Truth or Tradition? Pt 2: Tithing

Tithing

Most churches today teach that Christians should tithe, that is, give 10% of their income to their church. Must you give a tenth (10%) to the Church? What does the Bible say about financial giving? Applying a 10% "church tax" on an individual is no small matter, especially when the usual commandment is that the tithe must be given on a person’s gross income before all living expenses are paid (often referred to as the first fruits). So is this tithing principle valid? Is it reasonable to expect all members of the Church to give up 10% of their income regardless of salary? Or is this nothing more than a fraudulent fleecing of the flock? With those questions in mind, I did a little research.
 
Is It Biblical?

Yes, tithing is biblical. However, it is not Christian. It belonged to ancient Israel and you won't find the early Church doing it.
You may say, “Well, what about Malachi 3:6-10? That says that people who do not tithe are ‘robbing God.’” Those verses have been used countless times to prod Christians into giving, but wait a moment—to whom is Malachi written? Well, in verse 9 of chapter 3 it says “the whole nation” is under a curse. What nation? The USA? No, the book of Malachi is specifically addressed to the nation of Israel, and more specifically to the priests (see 1:6,10-13; 2:1,7 and 8) who were badly mistreating God’s people.





So where does the 10 percent come from? Some Christians point to Genesis 14 and/or 28 in a misguided attempt to prove that tithing was instituted prior to the Mosaic Law and is therefore relevant to Christians today. Their rationale is that because Abram gave ten percent of the spoils of war to Melchizedek, and because Jacob chose ten percent as the amount to give to God for watching over him on his journey, this is the prescribed amount God would have all people give.
The tithe we see today is much different than the tithe presented in the Old Testament. Here are a few examples below:

    •    The OT tithe was for produce of the land only. The church tithe is money.
    •    The OT tithe was levied on landowner farmers only (not fishermen for example). The church    tithe is levied on everyone.
    •    The OT tithe could be collected by Levites only and there are none left today. The church tithe can be collected by any church startup.
    •    The OT tithe was for a celebration of the Lord's goodness. The church tithe is to prop up a ministry.
    •    The OT tithe was consumed by the tither, the Levites, the poor, the widows, the stranger. The church tithe is consumed by the ministry.
    •    The OT tithe was ordained by God. The church tithe was ordained by man.

So, the Truth Is...

With Christ's death, all ceremonial codes that belonged to the Jews were nailed to the cross, never to be used again to condemn us. This is why we never see Christians tithing in the New Testament, just as we don't see them sacrificing animals to cover their sins. Tithing belonged solely to Israel under the Law. The early Christians gave cheerfully according to their ability, not out of command. It was completely voluntary to benefit the poor, orphans, widows, prisoners, strangers, and the sick.
The early Christians did not tithe. Instead, they used their funds to support those poor among them, along with the poor in the world. They also gave funds to traveling church planters so that the gospel could be spread and churches could be raised in other lands. They didn't give out of compulsion or guilt but rather according to their ability. Today, many in the Church are weighed down by feelings of guilt because they can’t or won’t tithe. Others are puffed up with pride because they do tithe their 10 percent. Still others go along with it because they never hear a dissenting voice raise a challenge. To insist that the Church tithes its 10% is to take a law of Moses, twist its meaning into something else, enforce it upon a people for whom it was never intended, then promise that they will be cursed if they disobey. If we really want God to bless our finances, we need to be obedient to His direction. Generous joyful giving, that is freely given out of love is God’s desire. It is this that He will bless. 

A More Excellent Way To Give

So to conclude this post, I just want to say: give. With a cheerful heart, without guilt or obligation, to generously help those in need. If you wish to tithe out of a personal conviction or decision, go for it. It's when it's shown as God's command that it becomes a problem. The New Testament teachings on giving simply involve the heart and not some law.

“Freely you have received, freely give.”  (Matthew 10:8b)

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” (Acts 20:35)