Tithing, Like Gravity
Is Not A Law To Ignore
Some people would suggest that tithing is not for the New Testament and they offer several arguments to support their theory.
This post is an attempt at answering one of those arguments:
Tithing was part of the Old Testament law and was eliminated in the New Testament.
This statement is partly true but very misleading on several points. Firstly, the tithes were the means of support for the entire Levitical system which involved three distinct areas of responsibility:
- Tabernacle service
- Teaching the law throughout the land
- Making judgments in personal matters when necessary
The only item on this list which was eliminated by the death of Jesus was the Tabernacle service and only a very small part of the tithe was used to support that system.
In the New Testament the believer becomes the dwelling place of God and the sacrificial system is rendered unnecessary because a new and better sacrifice (Christ) has been offered (Hebrews 9 & 10). We still have the responsibility to teach the principles of Scripture and we still have the responsibility to apply God’s judgments when necessary, both of which are done by God’s people. These responsibilities are still supported by the offerings of God’s people and tithing is still the method of choice. In addition, New Testament believers have the enormous burden of carrying the Gospel to every person. That is an expensive undertaking.
Paul, after quoting the Old Testament said, “they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14).
In Galatians Paul further states, “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teaches in all good things” (6:6) and in 1 Timothy 5:17 he said, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
The idea that the law is eliminated by the death of Jesus is more fictional than truth. Paul in the above reference was quoting the Old Testament as the basis for supporting New Testament ministers and we have no reason to believe he wasn’t endorsing tithes as a means of doing so. Obviously, he didn’t endorse the idea that the OT is completely rescinded by the New and we shouldn’t be too quick to eliminate everything in the OT either.
There are other connections between OT law and NT ideology in the statements of Jesus and the writings of Paul:
- Jesus gave us two great commandments both of which are valid for today and both of which are based on Old Testament Law (Matt. 22:36-40)
- Paul quoted the law to illustrate the binding nature of a marriage contract (Rom. 7:2 & 1 Cor. 7:39).
- The only thing Jesus eliminated on the cross was the curse of the law not the law (Gal. 3:13).
The Law is not the means of our righteousness but it still represents the standard of righteousness. When there is a question as to how we should live and the judgments we should make we still look to the law of the Old Testament for guidance.
For example, in the Old Testament if a man was faithful to his wife he was said to be obeying the law. If he was unfaithful to his wife they didn’t say he was disobeying the law they said he was an adulterer.
In the New Testament if a man is faithful to his wife we say he is obeying the spirit of the law. If he is unfaithful to his wife we don’t say he is living under grace we still say he is committing adultery. The only difference has to do with the penalty for transgression (the curse). The penalty for adultery in the OT was execution by stoning. We don’t do that in the NT.
What about tithing? In the Old Testament if a man paid his tithe he was said to be obeying the law. If he didn’t pay his tithe they didn’t say he was disobeying the law they said he was robbing God (Mal. 3:8). In the New Testament if a man pays his tithes we say he is obeying the spirit of the law. If he doesn’t pay his tithes we still say he is robbing God.
Tithing, of course, was practiced long before the law was introduced so we cannot designate it as just another legalism to be shunned. But, even if tithing was introduced by the law that is no justification for eliminating it as a practice. It served practical purposes in the OT and will do the same in the New.
THINK!AboutIt?
Haha great
Salamande
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Looking forward to your reply, Ennis. Not necessary to let me know when you reply as I check this blog at least once every morning, and at least once every evening.
Hey Gary,
You have raised several questions which I will answer but will do so in a post rather than in a comment. It will take a few days as i am very busy right now and have several posts line up already but your comments will be attended to. I will let you know when that will happen.
Thanks,
Ennis
You asked – where did tithing come from?
The word tithe simply means one tenth. It’s a mathematical term. Tithing, as we think of it today, being ten percent PAID to God, has its origin in Leviticus 27. The first place in the scriptures where God commands a tithe, or God claims the tithe to be His, is in Leviticus 27. Show me scripture prior to Leviticus 27 where God commands or claims the tithe.
If your state or country has a ten percent sales tax, would you say you are paying a tithe to that state or country? Using a modern-day dictionary that would be wrong; however, using the definition in biblical times, it would be correct.
My research shows that it was custom to give a tenth of the war spoils. Whether that is true or not, we should also consider that Melchizedek gave Abraham food and drink and blessed Abraham FIRST; then Abraham gave the tenth. Since Abraham had ALREADY made a vow that NONE of the spoils of war belonged to him, he had already decided he was not going to keep any of it. Since he was going to give it all away anyway, after getting food and drink, and being blessed by Melchizedek, he might have, at that time, decided to apportion a tenth to Melchizedek. I don’t know anymore that you know. We don’t know for sure because the Word doesn’t tell us.
Please give me just ONE scripture to show that God commanded anyone to tithe on anything that man made or earned. Tithing was ALWAYS on the miracles of God, or gifts from God, or from God’s labor and had NOTHING to do with what man made or earned.
Paul never taught tithing to the Christian church. Had tithing been a requirement of God, Paul wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to teach it. That’s just plain common sense. History also supports that tithing ended at the cross. History also supports that tithing was NEVER on anyone’s income until recent years. History also supports that church leaders starting collecting the tithe because of the money motive.
If you believe and teach that the law ended at the cross, then it is wrong to teach that the command to tithe is still valid. And since Malachi 3:7-11 is dealing only with the law of tithing, it is only applicable to those under the law. Pastors who try to bring Abraham’s tithe forward should NEVER use Malachi. Not only is Malachi ONLY applicable to those under the law, it is being spoken to the priests, not the people.
I believe that Hebrews 7:18 also proves tithing is no longer valid.
“For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. ”
It’s up to you, Ennis, to give scripture supporting tithing in the Chirstian Church, and that tithing is on gross income. I have shown that tithing was NEVER on income, even though they had income, wages, markets to buy and sell, and they had money during biblical times.
Hey Gary, the KJV reads,
Your word study is moot.
You are right, Jacob did know about tithing but you are missing an important fact. Jacob’s entire family, including Isaac, were not very spiritual.
Jacob, encouraged by his mother, had just cheated his way into the blessing. He may have been sensitive to spiritual issues but he wasn’t committed until God came to him in a dream, which shook him to the foundations. And then, in an effort to show solidarity he committed to doing what he hadn’t done as yet but knew he should, tithe.
When you prove he nor Abraham never regularly paid tithes please share it with everyone.
You didn’t answer my question. Where did tithing come from in the first place? Why did Abraham all of a sudden decide to give a tenth of the spoils to Mel?
Ennis – Jacob VOWED to GIVE a tenth of all that God gave to him. Since Jacob was the grandson of Abraham, IF tithing had been required Jacob surely would have know it and not vowed to give a tenth with conditions attached. I find nothing in the scriptures to show that Jacob ever, in fact, gave the tenth, and if he did, who did he give it to? And again, the word GIVE is used, not pay.
Jacob’s vow to tithe is not similar to Abraham’s tithe in that Abraham gave nothing of his own.
Abraham’s tithe was a one-time event. There is no similarity between Abraham’s tithe and the Levitical tithe.
Neither Jacob’s vow to tithe, Abraham’s tithe, or the Levitical tithe has anything to do with tithing in the Christian Church today. The similarities are not there. Today you tell Christians to tithe on their gross income. Abraham did not tithe on his gross income. Jacob didn’t vow to tithe on his gross income. The Israelites did not tithe on their gross income.
Church leaders seem to think that because all three examples use a tenth as the basis, that makes them similar. They are similar in the mathematical percentage only, but NOT on what the tenth is applied to, or who it is given to.
Abraham didn’t even have to give the one-tenth, and had he not given it, he would not have been robbing God. We don’t even know if Jacob gave a tenth or not.
Church leaders love to use the term “tithe” and make it sound as though it is a religious term. It is a mathematical term only. Yet, because of how religious leaders have used the term in recent years, current-day dictionaries define the word as paying or giving to a church or religious organization. When reading the scriptures, one needs to realize that the word tithe is ONLY a mathematical term.
Gary, what about Jacob? Two generations following Abraham, he promised to give one tenth OF ALL that God gives him. Where did he get that idea? Can you prove absolutely that Abraham did not follow the same rule? Your ideas are more presumptuous than mine in that regard.
And, if Jacob paid a tithe of ALL then why would be such a stretch to think the Israelites did the same under the law?
You state: “The Hebrews’ passage actually says the Levites “paid” tithes in Abraham which more or less moots your point. ”
I disagree. When speaking of Abraham, the KJV uses GAVE. When speaking of the Levi, the KJV uses PAID. I believe that supports my point since the Levitical priesthood received tithes and paid tithes under the law.
Genesis confirms that Abraham GAVE while Matthew 23:23 confirms that the Israelites PAID.
As far as Abraham’s tithe being different than the Levitical tithe, there is NOTHING common between the two other than the one-tenth amount. The Levitical tithe was law; therefore, it was paid by obligation, not by choice. It was paid on ASSETS which God, Himself, chose – the crops and animals. The command to tithe was given to the eleven tribes of Israel – eleven inherited the land and everything on it, and those paid the tithe to God, who gave the tithe to the tribe of Levi. It was all a part of the inheritance. Nothing in the Word indicated that Abraham was required to tithe; to the contrary, Abraham gave nothing from his own property or wealth, and he gave all of it, not just one tenth. He kept nothing for himself. We can compare Abraham’s tithe to someone who recovers stolen property and gave 90% of it back to the original owners and gave the other 10% to the government. I see no similarities between Abraham’s tithe and the Levitical tithe other than the word “tithe” which is a mathematical term meaning one tenth. If anything at all, Abraham’s tithe might be compared to an offering.
The Hebrews’ passage actually says the Levites “paid” tithes in Abraham which more or less moots your point.
Regarding interpretation, however, it has always been my understanding that several things are to be considered: every relevant passage, the context and definitions. When there seems to be a disagreement the overall perspective sets the rule.
I really think a better argument must be provided to prove that tithing for Abraham was different to tithing in the Levitical system. They must be considered in principle until arguments can clearly prove otherwise.
Regarding Abraham’s tithe. Genesis 20:14 states “And he gave him tithes of all.” The word “gave” is used, not “paid.” Gave him means to give, as a gift. This is verified in Hebrews 7:2 and 7:4 where again, the word “gave” is used, again, meaning a gift.
In Hebrews 7:9, referring to the Levitical tithe, the word “payed” is used in the KJV. The Hebrew defintion here means to pay a debt. This is verified in Matthew 23:23 when Jesus told the scribes and pharisees “for ye pay tithe” which, by defintion from the Hebrew, means to pay a debt, something owed.
Therefore, using strickly the defintiion of the words, we can easily see that Abraham gave, as giving a gift, while the Israelites paid, as paying a debt or bill.
If you bring Abraham’s tithe into the New Testament, you have brought in giving, not paying. Therefore, there is no debt to pay. Therefore, there is no robbing God or requirement to “give” a tithe.
This PROVES, BY DEFINITION, NOT INTERPRETATION, that Abraham’s tithe was a gift while the Israelites were paying that which was owed and required.
Therefore, there is no argument. The issue is settled once and for all.
Hey Gary,
I’m sorry but you lost me on the PAID VS GAVE argument. I’m not really sure I understand the point.
My response to Rory, however, is also a response to you.
Rory, the argument that Jesus ended the OT is overstated and over used. Jesus ended the curse of the law, not the law. We still believe adultery, lying, murder, theft and so on are wrong. We don’t execute people for it and we often find ways to help them recover from it(i.e., we respond as graciously as possible) but we never justify it. It is never thought to be OK. For that reason, I believe tithing still applies even if it was, as you suggest, only a part of the law. Justice, mercy and faith were also mentioned in Matthew 23:23. Do we eliminate those also?
Hi Ennis: RE: MT. 23:23
You are correct, untill the cross.
What about Matthew 23:23?
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.”
The simple truth here?
1. Jesus was speaking to a law-keeping religious pharisee still under the OLD Covenant.
2. Jesus specifically stated tithing was “of the law”. Remember that next time you hear someone try to put the ordinance of tithing back in the church by saying “tithing was before the law”. That is a half-truth, and Jesus Christ said tithing “was of the law”.
3. Jesus had not gone to the cross. Heb. 9:17 for a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Which testament was in force for the pharisee?
4. Jesus is the author of the NEW Testament. Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
5. Ater the death of the testator, Jesus Christ, the Christian church was never given the law or ordinance of tithing.
I made an error when I said: And for those who want to bring Abraham’s tithe forward, Abraham GAVE a tithe while the levites PAID a tithe.
What I meant to say is: And for those who want to bring Abraham’s tithe forward, Abraham GAVE a tithe while the Israelistes PAID a tithe.
EnnisP – You seem to add whatever you like to the words of the bible. God’s command to tithe is in Leviticus 27:30-34. It is very clear:
Leviticus 27:30-34 (KJV)
30And 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.
31And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
32And 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.
33He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
34These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.
There’s no imagination there. It is God’s Word. Now, please give me scripture where God commanded anyone to tithe on their income. Also, please give me scripture where God authorizes the Christian Church to accept His tithe. God said the tithe belonged to Him, and He gave it to the Levites. What right do you have to take something God gave to the Levites? Give me scripture, not your own words.
I am not the one using imagination. I am sticking to the scriptures while you add to the scriptures.
Pastors are good at telling people to tithe on the first ten percent of their gross income yet nowhere in the Word did God ever command anyone to tithe on the first part of anything. Nowhere in the scriptures did God tell anyone to tithe on their income. In fact, the term “gross income” is an accounting term that few pastors even know the correct definition of. Yet pastors use this accounting term as though it were in God’s word.
We are under grace now, not the law. And for those who want to bring Abraham’s tithe forward, Abraham GAVE a tithe while the levites PAID a tithe. A big difference between the meaning of GAVE and PAID.
As far as Matthew 23:23, Jesus is talking to the law keepers about the law. That has nothing to do with the New Testament or Christian Church. Jesus was born, lived, and died during the Old Testament. Jesus, Himself, was under the law. Yet, nowhere in the Word does it show that Jesus ever tithed, or that He ever collected a tithe.
Hey Rory,
Jesus comment in Mattthew 23:23 was actually an endorsement of tithing. He ended by saying…
And we still do observe and live by most of the law. OT law included many practices which we observe today. In most cases we have developed the statutes further.
And Gary, the idea that God stipulated a tithe on agricultural increase and not on monetary increase requires a lot of imagination. It certainly isn’t in the Bible. King David didn’t run a farm but I bet he tithed on the money he got from his war activities. In fact, it was this material Solomon used to build the Temple.
Both of you seem to endorse the idea of giving which I appreciate but it isn’t very fair to tell people to give and not provide some kind of guidelines. We don’t manage our finances in any other area that way and we shouldn’t do it relative to God either.
In the tithing formula, church leaders replaced God with man! The Word of God tells us the tithe was on the increase OF THE LAND (crops) and every tenth animal that passes under the Shepherd’s rod. Crops and animals are ASSETS, not income, that came FROM GOD, not man. In biblical times they had money, they had wages, they had income, they had markets to buy and sell, yet tithing was on none of those items. Tithes were only commanded on miracles of God and NEVER or anything that man made or earned. It is pathetic how church leaders have twisted God’s tithe to mean that man is to give to God one-tenth of his income. This shows total lack of understanding what the scriptures say. Tithing is the best example to show how the love of money is the cause of all evil. In my opinion, those who collect the tithe are perpetuating the biggest financial fraud in the history of the world.
In the NT scriptures, tithing was never given to any church or saint, nor was it ever mentioned for the financial support of any pastor, apostle, or minister of the gospel.
Jesus said tithing was of the matters of the >law< in Mt. 23:23 and Christ fulfilled the law so that “Christ is the end of the law to all that believe”. as Paul said.
Giving was the Lords instruction for meeting the needs of the brethren. Never tithing, and never was the church reminded to tithe, which was part of the Old Covenant done away in Christ.
BTW, circumcision was “before the law” and called “an everlasting covenant”, (Gen 17:13) but at least we understand that has been changed too.