doctrines, which we know would be very difficult to obey? Talking about the consequences of noble deeds over simple obedience ask King Saul and Uzzah. King Saul was told to utterly destroy the Amalekites and everything they owned but he decided to spare the fat cattle to present as an offering to God. Note they were not going to eat them but to offer them as a burnt offering unto God, how noble! Was God pleased? No! What about Uzzah? His actions could be attributed to zeal for the things of God. The cart carrying the Ark of Covenant stumbled and he held onto the Ark to prevent it from falling and God struck him dead. He was only trying to help! But God does not need your help!
Back to Abraham and Melchizedek. Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek and NOT to God! He would not have been worse off if he didn’t and he certainly was not better off when he did. He was already wealthy, he was already blessed and that did not come from him sowing seeds, paying tithes or giving offerings. It had nothing to with his actions. Some of his actions were indeed questionable and if works were the basis for God’s blessings upon his life, he definitely would not have been blessed. He was a liar and an adulterer. We do not see any portion of scripture that cites this singular act as a standard requirement of our faith in God. If it was, the apostles would have mentioned it! Ananais and Saphira would definitely not have died; they could have argued that it was the tithe of the sale of their property that they brought.
Let us stop being Pharisees in our sharing of the Word, giving people heavy burdens that we know they cannot bear. Enough of this works led Christianity, where you beat your chest, take pride in tithing and then believing that God is obligated to bless you and provide all your needs as well as rebuke the devourer for your sake. That is works! You are relying on your works to save you and have definitely thrown faith out the window! Bible says God spoke to Abraham and Abraham believed God and that was credited to him as righteousness. That was why he was blessed and definitely not by giving a tenth to Melchizedek.
Somebody would ask “but the bible definitely says that you have to pay your tithe so that God will rebuke the devourer for your sakes”. Does the bible truly say that? Why do we dive straight to Malachi 3: 10 without starting out at chapter 1 to gain a better understanding of what is being said? If you start reading from chapter one and verse one you will find out that this book was not a command for the church to come, it never even referenced Abraham’s act to Melchizedek as the reason for the warning. If you read it you will clearly see that the prophet was addressing the practice of priests in his time. The priests had started to do their own thing, offering up diseased animals as offerings unto God and they had also begin to default on their tithes, a command that was given to them by God with no bearing on Abraham’s act to Melchizedek. So how can we truthfully say that this is the reason why we are being saddled with this burden of tithe paying every month? Are we not then guilty of reviving the law? Are we then not claiming our blessings from God through our works instead of through faith?
I am not advocating stinginess in the church, neither am I encouraging people not to give towards the work of God. I am only pointing out where we have erred. And err we have! How can giving ten percent of what you earn every month keep the devil at bay? If you advocate this doctrine, you are in effect saying that you do not need the sacrifice of Jesus and you are very capable of taking on the devil by yourself with your works. What a pity! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! You cannot supplement your salvation by the works of your hand, you cannot be in right standing with God by doing good deeds in the name of putting God first or giving him the best. Those of the old dispensation could not get right with God by doing that so why do we think we can? God has made it easier for us, we do not have to live by a set of rules, and there are no dos and don’ts that we have to obey to make us right before Him. That is why Jesus came and with the death of Jesus, there had to be a change in the way we relate to God.
The doctrine of tithe is very dishonest. It has no place in this present dispensation, the blood of Jesus has redeemed us and thus we should not trample his sacrifice under foot, treating it as an unholy thing by promoting salvation by works.
Stop making people feel guilty for not paying tithe, God does not require it from us. We are supoose to give as we are led. And remember Jesus said on the cross “it is finished!” so do not think you can add to what He’s already done.
To Tony Isaac…I agree 100% with you on this..that we have been delivered by Jesus from the curse of the “law” and now in the new covenant. I am reading a book “The Children are Free” by Roger Sapp, which my son gave me . It is an eyeopener. I give to my church “tithes” and more (offerings).. and also to people outside of the church who have needs. Sometime ago, I had given to *** as God led me and He had given back to me monetarily when I wanted to buy a neighbor’s old truck. Yes, I know I have been blessed. And after reading this book, I can not use the “LAWS” to “dictate” what I should give (not tithe) to my church, especially now that I am led to give to organizations that help in the feeding of the needy during this Covid-19. I hesitate to change what I am now “tithing” to my church, because we are only very few members and not enough to maintain the rent/expenses. But I am grateful for the knowledge that whatever I am giving is not because of Malachi 3 (Law) but because of God’s love for me.
Tony,
thanks for taking the time to share your insight – I think the main point of confusion that we seem to be having is the difference between salvation and blessing. I am in complete agreement with you that tithing or any other work will not put us in a better place with God – Jesus did that for us.
On the other hand there is no denying that there are biblical principles and laws that God has set in place. If we work with the principles we will enjoy the blessings of them, if we do not we won’t. It isn’t a matter of heaven or hell, but it does affect the level and depth of blessing that we will experience.
Giving is just one of these laws God has set in place. BY humbling ourselves God exalts us, if we are merciful and truthful we find favor with people, if we get in God’s word and meditate on it we will experience true success – the list goes on and on…
Also, I am not sure how you think this post makes people for guilty for not tithing. That in no way was my intention and after re-reading what I wrote, I don’t see anything that suggests that… Basically the message I was trying to point out was that regardless of how we feel about tithing, we should get our mind off ourselves and focused on giving to God’s plans. Personally, I have clear evidence in my life that I have been far more blessed since I started tithing than I was before. Maybe it is just a coincidence, but I don’t really think so…
I really appreciated this article.
Tithing is a matter of faith-point blank. Each person must determine in his or her heart do they really trust God? I hear those who do not tithe because of their financial issues that prevent them from tithing and I say what a shame. I wonder if those people really are good stewards of their finances in the first place. I have friends who tithe and the ones who do not believe in what the bible clearly states are more materialistic and have financial problems. I cannot change their view so I am amazed that they bother to tell me their struggles and they how never put two and two together. Trusting God regardless of the situation is not so easy at first because fear sets in and God does not move according to your fear but your faith. God has a way of placing us in His Hands especially when it is uncomfortable BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL! Please trust Him with His money. If you search your hearts, you will discover that you spend more than 10% on things that have no benefit at all.
I also see how people purpose in their hearts to play with God by giving the money directly to the poor in place of tithing. God means what He says. If you do not believe me then read about Jonah and Saul, and Adam. Why can’t you pay your tithes and give to the poor? I do because I believe in giving and my family receives abundant blessings as a result. If you keep in mind that you are giving God His money and not some preacher then you will comprehend the lesson of tithing. The lesson is to trust Him and Him only to supply all your needs. God does not seem to move on our timetable and I believe that this is why people fear tithing. Joseph had a dream that his family would bow down to him but I wonder what would have happened to Joseph if he had given up when: his brothers threw him in the hole: or when they sold him into slavery; or when he went into prison. Joseph held on to God’s promise and finally he walked into the promise. Believe God!
I speak form experience where it has hurt my flesh to tithe but my spirit is happy because I know that God has already made my way (Isaiah 43:19). In addition, keep your mind focused on God instead of the situation, remembering that Peter walked on water as he looked at Jesus but began to sink when he looked at the situation. I perceive that some of your try your best (worst) to beat God and as He told Paul, you cannot kick against the pricks. You may believe that you are correct but the Holy Ghost will lead you into Truth. Truth is a place where your head knowledge means nothing and there God gets the glory.
I pray for you all that you review all scriptures concerning giving and you will see that giving is a faith and heart issue more so than about money. Additionally, you must be lead by the spirit in order to comprehend spiritual matters. Please seek the Lord and the true intentions concerning tithing and you will believe God.
I wonder have you all considered why the first Christians sold all and shared their possessions amongst each other. I wonder if you do not believe in the tithe then why aren’t you preaching that message considering that it is a New Testament principle? I believe in giving more than the tithe because I love the Lord, I believe what He says, I believe in the principle of sowing and reaping, seedtime and harvest, and more important-obedience to our true and holy God. In review of the many scriptures on giving all throughout the bible, I can only conclude that God wants us to trust Him by giving. If your heart does not bear witness to giving the ten percent then that is your choice. No one can change your heart but I did want to present an occasion where you all may revisit your view on why tithing is such a sore issue for you. Why are you kicking against the prick?
Some of your comments are judgemental & it makes me sad that some Christians do this. You have no right to question other people’s stewardship, do you know what they have been through or going through? I know we (my husband & I) have tried our hardest to make the right decisions that we feel led….saving our baby till birth when told he would be stillborn because of complications & fighting for his life was heart wrenching. He did die after an hour of birth & then a week later my husband lost his job while we were planning a funeral, etc! We had no income for 8 months after that & had medical expenses & other life expenses as well. The church only helped a little & most Christians became judgemental in our hardest points in life. He first calls us to love other’s & show love. Please stop judging when you don’t know the whole situation of others
Marlynn, My 💔 breaks for the devasting hardships you and your family faced.😢 I’m also saddened to hear that some Christians judged you. I too faced judgement when my youngest of 5 was born with a life threatening liver disease. I was judged for having too much faith (is that even possible?). My life as a Christian has been bittersweet, we’ve faced MANY difficult trials, so much so that I can relate to JOB and how he must’ve felt when his family and friends judged him.😨 Sometimes wondering WHY anyone would want what I have (salvation & faith in Christ) if I were to witness to them? I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the miracles I witnessed as well as the subtle times He let me know He loved me so much that He cared about providing the ‘little thing’s’ in life. Owing a million in medical bills and needing to provide the necessities for our children was no easy feat. I’d give whatever the Holy Spirit moved on me to give. Sometimes it was change, sometimes a dollar bill and sometimes sharing what little food I had. My obedience to the Holy Spirit was blessed, God knew my 💖 wanted to give so much more. That’s why I tell people to l👀k up👆, YOUR personal relationship with GOD and listening to what HE says or how HE leads YOU far exceeds what OTHER’S think, say or judge you. God will deal with them. Sending you hugs, love, faith and prayers!🤗
I understand giving finacially to advance the kingdom. However, this is where I am torn. My husband is in the trucking industry. He is a company driver. Needless to say, my salary is barely enough to support my three children (ages 8, 12, and 15) and myself. The 12 and 15 year old are both in band and I am owed $12k in child support by their father. I am currently enrolled in grad. school to obtain my 5 yr teaching license so that I can KEEP my job. A member of my church’s praise/worship team and choir, I was told that if I don’t start paying tithes I can’t participate on the praise/worship team and choir. I was also told that absences from Wed. night service or Thurs. night rehearsal due to school were unexcuseable. Am I to understand that GOD wants me to pay the 10% and my utilities be turned off, my car be repossessed, and we have no place to live? Don’t get me wrong, I give. However, I do not give 10%.
Sonyia,
Again, I must admonish you to trust God enough to know that He makes your ends meet financially. Most people I know who do not believe in tithing have financial problems. It troubles me that in this difficult time that there are so many people discouraging believers from tithing and we see the fruit. Please try God and see won’t He show you how faithful He is. I do also admonish you to study the scriptures on tithing as well as giving because if your heart and mind is not settled then you won’t tithe by faith and whatever is not of faith; it is sin. So please get your heart and spirit right before you tithe. Talk to others who tithe and they will attest to just how God makes the river in the desert.
See, you are giving what you want to give and your finances are not blessed. You may ask why but the answer is because you are being disobedient. This may not be your intent so I am not saying this to be harsh but we err because we do not know the scripture. Websites like this discourage believers from walking in the total blessings of God. Although tithing pre-dates the law, Malachi mentions that God says to test Him and see that He opens up blessings that you cannot contain. I have not observed God making a promise similar anywhere else in the Bible. The blessings may not always be monetary blessings but He may bless you through other people. Please step out in faith. You will not be disappointed.
Your church is only honoring biblical principles by ensuring that that all members obey the bible. The biblical church also would not allow a known fornicator or a person who sows seeds of discord to be in any position of ministry, which includes the choir. I applaud your church for taking such a bold stance for righteousness. I also see that although you have other responsibilities if you cannot be there for the choir then you are tying their hand. Perhaps when things slow down for you and you make a decision to tithe then you can return. I understand that you may have all the best intentions in the world and want to worship the Lord through singing, but the other members are present for rehearsal and if you cannot be there with them then it affects the entire choir.
I pray for your strength in the Lord because you are reading my comments, you have many issues that are pressing, you have your church warning you, and you hear the comments on this website that appease your flesh. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into the truth. There is a part of you that knows God’s will and there is your situation staring you in the face. I pray that you listen to God and make the right decision. Partial obedience is disobedience. Additionally, read Matthew 23:23 and pay attention to what Jesus says about tithing. Life is not easy and the world has so many demands on our life but we must resolve to do thus saith the Lord. Man’s wisdom is foolishness so I pray that you will accept the truth and not faint.
Change remember that Peter walked on water as he looked towards Jesus. When he took his eyes off of Him then he sank. Keep your eyes on Jesus through faith and you will do the impossible. Your money will be enough and your bills will be paid. Psalms 37 says that, “I was young and now I am old yet I have NEVER seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread. Are you righteous? DO you believe the word? Well, you are NOT forsaken. Trust Him and He will work these problems out for you.
I completely agree with everything you have said. It is the truth that most Christians don’t seem to want to hear. Tithing is an old testament command to the Jews….not the gentile/Christians. And not only that..it had nothing to do with money…Tithing was all about food.
What I have never understood is why do we go back to the law which was put to rest by the blood of the lamb on the cross, and try to revive it again. Why would anyone want to put themselves back under the law. And even more depressing is why would Christians want to follow a command given only to the Jews?
My mother said to me many, many times as I was growing up and asking questions..” a person must rightly devide the word of truth”.
Please dear Christians…read your bible, and ask God to open your heart to his truth….sometimes it is not what your church may preach, but its what God has to say to your heart that matters…learn to listen to that still small voice, and as the bible says…” you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. Peace to you all.
I think it is untrue to link non payment of tithe with financial problems. I see no evidence in the bible to support that. It is so ironic that we pentecostals that have the loudest voices do not even understand scriptures as we ought. We still seem to express the works mentality, trying to gain God’s favour by works and that is a pity. Child of the most high, don’t kid yourself! This doctrine of tithing distracts us from the truth. Looking at scriptures, 2 corinthians 8 : 12 talks about giving and it says the most important thing about giving is first of all having a willing mind. Then give according to that which you have not according to that which you do not have. Spirit led giving which the new testament advocates does not prescribe a ten percent. God owns all that you earn, he does not own just a ten percent and He would require any percentage as He sees fit.
Sonya, I do feel your pain. I am in a similar predicament in my church because i do not believe in this ten percent business. I know how it feels not to have enough to get by and in all honesty can not squeeze out the MANDATORY ten percent from an already lean pocket. But all I can say is that Jesus died so that you would be liberated and He has said that He will not put more upon us that we can bear. Present your case before him and he will definitely make a way. He might lead you to a good financial advisor and even open doors of opportuinities to you. And do not forget, Jesus did not condemn the widow for the little she gave so do not feel judged or condemned.
Nita, I totally agree with you, we christains want to revive the law!
It is quite funny though, I discovered two things about tithing: one, in the bible, God never instructed that money should be tithed. Instead tithes where paid from the produce of the land, crops and livestock. Two, the jews that where originally given the instruction to tithe do not tithe today and I beleive they have a better understanding of tithing than we do. They do not tithe beacuse, when God gave the law to tithe, He gave specific guidelines. The tithe most only be collected by the descendants of Levi and there was a designated place it was to be collected. Presently since they do not have proper records of Levy’s descendants and also cannot gain access to the place where God told them tithes must be collected, they do not pay tithes becaus eit would be illegal.
So can anyone show me where in the bible we have been instructed to tithe money and where it says that without that we cannot prosper. And please remember we are talking about tithing specifically and not giving in general.
Tithing has been a big topic in my household this year. I am not sure where I stand on whether you have to tithe. My thought though is tithing shows your faithfulness to the Lord and in turn He will bless you. I have been unemployed since February and my wife stays home with our girls. That being said, we continued to tithe even though there was no income coming in. Each month, when we were not sure how we were going to pay the bills, the Lord provided. He gave painting jobs to my wife (she is an artist) and website jobs for me (a side job for me). If we didn’t tithe, would we have gotten those jobs? Maybe, but I truly believe because we gave our finances up to the Lord in February, he has provided for us in his way. After all, its in the Lord’s prayer. Give us this day our daily bread. Every day of every month this year he did just that and I know it is the power of tithing that blessed us!
How can a Christian talk about “offer body as a living sacrifice” when he is arguing about offer above 1/10 or below 1/10?
I have 3 sons, 8, 6, and 4. Our household income has meets the standard of low-income.
My wife and I decide to offer 2/10 to God each month, for 8 years, we never in a situation of “in need”. Sometimes when it seems “not enought”, we change our life style, not our offering percentage.
May God bless you as He has blessed us.
Just want to clearify that we give 1/10 to our church, and 1/10 to the people of organization that we think is in need. And it is a work of joy to search for the people/organization that has more needs than us.
Since tithing today,as we know it, is not found in the Bible, where did it come from? devon
Hi Dan Dickerson. It is such a relief that someone reads there bible thoroughly. I have really concerned and very worried over this issue of tithing. It showed to me that christians these days have no understanding whatsoever of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the liberty that this act has secured for us. Instead we seek to be tied down by the old testament doctrines which those of the old testament found difficult to bear. I discovered something else again in the book of Malachi that no one ever preaches about. They pick the money bit and live out the portion that says God hates divorce. If we are holding unot Malachi 3:10 as a reason to support tithing, then we should hold unto malachi 2 that talks about God’s dislike for divorce. Please I admonish us all, read your scriptures thoroughly. Because it works does not make it right. Doing that means that you are validating God’s word with your own personal experiences and that is very dangerous. The Mormons was born out of a personal experience and so many other pseudo christian groups. Coming to think of it, the richest people in the world did not become rich by tithing, they became rich by making sound investments and business moves. we christians are too lazy! We want everything done for us and that is why these doctrines of sowing seeds, tithing etc. are so appealing. GO AND WORK! He that does not work, should not eat. Thats what the scriptures says.
Tony,
thanks for commenting so much on this post, while I don’t agree with you on some points, it is nice to get a good discussion going. Also I appreciate that you are keeping your comments civil and in love – our debate and arguments don’t really amount to much if we don’t do it in love..
Well let me first say this, I do agree that Christians should read their bibles thoroughly and “rightly divide the word of truth” and I also believe that wealth is attained by us putting our hands to something for God to prosper. In my experience I have found that most of the blessing I have received from God came in the context of me doing something.
But on to my main question for you… You seem like a very faithful Christian who really has a heart for God… What is your main motivation against people tithing?
I think I know where you are coming from, I used to be in a church where a visiting minister came in and made the non-tithers stand up and publicly rebuked them. Clearly this is off base since we should not be giving under compulsion.
But, even aside from the issue of the tithe, giving causes a blessing for the giver. To the degree that we sow, we reap. It is seen all through out the scriptures and I think you probably agree with me on giving (just not tithing) right?
If you are in agreement with me on that, don’t you feel that as we continue to prosper one of the best uses of our money (as stewards) is to sow into the Kingdom of God (storing treasures in heaven) to win more souls for Jesus?
Personally, that is my life goal, to make as much money as I can so that I can give as much into God’s Kingdom as possible – regardless of what the percentage is – do you think I am wrong for wanting to do that?
Hi Bob,
Am really sorry for coming across like that and believe me, my comments are not directed at you but at the doctrine of tithing and the damage it has done and is still doing. Maybe its a bit of misplaced aggression on my part since I cannot defend myself against the preachers that have battered me with this doctrine, I picked an easy target to vent my anger and completely forgot that everything has to be done in love. I apologise again.
Quite seriously though, I feel that this doctrine is a bit untrue and gives believers false hopes and worst still, it creates guilt in the hearts of those who genuinely want to serve God but unfortunately haven’t got the financial means. If we look at scriptures, we will find out the reason the law of tithing was introduced. It was a form of taxation in which the kingdom of Israel ran. The levites were the public office holders who provided, education, healthcare, legal mediation and spiritual advice. As such, the tithes were a means of providing for them and running the kingdom. The other thing the tithes were for was to provide for the less privileged, the orphans and the widows quite akin to the welfare system a lot of western countries today adapt. It was never intended to be a show of righteousness (The Pharisees made it so unfortunately).
Not everybody in ancient Israel paid tithes. The less privileged didn’t. It was used to help folks like these. Unfortunately, when everyone is made to feel guilty for not tithing, today’s church does not consider the less fortunate ones struggling to survive. The tithes are actually supposed to help people such people but not in today’s church. Instead they make these people believe their none payment of tithe makes their situation deserving. Is that Christianity? I think not. Sonyia I apologise for making reference to your situation, but Bob, do you think she has been fairly treated by her church? The early church took care of the needs of their members. I am so passionate about this because I have been a victim of this bible bashing. I was out of work for a about a year, my wife was expecting, I submitted numerous applications, I was afraid that I would lose my home, I was behind on the household bills and did not get any help from the church whatsoever. Instead I was made to feel guilty for not tithing. Well a tenth of zero is what? Zero. And that was exactly what I had. However, in spite of what we were going through, I still gave to those who were worse off than myself but it did not count because I did not mark the tithe register in church and act like the priest and the levite who left their fellow Jew to die on the road in the parable of the good Samaritan. I eventually found a job and the Lord really smiled on my family and me and there the church was again berating me for not paying tithe again. Am not against giving, I am against this legalistic style of giving. God has asked me to give my two months wages which I received in arrears and I did that. And believe me, it was not easy. God has asked me to empty my pockets and give when I barely had enough myself. I am not a tight fisted, disgruntled Christian with an axe to grind. It is the injustice meted upon well meaning folks who want to serve God that cuts me. Why should someone be kicked out of church for not paying tithes? Even adulterers and fornicators are not treated that badly.
My heart genuinely goes out to those in situations like this and believe me it’s not a good place to be. That’s why I have decided to speak out and not hold my peace. People are exploited and manipulated with a man made doctrine. If it were of God, it would not have been the burden it is today. Families struggling financially would not be made to feel guilty and thus believe they brought their situation upon themselves. It pains me very much.
I have to say, I admire your maturity. You did not respond in my same tone.
May God bless you richly and am not sure if you are married but as I wrote this, I felt your wife being impressed in my heart. It is well with her.
Tony,
thanks for replying – just so you know, I wasn’t saying that you weren’t being civil at all – I honestly thought that you kept your composure pretty well considering how passionate you are about the topic – you should read some of the comments I get sometimes from Christians 😉
Anyway, in regards Sonyia, I agree with you – in fact, while we may disagree about the blessing that tithing brings, we agree that no one should be forcing anyone to give anything. To me that falls under the category of “giving under compulsion” (2 cor 9:7). And come to think of it, if someone is being forced to give, then it really isn’t giving anymore.
I’ve been in the same boat you mentioned. In fact, the preacher I mentioned in the previous comment came to the church I was attending when I was out of work and was struggling financially. I know how difficult it is when you are broke and I pass no judgment on anyone – the way I see it this whole tithing/giving thing is between the giver and God. And God always sees things differently than we do…
And FYI I am married and I appreciate your kind words.
Hi Greg,
I admire your sincerity. I don’t think I have met that many tithe payers who are this sincere. I have studied this subject quite intensely and know that this tithe debate rages on all over Christianity. I personally do not tithe and draw my reasons from scripture but now looking through scripture, I see that those that tithe do not commit any sin neither do those that don’t. It all goes down to motive and one’s relationship with God.
By motive, I mean; why do you tithe? Out of fear? To secure prosperity? To please the elders of your church so you don’t get kicked out? Or are you doing it based on your relationship with God. If it is out of fear, that’s a sin. Bible says anything not done in faith is sin. If you are doing it because you are being compelled, God is not in it. And definitely no blessings would follow.
After Zacchaeus met with Jesus in Luke 19, he resolved to pay back all the he had collected deceitfully and also vowed to give a certain percentage of his wealth to the poor. That was a personal choice, which he would get blessed for. Jesus did not make it a requirement for him to receive salvation. In as much as that was not tithing per say, am drawing on its connection to finances.
I think if you tithe and you are doing it unto the Lord with a sincere heart, God will bless you for it and if you do not tithe and you are doing it unto the out of a sincere heart, you are not sinning either. Lets consider Romans 14 from the Message Bible.
1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.
2 -4For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
5Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
6 -9What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
10 -12So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:
“As I live and breathe,” God says,
“every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God.” So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
13 -14Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I’m convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.
15 -16If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don’t eat, you’re no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don’t you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!
17 -18God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.
19 -21So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you? I said it before and I’ll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.
22 -23Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you’re out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.
From the above scripture we see that one has the right to compel anyone to tithe and no one has the right to compel anyone to do otherwise. It is a personal thing between each individual and God.
So Greg, if you feel you should keep tithing (not out of compulsion) please go right ahead and if you feel you shouldn’t, just as well.
I hope this helps.
I just want to say thanks to all who have offered commentary about my situation. While I find that many share my belief, I am not so confident that I will find a church home in MS that does. It’s apparent that many have resorted to preaching for the money and not caring for the soul. Pray for me as I pray for you and may we all continue to seek and grow closer to God in these last and evil days!
Just want to clarify that Jesus preach for the money but also care for the soul. And they do related. A Christian care about money already hurting his own soul.
Blessing does not come after you tithing, it comes at the time you change your life style and offer your best to our Lord.
The 1/10 is not a law to give, it is only a standard for you to look and evaluate your life style. It’s a precentage, not a certain amont.
Cut your cable, stop prescribe the magazine, eat less, shop only what you need not what you want… and want less month by month.
These practice bless me a lot.
Hi Dan,
Another nice piece and quite informative too. I just pray that God intervenes in this situation that the church of today has placed itself.
Ironically, the doctrine of tithing is not the only questionable doctrine in today’s church. Faith has been so abused and it has been redefined as wishful thinking and at times a bit of stupidity. I fear that we are ging back to the time before the reformation. Now christianity has become more of a works thing than anything else. You are being bullied into accepting everything preached from the pulpit. If you raise any objection, you are tagged a rebel and made to believe you are a sinner. What is so painful about it is the fact that we in this dispensation have our bibles where we can actually study and know the truth for ourselves but those before the reformation did not have access to bibles and were easily decieved. But God never leaves Himself without a witness, he will always reserve the 7000 who will not bow to baal. Thanks to the sacrifice of Jerome, Martin Luther and a lot of their contemporaries who sacrificed thier lives for the gospel, we now enjoy christianity. With the way the church has turned out night, may the labours of the reformers not be in vain. We now preach the very things they fought against! The just no longer lives by faith but by works. We no longer enjoy God’s grace but still strive to earn HIS approval by works and boast about these works!
All sorts of doctrines that originated from the catholic church are being peddled right, left and centre in today’s church and have now been accepted as christianity. Jesus never told us to celebrate His birth; christmas was never in the bible! Titles from the catholic church are now the order of the day in today’s church. A clergy laity divide is present today that never existed in the early church.
I fear for today’s church, am so concerned about where we are headed.
Am so sorry for seemingly steering us away from the issue at hand but ironically, this doctrine is actually a small part of the real problem; salvation by works.
Another reformation is coming and it is going to be a really big one. Senator Grassley’s inquiry would be nothing compared to it! People would be exposed for what they really are and only the truth will prevail. The bible really says that the truth would become scarce, it most certainly is. Today’s knowledge of God is sooooo shallow, people are easily deceived.
I apologise once gain folks and paticularly to you Bob because this forum was not set up to discuss this but i just could not ignore the fact.
Plumbline Ministries has excellent teaching on tithing, giving and curses on finances.
Mal 2:2 If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,” Says the LORD of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart.
The principle is that blessings can be cursed. So the blessing resulting from tithing in Mal 3:8-10 can be countered by generational curses or curses that come into our lives.
By the same principle, blessings can soften the effect of curses. Thus the tribe of Levi had a curse that they would be scattered in Israel (Gen 49:7). However, they were blessed when they stood a stand for the Lord at the foot of Mount Sinai.
Exo 32:28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
Exo 32:29 Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”
They were still scattered in Israel in the Levitical cities but the scattering was a blessing to the people as the Levites ministered to the people throughout Israel.
The Apostle Paul has taught that we are under grace and not under the law. He teaches on this at length in Colossians 2 and Galations 4 and indeed is somewhat frustrated at the Galatians.
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Gal 2:19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
Gal 3:2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—
Gal 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
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For example, strict observance of the Sabbath was introduced under the Law.
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Col 2:16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
Col 2:17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
Gal 4:9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.
Gal 4:11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
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You have captured my thoughts. Through out the New Testament Church not once was tithe mentioned. Grace is sufficient for me in all things. I am God’s possession so is all I have. I’m a living sacrifice and I am greater than any earthly possessions . Give and it will come back to you. .. Is my rule. God bless you.
Now both the observance of the Sabbath and tithing are principles and have precedence before the Law was established. The Sabbath was first observed by God. An example of tithing – albeit a one-time tithe – was done by Abraham to Melchizedek.
However, you can observe a principle and reap its benefit without being legally obliged to observe the principle.
Chuck Missler in his teaching on the Sermon on the Mount observes that the standard in the Sermon on the Mount is much higher in every way than the standards set by the Law. Everything we are and everything we have belong to Christ. We seek the Kingdom first in everything we do and all the choices we make.
Giving 10% of one’s income seems much easier than making all our choices in lifestyle, career, choices about where we live and work and take care of our bodies and rest and sleep unto God and to advance the Kingdom but without being legalistic about it.
Rom 7:3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
Rom 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
Hi Susan,
I am inclined to disagree with you over these so called principles. If we go by what you have said, then circumcision becomes relevant because it was done before the law. It was a principle before the law. Animal sacrifice as well had been in existence before the law even so that the book of hebrews says that Abel’s sacrifice was offered up in faith.
Back to Abraham’s tithe. He did not tithe his personal possessions, there was nothing spiritual about his encounter with Melchizedek. So if we want to uphold this so called principle, then we will have to go and raid our enemies, tithe the plunder and give out the remaining 90%.
Lets face it, we are still trying to apply old testament principles in the new testament. They are totally different. The new testament is solely faith based and has no place for so called principles.
Tithing is done off increase.
Abraham tithed from unexpected gains obtained in an unprovoked battle to recover his relative. Abraham prospered at other times and there is no record of his tithing at any any other time. However, this is an example of a precedent before tithing was established as part of the Law.
Circumcision was a mark of God’s covenant with Abraham. Circumcise = berith which means ‘to cut’. Cutting one’s flesh was a mark of covenant. We are under the New Covenant. Christ does have covenant marks on His body.
The principle of animal sacrifice was ‘without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins.’
Both Old and New Testament are full of principles which are not mandatory under the New Covenant but are universally applicable. Dietary and sanitary principles are found in much of the Law.
Covenant and law are different than principle. We have to be able to distinguish the two.
If one is following the way tithes were presented in the Old Testament, it is a far more complex issue than I think is taught in churches these days.
I first came across this in teachings of Plumbline Ministries. Plumbline focuses on the ‘first fruits’ principle on which the tithe is based rather than a legalistic interpretation of a tithe requirement.
They focus our intention on the original intent of the tithe in Deuteronomy 14:22-29, pointing out that two out of three years, the tithe is saved up. The people then go to Jerusalem, buy their favorite food with that money and then eat that before the Lord with great joy.
The intent seems to have been to build anticipation of this event every year of looking forward to a joyful family celebration where you’d spend more money than you would otherwise spend and celebrate in the presence of the Lord.
The third year, they were to use the tithe to provide for the Levite, the orphans, widows and aliens. Plumbline points out that a lot of creativity is required from us in how we distribute this money and that God designed it this way.
Thank you all for this awesome site…and discussion! I have studied this subject for years and just had a disucssion around this with some family members tonight…
All I asked them to do was to call it a 10% offering and I would gladly send this in 🙂
**I also stated that the amount my household gives, sometimes daily, is only known by my wife and I and I do not want this to be public knowledge. (We give to others and give cash to church so no records follow what we offer)
To me…to use the word ‘tithing’ states that I am still under law and it eradicates the fact that Christ fulfilled this in us.
I think the fact that I can give offerings (often MORE than 10%) with joy…but I cringe when I hear the ‘Tithe’ preahed…says a lot…Id rather give with a joyful heart..
I thought I was the only one that believed God owned everything I got. Ah well, I think I will hold my peace before evryone gets tired of me.
I followed this link from the tithing and debt page and want to address some points i read in this post. Two quotes from FMF and one quote by christianpf:
1. “Jesus endorsed the tithe”
– Jesus endorsed the law in that passage. Just prior in that passage he specifically told the disciples to obey the pharisees because they sit in Moses seat. I may be missing something here, but Jesus command in Matthew or Luke about tithing is not referring to us unless we should concern ourselves with the law.
2. “As New Testament believers we are called to a higher calling”
– God never changes, and this goes for his principles of giving. God always expected 100% stewardship. The problem is that each of us learns differently. THe tithe is not the answer for Spirit led Christians. For instance, unless you were a farmer or a herdsman in Israel, you didn’t give a single “cent” of your increase towards tithing. On the same note, I don’t understand how you can define how we should give by the example of a rich man who didn’t sacrifice a single “cent” from his own established wealth. Abraham only gave a tithe from the spoils of war.
I am not trying to get people to give less, but i’m trying to show the truth here that tithing was only applicable to a small portion of the population of Israel. As i stated, some Israelites didn’t give a single cent towards tithing.
3. “He said we could test Him”
-The challenge in Malachi is not a chance to dare, trick, or deceive God. It is an opportunity to for ourselves to prove that God’s promises are true. We put God’s promises to the test every day. Tithing was not an exclusive litmus test for Israel. I dare you to test the law of gravity. Throw a ball up and see the effects; it will come down. Plant an apple seed and an apple tree will grow. Malachi 3, is nothing but a plea from God to get his people to at least do it, if not for obedience sake, at least for their own benefit.
– jared b.
Hey Joe, thanks bro.
There were 613 laws that people were supposed to follow if we follow one we have to follow them all. So if you tithe you must also do all of the rest. Jesus’ teaching was not during the new testament at all. This is where people mess up. A new testament can not begin until the death of a testator. Jesus had not died yet so he was still under the old law. When He died the New Testament began. And as far as I know there are no levitical priest that I can pay my tithe to. Don’t get me wrong, I love giving to God. I just know that I will be blessed not based on any law of tithing or whatever, but I will be blessed because I am now a child of God. God doesn’t need your money and He would much rather you pay your light bill than spend your last bit of money on tithing. Tithe your last bit of money to a church and then when your lights get shut off ask that same church for help and see how many of those same churches will tell you no.
i post my comments to one of the detractors of tithing to travis seitler and earl russel. their article contains little bit playing politics and they are much more in focus to the physical material things rather than to the spiritual salvation.
i cited one example in the book of mathew during jesus ministerial era when he was confronted by the jews about giving tax to caesar. they didn’t seem to understand what that verse that jesus wants to convey.
“give to caesar to ceasar’s and God to God’s” both subjects were the head of the state to each respective jurisdiction. what i’ve found in this grammar is that, jesus had used a singular verb (give) in all four books of the new testament. if we pay a 10% to caesar then it goes the same likewise to God. the jews understood what that statement of Jesus was all about. the only existing financial laws at that time of jesus is the tithing law. when jesus was brought to Caiapas the priest there was no accusation in regard to opposing the giving of tithes to God except the tax to caesar which is only a fabrication by the jews.
WHAT DOES THE NUMBERS 31 IMPLIES?
another argument of russel can be found in numbers 31:28 in which God never used the tithe in distibuting the plunder to the people.
1/500 to the soldiers and 1/50 to the israelite. so a equivqlent of .02 and .2 respectively.
DID GOD BREAK HIS OWN COMMANDMENT??? (MALACHI 3:8)
Can we divide the two fractions into equal parts to the soldiers and the people?
is 1/500 equal to 1/50?
russel didn’t seem to get what the equal distribution is?
how can we prove that God never break his tithing laws in Numbers 31:28?
1/500 is not exactly as 1/50 in the fraction form.
because 1/10 of God is still in the 1/500 for the soldiers.
1/500 can be expressed as 1/10 and 1/50.
So 1/50 to the isaraeilites and 1/50 to the soldiers. Are they equal?
Now, how can we apply the formula given in Number 18 of 10% + 10% + 10%?
Let’s combine the two fraction:
1/50 and 1/50 is equal to 2/100, correct?
but 100 can be expressed as 10 x 10.
therefore: 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 is equal to 3 tithes.
now it can be told:
1/10 to God, 1/10 from soldiers and 1/10 from the israeilite.
it is really an evident that God never break his commandment in this rare occassion as contrary to what the russels group wants it to. God would never allow this to happen or otherwise our salvation would be at stake.
willis
willis, you said: “1/50 and 1/50 is equal to 2/100, correct?”
Your math is incorrect.
1/50 + 1/50 = 2/50 = 4/100
TO TITHE OR NOT TO TITHE?
‘CP’ denotes ‘compare passage’
It needs to be established at the very outset here that this study does not teach against Christians giving into the work of God. It is about how they give – whether spontaneously, or by compulsion. A teaching persists in the contemporary church that Christians under grace in the New Testament are obligated to tithe as the Jews under the law had to tithe in the Old Testament. There are no defining scriptures anywhere in the Bible however, to validate such teaching. Nevertheless the proponents of tithing do use scriptures to argue their position.
The purpose of this study is to examine those scriptures in context to determine if they really can be used for that purpose. But first let us find out exactly what the tithe is (CP Lev 27:30-34). We see from this that the tithe is a tenth part. Under the law here the Old Testament Jews had to pay ten percent of the produce of the earth and the increase of their herds and flocks to God. It had nothing to do with money then, as it has today. Today the tithe is stipulated as ten percent of one’s gross income which has to be paid to the local church. Those who argue for the tithe use Mal 3:8-11 to teach that the local church, being the place where Christians are spiritually fed, is the New Testament equivalent to the Old Testament storehouse where the tithes had to be taken, and that New Testament Christians who withhold their tithes will be cursed the same as the Old Testament Jews (CP Mal 3:8-11). Nothing that God says here can be applied to New Testament Christians. God rebuked the Jews who were under the law and obligated to tithe. New Testament Christians are not under the law because it has been fulfilled in Christ, and they have been redeemed from its curse (CP Ro 10:4; Ga 3:13-14).
The tithe is first mentioned in scripture when Abraham tithed to Melchizedec – a priest of the most high God – from the spoils of war after the slaughter of the kings, when Abraham rescued his nephew Lot and the women captives, in Gen 14 (CP Gen 14:18-20). We will learn more about this tithe and how it is represented by the proponents of tithing in the contemporary church a little later when we study He 7. Another argument for tithing is said to be found in Mt 23:23 (CP 23:23). Many in the church believe that by acknowledging the obligation of the Jews to tithe here Jesus is teaching that tithing is also obligatory for New Testament Christians. Tithing is not even the issue though. Jesus was rebuking Scribes and Pharisees who were subject to the law and obligated to tithe anyway. The issue Jesus was addressing was not their tithes, but their neglect of justice, mercy and faithfulness toward others. To practice these was more important then being sticklers for the smallest detail of tithing (CP Mt 23:24-33). This is what Jesus was really leading up to in Mt 23, which precludes V23 from being used to teach that Jesus was sanctioning tithing for New Testament Christians.
Compulsory tithing under the law in the Old Testament does not translate to giving under grace in the New Testament. The New Testament does not compel Christians, but rather invites them to give generously in response to the needs of others, and as an expression of their love for God (CP 1Cor 16:1-2; 2Cor 8:1-15; 9:1-15; Ga 6:6-8; Jas 2:13-17; 1Jn 3:16-19). We learn from these scriptures that New Testament giving is voluntary, spontaneous and freely given, not from a sense of obligation nor with an intent to merit blessings. Giving is to be seen as a privilege, not an obligation. 1Cor 16:1-2 is used by those who promote tithing to teach that the money the Corinthians were to put aside each Sunday represented the tithe. 2Cor 8:2-4 is used to encourage Christians to tithe, yet in V8 Paul clearly states that he was not commanding the Corinthians to give; he only wanted them to prove the sincerity of their love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. In V7 he calls their giving an act of grace, which is the exact opposite of mandatory tithing. In 2Cor 9:5 Paul stresses the importance of the collection being seen as a willing gift, not as money that has been extorted from them (CP 1Cor 16:3-4 with 2Cor 8:2-4, 7-8 and 9:5). The clear teaching in all these scriptures is that New Testament giving under grace comes from what one has, not from what one does not have. Christians are only expected to give according to their means, and although there must a readiness and eagerness in giving, Christians do not have to run themselves into debt or reduce themselves to poverty level in order to give into God’s work. This is acceptable to God. The issue is one’s willingness to give – not the amount (CP Lu 11:41; 2Cor 8:11-12; 9:7). Christians must not feel bad if they are ever unable to give (CP 2Cor 8:13-15). This teaches that Christians who are well off should meet the needs of those who are not. In this way none will lack, and there will be equality for all, just like God directed the Israelites with the manna in the wilderness (CP Ex 16:16-18).
There are four things Christians must do in giving: they must give willingly from the heart, they must not give grudgingly; they must not give of compulsion; they must give cheerfully (CP 2Cor 8:12; 9:5, 7). Christians who give what they can to those in need will find that the grace of God furnishes a sufficiency for their own needs, and even more, in order that they may abound in good works for others (CP Psa 41:1-2; Pr 11:24-25; 19:17; 22:9; Ecc 11:1; Lu 6:38; 2Cor 9:6, 8-15). At the heart of all Christian giving is the acknowledgement that God is the creator, the owner, and the giver of all things, and what we give back to God is only a part of what He has given to us in the first place (CP Gen 1:1; Ex 19:5; De 8:7-20; 1Chr 29:10-16; Psa 24:1; 50:10-12; Hag 2:8; Jn 1:1-3; Jas 1:17; 2Pe 1:3). Everything Christians have belongs to the Lord. No one has anything that they had not first received from God.
Those who hold that tithing is obligatory for New Testament Christians also use He 7: 1-10 to teach that, as Abraham was the antecedent of all New Testament Christians and paid a tithe to Melchizedec, it is incumbent upon all New Testament Christians to tithe. They contend that Abraham was the representative tithe payer of all his seed to come, which Christians are (CP Ga 3:29). Now let us look at He 7:1-10, but in the context of the whole chapter to see what it really means (CP He 7:1-28). When kept in the context of the whole of Ch 7 it is plain to see that tithing, as being obligatory for New Testament Christians, is not being taught in V1-10 at all. Melchizedec is the subject, not Jesus, and tithing is mentioned only in the context of demonstrating the superiority of Melchizedec over Abraham and Levi in the first place, and the superiority of Christ’s eternal priesthood over the temporary Levitical priesthood in the second place, which makes the New Covenant superior to the Old. That is the theme of He 7, not tithing. Tithing is only incidental to proving that the New Covenant, of which Jesus is the mediator, is by far superior to the Old Covenant, and it cannot be made to mean anything else (CP He 7:19, 22-28; 8:6-13; 9:11-15). We also learn in these scriptures that the Old Covenant has been made obsolete in Christ and done way with in its entirety. That was how God designed it: the Old Covenant was only temporary; the New Covenant under Christ is everlasting (CP Hos 2;11 with Ro 3:21-22; 10:4; 2Cor 3;7-14; Ga 3:19-26; 4:21-31; 5:1-4; Eph 2:13-16; He 7:12, 18:22; 8:6-13; 9:8 -15; 10:1-10).The clear teaching in all these scriptures is that the Old Covenant, which includes the law on tithing, has been completely abolished in Christ and has no relevance for New Testament Christians. Yet those who stand for tithing argue that the tithe itself was not abolished, because it was established by Abraham four hundred and thirty years prior to the law when he tithed to Melchizedec in Gen 14:18-20, which we looked at earlier, and therefore it should be carried on by New Testament Christians. They use Ga 3:17-18 as their proof text. Let us see what it says, but also in context (CP Ga 3:13-18). This scripture cannot be used to teach that Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedec should be continued. This has nothing to do with tithing, or Melchizedec. It is about the Covenant God made with Abraham. Paul is using the analogy of God’s Covenant with Abraham, and a legal agreement made between humans, to show that once the parties to it ratify an agreement, it stands forever – it cannot be annulled or voided. What Paul is teaching here is that the blessings God promised Abraham stand forever too. They were not affected by the law in any way (CP Gen 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-18; 15:1-18; 17:4-8; 22:15-18; 26:1-8; 28:1-4, 10-15 with Ro 4;1-25). This is the Covenant God made with Abraham. The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until the seed of Abraham – Christ – came to inherit the promise, and distribute the blessings to all who receive Him by faith as saviour (CP Ga 3:6-16, 19-29). Everyone in Christ, regardless of nationality or sex, is the seed of Abraham and heir of God’s Covenant promise.
It is patently obvious from the scriptures studied thus far that none of them can be legitimately used to promote tithing as a New Testament Christian obligation. As stated at the outset of this study, there is no defining scripture anywhere in the bible to validate any teaching that it is incumbent upon New Testament Christians to tithe. As also stated previously, compulsory tithing under the law in the Old Testament does not translate to giving under grace in the New Testament. New Testament giving is centred entirety around stewardship – Christians giving of themselves completely to the work of God – which includes their time, their finances, and their material possessions (CP Mt 10:37-39; Mk 8:34-38; Lu 14:26-35).
None of this is teaching against New Testament Christians giving in to the work of God through their local church. Scriptures are very clear on the subject of giving – only those who sow into the Kingdom will reap the Kingdom benefits (CP Ga 6:6-10). Paul is defining God’s law of sowing and reaping here. It applies to every aspect of the Christian walk: Christians giving of themselves, their finances and their time to others; their financial support of the ministry, their moral behaviour, and their Christian service. Ga 6:9-10 teaches that while ever Christians keep doing good, in spite of the opposition they may encounter, in due course they will reap the fruit of the harvest. And notwithstanding that they are to do good unto all men, they are to be particularly concerned with the well – being of other Christians (CP Mt 25:31-46). All Christian giving has to be as to God, the Christians’ source, for whatever Christians do they are doing it as unto Jesus. Jesus equates Christians’ treatment of those in need with their treatment of Himself: what Christians do for them, they do for Him. The Christian walk is not only a spiritual walk, it must also serve the material needs of others, especially other Christians (CP Jas 2:13-17).
Here Christians are presented with the real test of their faith. Christians are not justified by works, but because they are justified by faith, they do the works. This proves their consecration to God’s service and confirms their love for God and for each other (CP 1Jn 3:16-19). The only faith that saves is that demonstrated by works out of Christians’ love for God. This scripture is the exact counterpart of Jn 3:16: “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. 1Jn 3:16-19 is the acid test of Christianity by which Christians know whether they are following the example of God’s love to others. If Christians are not willing to give of material things to others in need, they certainly would not lay down their lives for them. It is not enough that wealth and material possessions are acquired for self-gratification. They must always be made available for the work of God (CP Mt 6:19-24; Lu 12:13-21; 2Cor 9:5-6). Although God’s law of sowing and reaping dictates that blessings will always be returned for generosity, Christians must never give in order to receive. Giving must always be motivated by love.
It is the duty of all who are taught the word to help provide material support for those who teach the word. Those who minister the word are entitled to live off the word (CP 1Cor 9:7-14; Ga 6:6; 3 Jn 5-8). No workers of the word should have to seek help in any form outside the church. Christians have a duty, which should be seen as a privilege, to contribute to the needs of every worker of the word. They must not be treated like beggars, but received, sent, and supported in a manner worthy of God (CP Mt 10:40-42; Lu 10:3-7; 1Ti 5:17-18). In Mt 10:41-42 Jesus promises that “he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward”. This teaches Christians how important it is in God’s purposes to receive and support true messengers of the gospel.
In bringing this study to a close here it needs to be re-stated that while there is extensive teaching on Christians giving into the work of God in the New Testament, there are no scriptures whatever that teach tithing. What they do teach is that Christians belong to God and what they have is held as a trust for him. Their giving is done to help those in need and to advance the Kingdom of God. They are only obliged to give in accordance with their means, out of what they have, and the amount they give is not as important as their willingness to give it. Giving is seen as proof of their love. It is done sacrificially and voluntarily. In their giving Christians sow not only money, but also faith, time and service. To sum up, their giving is characterized by what Paul said in 2Cor 9:7, “every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
These Studies by Br Val Boyle may be freely distrubuted but not altered.
(Last Updated 30/07/2005)
Br Val Boyle,
Whether one agrees with your argument or not, this is an excellent post. Very well written. Your points are difficult to refute.
Tithing or Giving?
I came directly to the question of Did Jesus really abolish the tithing laws?
I research again from the old and new testament if there was a proof of this vital information about the misconception of the tithing laws.
I myself at first was convinced that this law is no longer in effect nowadays.
But our mind has a free moral agency given by God to receive and to comprehend of what is the truth.
When I read in Genesis on how Adam ate the fruit of the tree, he acquired for himself the knowledge of the good and evil despite the warning he receive from God that he would surely die.
Those five senses that Adam had used to determine the good for himself were of fleshly in nature.
We have eyes that we used for seeing, nose that smell, taste, hearing, feel or touch when we hurt ourselves.
These senses had become the very soul of science employed in our educational, political and medical system.
We can call the science seems as the god of this world, the Satan’s way of life and happiness after almost 6000 years of leading the way to it we are now facing the danger of extinction thru the invention of the nuclear warheads.
On one push of the button there will be a mass destruction to many times that of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing.
This warning became convinced to be a part of what God had foretold to Adam that if he ate that fruit “you will surely die”
If ever he would choose the tree of life of God that will become our 6th sense in addition to our physical senses, the Holy Spirit.
We know that man was created and completed on the sixth day of creation and the seventh would be the crown of glory that God bestowed on those who will succeed the race to eternal life. 6 days or 6000 years allotted for human to rule but the seventh would be the Kingdom of God as the start of his millennial rule.
That is why the tithing as the first step, should not be put into a halt because there would be a significant role in the coming of his government.
As the former seventh day Adventist I do believe that the millennium or 1000 years mentioned in the Revelation is the seventh day of God when the resurrected saint will inherit the Kingdom of God.
If the tithing was really the first step to his government, then why Paul encourage the Christian in giving?
The vital fact in knowing of what is really the truth; first we need to know the atmosphere and environment surrounds the Christendom during Paul’s time in preaching the gospel of God.
Was he harassed? Or Persecuted?
In Acts 11:27-29
27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)
29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
……One of the causes of hardship in Paul’s time is the starvation or famine in which the crops were fully devastated by dry spell.
According to the tithing rule one is to tithe of one’s increase or harvest.
But this time it is a negative increase and if the church will only depend on tithes that will probably a collapse of the church in Jerusalem in addition of persecution by the Jews.
So Paul resort to their finances thru the use of giving and temporarily made to stop the tithing contribution because of this phenomenon climate change.
In 1 Corinthians 1-3
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: As I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay aside in store as God hath prospered him, so that there need be no gatherings when I come.
3 And when I come, whomever ye shall approve by your letters I will send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
…Gatherings of grains? Certainly it could not have been a collection of money because of time frame that Paul has given to the Corinthians and because of miles away from Jerusalem.
It could have been the gatherings of sacks of grains.
In Romans 15:25-28
2 5 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
26 For it hath pleased those of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints who are at Jerusalem.
27It hath pleased them verily, and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers in their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
28 When therefore I have performed this, and have secured to them this fruit, I will come to you on my way to Spain.
……..We might also to wonder on why there was a contribution for the saint in Jerusalem in which we should also take it into account.
Why doesn’t Paul mention tithing in his letters? (from another source)
Realizing that all Scripture was inspired by God and profitable for doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and that the only Scripture available at the time were the books we know as the Old Testament,
Paul did not consider it necessary to repeat all of God’s laws in his letters.
His letters contain answers to specific issues and were not written as a new set of laws to replace God’s instruction found in the earlier books of the Bible.
Why didn’t Paul take tithes from the Corinthians? Is this the New Testament model for ministers?
Some in Corinth were among the apostle Paul’s most vicious detractors.
In 1 Corinthians 9:1-23 he defended his ministerial role and argued that he and Barnabas had the right to receive financial support from the Corinthians for their service to the Church. Even though they had this right,
Paul explained they didn’t exercise it because they were concerned that it might “hinder the gospel” (verse 12). He didn’t want to be accused of greed or wanting to be supported by the members there. To avoid such accusations, he took no financial support from them.
To support himself financially, Paul worked as a tentmaker (Acts 18:1-3).
In 2 Corinthians 11:7-8
Paul reflects on his decision: “… Was this my offence, that I made no charge for preaching the gospel of God, humbling myself in order to exalt you?
I robbed other churches—by accepting support from them to serve you” (Revised English Bible).
He then explains that brethren in Macedonia paid the expenses that he could not meet while in Corinth:
“If I ran short while I was with you, I did not become a charge on anyone; my needs were fully met by friends from Macedonia; I made it a rule, as I always shall, never to be a burden to you” (verse 9, REB).
Paul’s decision not to take financial support from the Corinthians was an unusual situation prompted by the accusatory attitudes of others.
Willis please elaborate?
If tithing is something we must do then who is Paul or any other Christian leader to call for a temporary suspension of a LAW GOD put in place?
Because of the CIRCUMSTANCES?
If we should tithe and tithing is an act of FAITH then it shouldn’t matter what is going on in the world around us.
It denotes our committment and relationship with the ALMIGHTY!
With this argument, given the current CIRCUMSTANCES in our world it would be fitting to call for a suspension of tithing!
Howbeitever, when the HOLY SPIRIT prompt us to give whatever amount HE sets on our hearts it is done WILLINGLY, CHEERFULLY, and out of OBEDIENCE and there are blessings attached to OBEDIENCE.
If one continues to tithe and it is a hardship for him, it is now done out of obligation and not freely which is the true requirement around giving in New Testament scripture.
When the widow gave all she had it wasn’t a tithe but what she felt in her heart she must do.
And all the talk about missing blessings for not tithing is a farce because there is no mention of it in the BEATITUDES.
Giving is a priviledge and a responsibility to further God’s Kingdom; Tithing is a requirement thus the stipulation on the amount 10%.
The scriptures which teacher’s use to teach tithing is takien out of the context of the passage.
All in all, we as CHRISTIANS should not be as concerned with the smaller things of the KINGDOM and should put in to practice those things which JESUS taught as HE rebuked the leader’s of that time for doing(Mat. 23;23).
JESUS did not abolish the law but fullfilled it and there are basically two commandments that Christians should do which some up the LAW and the PROPHETS. LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD….. AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF!!!!!
When you LOVE GOD you will have no problem opening up your pocket book or wallet to GIVE to HIS work. LOVE should be the driving force for all we do.
If you purpose in your heart to tithe then tithe you must! But if you feel obligated to tithe and do so out of necessity and grudgingly then DO NOT TITHE because your heart is not with you!
Giving is a must in the KINGDOM and is THOROUGHLY supported with scripture both Old and New. In fact the first occurence of Man giving to GOD is when Abel and Cane gave. One gift was accepted and the other wasn’t. Abel gave, not a tithe I might add, but of the FIRSTFRUITS and Cane it appears gave out of necessity what He felt he should give. The issue is not the amount but rather HOW it was given! Abel PUT GOD FIRST, Cane gave him the scraps.
We shouldn’t be the ones doing the determining on what to give GOD but should in this and all matters refer to the HOLY SPIRIT.
For those of us who have a problem GIVING I would advise talking it over with GOD and allow the HOLY SPIRIT to minister to YOU around this issue!
Let us focus on the WEIGHTIER matters like LOVE and set aside all VAIN CONTROVERSIES!
there is no question to ask about wheather is it bad to give or to help the poor. But to make the giving in place of the tithing is what astounds me. infact giving is something what the people should posses as one of the wonderful traits of a Christian faith. the earliest time of the apostles encourage every believers to be a cheerful giver but remember they never ever said not to tithe, that is one of the true facts that should be established here. Tithe or the first fruit of God has been implemented even in thetime of adam or prior to the creation of man and the ratification of the old covenant.
Would you believe that the angels of God do have the tithing system?
“’thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it in heaven’’
If the tithing law is one of the will of God then we can assume that the angels in heaven performs the same law as it is on this earth. You may also to wonder that kingdom of Israel at the time of david is a typical type of the kingdom of God in a fleshly form.
These tithings system has something to do with the government of God. Financing it and at the same time teaching us to be a giver. For the royal kingdom requires a royal tribute.
When the apostles of Christ started to preach the kingdom of God the only available scriptures at the time was the old testament. If giving will replace the tithing laws then this should be supported by the old testament scriptures just like Christ when he was introduced to the converted jews.
There are four books of the new testament outline the life and teaching of Christ but even one i could not find that he teaches the early disciples to no more tithes. it is a sad fact that many of you never realize that Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity. I would say it that Paul will never intend to overwrite the teaching of jesus.
In the book of acts the economic situation in the Roman world mostly compose of agricultural product in the time of Paul was really devasted by a severe dry spell and they could hardly make a living. Paul wasn’t able to push anyone to tithe for survival of the church. In order for the gospel to move on he resorted their finances to giving. Thus putting into a halt the paying of tithe not because of what Paul’s order it but of themselves the tithes payer. Thats the call of the nature cause them not to tithe. You’re seems to be out of logic here If you are out of job and your country will demand to tax you. How would you react on this?
If giving is the essence to earn your salvation then you should also consider that the religion of islam when the ramadan time came they chose the day to celebrate their holiday by giving what they can to the poor. it would be unfair for them when Christian deserves the right to be saved when righteousness can be found outside the Christian faith.
giving is one of the fruit of the holy spirit as what Paul said in his book. this fruit will empower the human spirit to fullfil the laws of God. just love is fullfiling the laws. sad to say if you withhold your tithe, you are robbing God and that transgresses the law of stealing. it goes contrary to the direction where the law is heading.
Willis, no offence but I would say your approach to doctrine of tithing is greatly flawed and lacks scriptural support. You have failed to prove your point using scriptures and have relied on personal opinion instead. Please remember, no scripture is of private interpretation. If you feel in your heart that tithing is something you must do, then go ahead and do it. It would be very wrong to compel others to do same using very flawed theology. If we are to follow your argument, circumcision becomes compulsory because it was practised by Abraham and even Moses before it was made compulsory by the torah. Animal sacrifice too would be very relevant since it had been practised long before Jesus came.
Please take out time to fully study the difference between the old testament and the new. Scripture says that the LAW (old testament) came through Moses while GRACE AND TRUTH (new testament) came through Jesus. All that are Christ’s are not bound by any law.
It is evident in scripture that tithing does not apply to the new testament believers, instead we are encouraged to give freely and cheerfully, this I say while running the risk of sounding like a broken record.
Do not rely on personal opinion i.e. what you think is right or wrong when interpreting scripture I employ you, let the bible speak for itself.
to tony isaac
my friend, we are discussing the scriptural basis of tithing here and not circumcision. once again i will point out that tithing has nothing to do with the old covenant or animal sacrifices. we read in Genesis on how Abraham respect the priest of the most hight by giving his tithe as tribute long time before Moses ratified the old covenant. it is not an ordinary tenth, but the first tenth of one’s GROSS income. According to the number 18:29 “you must present as the Lord’s portion THE BEST AND HOLIEST part of everything given to you…”
God is holy but when we say the BEST AND HOLIEST we would place these things on top of God. What do you think would be your opinion? It would mean to me as something which is special and very important and pleasing aroma to Him. It can be comparable into a treasure that something he cherish of. If you tell your wife that she is the prettiest. That would be the best complements you could describe to her because you love her.
why would he term it THE BEST AND HOLIEST? One reason to consider that in the later times there would be false prophet who will teach that the law has done away. Preaching that Jesus abolished the tithing laws. They replaced the commandment of God by man made commandment like Christmas, new year …. these festivals if you dig to much deeper you will find it hard to believe that it is pagan in origin.
Another explanation of tithe to be added here is that the tithe, if we pay this thing to God’s first. We are sacrificing the very cherish thing in your heart that will keep you from “idolatry”. This thing is almost identical to what the Lord has done to Abraham by trying his faith if he could sacrifice his only son to him. Anything that blocked the way between you and God is idolatry in nature. One example of idolatry is “too much love of money is the root of all evil” what evilness does Paul speak?
If the law of tithe is to become a burden or a yoke of bondage. then why would the God of LOVE placed this terrible law on his chosen people? it is really hard to comprehend. Isn’t ? that God on how do you picture him accordingly can be liken into a wild beast devouring his victim without mercy during the old covenant times and came to be tamed only in the new covenant. have you realized that? Can anyone tell me what is God’s master plan on human kind?
Gosh Willis, don’t you read? I only used circumcision as an example in line with your argument.
Yet again you promptly parade your opinion as God’s word, drawing your own conclusions from scripture rather than let it speak for itself. Did Abraham tithe his personal possessions? Answer is NO. He gave a tithe of the PLUNDER he recovered and gave back the remaining 90% to its original owners. He never paid a tithe on his personal possessions.
You have also taken numbers 18 : 29 completely out of context. It was a command given to the levites with regards to the tithe the rest of the eleven tribes paid to them and that in itself speaks of the law because the law made a class distinction between those who served in the tabernacle (The tribe of levy) and those who worked (the remaining eleven tribes). This class distinction does not apply in the new dispensation.
Again I say, your theology is greatly flawed, it is full of personal opinions. You have not backed up all your talk with any scripture. Money was never to be tithed. It was only the farmers that paid tithes on their crops and their livestock and no one else. So this idea of yours that tithe is 10% of one’s gross income, where is it in the bible? Where is it written in the bible that you should tithe money?
Joe, you ARE right anyway. All this would be of no consequence if one does not have any relationship with God. That is indeed the most important thing.
Tony said: Yet again you promptly parade your opinion as God’s word, drawing your own conclusions from scripture rather than let it speak for itself. …
My opinion? Wrong!
When I said “thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is that what you called out of context.
Then if you are wise enough tell me who gave the tithing laws was it God or Moises?
Again, is tithing a will of God? When we say “as it is in heaven” it was imposed or implemented first in heaven. Correct.
If the tithing law is the will of God therefore it was imposed or implemented first in heaven. Is there any hard to understand that. Don’t be an idle researcher of nothing just use your logic. The problem is who will perform the tithing laws in heaven? Are there any creatures living aside the human living? The angels ofcourse. And you will probably astound if you read in Ezekiel that the first creature who rule the earth is none other than Lucifer, the arc angel.
Now here tony I want you to answer for once this question.
DID JESUS CLEARLY ABOLISH THE TITHING LAWS?
I Mean it and I will believe you the moment you point a single verse that clearly say that Jesus annulled the laws
Again this requires a logic to understand.
In Mathew 23:23” woe to you, teacher of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law, JUSTICE, MERCY AND FAITHFULLNESS. You should have practice the latter, without neglecting the former. ..”
Did Jesus encourage the Jews not to tithe anymore?
What was the latter things to practice first?
A ns: JUSTICE, MERCY AND FAITHFULLNESS
What was the former thing not to neglect?
Ans: I should say, it’s the tithing
The conclusion of the matter is : the tithing law has three matters in which he instructed the people to be guided by these elements. Because JUSTICE, MERCY AND FAITHFULLNESS are the fruit of the spirit. (Gal 5:22) in fulfilling the law of tithing.
I hope this statement will satisfy you..
To the last comment made…when Jesus was speaking about not neglecting the former…
– He had not yet gone to the cross and fulfilled the law.
**Once he did we are no longer under law but under grace.
**Technically when he died and rose again we are to give our whole selves to him…not and instructed tenth…This was a practice to keep people in practicde of their faith.
– He was getting on them for neglecting the weightier matters, which we still do today, like love, etc.
**Kind of a ‘Look At Me…I pay my tithes’ mentality.
I am in a family that has studied theology and not one can find evidence that this ONE law…out of all of them…has come over from the Old Testament…
As a matter of fact if we decided to follow the law instead of believing Jesus fulfilled these this for us then we must take on ALL of the law…sacrificing animals…etc.
Because we are not a perfect people and Gods will is perfect he sent Christ to stand in the Gap so we are worthy…
Then Christ commisioned us to take care of the homeless and widows…etc.
My finances are better served feeding a few lately who have lost their jobs….than to finance the 1.2 million dollar mortgage that people feel they need to worship God.
Actually…My family will still have church in our home if all churches closed their doors…we do not have to assemble in things that require Debt…think about that…
God Bless…we are still all family…even if we disagree..
Friend, there’s a saying everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Sometimes we confined ourselves to just believe in God and you will be saved because we are under grace and Christ fulfilled the law for us. When we were young we’ve just taken that doctrine without raising any doubt because we trust our ministers or priest. We treated them as our second parents and always love to be called them reverend. We just swallow it no matter what this thing will do to ourselves. Those early years is proved to be an ignorant. Now that we are in millennium era and knowledge has improved in a higher class Technology has risen to more sophisticate. But the doctrine that concerns our belief seems to be left out. The bible was called by some the most misunderstood book. If you give a one problem solving to ten math expert they gonna give you the same answer very quick but if you give one verse in the bible to ten ministers they gonna give you ten different interpretations. I asked you why? How many of us still believe that Jesus broke the Sabbath day? Do we care to look it up in the bible? There are some people like my friend tony said “let the bible speak for itself” he seems did not get what the apostle Paul has said in his book. “lets leave the elementary thing of Christ and go on to maturity” we were being encourage to develop in a Godly character by using the fruit of the spirit. Increase in knowledge by searching and reasoning out from the scriptures. I remember the scene in the Harry Potter movie about the gift he receive from a friend. When he open the gift wrap the book jump and started to bark like a dog not only that it bites too! Well I’m thinking about of what tony said that it sounds to me a little bit idle or lazy. Maybe he just want to tell to let the bible interpreted itself. But what would be our part here? Because it is the people who shall receive the knowledge of God must take the first step and conquer the world of doubt. The bible is just only the reference of the basic knowledge but the improvement must go to the people because it is them who will receive the spirit of God and not the bible. The passage stated: “is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?”. The word “lawful” mean to me as recognize. The Sabbath recognized the healing because it is an act of mercy. And mercy is one of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) thus mercy fulfil and uphold the law of Sabbath. Get it?
Hi Willis,
It is quite difficult to follow your discussion, you are all over the place bro. And there you are still doing it; presenting your personal opinion as the word of God. If you believe in the sabbath, good for you. if you believe you should tithe, good for you. If you decide to ignore the grace that comes through Jesus’ death and resurrection, good for you. That is your opinion which you are jolly well entitled to. But you do not have to force it on everybody else!
It is clear you have not left your adventist background behind and you are trying to mix the old testament and the new testament together. Doing that creates a new religion all together which am afraid ain’t christianity at all neither is it Judaism. No one takes new wine and pours it into an old wine skin, those were Jesus’ words.
So bro, stop telling us what you think and I would advice that you read the books of Galatians and Romans thoroughly. Yeah, the writer of the book of Hebrews adviced that we leave the ABCs and move on to more mature things. The ABCs have their place. If you are not well grounded in the ABCs, how can you move onto maturity? If you feel am still at the elementary level thats ok, at least it would be better to stay there till one fully understands it than trying to project the image of maturity in the handling of the Word of God whilst one’s actions still show a lot of childishness.
Gosh! It is getting too personal and thats not healthy at all. I think I will hold my peace from here on.
Friend, don’t misunderstand me. I never force anyone to believe in me. We are here to express how we understand of certain things. If its really came up to be my opinion then i should dare to ask. Is it beneficial?
Paul instructed us to become matured, to enhance the Godly character from being basic because the bible teaches us only the basic knowledge. After all, the bible is just only the reference for righteousness.
Take a look at your word “Let the bible speak for itself” is that a sign of matured to me? It’s all most the same as “Let the bible speak for itself while i eat my hamburger on bed” or “Let the bible speak for me while i sleep” . Well I’m not kidding you’re almost make me laugh.
You said: “stop telling us what you think and I would advice that you read the books of Galatians and Romans thoroughly.”
Why would i do that? Can you find the verse there that says “Did Jesus clearly say that he abolished the tithing laws” in those books? This is the question that until now you refuse it to answer. I am not satisfied of your alibi just tell me that you are WRONG then everything will go well.
Tony, the real fact of the matter is that Jesus never ever taught his disciples not to tithe. It would be a shocking revelation to find out that Jesus, opposite of what ypu have learned encourages us to tithe as he set us an example in Mathew 23:23.
You will read on how the Jews corrupted the law of tithing by walking carnally in Luke 18:10. What Jesus had shown on that verse is an example of spiritual obedience for the New Testament teachings.
The tithing would be acceptable if we are TO be guided by the elements of the spirit of God like JUSTICE, MERCY AND FAITHFULLNESS as the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22.
Because the gospel has been preach first at the synagogue when Jesus begins his ministry. ( Luke 4:16 ) You may wonder too why he chose the place as his destination instead of the market place. This reinforced the belief that Jesus never was to build the church for the believers. The church came up only as the solution after Jesus WAS rejected and his message!
If we reverse this event on what if the Jews had accepted his message, do you think the tithing system would be invalidated? If we consider in Mathew 23:23 there is no way that Jesus will never be abided by this law.
You said: “A new testament cannot begin until the death of a testator.”
That is true but if he is to be the testator where then is the standard rule for the New Testament? The rule must be found in all four books of the New Testament that layout the life and teaching of Christ because these apostles were instructed first to be the next leader after Christ. So if there is a teaching in Pauls book that abrogate the law of tithing it must be linked up to all four books of the new testament. Very hard task isn’t it?
Was the priesthood system abolished? It would be an embarrassed for tony if he ever read in Hebrew 7 that the office of Melchizedec has been occupied by Jesus Christ. He is now our High priest forever. You won’t be able to go to the Father except by Jesus is the typical standard of levitical system where the people were ban go closer to the altar of God except the lev. Priest.
friend, i’m still alive thanks to God.
friend, what is your point?
friend, let’s put these verses into one point.because this will lead into misinterpretation and sometime loses the meaning of our discussions. to tell you that Paul was a victimm of misrepresentation. Did Paul build the gentile church away from the Jewish custom? a lot of you may somewhat think the same as the other.
In Romans 11:17-21
V17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
V18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
V19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
V20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
V21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
how would you illustrate: “do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
the grafted wild olive shoot symbolize the Gentile born
while the natural olive branch is Israelites.
what does the scripture say: …though a wild olive…now share the nourishing sap from the root.
the primary food of the tree is water. it enters from the root and runs trhu the cambium. from the stem right thru the branch until it reach thru the grafted where the wild olive tree is grafted in. just remember we are only a grafted branch. my friend what if the water symbolize as the word of God? its not deniable that we were nourishes by the word of God. correct? and the word is written in the bible. what does Paul said: “all the scriptures were profitable for doctrine…” only the old testament scriptures were available that time. is the tithing law included in the scriptures? therefore the Gentiles received the same commandment as the Israelites do.
i dont see the tithe of God mentioned in Mathew 17. it would be weird if your finances in your church comes from the mouth of the fish. if you are comfused my friend dont try to interpret it.
further more in Hebrew 7:6 …yet he collected a tenth from Abraham. that is the proof the tithe is obligation.
Abraham tithes only once? where did you find it my friend? now listen Abraham lived and died at the age of 120. does the scripture reflects the life of Abraham in detail? i suppose the whole of the book in your library will not contain the story of him. Genesis is only the summarisation of origin of man and the covenant. if you want to insist the proof then tell me in Gen 7:2 “take with you seven of every clean animal …and two of every unclean animal.
question does the Genesis tell which animal is clean and which animal is unclen? ofcourse Noah knows because he received the instruction directly from God. then why it is not recorded in Genesis?
if you can figure out where in Genesis you can find these animals i will show to you how many times does Abraham tithes.
Dan said: The most unbeleiveable thing you say is that the church came up as a solution after Jesus WAS rejected and His message !
That shows a complete lack of understanding of the scripture both old and new.
Dan my friend, i’m just requiring your logical explaination here.
What if the Jews accepted HIS message?
Does the tithing system will go to no avail?
i am convinced that Mathew 23:23 is the commandment for the new testament teachings.
Lets analyze:
Mathew 17:22 “is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?”
“…then he said to them give to caesar to caesar’s and to God to God’s.”
how do you understand this statement of Jesus?
does he encourage the Jews not to tithe?
each of the subject represent the kingdom in which he ruled respectively. one is physical and one is spiritual.
financing laws at that time were fully understood by the Jews. both tax and tithes were in full force.
the analysis of the statement: “Give to caesar and to God”
the word “Give” mentioned only once that gives the meaning if we pay to Caesar then it goes the same to God. if its an obligation then it goes likewise to others. if its a tax then it would be a tithe.
there is one interesting that we found here that God and his kingdom requires the tithe for his administration. a Royal kingdom requires a Royal tribute.
so Jesus demonstrate the analogy of these figures.
are you learning now?
you said:”You also asked me what if the Jews had accepted His message? The fact is they did accept His message. The first 30 to 50 years of the church was composed of almost all Jews. That is a Historical fact that you can’t escape. ”
YOU ARE A LIAR! if they’ve accepted his message he wont be handed down to be crucified. my friend you’re pretending to be a historian and still do not know that the Jews of today dont want Jesus to be their saviour. for the proof you got to check your bible and compare to their bible you will find the missing one. what is it? ofcourse its the new testament!
it’s a total disappointment to hear from these two self-claimed Christians about on how they picture Christ thru their posted comments. they had this belief that Jesus came on this earth to abolish the law of God and set up the new commandment in place of the old and they at it again. what was Jesus said in Mathew 5:17
“Do not think that i come to destroy the law or the prophet, i have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them”
How many religion had claimed that Jesus abolish the law? but they still believe of what they want to believe. When Jesus said i did not abolish it. These two will say yes he came to abolish it.
Now check very carefully of what the remaining statement of Jesus. (Mathew 5:18)
v18 “I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH DISAPPEAR, NOT SMALLEST LETTER, NOT THE LEAST STROKE OF A PEN, WILL BY ANY MEANS DISAPPEAR FROM THE LAW UNTIL EVERYTHING IS ACCOMPLSHED.”
if that is the law required for him at the cross, why would he say “UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH DISAPPEAR” this statement is a clear indication that the law of olds will by no means disappear. the earth is still revolving to its axis and the sky has no sign of the end but the commandment of God has long been disappear thru their(Dan and Tony) midst. It’s no wonder why they are confused in many ways because they received the spirit of stupor instead of wisdom.
but wait theres another more:
v19 “anyone who breaks one of the commandment and teach other to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.”
bad for them they not only did break it but abolished it.
v20 “For i tell you unless your righeousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of God”
what is righeousness?
Romans 2:13
“For it is not those who hear the law who are righeous in God’s sight but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righeous”
therefore in order to enter the kingdom of God we must obey the law of God.
what further proof that the law of olds still in exist?
Luke 18:21
v18 “…what must i do to inherit life?..
v20 ” ..you know the commandments. do not commit adulter…”
…what was the rich man respond to Jesus…
v21 “ALL THESE I HAVE KEPT SINCE I WAS A BOY””
what does the ststement imply?
the rich man is a Jew and raised to the custom of olds. the laws of God which is under the old covenant.
Now that you’ve testified that the laws has never been abolished in contrast to the statement of these two children of God who claim that it is done away. shame on them!
most of the doctrines that these churches teach were based in Pauls writing. some of the writings were seems very hard to understand even the apostle Peter fell victim on it.
2Peter3:16
“…his letter contains something that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other scriptures, to their own destruction.”
it’s no wonder why they’ve still cling on to their belief about giving that’s because they were deceived not the fault of Pauls writing but thru their being ignorant. ignoring sound teachings.
dear friend, the vital key in unlocking the mystery of the scriptures is to search the God’s masterplan for Mankind. it can be found somewhere in the scriptures and you need to dig it to much deeper until you reach to the bottom of it. it is like a hunting teasure that need to be hunted. once you found it grab it at once, take it home and eat it. you will experience a high level of learning and expose the evilness of your religion. it would be a shocking to learn that you have been deceived by your acquired doctrine. one more to add, everything in Paul’s writing that seems confused to you, will be clearer as the time passes by.
you know friend if we let the errorness of your doctrine contols your belief. you will not be able to understand why are we here? why God imposes the two covenant? what is the purpose of creation? what was the purpose of sabbath? who really owns the tithing law? who is God? what is Man? what is the kingdom of God? where do we go after here? who is the beast of the apocalypse? what would be happened to the United State of America in the coming centuries? who and what is the 666? are we in the last days? can we survive in this economic crises? and many more.
Friend, can you answer me now What is God’s master plan for Mankind?
very clever tony, you send your pet to defeat me, but your DOG doesn’t bite!
what proof do we find that the tithing system has still been in effect?
Ephesians 2:19-20
v19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,
v20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
…or on the base. the prophets mentioned is refering to moises work, the torah or the first 5 books.
this also will conform to the time when Paul preach the gospel and the available scriptures were the law of moises, the prophets and the psalms (Luke 2:44)
the new testament book was made available in 150 AD after apostles death. from the time of 33 AD up to 150 AD, the only available book was the old testament.
so the church’s teachings accordimg to Paul should be based in the old testament book.
does the old testament support the abolishing of the tithing law?
Dan said: “Brother- with all due respect where did you study scripture at? You have completely misinterpreted
Luke 18:10
Jesus was showing that paying tithes along with other acts of obedience does not make one righteous. The poor sinner who asked for mercy went away righteous not the bragging self righteous tither.”
i felt so sorry to Dan that he almost lost the meaning of his word.
the difference between Mathew 23:23 and Luke 18:10 is in the manner of obeying the law.
in Mathew 23:23 He was giving the people advice to obey the Law of tithing in spiritual way by using the element of the spirit thus we call it the spiritual obedience,
while in Luke 18:10 he speaks of on how the Jews walk in the law CARNALLY.
Carnal-pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites; sensual: carnal pleasures.
the conclussion: in Mathew 23:23 is the spiritual obedience while in Luke 18:10 is the physical obedience.
Dan said:”Not to argue but Matthew,Peter,John,Mary,Mary magdelene, Thomas, Joseph of Armithea, Some of the Pharisees, and the other disciples who were all Jews accepted His message and person. They did not crucify him. They were the ones who started the early Christian””
my golly! how old are you? you seem didn’t get it right, my friend. since when did i start to write that Jesus is not a Jew?
THE JEWS THAT I AM REFERING TO ARE THOSE IN THE
HIERACHY! like Caiapas and Herod.
Dan said:”You still have not convinced me that Jesus commanded anyone in the N.T. to tithe and i agree with Tony”
you’re still turning your blind eyes to Mathew 23:23 which tells the new testament laws.
Do you still beleive in Jesus word? if you say “i don’t”
then stop praying to Jesus! it would be a waste.
Ok guys, this discussion is getting out of hand. I am all for disagreeing, but when you get to the point of name-calling, we have crossed the line. Need I remind you of 1 cor 13… Willis, I deleted you last comment, because it was completely inappropriate – I would like to leave these comments open to facilitate the conversation, but if I see any more of this I will close off the comments – deal?
” 1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. “
sorry Bob, i know it’s terrible thing on what i have done. i posted it almost late but in the morning i realize that it’s not ok and it’s not constructive at all. i felt it the same way to other guys to Dan and Tony. sorry guys i’m just a human to commit it. God bless to every one and don’t worry i’ll take this to my heart. thanks Bob
You know you are right, we are all just human and can get carried away sometimes – I appreciate your repentant heart – Personally, I think that is far more valuable to God than someone who never makes a mistake in the first place. So anyway, like I mentioned before, I am all for the discussion, we just have to keep it grounded in love – thanks guys
Hey Bob,
I apologise too. And to you Willis.
God bless you all
Tithing and giving are completely different from each other. Tithing was required according to the law and didn’t exist before the law, even with Abrahim and Yaqoob (the actual names of the patriarchs). Abrahim gave a tenth, not a tithe, of the spoils of war and the remaining 90% to the people. Yaqoob made a deal with YAHUAH and said he would give a tenth, not a tithe, of all he had if he were to return to his father’s house, which he returned about 20 years later and there was no mention of him fulfilling his declaration. The tithe was a tax to compensate the priests for their duties and to feed the hungry. Also, there were 3 requirements that had to be present to tithe. First, the temple must exist. This hasn’t existed in centuries and you cannot substitute the temple with a house of fellowship. Second, tithing was only done by farm or herd owners. If the tithe was redeemed, meaning paid with cash, there was a 20% surcharge to discourage this practice. Third, the tither must be a resident citizen of Yisra’el. Most people live nowhere near Yisra’el, let alone own any type of farm land or herds. However, the real problem is where are you going to give your tithes since there is no temple and the Levitical priesthood was transferred to the Messiah?
As for the Messiah, whose Name is really Yahushua in Ibrit, He was only confirming the law when he supposedly supported tithing. He came to fulfill the law, yet have you ever read anywhere that Yahushua or even His disciples tithed once in their lives? This is because none of them owned farm land or herds.
Finally, I am not saying you shouldn’t give, but please understand the difference with tithing and giving. Any NT verse(s) relating to giving does not refer to tithing. I’m not saying you can’t determine a tithe percentage as your dedication of giving, because the amount is based on what your heart is led to give, not because some preacher said you have to be obedient (to the preacher and his or her expenses is usually the case). If anyone uses the justification, “Well how else are the bills going to get paid?”, that person has just turned faith into a business and effectively became part of the stigma of why non-believers despise believers as the non-believers perceive believers as greedy financial opportunists that fleece the flock to avoid working. If you have to use an excuse like this to justify tithing, you are no better than the Pharisees that were part of the money changer scheme. They were the ones robbing YAHUAH, not the people.
to mr. dave
the scritpures does not teach to compel anyone to tithe of his income, not even jesus is forcing us to obey him. just remember this thing that God created in us a mind to think freely and never interfere in anyone’s choises made by them, not even adam when he choses to become satan’s property. God had shown only the way to eternal salvation and damnation for the people to choose from. when the covenant was made ratified it is naturaly for both party to become commited on what was stipulated in the cov. the same you will find in the new cov. when jesus spoke of “if you want to enter life keep my commandment”. it can be liken into a contract in which it stipulates the performance and the conditional promises upon performance.
but the tithe was not a part of the covenant. to prove of my claimed can be found in Mal 3:8 “Will a MAN rob God?” the verse does not say Israelites or the Jews but MAN which is in GENERAL form. the same Man can be found in Genesis “Let us make MAN according to our likeness” and therefore excluded from the old cov. that was ratified and recorded in Exodus at very long time span.
so if the old covenant disannulled it does not mean that the tithe will likewise disappear. this is liken as if the tithe exist only as long as human is living. we are bound into it because we belong to a human group or not unless we decladred ourselves as animal where Charles Darwin wrote about his theory of evolution.
some question to be considered:
1. whats the difference between tithe and giving?
tithe is the commandment of God and while giving is an essential element of the holy spirit of God.
the holy spirit of God was rendered as our “comforter” and not to substitute the tithing laws. it empowers our mind to obey the laws heartily.
2. does the tithe cease to exist because the temple was abolished?
it is true that the physical temple has been thrown down and abolished during the siege of the Roman empire. but what was the scripture said:
read the revelation 21:22
v22 ” I did not see the temple in the city, because the Lord God and it’s lamb are it’s temple”.
in some of the writings of Paul (do the research) where you can find that the church of christ is the temple of God and therefore the tithe is entitled to it’s recipient.
3. does abraham give his tenth of his spoil and not considered it as tithe?
according to Hebrew 7:5
“Now the law requires the descendant of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people that is there brothers even though their brothers are descended from abraham.”
…read very carefully of what the remainder of the sentence.
v6 “this man however did not trace his descent from levi, YET he collected a tenth from abraham and blessed him…”
…if Levi’s tenth can be rendered as tithe therefore abrahams tenth can also be rendered as tithe too.
v10 “because when melchizedec met abraham, levi was still in the body of his ancestor”.
what does Paul mean of what he wrote?
Levi wont be able to collect the tenth from abraham because he was not yet born at that time, it was Melchizedec so as not to break this law, performed the same duty as priest in collecting his tenth for God.
4. who is now our Melchizedec?
Jesus occupied the office of Melchizedec and therefore he is now our high priest.(Heb 7:17)
5. there is nothing in the scriptures that Jesus collects the tithe?
the financial of the church is well understood by both the Jews and the Gentiles and never been an issue even in the caiapas trial except the tax of Caesar. Jesus was raised in the custom of the Jews and never want to build his church away from the custom of his fore father.
if you are convinced that is a tenth a not a tithe then tell me where did he based his calculations of tenth? there must be an origin of everything.
Hi Dave,
Very interesting comment you posted there but am a bit curious though with regards to a tenth and a tithe. Please what’s the difference between the two?
Very simply, a tithe is a tax that was required under the law where the farm owner and/or the herd owner gave a tenth of his or her increase to the priests residing in the existing temple while being a resident citizen of Yisra’el. This has nothing to do with 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.
A tenth could apply to anything as it does not mention anything specifically. This can be used to fulfill 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 as well as any other scriptures on generosity.
If you try to call tithing a fulfillment of 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, you are promoting a manipulative and distorted interpretation of this scripture set. Satan is very efficient at twisting scripture, so why play a part in that by promoting tithing when it can’t be performed by anyone now? The temple no longer exists and cannot be replaced with a house of fellowship. Very few if any actually owns farm land and/or herds to tithe from, but there is no temple to bring them to. Most people are not resident citizens of Yisra’el, so even if they were farm and/or herd owners, they are obligated to tithe.
Now, as for another post you made, you are doing the same manipulative tactics and scripture twisting with “choosing not to obey”. Following the Commandments is accurate within itself, but not when you twist the tithing scriptures to modern day Christian interpretation and then go back to the Commandments. As I have expressed, tithing never existed before the law was in effect. Abrahim never tithed as he gave a tenth of the spoils of war to Malkitsedeq (from the Besorah) and the remaining 90% to the people. Ya’aqob vowed to give a tenth of all he had IF he was returned to his father Yitshaq’s house, which happened decades after he made the vow and I don’t remember seeing that he actually paid. In neither case was this a tithe. If you try to use these as examples, then you have to engage in a war and give a tenth of the spoils to your local church and the other 90% to the people, or you make a vow and in 20 years pay a tenth of whatever you have. Otherwise, you are not consistent with your claim that these were the standards of tithing. Try reading the scriptures without the manipulative interpretation of modern day seminary graduates and stop putting a yoke of bondage on people because the “minister” is too lazy to work for his or her own expenses.
you said: “Abrahim never tithed as he gave a tenth of the spoils of war to Malkitsedeq…”
listen to me dave Paul wrote about tithe in Heb 7 and it clarified to us that the tenth abraham gave was indeed a tithe and not just a tenth. melchizedec collect his tentth from abraham was a proof that is obligatory. so there is no way that you could claim that is not a tithe. infact not only did abraham who performed the tithing law but also isaac and jacob.
again if you are convinced that is not a tithe then tell me and to the readers WHERE DID HE BASE HIS CALCULATION OF TENTH? your respond is necessary.
To Willis,
Everything you are saying is the same rhetoric that has been plaguing the body ever since seminary colleges came into existence. Tithing itself had its purpose and had 3 specific requirements in order to be fulfilled. As for Jesus, which isn’t the actual Name of the Messiah in Ibrit as it is a latin-Greek substitution, wasn’t illustrating that all should tithe because you would have to show the scripture references where he said that someone who did not own farm land or herds had to tithe of their wealth. As for Paul, he wasn’t confirming tithing because in chapter 7, there are a number of places he is speaking against tithing. From verse 11, Paul illustrates the necessity of the elimination of tithing and in verse 18, Paul declares, “For there is indeed a setting aside of the former command because of its weakness and unprofitableness, (19) for the Torah perfected naught, but the bringing in of a better expectation, through which we draw near to Elohim.” This is from the Besorah in the book of Ibrim (Hebrews). As for your comment about tithing being from wages, you show the scripture verses to support your claim because I have not seen any evidence to support this.
Your assumption that tithing applies to all your increase is, again, a plagued rhetoric promoted by seminary graduates who seek to build earthly kingdoms rather than promote the reign of YAH (this is the actual Name of the Creator). As for the Name of the Messiah, it has been said that Yeshayah is His Name because it actually means savior.
So in closing, instead of holding on to a dead ideology, try studying the topic with neutrality as I have and you will discover that tithing no longer has a place with anyone at this time. If you are justified by the paying of tithing, then you have abandoned grace. With that being said, if you want to use the tithe percentage as the level of generosity according to 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, that is perfectly acceptable. Just stop promoting bondage and start promoting the truth.
I’m going to post for the last time as it is obvious you have no interest in learning anything other than the imprisoning and burdening seminary dogma that has caused those of the faith in the true Creator to be despised and viewed as financial opportunists. I dare to say that you are probably of a group that uses the house of fellowship as a marketplace just by your promotion of an illegitimate function.
Tithing had its purpose and place for a time, but it no longer is necessary as it was a tax that was established at the law. Abrahim is the father of Yitshaq, who is the father of Ya’aqob, who is the father of Lewi, who was given the responsibility of sacrifices for atonement. This is part of what the tithe was for. The other part was to compensate the priests for their tasks as they were not permitted to own property. Another part of the tithe was that the poor received the tithe and NEVER paid it as they had no farm land or herds to tithe from. All I can say is you need to read Ibrim (Hebrews) chapter 7 and Shaul (Paul) clearly explains that tithing is no longer necessary.
If you want to keep promoting a distorted message about tithing, you will be under the greater condemnation for teaching unscriptural messages. Did you know that construction of buildings was never in the plan for witnessing? Just remember the transfiguration of Mosheh and Eliyahu and where Shimon (Petra) declared that he and the others wanted to build tabernacles for Yeshayah, Mosheh and Eliyahu, and YAH spoke from the clouds and said, “Listen to him (Yeshayah).” You follow the same distorted message that has caused the people of faith to be despised. Maybe one day you will learn the truth, but I doubt it.
Just a couple of quick comments. The point that so many miss is that we are aiming far too low. To become all legalistic about teaching, preaching and following a OT 10% tithe is primarily a western church concept and too often creates 10% Christianity. “I’ll give 10% of my $ and live by that same standard in the rest of my Christian life…. 10%.” I find this to fall far shy of the NT expectation of 100%. While the good servant knows to save seed from the harvest to plant for the coming year(s), he must never forget that none of the harvest is ever truly his. This holds true if the master gives him permission to use/invest all of it. As believers, if we truly believe that God is our sole source of supplication, we must also accept that none of what we have is our own but His. All of it!! Oh, that we would choose to live in sacrificial, obediant relationship rather than the bondage of the law! “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1)
To the lady whose church was insisting on attendance at midweek meetings and practice and also on legalistic tithing (and everyone who calls themselves a christian) may I offer this comment. Why is your church not helping you? The world will know we are christians by our love- this means looking out for and after each member of the body of Christ. When I see a need like yours, I find out what we can do to help and I ask others to give what they can-perhaps babysitting to give you time to study so that you can give back to your church by participating in the choir if that is what God is calling you to do. I have been in some of the smallest congregations where we would love each other with actions. Why is it that large churches ignore the command of God to look after the widows and children. Jesus was mocking the pharisees when He commented on all that the widow had put in to the offering plate. Jesus gave us His all and expects us to give up our life and our will to follow Him. Forget the word tithe- give a freewill offering of the first ten percent of what God has blessed you with and I guarantee that your attitude will change for the better- God promises that we reap what we sow- if we sow blessing (not legalism) we will reap many more nlessings (doesn’t necessarily mean material riches). Bless You in His name
I have been tithing for about six years when we first got saved we didn’t cause didn’t seem to ever have the money then we made are self have the money and now its easy to give it because we seem to have it plus more and we never need anything we always have what we need plus more thank you g0d and I think we always just had one excuse after another what is 10% for GOD done for me and mine he has made sure we have had jobs food on are table clothes on are backs and he takes care of my kids and my first grand baby GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD.
Don’t “tithe” : you can still be saved and blessed
“Tithe” : be blessed through your demonstration of faith
I think “tithe” is a word that needs reframing. A “tithe can come in many forms, including time and money. It’s a matter of contribution to His kingdom. Are you contributing or are you sitting on the sidelines?
Speaking for myself, I don’t tithe. Nobody can honestly “tithe” because that practice was tied directly to the Levites as the ONLY authorized people to collect it. Besides, the tithe was ONLY crops and livestock. The stark ignorance of the “christian” masses is astounding, to say the least. I wish more people would educate themselves about the tithe rather than remain parrots of the status quo..
Bob, one other thing about tithing that has bothered me for some years is that, for most (if not all) who do it, that portion (tithe) is the largest and primary portion of their monthly giving handed over to institutional church organizations.
In most cases, doing so means that the largest portion of those people’s giving is absorbed by facility expenditures, with only the leftovers utilized for meeting the needs of fellow believers and those in the local community. In other words, the largest portion of those people’s giving is used for the support of dead buildings and real estate moreso than meeting the needs of people, such as what we see in the NT account of what was laid at the apostle’s feet.
Nowhere do we see an example of modern practices in the NT, and yet it’s justified in most people’s minds without question because the giver is reaping direct benefit from their own giving (so-called). How can anyone call that giving when the giver reaps direct benefit from their own “giving”?
Giving to the beggar on the street corner was true giving because the giver didn’t benefit anything back on this earth apart from what treasure he stored in Heaven.
Additionally, the OT tithe had nothing whatsoever to do with the monetary wages of wage earners, and yet people of all walks of life continue to draw lines of parallel as if there’s some anchor in the OT texts for what’s being done today. Even Abraham’s tithe has no other parallel in scripture where the percentage of spoils is concerned. Israel never at any time practiced what Abraham did. We have no idea what Jacob ended up doing, where he gave it, who received it, or anything else apart from pure speculation and assumption.
So, I’m left wondering why so many continue to try and tie modern “tithing” to that of the OT. Our FIRST priority should be as it was in the NT examples of giving. 100% of what they gave went for the meeting of needs, not for communal facilities and lawn care. The NT texts show us God’s priority in giving, and yet modern church organizations teach and practice that which is a complete reversal of God’s exemplified priorities.
Just some thoughts.
Don
I hope there can be some healthy discussion on this topic.
Don, just wanted to say I totally agree with your comments. As Treasurer for my church for many years, I was not happy how some of the money was spent. We still give to our church but not what my husband & I used to give. We now send it to build churches in Haiti, feed the children, etc. and do so through an organization that I know is top rated for where the funds go. We also give to families in our community. I feel like I’m doing more with God’s money in these ways than giving to the church. Most people would not have a clue exactly how the money is spent even though they see an annual report. It doesn’t give a line by line item cost. Until God shows us differently, we will continue to give monetarily as we are. We do title our time to the church and I do believe it’s more than money we title.
Sherri, it’s my hope the Lord continues to bless you as you continue to seek giving to something that benefits others rather than to lavish it back upon yourselves, as is the traditional practice within institutionalized religion. Spiritualizing the robbery of God by handing over to something from which we all benefit isn’t giving at all, it’s paying one’s membership dues. Keep up the GENUINE giving, and may the Lord continue to bless you and yours.
The holy Spirit has been reminding me about tithing. I used to tithe. At this point, I can barely make ends meet, but I feel like giving it all because He’s done so much for me. I used to change the radio station when the hosts starting collecting money for the station, but why shouldn’t I be a part of what has kept me going many days?! Sometimes our bowels of compassion are blocked by our unwillingness to give financially to spread the gospel. When God’s love flows in but not out of our lives, we run the risk of becoming stagnant in our worship through giving.
Very interesting comment you posted there but am a bit curious though with regards to a tenth and a tithe. Please is it better to help the needy and the ophans, with then poor or to give a tenth to the church? We cannot justify paying tithes in this new dispensation because Abraham did so! There are many other things that Abraham did that we have decided not to follow because we label them as Old Testament practices. Everything Abraham did, he did before the law: animal sacrifice, circumcision, tithing (a one time event) etc. So we can well argue that animal sacrifice is compulsory for the church today because it had been a standard practice from the beginning. Abel did it, Noah did, Abraham did it, Isaac did it, Jacob did it and the list goes on. They definitely did it before the law was introduced. However, we do seem to forget that our relationship with God in this new dispensation is completely different from the relationship God had with Abraham. Our relationship with God in the new testament is by Grace but in the old testament is by the law.
Hi Bob, outstanding post. I completely agree with all that you said. I usually read all the post before adding my comments but I didn’t want to get into a debate with anyone. My husband and I have tithe in the past and then we stopped tithing for awhile for several reasons that I won’t go into here. Please note that it wasn”t because we weren’t being blessed when we were tithing. These blessings seemed to gradually diminish after we stopped tithing. We are tithing again and I can tell you that it is certainly God’s plan so that He can (and will) open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so great that you can’t contain it. We are being blessed in amazing ways. Both financially and spiritually. I am not saying that we are rolling in dough. We have debt and my hours at work have been cut twice this year but God continues to provide. He is meeting all our needs and our bill are getting paid. If anyone disagrees, simply do as it says in Malachi, try Him and see.
I just wanted to add that the decision to start tithing again coincided with my first reduction in hours at work. My husband and I were just making our bills when I was working full-time but we decided to trust God and tithe. He provided. Then three months later came the second reduction in my hours. We continued to tithe and He continues to provide. Would we still be saved if we didn’t tithe? Absolutely! But God wants to bless us and stretch our faith. Stepping out in faith and trusting Him by tithing opens the door to blessings that you wouldn’t otherwise see. Now, don’t get it twisted I’m not saying you won’t be blessed if you don’t tithe ( however, you should give something of your substance into the kingdom) but you will experience greater blessings, in this life and the next, if you do.
For me personally, when I started tithing regularly, that is when I started to become more financially blessed, and at the same time I stopped worrying about my bank account. The stress of worrying whether I will have enough money has seemed to completely dissipate permanently, not out of naivete, but out of complete and utter faith. And that is a gift in it of itself. Peace of mind.
Lisha, many people have been blessed whether they hand over to institutionalism a tenth of their wages, or none at all. We’re talking about a Lord who looks upon the heart, not what we do with our wallets.
Additionally, may I say to you that handing over the primary portion of your monthly giving to an organization from which you personally reap direct benefit isn’t “giving” in the purest sense. When giving to the poor, we reap no earthly benefit from them or anyone else as a result. What we give to them is gone, and the reward is stored up in Heaven. That’s not the case with “church” buildings and their expenditures.
So, if you want to talk about TRUE “giving”, then we can do that, but calling a spade a club does tend to stretch the truth beyond the bounds of….well, Truth.
So, is it love that preachers lie and deceive people by brainwashing them with the “law of the tithe,” putting people under condemnation and guilt, hindering their confidence in the Lord, all for the benefit of enriching themselves.
Are you really ignorant of God’s condemnation of this behavior in both the old and new covenants?
Of course you are, because you have been brainwashed also.
Remember what brainwashing is. It’s repeating the same thing over and over and over and over and its effect is to change the belief of the one listening AGAINST LOGIC, REASON AND TRUTH.
Is it love to NEVER allow an open discussion in any church on tithing?
Is it love to harp on tithing incessantly and dishonestly and NEVER tell people that the tithe was to provide for the Levites and therefore ALL the Jewish Believers in Jesus, CONTINUED TO TITHE to the Levites?
Is it love to understand and know these things and knowing and understanding the purpose of the tithe IS the reason NO JEW EVER EVEN SUGGESTED that Gentiles tithe?
Is it love to read Galatians 5 and understand that “Christ will profit you nothing” is extremely stern words to give someone for doing something that they’ve been told is “commanded” by God when God has NOT COMMANDED it of New Testament Believers, and thus put them in a position, along with THE REST OF THE CHURCH by yoking them with THE LAW?
I could go on an on and on with things that the preachers have SEEN IN SCRIPTURE AND IGNORED because of the love of money and their REFUSAL to see and believe Jesus’ warning that men CANNOT love God AND mammon.
Your self-righteous copying and pasting of 1 Cor 13 reveals your own brainwashing and your lack of the love of what God’s Word ACTUALLY SAYS.
But, hey, it’s your forum and if you don’t want to be honest, you have that liberty.
Gary, I agree that tithing is a thing of the OT past, and that it never had anything to do with the wages of wage earners like most of us here. Many others don’t know that because they’ve never studied their Bibles closely enough to begin breaking away from all the false teachers they’ve heard over the years of their lives….
….but there’s a better way to get your message out to people without resorting to ad hominem tactics. You’re turning more people away from you than those who will stand and listen. Your testimony is rendered meaningless when you become the one lopping off the ears of your detractors. Your message lacks love and compassion for those stuck in the webs of lies.
Perhaps you will one day learn to travel the higher road…..or not. It’s up to you.
Don
Gary Sellars, you are absolutely correct. I have never seen such a deceitful way of misusing, and twisting selected scriptures of the OT to justify New Covenant tithing. Tithing before the law was not a command of God. Abram was following a custom that was the law of the land from Babylon to Egypt. Tithing under the law was and always will be FOOD….Lev 27:30-34. Monetary tithes was never commanded by God, but by men. God never transferred his food tithe to a monetary tithe. That was orchestrated by men aproximately 5-600 years after the cross, and after the destruction of the Temple and the Storehouse. The Levitical priesthood ended AD 70. The first 3-400 years after the cross Christianity was outlawed. There was no tithe being taught. Around the year AD 700 church leaders ignored God’s Word, and brought in tithes, still only produce but started allowing money to be tithed. The RCC used the alms excuse to justify the lie of purgatory, when people would give money for priests to pray on behalf of their departed loved ones. It is only here after the 1800’s that churches made it a law that money is to be tithed, to support full time pastors etc. This is the history of the church and tithing. What we have today is a modern day scandal of tithes abuse in the New Covenant Church. Tithe teachers have deceitfully used God’s Word for financial gain. If they would be honest, and study the Word of God regarding tithes OT, versus free giving from the NT, they will truly be blessed by God. New Covenant teachings of support for God’s work, widows, poor and needy is to be found in 1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8-9; Gal 6:6; Phil 4:15-20 is how to give freely, generously, sacrificially, frequently, supportively and equalitively.
John Wesley opposed tithing.
He was even opposed to the idea that 10% was a “good starting point” for Christian giving, as he was opposed to using ANY numeric formula to determine giving.
Your quoting of Wesley gives the impression that he would have supported your position on tithing. He would not have, and it is improper for you to give people that impression (even inadertantly).
You should either remove the Wesley quote, or add a note to it explaining that Wesley opposed tithing.
Part of my upbringing was to believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. With this in mind, I have at times in my life felt blessed on and off, no matter whether I was tithing or not. I can honestly say that in my life, I have been more richly blessed when I have consistently given back with a cheerful heart. This did not always mean money in the bank, but things always seemed to work out.
I also do not qualify for low income because my salary is too high yet I have struggled over the years to get beyond living paycheck to paycheck. With that said, I made a push to go back to school a year and half ago and ended being approved for a board of governors fee waiver that paid all my tuition and fees the entire year and a half! Not only did this happen, but I “made money” going to school. One caveat to this is I felt like God was calling me to go back to school, so if that’s the case, then of course its going to work out…I just don’t think it would have worked out so well if I had not been faithfully giving to further His kingdom.
Lastly, I also started to keep track of my daily blessings when I was tithing and when I was not. I still had blessings coming in even though I was not tithing, but it was nowhere near the amount or consistency of seeing the blessings when giving. Just food for thought for others reading this.
James, the sense of accomplishment and blessing when doing what others expect of us is indeed a strong, human tendency. It’s part of our makeup because we want to belong.
It’s always easier to fall into lock-step with others around us than to walk that seemingly lonely road of obedience to the Lord. The power of suggestions hammered out each week from pulpits is enough to sometimes make us see what really isn’t there.
It’s a known fact that giving has an effect upon the human psyche. We see things differently, which includes lack. When I’ve looked upon the poor in Africa, living in grass huts while having to hunt each day for their meals, there was also joy and happiness. They still smiled and played at times. They didn’t even know they were poor in relation to the financially wealthy in the world. Poverty was simply the state within which they sought and found joy. It wasn’t a joy of being impoverished. They simply didn’t realize their poverty. They didn’t let it get them down.
We, by that same reasoning, when we do what economically seems orrational, will make subconscious adjustments in our other spending habbits, which will compensate for what we gave elsewhere, and therefore seem like greater blessing from God. Sometimes it is God, sometimes not.
However, the all too common tendency toward thinking that a disregard for practicing proper priorities in our giving will somehow escape God’s notice on Judgement Day is indeed a horrible reality among so many who claim to love God and His word. Those who think that handing over to institutional church organizations the primary, largest portion of their giving will somehow store up treasure in Heaven are in for a rude awakening! Many people have great “blessing” on this earth who live disobediently, and they will assume that the material blessings they are reaping is from God in spite of their disobedience to His word.
The Lord clearly expects us to FIRST see to the needs of people BEFORE the needs of dead buildings and professional hirelings with theological cemetary degrees hanging in their offices. Anyone can claim to be “called to the ministry”, and yet the acid test for that clearly shows that they are nothing but pawns to the status quo! When they fil to teach God’s priorities in giving, they disqualify themselves from being TRUE servants in ministry of and to the Most High God and His people. They are liars and thieves!
Does that seem harsh an unloving? Look at what the Lord called the religious leaders 2000 years ago….
Don
Guys tithing is a matter of the heart.If you are convicted by God’s word that you should tithe so as to help his Kingdom on Earth and then by all means do so.
I f you are not convicted then God bless you too.Please read Romans 14 – it has so much wisdom regarding not only food or drink by also anything that acts as a stumbling block for us believers.I especially like Romans 14:23 “… for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
If you think and are convicted that tithing is good then by all means tithe – if you not convicted that do not do so…But please whatever you choose – do so in faith and do not make it a “stumbling block” for other believers.
Having said what I have above – please pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide on the above.
Having read other comments I would like say that what harm is there in tithing – It will help in advancing the Kingdom of God on Earth!
Luke 12:34
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I believe that you will tithe because you want to lay treasures for yourself in heaven.I would seriously have a look at my heart attitude if I was opposed to tithing.
Can our tithe go to the needs of others, if God puts in our path a person that needs help, can we use our tithe on that person? After all the Church is the believers in Christ, not a building….
The old n new doesn’t talk about “Wages”.
All they talk about is animals and things.
I do believe in tithing and I do give. But the question is; we have to teach the truth about the wages. in the NT it’s not clear about wages. This has come to me from people questioning it?
Well written Bob! I have been a Christian since I was young and yet only tithed faithfully for the past 7 years (I’m 46 now). What has most changed for me is that tithing is a heart thing now – that’s why I do it. Before, I saw it more as a biblical law and sadly it was just another list of do’s and don’ts that I didn’t want to do.
I also have read The Blessed Life by Robert Morris and heard him preach on the subject and that has really helped put things into perspective for me. I would definitely recommend it for anyone struggling with seeing it as a law and not a blessing.
Tithing is still relevant today. I tithe personally and have proven God’s blessings. I strongly believe those blessings came about because of tithing. We cannot out give God. He is our provider and just by giving one-tenth back to his service shows our love and appreciation for Him.
Bob,
You have a lot of comments here, but let me add a few thoughts of my own:
1. Christians should give cheerfully, as they are able. But Christian giving is no more tithing than Sunday is the sabbath. Taking old testament laws and applying them to the new testament church is a mistake. It breeds confusion, and allows people to “spiritualize” law keeping.
2. Before the OT law was given to Moses, there were 2 mentions of tithing, but neither correspond to NT giving. Abraham did give a tithe (tenth) to Melchizedek, but it was tithes from the spoils of war after killing Chedorlaomer and the other kings that kidnapped Lot. And the other 90% he refused to keep for himself, but rather gave them to the king of Sodom. It was a one-off event, and certainly not a model of NT giving.
The second was in Gen 28, where after having a dream Jacob tries to make a bargain with God, saying if God keeps him safe, and gives him food and clothing, then Jacob will give back a tenth of everything God gives him. Again, trying to barter with God is not an example of NT giving.
3. From then on the tithing talked about in the OT was under the law, for Israel in the land. The land was divided by tribe, but the tribe of Levi didn’t get a portion of the land because God was taking them to be his priests. So in Lev 27 the tithing was specifically said to be a tenth part of the increase from the land – animals that were born there, and crops that grew there – to be given to the priests & Levites because they didn’t get a section of land to raise their own crops and herds.
4. OT tithing was not money – it was a tenth of the crops & herds. At the end of Lev 27 God says if there is an animal or part of the crops that are supposed to go to him, people are not allowed to give Him money instead. The tithe – which is clearly a separate thing that goes to the Levites – can be redeemed for money if there is a particular animal or crop that the giver wants to keep, but they will have to pay 20% more than it is worth, because He wants them to give the animals and crops, not money.
5. There is no mention of tithing being anything other than crops or animals that came from the land God gave them. Fishermen did not tithe a tenth of the fish they caught. No one tithed from their wages.
6. In Deut 14:22-26 God commands the Israelites to bring the tithes to the place he prescribes, and share them with him. But if it is too far for them to travel (especially since they would be bringing animals and crops), they can sell the tithes and then use the money to buy whatever they are lusting after – food, wine, or strong drink – and then consume it right there with their family as a celebration before God. Somehow I’ve yet to hear a rousing sermon on taking your tithe money and throwing a kegger instead of bringing it to church a la Deut 14.
7. The only NT mentions of tithing is by Jesus to the Pharisees, recorded in Mat 23 and Luke 11. Notable from that is that a) He is talking to Israelites in the land living under the OT law, and b) He affirms that it was right for them to tithe herbs (crops). But He in no way talks about the tithe being for believers, or being money. And while Jesus does pay money for the temple tax for Himself and Peter (or cause to be paid, from a coin taken from a fish by Peter), it is not a tithe. There is no record of Jesus or any of the disciples (most whom were fishermen) ever tithing.
As I stated initially, Christians should give generously. And if they feel that 10% is the right amount, then give 10%. But don’t call it a tithe, because in biblical terms it is not.
– Steve
Great article. To me, Jesus’ words on “not neglecting the former” is a clear instruction on Tithing. I will be honest to say that I have been tithing against net income and tax refund, but I am challenged to do what is better which is to tithe against the gross. Also, God has put in my heart to practice first fruits. Do you have an article on this? God bless you.
There is another whole side as to the purpose of tithing and giving of extra funds to support missionaries.
The model of how a New Testament church is to be structured is clear in the New Testament.
According to the NT, churches should all be local, visible, independent and autonomous. That is separate from the next church but walking together with like spirit and doctrine and not a part of a “franchise” like we sometimes see today.
Thus, if a church is run the way the NT explains it should be run, then the only way a church can survive and prosper financially is from the faithfulness of its members, tithing to allow God’s work to be done and supporting of missionaries who have left their home area to establish/run churches in order to reach the lost, which is the “name of the game”, so to speak.
If we apply some logic and say tithing is not necessary and love is enough, then Pastor’s, churches & missionaries would not be able to support themselves and churches would close down. Pastors & missionaries would need to find part-time or full-time work to support their own families & mortgages and that is less time spent reading and teaching the word of God and reaching the lost souls (which is the ultimate purpose) and attending to the flock (feeding the saved people the word of God).
To me it’s apparent that tithing is commanded and that we are “robbing God” of not returning what is rightfully His (all blessings come from Him and when I tithe I am acknowledging this fact).
All that being said, it doesn’t mean tithing is always easy necessarily, in fact it is quite hard and we are tithing out of love and faith. Then again, many aspects of our faith and walk is harder than “normal people or unbelievers”.
Sleep in, brunch and beach on Sunday mornings? Not going to fight that.
10% more income towards savings, investing, upgrading car or buying gadgets? Yes plz.
On the coach Wednesday evenings watching TV instead of Bible study class? Yes sir.
Every week when my wife & I tithe, we are reminded that our wonderful life/marriage is only possible by Him and it’s truly a blessing to give back for His work/glory.
I would encourage everybody to do so at a church that is sound doctrinally.
For me, it is simple.
“Test Me in this,” says the LORD, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Well, I did. The FIRST ten percent went to the Church. Then I took another ten percent and put into a savings account, that I treated like it belonged to God. And I applied the second best advice I have ever received ‘Don’t touch the Principal’. Since then, I have still not touched the Principal, and I have never been without anything.
For instance, when I left Australia, I gave my (old) car to the Church, to give to a family that needed it. When I showed up to my first job overseas, the office had just bought brand-new cars for the heads of offices. Wow. I am just saying…It was not a unique event. I stopped counting the coincidences a long time ago. As strong and dependable as Gravity.
So Tithe or no Tithe. Up to you. But He made a promise. And He never lets go. Ever.
Great overview here. Couple of comments from one who has taught this subject for years and is now going full time with it.. Feel that God put us together for a reason.
#1, The first sacrificial gift based on a % was after the Flood in Noahs gift of 1/7 of all the clean animals. (I know, I just wrote a book about the flood! noahcode .org) God then released the 7 new covenants that altered the life and direction of all mankind for good in Genesis 9. Amazing!
#2, I recently received a shock on this subject after researching the origin of the tithe given in the Law. Quoting from my book, The Masters Way: First Fruits:
This area of First Fruits was a big deal to a Jewish reader, so its worth spending some time discussing so we get the full meaning of its origin. First Fruits relates to an entire feast as spelled out in the Old Testament. In those agricultural societies, the people would often have just enough grain, (counting all the harvests through a given year) to make it to the “first” harvest the year following. This was the spring Barley harvest, a very big deal all across Israel. Take note that the grain from this harvest was used to make the Passover loaf to celebrate this feast in the Temple, a very Holy time and first of all the feasts celebrated throughout a given year in Israel. So First meant first fresh bread also.
There was a specific field chosen near the Temple to be harvested by the Priests, all Israel watching. At this cutting, signal fires were set on all the major hill tops around the country, this to communicate exactly the time when the “holy” field was harvested. When the grain was deemed ready, the Priests crossed over from the temple in great fanfare, cut ten sheaths of barley, dried them and carried them back to the Temple courtyard for “threshing” and milling. Notice the symbolism here as Christ was crucified on this feast day. The flour from this sacrifice was used to make the Passover bread, also in great fanfare, the blowing of trumpets etc.. The First Fruit sheaths were also “wave offered” before milling. As the barley crop represented the end of any potential food shortage in the land and the beginning of feasting, the happy people made great fan fare of this provision from God, offering the “First” of the harvest in thanksgiving for his expected provision in the coming new year all across the land.
#3, The widow mite. I feel that Jesus has never left the court where the widow dropped in her 2 bits, He’s still watching all of us and knows whether we give out of our plenty or faithfully out of a pure heart. see: bible-history .com/court-of-women/the_temple_treasury.html Solomon takes a more positive approach in Proverbs 3:9-10: Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled completely, and your vats will overflow with new wine. Give out of your first, not whats leftover at the end. Gods is not impressed with the leftovers, and the Devil is having a good laugh over it.
#4, Overall, I’ve noticed the only adamant group of anti-tithe “Christians” are those that make a habit of not tithing. The tithe is so simple any child can understand it. Seems that for many adults, its too complicated.
Kind regards and thanks for diving into this one!
Mark Rose
Thanks for sharing Mark!!
Yes, we are saved by Grace through our faith but if we have true faith, then faith will manifest the power to follow and keep God’s commandments. When we do not tithe, the bible says we are stealing from God. If we steal from God, then we show we lack faith due to lack of trust. If we lack faith, can such weak faith save us?
James 2:14 tpt 14 “My dear brothers and sisters, what good is it if someone claims to have faith but demonstrates no good works to prove it? How could this kind of faith save anyone?”
When we tithe properly and consistently, we are demonstrating we possess a saving faith. I’m sorry but tithing is not a matter of the heart. God made it very easy for us. Why is it so hard to let go 10% which belongs to HIM? The bible says the heart is wicked above all things. Why would I want to trust my heart to determine what I will give to God? HE only accepts the sacrifices and works that are HIS. HE does not accept man made sacrifices. He rejected Cain’s offer. Cain’s offer was from his own hand and work. He brought what was his humanistic best.
If our hearts determine what we are going to give to God, then we are saying we are above God and we are Gods as well. This takes us right back to the fall in the Garden. We are again eating the fruit of death which we now can determine and define what is good and evil for us.
Jesus spoke about money a great deal but the Pharisee mocked HIM. Money competes with God. Why did the Pharisees mocked Jesus when HE spoke about money? The bible explains. Many Christians who mock the teaching of proper tithing do the same. They mock because they are lovers of money.
Luke 16:14 TPT “Now, the Jewish religious leaders who were listening to Jesus were LOVERS OF MONEY. They laughed at what he said and mocked his teachings.”
Why do carnal Christians mock certain teachings? If I tell Christians we need to keep the 4th commandment HOLY because it tells us to REMEMBER to REMEMBER and that we need to go to church on Sundays and not conduct commerce, why would certain Christians have a problem with that teaching? Its because they are lovers of football, baseball, shopping malls, and etc over God. Do you know there used to be what was called “Blue laws” in the east coast before commerce started to open weekends and now 24 hours defiling Lord’s Day?
The bible says we are to Love our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. What is the definition to LOVE God? The bible says we LOVE HIM when we obey HIS commandments. Grace saves us through our faith but when we follow and keep HIS commandments, it proves we have faith. Those who have faith will strive to do Father’s Will! Lets not sugar coat the teachings of God’s Word. God bless
Matthew 7:13-14 “Come to God through the narrow gate, because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road! 14 The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to eternal life—so few even find it!”
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the realm of heaven’s kingdom. It is only those who persist in doing the will of my heavenly Father. 22 On the day of judgment many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, don’t you remember us? Didn’t we prophesy[j] in your name? Didn’t we cast out demons and do many miracles for the sake of your name?’ 23 But I will have to say to them, ‘Go away from me, you lawless rebels! I’ve never been joined to you!’
Please permit me Pastor Steve to address just a few good important questions and/or comments you raised here using the KJV,
James chapter 2 is primarily about brotherly love, and faith requiring works. If together we can look at James 2:14 in context, we find that vs.1-13 refer to how we should not have respect of persons, as our Lord, because He points out that we treat those for example, with a status of wealth or prestige differently than those who are without it. He gives us an example about how we welcome those who come to our ‘assembly’ appearing in ‘fine apparel’ vs those in ‘poor’ apparel, which is akin to how many churches today have Reserved VIP seating areas, where only those of influence are aloud to sit ‘in a good place’ upfront, and those without it, are asked to sit behind them. v.4 ask: Don’t we then become partial, and judges in ourselves ‘with evil [prideful] thoughts’? And then in vs. 5-7, we are reminded of how ‘God’ has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He has promised to them that love Him. He also reminds us of how many of us are treated likewise by the rich, who position us [those with less] under their judgement, and they also ‘blaspheme that worthy name by which we are called’. v.8 SAYS: ‘If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love thy neighbor as thyself, you do well. (Still clearly focused on love for neighbor here.)
v9-11 THEN HE WARNS:
BUT IF YOU HAVE RESPECT OF PERSONS, YOU COMMIT SIN, AND ARE CONVICTED OF THE LAW AS TRANSGRESSORS. (This is not speaking of OT tithing/non-tithing, but directly as to how we view and treat our neighbor, under the royal law composed of 2 commandments in the NT covenant) v.10 FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL KEEP THE WHOLE LAW, AND YET OFFEND IN ONE POINT, HE IS GUILTY OF ALL. (This is in reference to the OT law, with 613 commands concerning tithing, specific treatment of neighbor and more) v.11 FOR HE THAT SAID, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, SAID ALSO, DO NOT KILL. NOW IF YOU COMMIT NO ADULTERY, YET YOU KILL, YOU ARE BECOME A TRANSGRESSOR OF THE LAW.
v12 ‘So’ HE ADVISES:…
SO SPEAK, YOU, AND SO DO, THEY THAT SHALL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW OF LIBERTY. v.13 FOR HE SHALL HAVE JUDGMENT WITHOUT MERCY, THAT HATH SHOWN NO MERCY; AND MERCY REJOICES AGAINST JUDGMENT. [\o/ Praise God for the law of liberty under the NT that we shall speak and do! We were saved by His love grace and mercy (not works). If Christ now abides within us, and we, in Him, we ought to see that shown among us toward our neighbor in the ways of compassion and mercy like that shown towards the wounded Jew, by the Good Samaritan, for example, in Lk.10, with no respect of persons. Because of this, our love, one to another shall identify us. The Lord said in His Word they will know us by our love.]
It is in This context, of loving thy neighbor…
WE ARE ASKED:
v.14 WHAT DOES IT PROFIT, MY BRETHREN, THOUGH A MAN SAY HE HAS FAITH, AND HAVE NOT WORKS? CAN FAITH SAVE him? [MAKE WELL HIM, alone, as it is to come with works – using Greek definition for ‘save’.] **He answers this in vs. 17, 24, and 26.
Like any Good Teacher….
HE THEN GIVES US AN EXAMPLE: (of works to clarify what He means)
v.15 IF A BROTHER OR SISTER BE NAKED, AND DESTITUTE OF DAILY FOOD, v.16 AND ONE OF YOU SAY UNTO THEM, DEPART IN PEACE, BE YE WARMED AND FILLED; NOTWITHSTANDING, YOU GIVE THEM NOT THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NEEDFUL TO THE BODY, WHAT DOES IT PROFIT? [Clearly, spoken prayer or well wishes e.g. ‘depart in peace and be warmed’, even with faith that those things can happen, simply doesn’t cut it!!! Much like faith with a prayer: that ‘the church or organization receiving my auto-drafted tithe (which is largely given with a turned head and blinded eye), is using it in ways that will help this dear poor soul in need.l. Because if not, that’s all on the receiver of the tithes to give an account to, right?…. Not me the giver because I mean hey, I gave according to the OT law, and I gave from a good place in my heart, and prayed over it, by faith.
Ok. So where still in all this, is mercy SHOWN?….
HE ANSWERS Q. in v.17 EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HAS NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE. v.18 follows with: ‘Yes, a man may say, you have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. and v.19 tells us we do well to believe that there is one God, but that demons believe also, and tremble. [NOTE THE MESSAGE HERE: We do No More than demons do if we believe Only, without works of love, because they too believe, and have no works! Dead faith… puts us in company with the likes of demons…? Now that HE has our attention….]
HE ASKS US A POIGNANT AND PIVOTAL QUESTION:
v.20 BUT WILL YOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD? [Wow. Will we know?…. Will we?….]
To clarify works (with faith) under the NT law of liberty…
HE GIVES 2 EXAMPLES: One a man; the other a woman
v.21 First is: Abraham; His works?: his offering Isaac on the alter (NOTE HERE: it is Not in reference to the tenth he gave Melchizedek, or future tithes of Levi, but a selfless sacrificial offering of his whole son, laying on the alter. His only long awaited son by Sarah. (In manner of God’s Only Begotten.. and under the NT, we are to now offer ourselves a living sacrifice unto God. A ‘living’ faith makes sense.) Father Abraham’s works are in reference to his Following the Will of God, AGAINST his own will (heart), desires (soul), understanding (mind), and what was comfortable (strength) – indeed deeply sacrificial, against what even his own spouse would have likely approved of.. He did this, loving God with ALL his heart soul mind and strength, having and keeping faith in God, His will, His Word and promises to him even through a trying time or situation.
v.22 WE ARE ASKED:
SEE HOW FAITH IS WROUGHT [*HOW FAITH DOES THAT FROM WHICH SOMETHING RESULTS] WITH WORKS [UNTO GOD], AND BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT [*UNCOMMONLY COMPLETE AND IN ABSOLUTE SENSE, OF GOD]? [*in Greek] v.23 Tells us Abraham believed God, and his [living] faith with works was accounted righteousness to him, and he was called friend of God.
v.24 ANSWERS v.14 You see, then , that by works a man is justified [*divinely approved], and not by faith only. [Faith is made perfect by works v.22 because it reaches its end, it’s fullness, and is then made complete.]
v.25 Second is: Rahab who is called a harlot. Her works?: her hiding of Joshua’s spies and helping them escape, saving their lives when the king of Jericho inquired and asked them to be found and to come forth. She hid and covered for them and later professed their God is God. The God who would destroy Jericho. Joshua 2:1-21 [NOTE: Her works are not in reference to tithing either.] Her works are in reference to loving thy neighbor as thyself, and how she risked her own life or well-being for the sake of others; and accommodated them in their need for shelter, with no respect of persons; AGAINST what was sanctioned or popular by her people; what was comfortable or convenient; against uncertainties that she would be spared or get anything back in return, besides being taken advantaged of, but she trusted anyway, that she would receive mercy. Here we see a woman. A woman called a harlot. Not known among the well-respected. Using what little she could do for others, and finding grace of God by acknowledging who He is, while serving those who happened to be HIS chosen. This is a work of faith, and faith with works. There are multiple messages in both illustrations here. But this is: WORKS according to the examples in this chapter.
God blesses us to elevate our level of giving unto such good works; not to just raise our level of living, while those near us are hurting. Certainly there are many good works that require various resources. He knows the needs of all. Perhaps we should know what good works we are tithing to, …or either put our faith and hands with works, as we let God use us to SHOW mercy to others, under the law of liberty. He can do much works with a ‘Yes’ from us, in accordance with the gift of faith.
These works spoken of in James 2 are those that demonstrate our faith before our fellowmen and are evidence of a saved life, by which God can use to get the attention of those who are lost, and minister to them, through His acts of compassion and mercy, performed via us, as His willing vessels of faith and trust in HIM. We say “yes Lord”, HE’ll do the works, if we trust HIM. We don’t have to trust our hearts apart from HIM, who is abiding within, to do the will of God, with all we have, which is given by HIM.
So you also asked 2 other great questions here.
1. Why is it so hard to let go 10% which belongs to HIM? It ALLLLL belongs to Him, and HE should be sought to direct where any and all of it goes, as Lord of our lives. But one reason this may be is because of the way tithing is being taught and used today, outside of intentions for ‘good works’. Another is because it is being taught or reflected in dogmatic judgmental ways under the OT law; or it is being posed somewhat as the ‘carrot’ to get wealth like those wealthy ministers we see who are living ‘the life’, which also consequently works works to keep those tithers tithing. It could also be that people are not given a detailed record always of how their tithes are being used; or how it helped those hurting right there within the flock. There is a communication opportunity within many churches also. When Jesus was here, people openly said things about their needs seeking help. People don’t share as much as quickly these days, and churches don’t appear to ask as much either. So in silence, we tithe for sake of being able to say we did or do, rather than for sake of Showing God’s mercy… In reverse, a question could be asked: Why is it so hard for religious leaders to exhibit a model a little closer to that of Christ’s regarding money and tithing in the NT? The statement that members should give from the right place in the heart, and not care about the tithe after it leaves their hand could also be reversed to ask: Why can’t this risk be one better shared?
You cited: ‘Luke 16:14 TPT “Now, the Jewish religious leaders who were listening to Jesus were LOVERS OF MONEY. They laughed at what he said and mocked his teachings.”’
And you asked: Why do carnal Christians mock certain teachings?
In the TPT version you posted, it refers to “religious leaders” of which the Pharisees were. Here in Luke 16 KJV, we find Jesus talking about 2 different ‘rich men’. He is talking to His disciples, not a multitude, His daily followers. And the Pharisees were indeed listening to all He was telling them. They heard Him talk about Rich man #1, in vs.1-9, who entrusted the dealings of his goods to a steward who wasted them and caused him a loss; a cutoff from what belongs to him.; a severing from what could or should have been, using the Greek definition of ‘wasted’. What he gave him, just gone. Rev. 17, 19 relates that to a loss of eternal life and the lot of those excluded from it; that could have done things for the Kingdom of God, So when asked to give an account of the goods, the ex-steward decides on doing something that will likely get people to take him in, when he’s put out as a steward. He finds people that owe his lord something. He tells them to write a out new bills [repudiations, in Greek] saying they owe 50% and 40% less than what they really do, as a false denial. Perhaps, to validate some reason for discrepancies, and pose a possible chance for his willing participants to pay less, and be willing to care for him in return. His lord finds him guilty but his moves to be wise/’streetsmart’. With the religious leaders still listening, Jesus said, those of the world are wiser than ‘the children of light’. Mt.10:16 tells us to be wise as the serpent, but harmless and gentle as a dove. He tells His disciples to make friends with the mammon [i.e. those with the personified trust in riches, wealth, possessions, money, property, that is opposed to God], that when it fails, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. [‘When’; not ‘if’…. ] And He goes on to talk about how if you are faithful or unjust with little, you will be with much. If you have been unfaithful with unrighteous money or another’s, who will give you true riches or your own? v.13 He announces you cannot serve both God and money. In v.14 it is the religious leaders, those who always wanting more – covetous that mocked him, and He told them that God knows their hearts. They justify themselves before men..are highly esteemed among men, but what is done so of men, is an abomination in the sight of God.
It was not ‘carnal Christians mocking certain teachings’ in this verse. It was covetous religious leaders, those desiring to have more that were mocking this certain teaching of Jesus Christ. And yes, It is because they were/some are LOVERS OF MONEY, as you said.
Re: your comment about the preacher depositing tithe checks made out to him to his account. “So it doesn’t matter if he is stealing from the Church. It doesn’t matter if he is using the funds wisely.”
Judge not. You do not know the circumstances around those checks. I often tithe to people who reveal God’s love or who inspire me to be better, holier, more loving, etc. I believe that when I support those who are sharing God’s word, I am honoring god. In your case, I would have expected that the preacher was receiving tithes meant for him.
Wow. Have really enjoyed reading all the comments from all sides of this issue, especially the background/history and context provided above by: ‘Ldub, Dave, and Tony’. I will continue to seek God on what He says for the concluding Last Word. But here are a few points and questions, with where I am so far..
Thinking we should first separate the conversation into 2 parts, maybe three, by which to more clearly decipher and discuss.
1. ISSUE #1 – Q: ARE THE REASONS AND WAYS TITHING IS BEING USED AND TAUGHT TODAY, BIBLICAL AND ACCORDING TO GOD? Is it being motivated by the love of God and neighbor, or love of money? Is prosperity being subtly or explicitly dangled by preachers to entice giving – led by the desire for material wealth (whether you believe this should matter as a determinant to the giver or not..) What does the ‘survey say’? …
I ask:.. How quickly or often do ministers point us to GRAND scale examples of how tithing is Prosperously advancing the work of God; increasingly caring for our hurting neighbors, widows, children, orphans, poor, or those with infirmities, beginning with those in their flock – as a way to encourage tithing? …as opposed to implied or explicit references/displays of how it results in the gain of material wealth, (Certainly Not advocating for a host of enablers here, but the love and wisdom of God because very thankful Christ didn’t arrive with an inflated: ‘I got mine, now get yours, and tithe’ attitude or message?… How often do we see a striving for a balance of both good works-fruits from tithing and wholistic prosperity from pew to pulpit? If not, what should we see?…
In some churches you wana ask: Is Christ anywhere around here, or ..a Good Samaritan of His nearby? ..because the hungry get fed, the hurting and outcast are made whole, the sick get healed, the troubled get peace, the forgotten get remembered, the humble get exalted, the beaten and broken get compassion and care… when HE’s around..
Is there evidence of love abounding unto good works in Him within our churches from a joyful spirit of giving/tithing? Are there any children in the churches left hungry or without?…. Is this a goal of the churches to know?.. Should the evidence of love compassion faith mercy justice matter with regards to today’s tithing or giving? I say Yes. Because the two were meant to be used together, as presented in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Lk.10:30-37
Let’s look at the example of the HIGHEST PRIEST, the One with ALLL power in His Hands.. HE was born among stinky animals, and rode a donkey…. Yet as the Better, he blessed the less Heb.7:7. Still does. See any prosperity ministers driving an econo-car, and lowering their standard of living for the sake of the flock and for yet greater works of God?….because God sacrificed, gave, and still gives…..Yeaaaa. Not so much..? But there are a few by God’s grace, I’m sure. What an example that would be for the multitudes?!!!!…There is certainly nothin wrong with being blessed by God to be:. debt free and comfortably take care of your family. But using the tithe with the intent to manipulate, be self-serving, and in excess, is NOT the picture Jesus Christ painted as our Highest Priest. So somewhere ‘Houston’, we must have a problem..?
This issue of HOW tithing is being mis-presented and used, may be larger than the mere labels we give it of: tithe/tenth/GIVING, or the offering itself, because of the flipped model of wealthy preachers, being served by poor struggling or modest living members. And are those who may go on to guilt, punish, or snub people for not tithing, and charge that to reasons for All their financial/non-financial problems with a sense of self-righteous judgement. THAT is a GREATER issue, because Clearly those ‘WEIGHTIER MATTERS’ of love, mercy, faith, justice aren’t being presented here with the professed Christ-like ‘tither’ who does not represent Him and His love AT ALL! GOD IS NOT PLEASED! HE CALLS THOSE WHO DO THIS HYPOCRITES!!! ..as He did the Pharisee in Mt.23:23, Lk 11:42 So those in the church like the one the young lady is being placed under enforced restrictions for not tithing. appear to have gained this new title by Christ Himself, because it’s wrong to claim likeness for such behavior not of Him. Period. “But they’re [non-tithers are] not carrying their $ load.” some say..You know..you are concerned with the wrong thing, and are completely out of order if That is your outcry! Stay in your lane and tend to your own walk. God can handle His all by Himself. He knows what to do, when and how with each of us. So glad HE does not treat me/us, like the ‘religious’ Christians or Pharisees of today do. How many times might HE have already carried You and your load, out of things caused by your own disobedience? ..So take-it-for-the-team, so as to not hurt the ministry or be called a hypocrite with loveless merciless actions. Your love of Christ could be used to win more givers/tithers on a worst day, than a stank attitude and self righteous judgement could on any good day. The enemy knows just how to turn people away from God. So lies in wait for his friend -‘hypocrisy’ to show up in the church and do much dirty work.. Help Us Father!
Our Highest Priest with All Power in His Hands, came meek, lowly, and humbled, serving others ….had great multitudes following Him, but was The Giver to them in multiple ways. His disciples are not recorded as tithing, even tho this was before He was crucified and fulfilled the law, simply because The Fulfiller of the law was With them. HE lived life here on earth as an Ultimate Giver of many things, in many ways, as a default position. This is His example of living a love-filled life.
2) ISSUE #2 WHAT WAS, AND NOW IS THE TITHE, AND ITS PURPOSE? Obviously the tithe WAS NOT money but spices, grains, herds. Some say it was equivalent because that is what was used as currency then. I don’t know. I just know that it was for the Levite priests who had no land to live on, and those who were poor and in need. In Mal. it was for food (‘meat’) in the storehouse as that was the biggest need of the time for people. Today, ironically, the need is more than just food, in the land of plenty. When I was a girl growing up in rural Amer. I remember we would have full course pot luck dinners at the church. Everyone and their families would feast. Does this mean if I’m hungry without the means to get food, I should at least be able to get some, or some help to get food at church? Funny. Seems there is often more emphasis on Getting the tithe, than on how it’s said to be used when hearing this verse mentioned.
I notice in the New Testament, ‘tithe’ appears only 7 times and in only 3 books. Interesting… Anyway, the first two times, it is Christ referring to the precisely-tithing Pharisee as a hypocrite! Mt. 23:23; Lk.11:42
THE NT MESSAGES ARE THAT:
1. Tithing without Christ abiding LOVE, is/was hypocrisy.
2. HUMILITY without tithing is better than boastful precision-tithing. With humility, you are divinely approved or justified over self-exaltation and tithing which does not justify you.
In Heb. 7 – God ties the OT tithing with NT tithing to show relationship and tell us what He wants us to know about how, what, to whom, and why to tithe/give:
v. 1 Melchizedek BLESSED Abraham [put him in position to receive favor] BEFORE he gave him a tenth of the spoils from battle. We, from the foundations of the world, are BLESSED in this way by Christ BEFORE ever giving anything unto Him.
v.2 Abraham gave him a tenth of ALLLLLLL. Melchizedek’s name means King of righteousness, He was King of Salem (or of Peace). Christ, after the order of Melchizedek who is Holy Righteous, Prince of Peace, having no beginning or end either, is who we are to now offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to, as a reasonable service unto God, in ALLLLLLL things, not just tithing/giving of money or time, but All parts of who we are and our lives, by putting Him first as Lord of our lives.
v3 Tells us Melchizedek (who received the tenth) was made LIKE UNTO THE SON OF GOD – ever abiding. Christ our Lord, whom we submit All ourselves unto, orders and directs our lives, and IS the ever ABIDING SON OF GOD, who we are to abide in, and who is to abide in us as believers. And our Love one to another is what bears evidence of that.
v.4 Stresses how SPECIAL this person was, and WORTHY of consideration because even Abraham CHOSE TO WILLINGLY GIVE ‘a tenth’ of spoil to him who was of no relationship to him. Christ is more than WORTHY and SPECIAL to us, because by His mercy He saved us, not by our works. He who was sinless, separated from us who were sinFUL, was of no relationship to us, did save us according to Titus 3:4-8, through washing by a new birth, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ. He , justified us by His grace, made us heirs of eternal life. Nothing was of our own works. 8) We should WILLINGLY CHOOSE TO GIVE unto God ourselves, through Jesus Christ who was the first fruits offered of us, unto God.
v5 Stresses how this act TRANSCENDS THE LAW AND RELATIONAL BOUNDARIES because giving and taking of the ‘tithes’ by the Levites who are from the loins of Abraham (‘tithe’ is used here instead of ‘tenth’) are to be done only between brethren, though their patriarch Abraham did not give a tenth to brethren, but to priest of the Most High God who happen to ‘meet’ him on the way from battle. This type of giving begins unto a Christ-like figure in the OT, and ends being given unto Christ Himself, in the NT, Through Christ, God gave the promises also unto all the Gentiles, TRANSCENDING THE LAW AND RELATIONAL BOUNDARIES. The parable of the Good Samaritan shows giving that transcends these boundaries between the Samaritan, who had compassion and mercy, and attends to needs of a robbed, wounded, exposed Jew left half dead that he happens to meet up with.. If we are to give willingly to a worthy Christ who is our High Priest, then where do we find Him? In the hearts of men according to Eph.3:17 Man then is the temple. Love God with all.., and thy neighbor as thyself when you ‘meet’ up with one in need, as the Good Samaritan did, When you have compassion and mercy, you are moved to show it in helping those in need, beit friend, foe, brother, stranger etc. or not, as unto God. Christ’s Mercy and Compassion wthin you, compels you to give unto God by helping the poor, widows, children; and/or supporting good works of God done at a church, organization, etc for His Kingdom, regardless of these boundaries or the law.
v.6 Tells us Melchizedek RECEIVED TITHES (tenth not used here) from Abraham and he BLESSED him [extended his grace/benefits] WHO HAD THE PROMISES. (Doesn’t tell # of times, but it appears multiple because ‘tithes’ is plural) Christ’s, by His death and resurrection, WE WHO HE RECEIVES AS LIVING SACRIFICES, ALSO HAVE OBTAINED THE PROMISES, and are NOW BLESSED [extended His Grace and benefits] with a New Covenant, salvation unto eternal life, the Holy Spirit, etc. and live under the universal principle of seed time and harvest – sowing and reaping, which is for as long as the earth remains. In this way, we are blessed to be a blessing. This power to prosper in various ways, through sowing different types of seeds and reaping harvests in different ways, is not given us to excessively increase our own level of living, while those nearby are hurting. It is to increase our level of giving, and what we have to give, to help those in need with the love of Christ.
***NOTE: v. 7 ‘And without all contradiction {dispute; rebellion; contrary conclusions which closely “correspond,” but in an opposite way-in Greek} the less is blessed of the better’. Melchizedek was the BETTER who blessed Abraham, the LESS.. The blessing received by Melchizedek was better than any that could possibly be bestowed by another man equal to Abraham, as is the blessing upon us from Christ. No man or earthly high priest has what the Lord possesses and cannot bless us better. This model of ‘the less is blessed of the better’ should be standard pattern followed and exhibited by Christ-like people, abiding in Him. But in some churches it seems ‘an opposite way’ exist that is: ‘the better is blessed of the less’. Christ IS the BETTER. We are the LESS. He has blessed us with an unmerited new and better covenant, and fulfillment of the law. Abiding in Him, and He in you, and allowing Him to be Lord of all parts of your life by faith means He is sure to lead you [ hence, order your steps] to do things that will ‘prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ Rom.12.2… not just in the way of giving/tithing, but in all areas of life, as you journey through it, if allowed.
v. 8 Tells us here men who die receive our tithes, but there He (Christ) does, from those of us it is witnessed that he lives. v. 9 The author speaks by permission to say that the Levites in the loins of Abraham, then paid tithes to Abraham, v.10 because they were in him when he met Melchizedek. This would suggest that perhaps those of us it is witnessed that Christ lives, who pay tithes to Christ, do so in a way that is also accounted unto those other generations to come after us, and from our loins, as our seeds are blessed and we raise each generation under the admonition of the Lord.
IN SUM, WE SHOULD GIVE OUT OF LOVE BY FAITH, JUSTICE AND MERCY, LEST WE ARE HYPOCRITES.. WE SHOULD HAVE HUMILITY WHICH IS BETTER AND DIVINELY APPROVED OVER SELF-EXALTED TITHING.. NOW BEING UNDER GRACE, WE WERE BLESSED BY CHRIST BEFORE WE EVER GAVE ANYTHING. WE ARE TO THEN OFFER CHRIST OURSELVES AS LIVING SACRIFICES, AND AS OUR REASONABLE SERVICE. NOT 10% OF US, BUT 100% AND SHOULD BE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, AS TO OUR GIVING/TITHING AND ALL THINGS AS WE HAVE OFFERED OUR FULL SELVES UNTO HIM, AS OUR LORD. AND THE STEPS OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD. HE WILL LEAD US WHEN TO GIVE WHAT WHERE AND HOW MUCH. WE ARE GIVING OURSELVES TO THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD WHO IS MORE THAN WORTHY OF OUR LIVING SACRIFICE, THAT HE MAY ABIDE IN US ON THE EARTH TO DO THE FATHER’S WILL. WE SHOULD WILLINGLY VOLUNTARILY AND JOYFULLY WANT TO DO & OFFER OURSELVES TO DO HIS WILL IN ALL THINGS. AND *REMEMBER: THAT OUR GIVING TRANSCENDS THE LAW AND ALL RELATIONAL BOUNDARIES. WE HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST’S EXTENDED BENEFITS UNDER GRACE. BECAUSE OF SEED TIME AND HARVEST, WE SHALL REAP THE DIFFERENT SEEDS WE SOW IN VARIOUS HARVESTS AND BE BLESSED AS THE ONES NOW HAVING THE PROMISES ALSO. REMEMBER ‘THE LESS IS BLESSED OF THE BETTER’. HEB.7:7 TITHING AND GIVING MAY TRANSCEND GENERATIONS. OBEDIENCE IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE. WHEN WE HEAR AND OBEY HIS VOICE, WE ARE BLESSED. HE SHOULD ABIDE IN US, AND WE IN HIM WHO IS LOVE, WE ARE TO BEAR WITNESS OF HIS LOVE, WHICH IS FULL OF MERCY AND COMPASSION. PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW US BY OUR LOVE, ONE TO ANOTHER. GIVE AS YOU ARE SO LED – CHEERFULLY WILLINGLY VOLUNTARILY SACRIFICIALLY EXPECTANTLY, 2COR.9:7 10:8; 8:2 AS UNTO CHRIST. CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, BUT LET US KEEP FOCUS ON THE ‘WEIGHTIER MATTERS’ TOGETHER WITH OUR GIVING UNTO GOOD WORKS, ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
THINK IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER WHO OR WHERE YOUR TENTH OR TITHE GOES, LIKE ABRAHAM. HE CHOSE TO GIVE HIS TENTH TO KING OF RIGHTEOUS, KING OF PEACE. HEB.7 STRESSES THIS POINT PERHAPS BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT FACTOR, AND NOT JUST SAY IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER AT ALL BECAUSE IT’S TOTALLY ON THEM AND THEIR HEAR AS THE ONE RECEIVING THE TITHE. BUT AS THE GIVER, THE BIBLE URGES US IN V.4 TO TAKE NOTE, PAY ATTENTION AND CONSIDER WHO IT WAS ABRAHAM CHOSE TO GIVE THE TENTH TO, FOR A REASON.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
That OT
In the NT, I have the Fulfiller of the book of the law within me, who writes His Word upon my heart and if He, who is love, and with the Word, abides in me, and I abide in Him, He leads me, I am compelled to meditate e.g. think and study His Word Day and Night, to observe it by offering myself unto Him as a vessel, for Him to do through me, the will of God the Father, for therein, I shall make my way [my way, road, journey] prosperous [to promote/promotion; to advance/to advancement; successful – in Hebrew] of the Kingdom of God. Promotion of men comes from the Lord. Ps. 75
From My Book, The Masters Way..
Looking to the final chapter’s in the record of Matthew, we find the summation of what we as believers must do to accomplish the purposes of God relating to our finances. With the disciples all around Him, note carefully where the Lord Jesus was sitting when these teachings were spoken. In the 24th chapter Matthew it reads:
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately saying “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3)
The second coming and end time questions posted by the disciples here are huge. As He spoke in response, (this in full view of the massive Temple Complex from the Mount of Olives), the scene was majestic and purposeful. Before them lay the soon location of the Cross, (soon to be mounted over 200ft above the top of the Temple) the culmination of His ministry and four millennia of prophesy. Further, Christ knew that one day He would later descend upon this very place. They also understood this mount was the place where Abraham offered Isaac, and Jewish tradition even claimed that God used the dust of Mt. Moriah (the Temple Mount) to form Adam, making it the most important ground in the entire world. Now of any time they needed to listen intently. So do we..
Nestled within Chapter’s 24 and 25 are found a number of sobering oracles and stern warnings concerning the ultimate consequences every believer must face at life’s conclusion, or, at the “end of the age.” (Vs 3) Interesting that Messiah continues with these words: “Take heed that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:4) Now that gets my attention! Now consider Chapter 24 as a setup for Chapter 25. In 24 He summarizes the Kingdom of Earth and the “end of the age” (Vs 24:3). But in Chapter 25 He switches to the another Kingdom; “Then the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to..” (Vs 25:1) With these words the scene becomes even more serious. Then He starts talking about unthinkable things like “the door was shut” and about people outside crying “Lord, Lord open to us” and shocking statements like “I do not know you!” (Vs 25:10-12) Oh boy! What does this all mean for us today?
He continues: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like..” (25:14) then He switches gears and talks about what you should be doing with your talents or money – not how much you prayed, not how much you served or how much you attended church. No. He goes on for sixteen more verses in this His last and most serious teaching on earth about HOW WE SHOULD HANDLE MONEY. And then horror of horrors, He concludes with the following statement: “and cast that wicked servant into the outer darkness, There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!” (Matthew 25:30) As Matthew 25:14-30 tell us:
“For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. After a long time, the master of those servants came and settled his accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more, His Master answered:
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your Master.”
The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your Master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Vs 30 And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’”
What? Where is our all loving, easy going, grace giving savior guy that came here to forgive sins, heal the sick, and pass out the keys to Heaven like popcorn? What happened to that guy?? Well my friend He’s still here, but I would say that it just might be that Christ Jesus knew the high price He was about to pay over there across that valley, and it was not a cheap one. That in a few hours they were coming to collect Him, drag him into a mock trial, insult and spit on him, drop Him in a holding pit at the High Priests house complete with no facilities. (not the accommodations one would expect for the King of the Universe) Then send Him for a tour around town for more mocking, brutal treatment and flogging, then off to Calvary for a whole different view than what they have now. No, for this sacrifice He’s saying look, I’m about to pay a serious price here, so don’t be wasting your or My resources on foolishness. Be a good steward, I’m giving you all I have, I’m holding back nothing, so here’s My expectation: I’m giving you all these gifts but they come with responsibilities: first they have a time limit and second, I expect you to use them well. Finally, don’t ever forget we’re going to have a little chat when I get back about how you did while I was away. Start-time is the moment you give your life to Me, end-time is when I return or take you home, which ever comes first. So it’s a trade, understood? I don’t think a deep theology is required here. Any child can understand the tithe.. I would never suggest to a new believer that to make God happy they need to dig deep right now. It is from the heart, God makes it simple – 1/10 works just fine to start with, He gave 110%..
Appreciated reading your post Mark! But using the KJV, I’m not sure I completely follow you. Seems to me the gear-changing you speak of in Matthew 24-25 has continuity because not seeing it go from ‘end of age’, and the Kingdom of God, into ‘how you should handle money’….? There is a central theme that connects the chapters. Chapter 24 appears to go from talking about the timing of coming events: the temple to-be destroyed with the disciples asking ‘when? and what?,, to the end times and false prophets, to the time of tribulation and His coming return, which leads us to 24:32, when He begins to tell us about the fig tree parable, and starts with the declarative words “Now learn…” IT. This is the ONLY time the Lord says these words together, in the KJV, and it is in reference to this parable. Why ? Because it is critical that we are ever mindful to consider and apply it….
It is the ROOT of the central focus: Be Watchful, Ready. Dutiful. Faithful & Wise unto His Coming!
He connects following verses to ‘the fig tree’ by continuing to speak about being ‘watchful’ and tells us in vs. 36 that not even the angels know the day or the hour of His return. Having established that none of us know when that time will be, He reminds us of the time of Noah, when ‘everyday normal’ events of life were taking place among the people and suddenly the flood hit, and vs.39 – they ‘knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ Hence,..”Now learn..”: Be Watchful for the signs. We don’t exactly know of our individual departure hours either. In vs.43-44 He tells us that if a homeowner knew during what time a thief would come to their house, they would watch AND not allow it to happen. Here He lets us know we are not to simply watch, but to ALSO BE READY because in the hour when you think He is not coming, He comes. Let us be the ‘faithful and wise’ servants He has made to feed others in due season’? (spoken of in vs.45) Because blessed are those He finds doing just that. He then says: Truly, that servant shall be made ruler over his lord’s goods. He is talking about a particular group here – those servants who are called to FEED THEM (the sheep).
He follows with Example(s) of: WHAT NOT TO DO/BE. To illustrate NOT Being Watchful, Ready or In Service, He uses vs. 46-51 of: Those who think: ‘Oh He’s delayed His return, there’s time, and smite other servants in the Kingdom, and hang out with drunks – those under other influences – He says that servant’s lord will come when he’s totally unaware, cut him severely in two, and, give him his portion with the hypocrites (e.g. the religious leaders of two faces), where ‘there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ This ends ch.24 warning us that it’s Not the time to Turn Away, Become Unaware, Backslide or be Hypocrites..
He starts Chapter 25 with Example Lesson #2 – NOT Being Ready, Faithful or Wise. Here He gives us 2 examples of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like so as citizens of it, we see ourselves within it, given two different parables to again illustrate the importance of being ready, faithful and wise (like a bride awaiting her bridegroom). The first parable is of the 10 virgins, and the second, the talents. Five of the 10 virgins were foolish and unwise. All went to meet the bridegroom, but not all were prepared for his coming. The 5 who were wise, ‘took oil in their vessels with their lamps’. Together, ‘they all slumbered and slept.’, as the bridegroom had tarried, But at midnight a cry that the Bridegroom comes, went out and all ‘arose and trimmed their lamps’. The foolish asked for some oil from the wise but they said go to market and buy some for fear it is not enough for us. While they were gone to trade, he came, and those that were ready went with him, ‘and the door was shut’. (Those ready with the indwelling fullness of the Holy Spirit which no person can give another, only gained through Christ to guide maturity of holiness).
In the second, a man delivers his goods to his 3 servants (those called to do a work e.g. ‘Feed them’) before going on a long journey. One gets 5 talents (or weights – in Greek, ea.75 lbs – NOTE: weight and value can be different in different countries at various times); another 2; another 1, ‘according to their ability’. Abilities to pay tithes? Don’t think so. (EPH. 4:8,11-12 speaks of the goods ‘according to their ability’). The first one ‘traded with the same’ [gave and got; let go and gained with the same; it cost something to gain something more, using the same], and gained 5 more weights. The second one did likewise and gained 2 more weights. The third one ‘dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money [value]’. NOTICE HERE, in vs 18, the word ‘talent’ (weight) has been replaced by ‘money’ (value) for the last servant. When their lord returns, 2 of the three present the the other talents they gained. Their lord says to both: v21&23 ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter you into the joy of your lord. vs24-30 The one who ‘received the one talent’ in vs.24 basically explains his fear of being that which is weighed, put through the fire, the breaking of the flesh and having the ‘weeds’ pulled up, and the purging/pruning take place, the trials and testing of faith and service – NOT a test of simply blind tithing, just to say ‘I tithed.’.
He was afraid of the sacrifices, of having to give up something for sake of this work/demand that comes with having been given the ‘weight’ or talent, so he says: ‘I hid it in the earth (‘deep in myself’ perhaps.) and look you have what’s yours! See, you have what you gave me.’ I am offering it back to you… perhaps his trust and focus was in what the talent and it’s value could do FOR him, so it didn’t gain anything further, beyond where it was hidden.
His lord’s response?: vs.26-30 You wicked [exhaustively toilsome, who twisted something good into something perverted, not good, with pride and opposition – Greek] and slothful servant, you knew I reap where I don’t sow, and gather where I haven’t spread? (see vs.24) You should have then put my money [NOTE: here it’s not ‘talent’] to those who could have put it in the bank, and I should have received mine back with interest. Take the talent from him and give to him who has 10. The one who has shall be given abundance, but from the one that doesn’t have, it shall be taken away with that which he has. I wonder if there are those who can offer God a loaded sum of the money in tithes collected/given, to show Him they have it or gave it.. A servant who maybe got it using the talent given them, with a little charismatic charm alongside, however… He ends with vs.30 ‘And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In remaining verses, does he specify the tithe?.. Well Nooo, not exactly. vs. 31-46 He talks about the judgement of the Gentiles. How when He comes, he will gather and divide the nations – sheep from goats and tell those ‘blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; For I was hungry, you gave me food, when I was thirsty, you gave me drink, I was a stranger, you took me in; Naked, and you clothed me, I was in prison, and you came to mevisited when He was sick and in prison.’
HERE IS THE SHOCKER*****
Matthew 25:37 Then shall the righteous..
(STOP. WAIT. THE WHO? THE RIGHTEOUS – WHO?….)
Matthew 25:37-41 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we you hungry, and fed you; or thirsty, and gave you drink? When saw we you a stranger, and took you in; or naked, and clothe you? Or when saw we you sick, or in prison, and came unto you? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.’
Those on HIs left are told: ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;’ for you [didn’t do those things, then they shall ask the same questions as the righteous,] and He shall answer: ‘Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.
Romans 3:20-22 Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Chris is now made righteousness unto us.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Through our faith in Christ, we now establish the law. vs.31
Romans 10:3 – 4 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Verse 3 is in reference to a legalistic righteousness that turns into a self-righteousness, since the coming of Christ who did what we could not and still cannot legally do, and that’s fulfill the whole OT law. It is a pointless endeavor for man to try to work out under the OT law, a way to gain a character God approves of, because he can’t fulfill the whole of it. Proven. So Pointless.
One can certainly do it as led and seed time and harvest will activate because you reaps whatsoever you sow. That is around for as long as earth shall be here. But your motive should be pure and based on the will works and purposes of God.
Verse 10-11 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Either we believe that Christ fulfilled the law and will abide in us and guide us faithfully accordingly in all ways pleasing unto God, or we don’t.
I believe Spirit-led responsible and faithful monetary giving in obedience, to work of those who also bear witness of Christ’s and the evidence of good works, is different from those who are ‘auto-tithers’ – giving out of self-righteousness or wrongful ‘get wealth now’ motives. But as He has shown and taught us, giving is not simply monetary. It should be used to give meaningfully to the needs of others who are near and hurting. Many are right their in our churches. On our pews. Giving. and Hurting. Many are us or those we know well.
He said to the 5 foolish virgins: Truly, I say unto you, I know you not.
Mt. 25:12
“NOW LEARN…”SAYS THE LORD
Mt.25:13 Watch, therefore; for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh.
*Christ is now made righteousness unto us.
Your missing the whole point “He paid the price.” You are almost like a pharisee that went about trying to prove how much holier they were than everyone else. It would seem that you are very much in a denominational type of teaching. Try to think what you have left in the end. Your teaching certainly does not bring Good News. I disagree with you very much. Legalism leads to bondage always and I’m sorry to tell you that you are not spreading Good News to me. I love you in Christ and respect that you have this idea but frankly I have heard those same words from preacher after preacher that tries to defend the tithe. You almost seem glad that you can say all those scary things to Christians. It always comes down to what you leave behind. Vital encouraged on fire believers or people who are trying so hard to prove they can join your click. Keep on believing and God Bless YOU
It is not meant for us to ‘work tithes like a well-oiled formula’; repeating daily: ‘Ohhhh money cometh! Money cometh to me! for selfish reasons, to get increasing personal wealth. No. Wrong. False start. ‘Check Motive’ light is ON!..
Seek after God. Give your all to Him. Ask daily instead: Come Lord and abide in me today, and everyday, have your way. Cause my ears to hear and know Your Voice, my heart to obey You, to do your will and advance Your Kingdom. Provide all that is needed to do your will. How can I be used to serve/witness of You and help others today? Make Him FIRST. Seek Him and His righteousness, first. Give Him a ‘Yes’ on what asks of you, and He will do the rest in the areas of life as you allow Him to direct, as Lord.
To tithe or not to tithe? That’s not really the question. Oh…..wait….No it’s called offering. No, wait it’s not tithe, its tenth…Noooo (We need to STOP WITH THIS PETTINESS & focus on the heart of the matter, which is YOU – the HEARTS OF MEN. The question IS: – Our full surrender to Him of ourselves as a willing living sacrifice..DOES HE HAVE THAT, or only sometimes….? For me, to give, move, live and have my being is to do so according to however He so leads, whenever, and wherever. It’s about asking Him to: Speak to me; Make me increasingly sensitive to His Voice; His Will; To Hear It; Obey It by Faith; and Trust Him in It. It’s about relationship and yielding to Holy Spirit. We cannot put God in a box.. Some days He may ask you to give consistently, the same amount to one place. He then might tell you to give to an individual, more than your flesh might want to at any given time. He might tell you to give more or less than a tenth of your money time energy thoughts etc. in this place or that; this person, or that.. for this long.. or that long, and check back. He might tell you to give less, when you thought to give more. He might tell you of a place NOT to give, that you thought you would. He knows all. All seasons, for all things.
Your desire, upon surrender, should be to know His voice. Ask Him to confirm Himself to you. He recently spoke to me about building consistency with my seed sowing of whatever good kind it is (not those seeds needing help lol)… not the amount, but the commitment to sowing those things consistently, even if only 1.oo unto Him, and His work in some way, as He leads since in btwn jobs, That perpetuates a more steady harvest unto Him! Pleasing HIM is what excites His children! Because seed time and harvest is gona be here no matter what we do or say. So No seed sown of anything, will surely reap No harvest of anything. This principle falls on the just and the unjust. It is what it is. And if He blesses you to eat of the blessing of wealth, or opportunity or whatever the harvest, know THAT is a Gift from God, says the Word. Receive with humble thanksgiving. It is not by your works. But He shall provide for your needs, sufficiency, abundances, promotions according to His Word Promises and/or Judgement.
The focus to giving is: God. Who is Love. And advancing His Kingdom. Loving Him with ALL the heart, soul, mind, and strength.., and Thy Neighbor as thyself.
IF GOD’S THE FOCUS, IN ALLLL THINGS, YOU CAN’T GO WRONG NO MATTER WHAT ANYBODY TELLS YOU OR HOW ‘PHARISEES. TODAY MAY WISH TO JUDGE YOU! SEEK HIM, BELIEVING!! HOLY SPIRIT WILL BE SURE TO GUIDE YOU IN ALL, AS ALLOWED..GOD BLESS US BOTH, AND BLESS FOR YOU READING! SHALOM
LET GOD BE MAGNIFIED!
Amen brother, my thoughts exactly and I would offer one other thing, We can not see what God sees especially when it comes to others. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7. It seems that in this world we live in everyone is looking at other to find fault. God’s word tells us that is God’s job we need to spend more time looking at ourselves.
How much time are we spending in our day, with God?
Sow the seed of giving Him the first acknowledgement of your day! In some small or larger way..Sow the seed of giving Him time in His Word. Sow the seed of giving Him Praise and Worship. Sow the seed of service to others in His love. Sow the seed of Prayer unto Him on behalf of others and yourself. Sow the seed of faith and spending quality time getting to know Him. Personify Him to your soul for HE LIVES and IS WAYYYYY REAL!!!! REALER than what your eyes are allowed to see. You will grow and Great Harvest!!!!
Let us do so Together….CONSISTENTLY. BY FAITH AND TRUST IN HIM! AND WATCH IT GROW FOR HIS GLORY!!!!
THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT!…..\O/ Think now, I’m done! lol LOVE IN CHRIST, Blessings!
Thank you for your article and taking the time to write it. In the past, I’ve thought about the issue of tithing much like you have described it here. My understanding though is beginning to change. With that said, I am trying to honor God with my understanding as you are. If you don’t mind, I’d like to bring up a few points that I disagree with.
First, you say that salvation is not by works, but then you give an excerpt from Bill Miller stating that, “We give God money in exchange for favor and blessing.” If we receive salvation from God by grace through faith in the work of Jesus, why would we have to tithe/give to get everything else from God? We don’t tithe/give to get favor and blessing, we tithe/give because we are already favored and blessed!
Second, In regard to your story about your bank teller years, it seems to bend toward the idea that the Pastor was doing something criminal because the word “tithe” was on checks written out to him. Where does it say that you can’t tithe directly to a minister of the gospel? Where does it say that my tithe has to go to an organization/church and not a man or woman? You yourself brought up that Abraham gave his tithe directly to Melchizedek.
Third, how is it that you are logically able to use Malachi 3:10 “Test me in this” as a principle of action and result (I give, so I get) but not Malachi 3:8-9, “robbing God” (I don’t give so I don’t get)? If one is true, the other must be true. Are we to pluck out only the verses that feel good and say, “This verse applies because I like what it says, but this other one, we’ll omit because I don’t like what it says?” The truth is that both don’t apply because they are a result of the law (consequences based on my action). You can’t pick and choose. In addition, you confidently use the verse, “Test me in this,” but then you basically say later in your article, if God’s promise doesn’t work, don’t worry. Look at the big picture, God’s kingdom needs to advance. Don’t concentrate on what you have in your bank. If God said, “Test me in this and I will give to you,” but then you don’t get blessed after you tithe, logically God failed the test. However, we know that God never fails (Luke 1:37). You can’t base what you get from God on your actions. Either everything I get is a result of MY actions, or everything I get is a result of the actions of JESUS. If everything I get is based on what Jesus did, then I can live a life of giving in response to what I already possess (Blessings and Favor), not out trying to get what I don’t have and trying to earn what “Jesus didn’t earn for me”. The truth is that we receive all of the blessings/promises of God for us because of what Jesus has done. From this place of understanding, we put our faith in Christ and receive all that God has for us. It is our faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). We receive everything from God by faith, not by anything we do. If we live by faith in Christ, we fulfill the law.
Lastly, you say we should calculate our tithe. Should we calculate that on our gross income or net income? Seriously though, there are many things in your article that don’t quite make sense. If you have time to respond, great, if not, no worries. Blessings.
Hey Joe, thanks for commenting:
1. I might be missing something, but I don’t see that quote in the article when I search for it.
2. Agreed – fair point.
3. We are under a new covenant with better promises (Heb 8:6). To me that means that Jesus redeemed us from the Curse of the law (which is better) and therefore I believe that curse you are referring to doesn’t apply to us. And at the same time I do believe that God’s blessing that is promised there wouldn’t just cease after Jesus rose (because that wouldn’t be better IMO).
4. For me it is on gross, because giving more is always better than less as far as I am concerned.
I’d love to hear what else doesn’t make sense to you –
What I find to be tragic is that the primary portion of professing believer’s alleged “giving” is handed over to church organizations in support of the structure, the lawn, utilities, supplies, and even staffing that does nit directly provide ministry to people with what is given. Generally, what is left over is handed over for some benevolence and some evangelism.
When a believer receives direct benefit from their alleged “giving,” that is not GOVING in the biblical sense. When I give food, water, shoes, coats, blankets and toiletries to a poor person on the street, I receive nothing back on this earth. THAT is giving. THAT is what Jesus talked about when we do unto the least. That dead building serves only as a luxury for a place to meet and recreate. It will perish with this earth.
Traditional practices along this line are a complete reversal of biblical priorities, whether one tithes or not. Most church organizations are NOT a storehouse for sustenance in the event of catastrophe or tragedy. All of this draws a solid, immovable line of distinction between TRUE giving and contrived giving that is selfish. People have proven time and time against that they are more willing to “give” to something from which they benefit than something they do not. No other word than selfish fits that problem.
THINKING ABOUT TITHE PAYMENT TODAY
The entire Christian community is constantly reminded of Malachi 3:10 and warned seriously of the grave dangers of not paying tithes to the man of God or the church depending on where the speaker wants to put emphasis on.
Some religious groups that before now latently discussed tithe are gradually bringing it to the front burner. Her members are reminded to bring their tithes so that the church will grow.
Beyond these discussing, an average Christian ought to know exactly what the word of God says.
POINT 1
Abraham paid tithe voluntarily even before the law of tithing was given.
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all
POINT 2
When the law of tithing was finally given, four different types of tithes existed and were designed to serve different purposes.
Type 1 – General purpose tithe given by the tithe payer specifically to the levites who were empowered to collect tithes by the lord.
Num 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.
Lev 27:30 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.
Lev 27:32 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.
Type 2- Tithe of Tithes. Inside the levites existed the family of Aaron which produced the priests. After collecting the tithes from the tithe payers(Israelites), the levites were directed by God to take a tenth of it (tithe) and give to the family of Aaron.
Neh 10:38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.
Type 3 – Personally consumed tithe. God designed that yearly a tithe payer should enjoy himself from his proceeds. But he must do this only at Jerusalem himself and his entire family.
Deu 14:22 ¶ Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
Deu 14:23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
There was a clause here concerning money.
Deu 14:24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household
Type 4 – tithe for the orphans, less privileged, strangers and widows.
Deu 14:28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: 29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
Deu 26:12 ¶ When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;
The tithe payer here is to say a special prayer designed by God.
Deu 26:13 Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them: 14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. 15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey
POINT 3
Look at these passages below and you will agree all of the discussion on tithes has nothing to do with money, even though money was in circulation at that time.
Deu 12:17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:
Deu 14:22 ¶ Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
Lev 27:30 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.
Lev 27:32 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.
Neh 13:12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
From the foregoing, it would not be difficult for the reader to appreciate why God was not happy with the people of Israel for robbing him. Those being addressed in Mal 3:8-10 understood God better and could appreciate his concern.
Mal 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 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.
POINT 5
Christ came and lived under the law Gal 4:4 but frown at the methodology of the tithe collection and the undue emphasis placed on it payment by the Pharisees of his days.
Mt 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Lu 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
A man even boasted about his regularity in tithe payment while Christ was on earth.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess
An interesting point here is that Christ lived under the Old Covenant and the church today operates under the New Covenant.
Heb 7:11 ¶ If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
Stating from the beginning of the Church until recently,(precisely in the 1500s), the church had existed without Christian paying tithes.
Two major reasons could be fetched out.
1. The church is for the whole world and a practice given to a single nation operating an agrarian economy could not be foist on all mankind.
2. Like circumcision, it had to die with Judaism. That old priesthood following the order of Aaron is replaced with a priesthood of all believers with Christ as our only high priest.
2Pet 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Wait for just a minute
• Tithe was not money in the Bible, today it is money.
• Tithe was stored in a storehouse in the temple. Today it is stored in banks being held for the men of God.
• The tithe payers then were not priest and gave to the priests. Today we are all priests and still give to senior priests.
• The temple was a physical building and had a store house. Today we are the temple of the living God.
• The church in the New Covenant is not the temple in the Old Covenant. The church is not a physical building.
• The four ways tithe payers operated in the Old Covenant is sharply different from what is practiced today.
• Paul was the most widely travelled missionary and would have enjoyed the benefit associated with tithes, yet he was completely silent about the issue.
Christians today are to give for the growth and spread of God’s word.
1Cor 16:1 ¶ Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 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.
2Cor 8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
2Cor 9:6 ¶ But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Even the men of God were accommodated.
Gal 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things
1Cor 9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
1Cor 9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel
The payment of tithes today by Christians is a mix up of God’s directives.
Although the tithe payer may be thinking he is right in doing so, it still does not make it right.
Although the tithe payer may be seeing results, the end does not justify the means if God does not give approval.
There is no direct command to Christians to pay tithe to the church.
The first century church did not pay tithes to the church.
Act 2: 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
I pray this lesson will edify you and demand that you give to the lord beyond measure…. Amen! You can contact me for further studies on this topic; [email protected]
A relative’s husband died and recently had to sell her house as she can no longer afford it. She is a faithful church member and tithe payer. Can you help with whether/what amount she should pay tithes on the sale of the house? I think they were in the house over 20 years. Not sure of the purchase price, but she sold the house for more than she owed on the mortgage. Tithes were paid on the money that the house note was paid with through theyears. Does she owe tithes…. on any of the house sale?…. the difference in the original price and what she sold it for?….. the difference in the sale price and the existing mortage that she paid off…. the entire sale price? Can’t find anything on this in scripture.
If she sold for a profit, it would be up to her to tithe on any increase. This is now likely part of her retirement. I my opinion, she needs to get some professional help and/or experienced Christian financial coaching while she is in morning. Later, when things settle down and the tax man is taken care of is a better time to see she where she is at. She my need some cash. God cares for the heartbroken window first. He is ministering to her needs and sounds like her husband and her made some good decisions regarding their home, any couples #1 investment! Nice of you to care for her..
I have a question. Do I tithe 10% of every paycheck? I am required to work some sundays and I am unable to make it to church. Do I still need to save my tithe until the next time I can go to church? What I’m asking is if I’m not in church do I still pay my tithes?
Hello Dear,
This is a very Unique Article.I have only one word Awesome.
Thank you so much.
“In my storehouse,” is where Jehovah told them, Israelites, to “bring the tithes.” Today, God’s people still congregate, where? Isn’t it in the Church?
Serious giving Christians are expected to bring the tithes into HIS storehouse, the Church.
Abraham actually gave more than 10%. He gave all from the costliest gold.
Good, excellence
I found many contradiction in quoting the verse to argue for whether tithing is a commandment of God or not. If one was backed by the eternal security doctrine, one could handle the verses without caring about the context. As a result, the exegesis would become subjective and Scriptures were used by manipulation without contextual consistence.
Great effort in attempting to answer some of the questions about ‘tithing’. However, there are obvious misinterpretations of some of the verses quoted. Galatians 3:13 has nothing to do with tithing. You are using this verse out of context to encourage unfaithfulness to God – “robbing God”; also encouraging disobedient to God. The reason why God sent His own Son Jesus is to save us from sin. And “sin” is breaking God’s law – disobedient to God. The death and resurrection of Christ was never meant for us to sin and keep on sinning knowingly – “The sinful mind is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law” (Romans 8:7. Cf.: Col. 1:21). Hebrews 5:7-9 hits the nail on the head: “… [Jesus] learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, [JESUS] BECAME THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION FOR ALL WHO OBEY HIM.” Sin and curse are results of disobeying God and the salvation through the death sacrifice of Jesus Christ gives us no licence to sin or keep on sinning: “For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. THEY ARE GODLESS MEN, WHO CHANGE THE GRACE OF OUR GOD INTO A LICENSE FOR IMMORALITY … (LICENSE TO SIN).” The grace of God was offered as a gift to set us free from sin. How would one after being set free by the grace of God would still desire to be enslaved by sin? If that is the case then there must be something wrong with that person. If one does not tithe, it does not mean that he/she will be cursed. It means that he/she will be missing out on the “promised blessings” of being faithful to God in tithing. And it is never a good thing to rob God. Tithing is a “test” of faithfulness, loyalty, trust, faith, confidence and total dependance on God and His promised. God does not need our money or possessions, He owns everything including you and I. Therefore, robbing God means unfaithfulness to God and not trusting that God is able to fulfil His promise. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. TEST ME IN THIS,” says the LORD ALMIGHTY, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out to much blessings that you will not have room enough for it…” (Malachi 3:6-12).
Bob,
The Lord used your words to truly bless me and to increase my faith. I could go on, but I will simply say: THANK YOU!
When the Bible clearly states that you should not let your left hand know what your right hand does….how does that justify giving your tithe to a church for tax reasons, or even to be noticed. I believe we should give but the Bible clearly states not to let anyone know. could you please discuss this and give me your scripture that would prove that I should write a check and drop in offering box, or just put cash in with not recognizing. Do we give for tax write offs, or recogniziton…OUr hearts are wickedly evil and honestly I don’t know if me giving and people knowing would just build up my pride….
I know this post is old… but something struck me. Why would you continue to give if you felt it wasn’t being used to further God’s kingdom. Maybe this is divine intervention… maybe God was revealing to you that you needed to search for a new church or ministry to give to. I wouldn’t continue to give knowing it wasn’t being used properly.
Thank you for this article. While looking for answers about tithing this is the best one I’ve read.
Mark 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.
What are those things that are God’s?
Leviticus 27:30 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.
Tithe belongs to the Lord.
I’m praising and thanking God for directing me to this website. My daughter is going through a financial struggle and I keep telling her she needs to pay her tithes. She committed to me from her studies she really didn’t have to pay money. I told her I was going pray about and let God deal with her and at the same time I would research all bible scripture on tithes. I did that but my spirit still wasn’t satisfied until I come across your sit. I was please to find out she was partially right. I also find out information I didn’t even know and know I can tell it correctly as well. I’m always wanting to know God true word and lead his sheep to him and not astray. I will be a follower. Thanks for my Blessing and keep delivering God truth!!!
Thank you for sharing this, Robin! Prayers to you and your daughter!
Personally I’ve been a faithful tither for over 20 years, been joyful when giving to, I’ve watched my finances dininish over the years due to health problems, there’s always been a glimmer of light in all of this but I have never seen the windows of heaven open up and pour out a blessing so large that I could not contain it. But it does say, test me in this. So I am, I now I give blessing and offerings to who I believe God puts on my heart, and still sow seed into my local church. So now I wait and see what My Lord will do next.
In the days of Malachi they were farmers. When God opened the windows of heaven he poured out rain. Today, your ‘land’ is your mind. When God pours out rain, it’s a rain of ideas. Now, when it rains on the roof of your house, there’s so much water released from heaven that you don’t have containers enough to catch it all. However, notice that when it rains, you have to bring out your ‘bucket’ and catch the water. If you stay in the room sleeping, you get nothing. God is faithful, He ALWAYS does his part. But you have do more than just wait
Very Informative Article very helpful Information Shared
Jesus don’t endorse tithes that verse was not about tithes it was about them following the laws but not loving God and Jesus said to Give not tithe. We have to stop putting our own spine on the Word of God. We CAN’T follow the LAW and live under Grace. Not one of those verses said anything about tithing with money and they did have money back then.
Tithing was under and is under the law with a curse for Christians seeking salvation under the law, Galatians 3:6-14, Malachi 3:1-18.When the clergy candidly lie by quoting tithes in Malachi 3:1-18,under the law IN OLD COVENANT which was a prime contribution for the Levites tribe and Leviticus Priesthood, how many Christians line up to be served with food when tithes and offering under the law are given? Is the storehouse pastors’ and priests’ house or the Church being the bride and body of Jesus Christ? Saved Christians by grace IN NEW COVENANT who are lead and taught by the Holy Spirit are not under law or in generation curses in the law. Tithes in Malachi 3:1-18 were primarily for the tribe of Levi which was not allocated land for sharing among themselves among the lest eleven tribes of Israel. , Numbers 18:1-32, Joshua 18: 7. Those who simply imply Christians are under curse for not tithing put into question about unfinished work of redemption (SALVATION) by Christ Jesus on cross of Calvary which is bought and maintained continuously in tithes paid to them. Yet Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren whom He has redeemed and sanctified in the better covenant mediated by Him. Hebrew 2:9-13.We have been redeemed from the curse of the law, Jesus Christ being made a curse for us : for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. Jeremiah 5: 31-32“An astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?
Galatians 3:8-13. Christians saved by grace are able Ministers of the New Testament born of love in Grace with exceeding glory which surpassed the glory that was in law with Moses. Offerings made in Christian Churches are for ministering the Body of Jesus Christ. We have been redeemed from the curses of the law when the law was crucified in the body of Jesus Christ at Calvary , to adoptions of sons in Royal Priesthood of Jesus Christ from the time the curtain partitioning the Temple was torn apart in into two when Jesus Christ was crucified and gave us free access to God our Father, Mathews 27:50-52, Ephesians2 ;13-20. Pastors ,Priest and Bishops who are servants of God cannot subject sons of God in the Royal Priesthood to tithe taxes which is absolutely illegal for we are not under the curses of the law, Galatians 5:1, Galatians4:4-5,2 Corinthians 3:1-18. Hebrew 10:7-10. “Then said I, Lo I come ( in volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will , O God. Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.”[a] He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Sins sacrifices ,offerings under the law, curses, and generation curses under law in the old covenant remained up to the time of death of Jesus Christ on Calvary when He fulfilled the prophecy and the requirements of the law. Those who want to live by the law should live in the law. Galatians 3 :11-12, 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Salvation under the law one attains it at last breath on earth having done all that pertains to the law which is hard for one to accomplish. Roman 10:1-5, Even the tithe which was given by Abraham was under the law of sin and death from the fallen state of Adam and Eve at the garden of Aden. Our righteousness is in our faith we have in Jesus Christ and not in the law.
Those who lie would like to deceive Christians that tithe was before the law but before which law? There was the law of Garden of Aden which was directly given to Adam by God and the law of Moses given by God to Moses for the Israel to follow and perform. Christ’s mission on earth is halve way taught on sins remission and sin sacrifices done away in salvation but sacrifices and offering under law done away in salvation are equally hypocritically anchored by tithes crusaders in tithes protection in salvation in New Covenant. If tithes have protection in new covenant then we would be debtors to law hence we would be buying our salvation and our salvation would not by grace. We are saved by grace to offer to God spiritual sacrifices. 1 Peter 2 :5, You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Paul referred his zeal in work of persecuting Christians under the righteousness of works of the law in the obsolete old Covenant as blameless but as dung after Knowing Christ in the New Covenant that excel in salvation. Sacrifices and offerings under law done away by Christ Jesus in salvation are cunningly left intact by tithes crusaders thus tithe is emphasized as part of Christians doctrine. Christians saved by grace are not debtors to law for them to pay tithes. Tithes had offered protection under law but have no room in grace dispensation from time of reformation ushered by Jesus Christ at Calvary. Unfortunately some have falsely equally anchored tithes protection to salvation in New Covenant. If tithes have protection in new covenant then we would be debtors to law hence we would be buying our salvation and our salvation would not by grace. We are saved by grace to offer to God spiritual sacrifices. 1 peter 2 :5, You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Our salvation is in the new better covenant with better promises media ted by our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrew 8: 6-8.
When Christ our High Priest from the tribe of Juda was born He was given gifts and not tithes Mathew 2:11-12. Jesus Christ our High Priest and Apostles of Jesus Christ did not ask for tithes. To whom do they pay allegiance to for them to justify asking for tithes today? Our Salvation in liberty under spiritual law of love in faith by grace is freely given and attained with free miracles from God our Father, Ephesians 2:4 -9, Ephesians 2:13 -20. Under Leviticus priesthood which belonged to the tribe of Levi, tithes were given to Levites priests for use by the whole tribe of Levi and tithe of tithe to the high Priest for they shared no land apart from the walled towns that were allocated to them for a stay in continuously offering sacrifices to God, Numbers 18:20 -29. Widows, strangers ,fatherless and orphans benefited from the tithes and offerings given to Levites, Deuteronomy 14:22-29. In Christianity widows less than sixty years were asked to be catered by close brethren to ease burden to the Church for so as the Church could take care of that were windows in deed, 1 Timothy 5 : 8-16 . There were also tithes of different kinds in Israel. There was also a tithe where a family had to eat all before the Lord, Deutreronomy12:6-7. In Christ Jesus we are saved by grace to adoptions of sons in the Royal Priesthood of Jesus Christ (for Christians saved by grace )and not by works of law under curse ,Galatians 3:8-13,Acts13: 38-39, Galatians 4: 4-5, Galatians2:16-21, Galatians 5:18. Sons have direct access to the Father and free common inheritance not bought or worked for from the Father. For servants ( Pastors and Priests) are servants of God worthy all respects and due communicated shared helps from brethren.
Much preaching is done in Grace and Love to Christians at early stages who are later stealthily entangled and enslaved in fear under the bondage of the works of the law in tithes falsehood emphatically taught by many in seeking dwindling fortune entrenched in tithes falsehood. The Church of Christ is founded in Love by Grace and a worker is worthy his labor. The Apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ understood from the onset of Christ’s Ministry that they were not under Leviticus Priesthood and had no share in the Leviticus Priesthood allotments. Thus questions were raised of their take and benefits in the Royal Priesthood of Jesus Christ Ministry in the New Covenant, Mathew 19:23-30 . Leviticus Priesthood which was upheld under the glory and the righteousness of law without partiality had allotments which existed before well-known and were already defined in obliged tithing. You’re at peace with Levites Christians Clergy if your preach and teach strongly about tithes. God had also to deal with wayward priesthood and a rebellious nation under the law. Malachi 2:1-17, Malachi 3:1-18. Christians were never left under leadership of Leviticus Priesthood which was hostile to them and we should not live under canopy of lies based on non-doctrinal Christian promises. Christ was accused before the Leviticus High Priest and slapped while Paul got letters from the Levites High Priest to persecute and prosecute Christians from Jerusalem to Damascus. Levites High Priests bribed solders to distort Jesus Christ resurrection and wanted to kill all Disciples of Jesus Christ whom they beat and commanded them not to teach in CHRIST’S NAME, John 18:22, Acts 9:1-2, Matthew 28:12-13, Acts5:34-42, 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, [a]take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, [b]joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for [c]His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
IN NEW TESTAMENT Two Priesthoods are compared and the need to replace the Leviticus Priesthood in the old covenant expounded. Hebrew7: 7-28, Hebrew8:6 -13, Hebrew 9:6-9, Hebrew 10:8-23. Leviticus Priesthood under the law with tithes, death, discontinuity and its acceptance under glory of law without the great commission was done away in Christ and the Royal Holy Priesthood of Christ without tithes, death since we sleep in Christ Jesus and discontinuity with exceeding glory under which Christians are in salvation being a Holy Nation and Royal Holy Priest commissioned to preach to the world GOD being Our Father in New Covenant Ministry. Jesus Christ crucified in His flesh at Calvary the enmity that was in the law Ephesians 2: 14-20 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Hebrew 8:-13, In that He said, a new covenant He has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxed old is ready to vanish away.
The message is freely given purely to the body of JESUS CHRIST worldwide.
By Br. Robert Munyui Kamunyu
This has given us the promise to stand on. We’ve seen money come in right when we need it and we have had many experiences that our car runs until we get it to the shop. They’ve even asked a time or two how we got the car to the shop. Now the head mechanic tells the shop men that we serve a big God.
You can’t write an article like this without a detailed explanation of the section of the Bible that contains the most information and instruction about what a tithe really is. Deut 14:22
It won’t even be listed in your Bible’s concordance as the modern idea of tithing 10% to the Church is the world’s biggest fraud.
A tithe is something you enjoy and consume – not something you give to Church.
What you should give to God is everything you are called to give – that might be way more than 10%.
AMEN!!! So TRUE, TITHING and GIVING to the LORD definitely gives you a more enjoyable LIFE!!!
Bro, this is solid, well researched and thought out. I came here for the NT examples of tithing but the whole content was great.
Hey, thanks for sharing. I really admire the fact that you are sharing great content with God in mind.
Thanks
Dear Don
Thank you very much for sharing on the tithing. You have answered most of my questions.
I have learnt alot. I have been limiting my self just tithing 1%.
God bless you brother.
It is obvious to me that the writer of this article has twisted God’s Word, used selected OT scriptures to justify his New Testament tithing. He uses Abram’s tithe (Gen 14) completely out of context. Quoting Gen 14:20 without proper research as to the ‘spoils of war’ tithe, which was a custom practiced from Babylon to Egypt by pagan nations is proof of his ignorance. Abram’s tithe was a once off event, and was not a tithe (tenth) of Abram’s own riches and property. Most commentaries explain Gen 20:21 as an example of pagan Arab law, it is therefore contradictory to explain the 90% of verse 21 as pagan, while insisting that the 10% of verse 20 was obedience to God’s will. If Abram is an example for Christians to tithe 10% to God, then he should also be an example to tithe the other 90% to Satan, or to the king of Sodom. As Gen 14:21-24 clearly points out that Abram kept nothing of the spoils of war for himself, but gave it back to the people it belonged to. Abram’s tithe of spoils of war to Melchisedec was not God commanded, and there is no scriptural proof that Abram ever tithed to the king priest or to God again. Then we have the Jacob vow of Gen 28:22. Again we see no command from God to tithe. What we learn in verses 20-21 is that Jacob sets the conditions (after God introduced Himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac), that if God would do the followings things as set out in verses 21-22 then he will give God a tenth of what God would bless him with. This is speaking of verses 13-15. As Jacob was the grandson of Abraham, and being a man of God, Jacob would surely have been taught by his grandfather about tithing. Thus he would not have set certain conditions for God to provide. As there is no scriptural proof that Jacob kept that vow we can conclude that he did not. But God kept his side of the agreement as set forth by Jacob. But…..God did claim the promise through his descendants. Jacob (now Israel), through his descendants (12 tribes of Israel) once settled inside the borders of Israel would now pay the tithe to God (Lev 27:30-34). The descendants of the tribe of Levi would inherit the tithe, and the descendants of the 11 tribes would inherit land (Deut 14:27-29). God eventually layed claim of Jacob’s promise through the 11 tribes who would support and feed the Levites, priests (who did service in the Temple) widows, orphans, poor and strangers (gentiles). The use of Malachi 3:10 to justify New Covenant tithing is erroneous, because Malachi was addressing a nation (Israel) that was under the law of Moses. Malachi was not addressing a individual ir the church, but a nation. Mal 1:1; 2:1 and 3:7 is proof as to who was God speaking to. And as a matter of the law, he was addressing God’s commanded tithe of FOOD (Lev 27:30-34) and not money. God never ever commanded a monetary tithe old or new covenants. Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 is not Jesus condemning tithes as He was addressing people (Jews) who were under the law of Moses. Thus his words….’a matter of the law’. This was not Jesus teaching gentiles (the Church) to tithe, because gentiles never were under the law of Moses. Psalms 147:19-20 makes that clear ‘He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes, and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord’. Although there is much more examples of scriptures that refute this writers claim that tithing was never commanded for the New Covenant Church, I want to close this refute with the following scriptures thay prove the 613 laws of Moses (which included tithes) was abolished at the cross. Heb 8:13; Col 2:13-17: Gal 5:18; Heb 8:6-7; Gal 3:23-25; Gal 3:10-14; Heb 7:12; Heb 7:18; Eph 2:15; Gal 4:5 (speaking of the Jews who were under the law of Moses). Gal 3:10 and James 2:10 makes it clear that those who practice one of the laws (tithes) is guilty of all and is cursed.
As much as I’m glad the author says you can be blessed without tithing, the modern tithe is still based on the babylonian tithe and pagan tithes which God warned Isreal about in 1 Samuel chapter 8. Too much to expound on very well in a short comment, but read the Biblical instructions for tithes and they do not even resemble what any church does today.
I find the notion concerning that it doesn’t matter if the pastor steals it because giving to a pastor is giving to God. Jesus told a parable of various servants who received talents and were to invest them where they would make a return. Teaching people to hand over their money to someone else to distribute and saying ‘I did my part’ is teaching them NOT to be Spirit-led in their giving.
I have been doubting about tithing, but having read through this page, I have made up my mind to continue as a regular thither.
Thank you for taking the time to share the subject on tithes. While reading through it I came across the following statement:
“Under the New Covenant, our salvation is not based upon our obedience to the 10 Commandments, but does that mean that we shouldn’t still follow them?” To me that sounds like an option. We don’t have to follow them because it’s not detrimental to our salvation but if we choose to, we can.
Regarding the above statement, are you saying we can choose not to keep follow the 10 commandments.
If that’s the case , can you tell me which ones I can break as the first 4 is love to God and the last 6 is love to my fellow men? Is it not to honour your father and mother or is it that we can worship images in the place of God. Is it the one that says don’t steal, don’t tell lies or commit adultery (this one Jesus even magnified by say if you look and lust you’ve already committed adultery) or covet and go to any means to get what my neighbour has. And last but not least trampling all over the Sabbath.
As far as I understand God wrote them with his own finger and told Moses this is my character (His glory) and the Bible clearly states we should keep them.
Jesus said He has come to establish the law, and he quoted the commandments. He didn’t come to do away with them.
I love 1st John because it talks about obedience, living in Christ and loving one another. He also said if we break one commandment we break all. Psalm 119 magnifies the commandments as do other part of the Bible. 1 John 2:3-4 tells us we know Him if we keep His commandments and if we don’t, we are liars and I don’t want to be a liar.
I agree we cannot keep the commandments in our own strength but in Jesus we can because in 2nd Peter 1:4 it says we are part takers of a divine nature. We are in the world but not of the world. We can’t have it both way. We can’t say we love Jesus and do what we please. We either believe every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God or we don’t. We can’t pick and choose. We are suppose to be like Jesus and others are suppose to see His character in us. I hope you don’t mind me sharing what the word of God says on this. Yours truly in Christ.
Tithing is not for the New Testament believer but giving is. Matthew is an Old Testament Book, Jesus was in an Era that was still under the Mosaic Law. Paul taught the Corinthian Church to give generously and not out of necessity. God wants us to be cheerful givers. My husband and I have used to pay a lot in tithes. But I would have to go and put groceries and other supplies on a credit card because I didn’t have enough money. I started studying the Word. Not one person, who teaches tithing has a New Testament scripture to support it. Every scripture that is used to support the “tithing system” is manipulated and not taught in the right context. Please study the Word. In Revelations there is a generation that won’t be able to buy or sell. This clearly tells us that money will be of no value at some point. How is it, that these brothers and sisters (when they are martyred) make it to heaven, because clearly they won’t be able to pay tithes?Also, the law of tithing was given by God to Moses. How is it not a sin to not follow the entire law of tithing? The Bible tells us if we keep part of the law, we have to keep it all. In every scripture, (including Malachi Chapter 3), when it mentions about shutting up the heavens, it’s talking about rain, not a blessing. Who did God authorize to manipulate and change these scriptures to mean anything different? The bible says that the true Pastors will not be in it for monetary gain. However, this doesn’t mean that we should not give and support the widows, the fatherless, the poor, and ministries who labor in delivering the Word, because we should.
Andrea, so if you are against tithing, does that mean overall, you folks give more than a tithe? In my 35+ years of budget coaching, congratulation’s, you are the first! Larry Burkett used to say; “how a person deals with money is an outside indicator of an inside spiritual condition.” In Gods eyes, money is a true measure of the attitude of the heart. Ron Blue in his great book “Never Enough” makes this statement; “give, for giving breaks the power of money.” Are you an example to the world and your family gauged by your giving? If you asked your Pastor to report on your faithfulness as a giving family, what would he say? If you will recall, Jesus said “well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23) based on the actions among the 3 stewards, all who reporting on their use of money, not on how much they spent on themselves.
Such a great post. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks for writing this post…it answered so many of the questions in my head about tithing! Great Information! God Bless!!
I disagree with several points. First I believe tithing is not required for New Testament believers but giving is. New Testament church people sold all and gave. Where Jesus mentions tithing in New Testament He was still full filling the law. In fact in the sample given He tells the Pharisees it’s of the law. Other than that spot tithing isn’t mentioned, Gentiles wouldn’t have known about tithing because they didn’t have the Old Testament or Jewish scrolls. The apostles tell us they have taught us all that is needed and they don’t teach tithing. Abraham gave to Melchesdec but that was before covenant, never tithed on his own wealth, never mentioned anyone else until Jews in new land tithing for Levite’s and the pagans gave to kings to honor them for going across lands. Tithing to Levite’s was only crops and herds never monetary. Can’t say there wasn’t money because they had to pay so much for each person in order to start temple.
Timothy, great comment, but as I mentioned to Andrea, are you then not limiting your giving to just 10%? – do you give more? What are you using as a base measurement? – 20, 30% or? If you look back further than Abraham, say Noah for instance, he and his family gave 1/7th, correct? That was covenant also, 10% is so simple, its brainless. It creates a habit. The point is to give and give regularly, not just in word only, but in reality and in respect for God. If you were to have your checkbook stolen today, when the thief opened your ledger, would he laugh or fear?
Tithing is mentioned in the new testament
Hebrews 7:8 – And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
For better understanding, I have decided to paraphrase the above scripture
And here men {eg pastors} that die receive tithes; but there {in Heaven} he {Jesus} receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
Jesus is the One who it is witnessed that he liveth, was dead and is alive for evermore.
While many have believed that Tithing is not mentioned in the new testament, this new testament scripture makes us understand that whenever we pay the tithe, here on earth men receive it from us but in heaven Jesus receives it. Yes, the book of Hebrews shows us that whenever we tithe Jesus receives it in heaven.
What to _SAY_ when you pay the tithe
The following is an extract:
*Bring Ye All the Tithes*
*By KENNETH & GLORIA COPELAND*
*First published in 1981.*
Make tithing a dedication to God, and treat His 10 percent properly.
Tithing is not something that can be done in a few seconds before the plate is passed in church. It must be done on purpose. Hold your tithe check before God and take the time to pray and confess God’s Word over it
Go before Him, hold your tithe up to Him, and worship Him with it.
Say, _“I bring this to You, Father, in the Name of Jesus. I bring this tithe into the storehouse. I worship You with it. Now, I believe, as Your Word says, that You will open up the windows of heaven and pour me out a blessing that there’s not room enough to receive. I believe that. I receive it!”_
Gloria Copeland and I have formed a confession based on Deuteronomy 26, as a guide for you to use in praying over your tithes. It is our confession of redemption equivalent to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. Israel pointed to Egypt, but we point to Calvary.
Say this when you hold up your tithe before God:
_“I profess this day unto the Lord God that I have come unto the inheritance which the Lord swore to give us. I am in the land which You, Lord, have provided for us in Jesus Christ—the kingdom of Almighty God. “I was a sinner serving satan. But I called on the Name of Jesus, and You heard my cry and delivered me into the kingdom of Your dear Son. Jesus, as our Lord and High Priest, I bring the firstfruits of my income to You and worship the Lord my God with it. “I rejoice in all the good things which You have given to me and my household. I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God and have done according to all that You have commanded us. Now look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless me as You said in Your Word. I thank You, Father, in Jesus’ Name.”_
your paraphrasing is horribly incorrect. The men that receive tithes during Jesus days on this earth were priests under the law, not new testament pastors.
there wasn’t one new testament pastor at the time the scripture was speaking of.
https://blog.kcm.org/tithing-101-the-top-10-bible-truths-you-need-to-know/
when you tithe, you aren’t giving your money to a pastor or a church—you’re giving it to God. Certainly, it’s important to be sure you are giving into good soil, but once you’ve made that determination, your heart should release the tithe into God’s hands.
If we don’t, there’s no way around it—we’re robbing God (Malachi 3:8). And, as Gloria Copeland says, “There’s no blessing in robbing God.”
3. We Present Our Tithes to Jesus
“Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he (Jesus) receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.” –Hebrews 7:8 (NKJV)
In the Old Covenant, the people would present their tithes to the high priest. Today, Jesus is our High Priest, so we present our tithes to Him (Hebrews 4:14-16). That’s why tithing isn’t about money—it’s about honor. We honor God with our tithe when we present our tithes to Jesus. How do we do this? First, we do it joyfully—we don’t murmur. Then, we make it a deliberate act of worship.
Gloria Copeland has shared how she and Kenneth present their tithe to the Lord each time:
“Ken and I, we take our tithe and we worship God. We do this at home. We pray and have Communion over our tithe. We worship God with our tithe. We say, ‘It is our privilege to tithe, and we love You, Lord, and we honor You and we thank You for everything You’ve given us.’”
Proverbs 3:9-10 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth…then your barns will be filled to overflowing.” You know, it’s good to have barns, but it is better to have them filled to the top. So, every time you give, tithe and sow—present your tithe to the Lord with honor. That is the heart with which we increase; that is the heart with which we tithe.
I believe in alms & offerings not tithes.
you made mention of things under law we are not under law but grace.
We are not pharisees as you mentioned about Jesus speaking about it.
Galatians 3:7-14
[7]Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
[8]And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
[9]So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
[10]For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
[11]But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
[12]And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
[13]Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
[14]That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Matthew 25:31-46
[31]When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
[32]And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
[33]And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
[34]Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
[35]For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
[36]Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
[37]Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
[38]When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
[39]Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
[40]And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
[41]Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
[42]For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
[43]I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
[44]Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
[45]Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
[46]And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
“Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he (Jesus) receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.” –Hebrews 7:8 (NKJV)
The above new testament letter to the Hebrews by Paul tells you that even Paul the apostle tithed.
Can I give my tithes to a missionary?
I knew within 2 paragraphs that your would be for tithing as a new testament command. Abraham’s tithe was actually a free will offering which of course is the only kind of offering that God accepts. The Luke scripture is really a stretch, it’s clear that they were using that tithe as a way to neglect the more important things Luke could have said, “your button your coat as you leave the house that is a good thing and something you should have done it is not an acknowledgment of any particular command. When he says that they should have done he is referring to a belief that is was necessary and therefore correct for them to do It was needed to save them from a guilty conscience more than from and requirement. I am always sort of disapointed wen someone sets out to clear things up but uses a very denominationaly inspired train of thought. God Bless you brother I love you in Christ and wish the best for you. Don’t forget that what you teach may stick with someone for a very long time and if there is even the slightest possibility that you are wrong, and I say that you are, people could be hurt. Should someone tithe rather than feed the kids? what if someone works for room and board what do they do if there is no money involved. What is someone is severely handicapped and the money from the government just pays the bills what if it doesn’t quite pay the bills. Often teachers are so eager to pass on what they have been taught that they don’t think things all the way out. God Bless You
Should someone tithe rather than feed the kids? That’s a very valid question. But then do you feed the kids rather than pay your taxes? You see tithing is a sort of heavenly tax. It belongs to God. Just as you ‘pay tax’ rather than ‘give tax’ it’s the same with the tithe. You PAY your tithe and GIVE an offering. It’s a fixed %, while giving is voluntary. Tithing opens the windows of heaven and rebukes the devourer for our sakes. When you give the tithe, God opens the windows of heaven and pours you a blessing. How? In Genesis we see God bless man. It says “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply…”. So when you pay the tithe, God speaks. He pours out a rain of business ideas that makes you fruitful financially. This way you struggle less. It’s what happened to Abraham, he was a cattle rearer. God gave him ideas that made him prosper financially. Same for Isaac. Even Jacob tithe and was rich. There’s two ways to approach money: the babylonian way or the kingdom way. Most people struggle because from the start they say it’s ‘my money’. Kingdom finances are entrusted to your care. It’s God giving you a lot of money so that you can build churches, spread the gospel, meet the needs of the poor, etc. It’s “God’s money”. Jesus said if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon {the money you earned by your sweat} do you think God will commit to your trust the true riches of His kingdom? No way. See Job, he was eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, etc. It’s an automatic system. If you do as God says you’ll get what he says. Giving can be explained using evaporation. When you give, it goes up to the heavens just as in evaporation. Solomon, speaking on the topic of giving said “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth”. What he means is that when you give to a certain extent there comes a time when God rewards you with the rain of ideas that will bring you more money. You can give all you want but you won’t reap the harvest of you don’t tithe. Why? Because it is tithing that opens the windows of heaven.
That aside, tithing also ensures God rebukes the devourer for your sake. Refusing to tithe opens the door to the devourer. Satan will come in and devour the money you earned. How? He’ll introduce all manner of unexpected expenses. Things you never expected or budgeted for. For avoidance of doubt, I am not a pastor. I’m into business. Both I and the company tithe. And I see the blessings. In a nutshell it like this: Tithing enables you work like a lizard and eat like an elephant. This is because you are a caretaker of God’s resources. He tells you what to do. You don’t struggle to meet ends. The angels bring the customers. God gives you favour in the sight of man, they prefer you and the company to those even better qualified than you. It’s so much, but I’ll like to stop here
I don’t see any of these posts actually addressing that they you be cursed for paying a tithe.
when you go back under the law you go back under a curse.
if you give a tithe as a free will offering that you chose to do that is one thing but if you are operating under the law of tithing then you are literally operating within the righteousness which is of the law, rather than the righteousness which is of faith.
better study some galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians, and Philippians etc.
Good article thank you for sharing these
Hi Bob,
Thanks for a really comprehensive explanation of tithing!
My tithing experience has been really positive also. In 2017 I was broke, living paycheck to paycheck, and one day decided I would use tithe 10% even though my little savings would be needed to pay my student loans. I heard that God blessed that sort of faithfulness, and I needed a God-sized solution. It was definitely scary, but that same month and a couple to follow, I received “spot” awards at work for going above and beyond. The spot awards covered the gap, I never touched my savings, and even had extra money to add to savings. That lasted until I received a raise a few months later. I have never looked back, and since then my income and opportunities have sky rocketed. Next month, all of my student loans will be paid off. It’s true that God blesses our faithfulness. I cannot wait to be free of debt and better able to serve Him.
Thank you for exploring this important topic!
I have been needing that explained to me, thank you so much!
The whole argument becomes moot if one is willing to go well beyond the tithe. Pay the Pastor and the rest goes to the needy. We don’t need Church Buildings or Church Communal Property or expensive programs. We can meet in our homes or other low cost venue. Our brothers abroad are often in terrible economic shape due to a nations corruption and a believers lack of marketable skills. Send the money to them to get them upskilled and “un-needy!” Zacchaeus was a wealthy Tax Collector but he chose to give half his wealth to the poor and with that Jesus was pleased.
I have been part of churches and seen when people have been suffering financial difficulty and all church offer is prayer.Prayer is good but it does not help someone struggling to pay their bills or feed their family.. Acts 21 verse 45 says they sold their things to others as had need. If we have more than is sufficient we bless others not look to squander it on our carnal pleasures as we desire.
Tithes were for levites and it was grain and produce ordered to be given by other 11 tribes of Judah not money. Who changed it to money. Many in UK are paid a wage the Levites only source of provision was the food brought in which they had to eat with the person who brought it. This context is they did not even store it and what was left was given to widows and orphans. I have never heard church mention this.
In Malachi again he states bring food in my house not money. Verse taken out of context and he is speaking to the Jews.
I am not advocating do not give to the church because the church has expenses but church also has obligation to provide out of that income to provide for the poor and needy. Work of ministry and evangelism. Something that sadly is ignored.
Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for this practise tithing even their herbs and spices but neglecting love and mercy to others.
In the pandemic I know a pastor personally in India who was starving and supports sixty other tribal pastors whose congregation live day by day for food. We reached out to the churches in UK and received no help to relieve the suffering of these brothers. We also emailed online lots of mega churches to request not financial assistance but food. Not one replied back out of these mega churches.
I have seen much financial abuse in churches and let me tell you in many churches in UK glory of God has departed. There are no people being saved ,delivered and set free. Many back sliding and going back into the world.
Give to God with a cheerful heart in money and time and commitment. Everything you have is his. Never give because you expect him to give you back in material blessings and what God put on my heart is when he blesses me I am to bless others in need to demonstrate Gods love. Matthew 25:34.