Surprisingly, 2000 years after the book of Galatians was written we’re still finding ourselves debating law vs grace, fulfilled vs destroyed, old vs new. Very frustrating! I know! The debate on what laws Christ fulfilled and which ones He expanded on can get deep and confusing. Of course, this website is about tithing, so tithing will be an example of how I hope to simplify the debate with a few basic questions.
In order to enforce a law that was commanded in the Old Testament, it must pass a basic test to determine its transcendence into the New Covenant and even more compelling as an eternal principle. There are a few basic questions to ask:
- Is it an unchanging law without exceptions?
(Is it clear from Genesis 1 through Revelation 21?) - Are there any other precedents?
(Do similar laws make a case for or against it?) - Is it superseded?
(Is it focused on the outward value or the inward?)
Is the 10% Requirement Consistent & Unchanging?
Since tithing is considered the minimum standard for believers in the New Covenant, then one would think that tithing was the minimum standard for those under the Old Covenant. But look:
- Abraham gave from the spoils of war, not his own wealth.
- Then the Israelite warriors were told to give only 1/500th of their spoils of war.
- The Israelites didn’t tithe from non-farm income or goods sold. (ie: Carpenters, bankers, doctors gave 0% of their income)
- No tithes were given at all when outside the promised land when Israel was captive in other countries.
- The temple storehouse only received 1% of Israel’s increase; compared to today wherein we hear that 10% is to be given to the Church storehouse.
- Tithes from farmlands were only given for 5-6 years out of a 7-year cycle.
- Many theologians debate that the minimum was 23%.
10% wasn’t consistent, standardized, universal, or patterned. To diminish its value even more, it wasn’t even the first and neither was it the best. With all these inconsistencies, what is tethering it to the New Testament as a requirement?
Are There Any Other Precedents To Confirm Or Deny?
If you can rationally get past the first hurdle, then one must show how this unfulfilling effort has the ability to transverses the Old and New Covenants without any other precedents.
- The only Old Covenant benchmark under 100% that made its way into New Covenant practices without a confirmation to do so is tithing.
- As exemplified by the practice of animal sacrifices, clean meats, & circumcision, these Old Covenant rituals began prior to the Mosaic law and ended after Calvary. So being pre-mosaic law does not make it immune from the same fate as these other comparable rituals.
- Even though other forms of worship such as prayer, praise, or service had specific requirements in the Old Covenant, the requirements have been dropped from practice in the New Covenant.
Is Tithing Superseded by Forces That Are More Powerful?
Once one gets past these previous two hurdles, then one must be confident that there can be no other spiritual attributes that supersede its physical ones.
- 10% is a physical benchmark, not a spiritual one; so it exemplifies a ceremonial law, not a transcendent, spiritual principle.
- The Holy Spirit has been clearly established as our counselor on private worship.
Conclusion
I can’t say that my questions are a perfect science and that settles the debate; but through my own experiences, these three questions help answer a few questions in my mind. If a law is unchanging through scripture, has a precedent, and is not superseded; then you’re on your way to finding what eternal principles are in place. In regards to tithing, it was completely demolished by the first question alone, but it was interesting to go even further with demolishing it.
Thanks for this article and the Tithing Test.We are Gentile not Jew. Listening to The Spirit tell you what to give is so exciting.2Cor.9:7 is liberating!!
Tithing and Sunday fellowship are Christian traditions. The respective commands from which they derive are ministerial support and gathering of brethren. They have some benefits but one can’t be too dogmatic about either.
Amen no bound never was. It was for Moses and the children of Israel.God never required the spoils
We read into it the way we want instead of truth. We are under grace and truth. We are blessed because of the finished work of Jesus
Lev 27 chp Hebrew chp 8
Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. We need focus on the kingdom and not money this has many of us stuck because of greed.
Jesus is the supplier of all our needat
No shortage in Gods kingdom. I don’t have to givw to get. I have to walk by faith his promises supplication his children what they have need
Give and it shall be given unto you. This is on auto.
All that God has done for us it should be a pleasure honor to give not beat down to but freely cheerfully. No it doesn’t fund Gods kingdom his kingdom already fully furnance. Oh how we need a transformation. Be free in the spirit of our minds and receive the gospel in Jesus name. Amen
Not bound of our needs
Correction. Amen
Hi Jared,
Thank you for blog, I did want to ask you, I have been in a delemma with my church, they go the other way and just don’t talk much about tithes. I am from Australia and tithing is common practice here, my church are full of middle class people so it hasn’t had any real impact. I myself didn’t really know why I tithed until I desided to read up for my self. I have a question? I have study over and over Abrams tithe to Melchizedek, do you think it was a first fruit offering coz 1. Fruit fruits went straight to high priests. Tithes went to Levites then they gave a tithe of the tithe to the priests 2. Firstfruits was always the first and best of your increase (spoils of war). 3. Firstfruits was always done with worship( they broke bread and wine and Abram was blessed) 4.hebrews 7 Paul says 10% of all, and then 10% of spoils of war at the start then when explaining about Aaron’s vs Mel’s priesthood it was referred to as tithes. 5. Firstfruits was an acknowledgement of the deliverance out of Egypt into the promised land. ( adram acknowledgement thanks for delivering the kings into his hand). 6 even Cain and Abel’s offering were similar. Abel’s was the first born lamp and it has fattened so it was his best, Cain was just some of his fruits. I could go on and on. But many people here are saying if Abram tithed coz it was before the law it was be right. I’m saying it was not tithing at all. That do you think. Regards and thanks heaps for you wedsite. Andrew
If tithing is right because it was before the law, then why are Christians today not required to be circumcised, which was also before the law? A quick look at Wikipedia under tithing will give a very good overview of what tithing was. Today we are so intent on extracting a monetary tithe and debating whether to tithe or not, that we forget to understand what the tithe consisted of. Whenever the Bible mentions tithing,is states “tithe of food”.Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that money should be tithed. Under Grace, we can joyfull give according to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.Jesus said tithing was part of the law,so those who teach tithing must believe that he has not fulfilled the law.When you understand the truth behind tithing, you will be set free.So, Abram did not tithe, he was obeying local tradition, and gave nothing of his own possessions.
Martin
“10% is a physical benchmark, not a spiritual one; so it exemplifies a ceremonial law, not a transcendent, spiritual principle.”
So, is “thou shalt not kill” a physical benchmark that doesn’t apply anymore?
Could not there be a command about physical things that follows a transcendent, eternal principle?
We owe God our all not 10%. This was given to Moses for the children of Israel.
We are under a New Covenant Better Covenant Grace.
Christ is the fulfillment of the law!
No longer need did apply to us!
I dont know why is this so hard to receive. I’ll tell you why because of Greed.
We owe God our all!
We owe God our all not 10%. This was given to Moses for the children of Israel.
We are under a New Covenant Better Covenant Grace.
Christ is the fulfillment of the law!
No longer neither did this apply to us!
I don’t know why is this so hard to receive. I’ll tell you why because of Greed.
We owe God our all!
Lev 26:46
Deu 4:44