As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice. So let’s evaluate another argument used to promote tithing. This argument comes directly from a well-known author on finances from Crown Financial Ministries – Larry Burkett. He has now passed, but we are going to evaluate his argument below taken from his book, “Giving & Tithing.”
While reading through the book, “TIthing & Giving” by Larry Burkett I came across a section that asked, “Is Tithing Legalism”? In the beginning, Larry states, “Although the tithe is mentioned in the law, no punishment was indicated for not tithing. There is a consequence (the loss of blessings), but there is no punishment from God for not tithing.”
What happened when Israel didn’t tithe?
I am not sure where Larry Burkett is getting his information about tithing in the bible, but you have to know that there certainly was a curse on Israel for not tithing. Malachi 3:9 states, “You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed me.”
Malachi 3:11 goes on, “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,“
I don’t think there is any question about the curse for Israel not tithing. We can find further proof in the book of Deuteronomy when God is laying out the laws for Israel. In chapter 26 he outlines the rules for tithing and by chapter 28 beginning in verse 15, God outlines in the next 50 verses the curses and punishments that would come upon them for not obeying his commands that were just laid out.
What Happens When Your Don’t Tithe?
As counterintuitive as it may sound, when we don’t tithe the opposite of what happened to Israel happens to us as Christians. The answer is that when we don’t tithe, we are blessed. Here are five reasons we are blessed for not tithing.
- You are under grace (Romans 6:14)
- God said He would supply all our needs without mentioning the tithe (Philippians 4:19)
- Our gifts are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God (Philippians 4:18)
- God Loves a Cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
- The Spirit gives life (Romans 8:5-10)
As Christians, we should have confidence in these new promises under grace and the blessings that come with them. There is a caveat that I want to mention. Even though there are no consequences of not paying tithes, and we receive some inherent benefits and blessings, our greatest blessing comes when we give freely without obligation instead of giving a tithe.
This is not an excuse to give nothing. We should be willing to give from the love of our hearts. God has given us so much that it should compel our hearts to give back as he sacrificially gave to us. This is not an external force compelling us to give. This is an internal force that aligns with our heart’s attitude.
Are We Cursed When We Don’t Tithe?
Even though we receive a blessing for not tithing, some may still be wondering about the curse for not tithing and did it go away. The answer is no, God does not curse us if we don’t tithe. We are no longer under the curse of the law. We are under grace. You are cursed if you do tithe and blessed if you don’t.
If you don’t practice tithing, you are free from the curse, free from the law, and free from tithing. So many feel led to give to someone outside their church but are terrified to do so because of the fear of the curse. It’s not that they don’t like their church or disagree, but in their heart, they have the desire to fill a more urgent need. When people pass up the opportunity to give from their hearts, they invite doubt or even guilt in their hearts, which robs them of their blessing.
The problem with Larry Burkett and others with the same mentality towards tithing are that they know that tithing looks out of place when we attempt to fit it into a Church that is not supposed to be governed by the law. So they modify its appearance a little bit and make tithing more user-friendly than what it was in the Old Testament. The deception is that if we can mix in a little grace by disassociating it from the curse, then the tithe will appear as if it fits right in there with the other principles we practice today. This reformulation of the tithe is nothing but the law dressed up in grace’s clothing.
THE LAW + GRACE + LENIENCY = THE LAW
You Be the Judge
Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide. You be the judge.
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Patricia, read Mat23:23
If you keep one law to earn or keep God’s favor, you’re obligated to keep them ALL (Gal.5:3), and if you don’t keep ALL the Biblical laws as God instructs, you’ve displeased Him and will bring a chastisement on yourself instead of a blessing. If God ONLY commanded agricultural produce to be given as tithes (Lev.27:20-24), it’s a sin to pay money in fulfilment of this old law. Free will offerings are fine, though.
So, offerings should only be produce, not money? God actually said to tithe on our “Increase.”
to my knowledge the “increase” under Levitical law would have been produce
Patricia, Hi! Without rich folk and wealthy companies paying shareholders profits: the western world would collapse and there’d be almost no jobs!
The word “increase” as used by the old-fashioned English KJV, means “harvest”. If I flip burgers for minimum wage, it’s the OWNER of that business who rakes in the big harvest of profits. As a poor minimum wage slave, I’d barely be getting enough to enable me to survive to come back the next day to keep on working for the rich man. Slaves and hired men were not required to tithe on their bread money. Only the owners of the land were under that burden. Jesus never taught a clergy/laity system where the privileged few live like kings off the backs of poor workers in the church.
Patricia, Hi! Without rich folk and wealthy companies paying shareholders profits: the western world would collapse and there’d be almost no jobs!
Patricia, should we be obeying God’s 10 Commandments? Do you regard them as obsolete?
Repeatedly Paul the apostle teaches that we’re under grace, not law. The Law of Moses was given to the children of Israel, not Gentiles. The apostlic epistles in the NT did restate most of the ten commandments as moral guidelines for the daily conduct of the Christian because they have to do with our love for God and neighbor. The only commandment Paul didn’t restate was the Jewish sabbath. Probably because Jesus is the rest of the Christian, not some day of the week. Even when I was a baby Christian I wondered why Paul or the other church apostles never reminded anybody to pay their tithe or rebuked anybody for failure to do so.
Patricia, agreed, 10 Commandments were restated and are applicable today, as laws to live better by. Where does God/ Christ/Bible tell us NOT to observe Sabbath? Rev 14: 12…”keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
1 Jn. 5:2-3…”KEEP His commandments…” Notice “Keep” as opposed to ‘do away’…Heb.4:9. There REMAINETH a keeping of a sabbath to the people of God…Throughout Heb 3 + 4: ‘rest’ translates from Greek ‘katapousis’. Heb4:9 However, uses ‘sabbaismos’ : rest.
Patricia… “Heaven and earth will pass away before the law”…Jesus said; they’ve not passed away yet. Jesus referred to which law?
To my knowledge the increase under Levitical law referred only
to produce ,produced from the land of Israel .
Christians operate fully and 100% under a New Covenant and Priesthood. Jesus and Paul were very clear about this. Jesus summed up the law into two very distinct commandments which were not part of the original ten. Love your God and love your neighbor. Are we “under” the 10 commandments or any of the other laws today? Absolutely not! The law is now written on our hearts through the guidance of The Holy Spirit. Is the Old Covenant still meaningful? Absolutely! But it is totally powerless to guide us in right and wrong. How will we know what is right? Well, How did Abraham and Jacob know what was right? How did they know how to tithe when there was no law for tithing? They prayed and their heart was moved to tithe. Romans, Ephesians and Hebrews spell this out very clearly. Giving 10% of your income to your church is a fantastic principle and anyone who feels compelled after prayer should. On the other hand, anyone not compelled to give, should never give a penny. It is a heart issue, not a law issue. This is why Paul told us to give from our “Heart”, cheerfully and not under compulsion. As soon as Christians really get this, our churches will have more money than they know what to do with.
Re one comment: Freewill offerings are fine, and are often necessary, and they CAN be money or any other helpful thing. BUT, God wanted ONLY agricultural produce to be paid as tithes (see Lev.27:30-34) This commandment was given by Moses TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL from Mt. Sinai only. If you aren’t a Jew, this don’t apply to you!
Tithing an eternal PRINCIPLE? I LOOKED that word up in my dictionary. A principle is a LAW. You’re under Law again if you tithe, but the preacher only wants the money, not the truth, which would cost him a few dollars. Paul made NO mention of tithing in any of his epistles to the Gentiles, so that’s good enough for me. Why aren’t we having this discussion about circumcision? Because there’s no money to be made off it!
Is there a difference between THE LAW (Gods spiritual law of sin and death) and a law relating to your comment about principles ,
look at proverbs it is full of spiritual principles that still
exist to this day ,whether you are under the new covenant or not .
No one is under the law when they tithe, unless they tithe under the law. Some Christians simply choose to give 10% of their income because they want to, not under any compulsion, or requirement of the law. They don’t do it to avoid a curse, or get a blessing. They do it because that is the way they choose to give. Some give 7, 9, or 15%. That’s fine too. The percentage is not important. They go to good churches with good pastors and leadership who use money that comes in for the advancement of the kingdom, the poor, and those in need.
Going to a bad church or having a bad pastor does not make giving bad. Biblically speaking, a principle is not a law. A principle is a standard that a person adopts for themselves and follows, not because they have to, but because they choose to.
The Law will never pass away, but is has been fulfilled, completed, and ended in its effectiveness and power to bless, curse or make a Christian righteous in any way before God. Christ is the end of the law, so that righteousness can come to those who believe. Romans 10:4.
Suggest read several translations of the word ‘fulfilled’ then let’s know IF you still believe 10 commandments ‘done away’ and why?
OK. We don’t need to use “Fulfilled”. Let’s use “end”. Christ is the end of the law, so that righteousness may come to those who believe. Romans 10:4 Does that clear it up? No? How about, “A NEW Covenant He has made the first obsolete” Hebrews 8:13. Does “Obsolete” have a double meaning? OK How about, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by the law” Galatians 5:4. I can do this all day.
KaBLAM ….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktx0mFEb8H0
That’s good stuff Laurence. The religious are not ready for that.
‘Remember the Covenants.’ The 1st 4 commandments when lived, show ‘Love of God’, the other 6 are loving one’s neighbor. The two ‘royal’ commandments Love God and love neighbor summarize the 10 commandments: don’t annul them.
Laurence: ‘kablam’, please explain. Are you a Batman comics illustrator; or is there some deeper, esoteric meaning intended?
Hey what do you think of this? phil 4:18 “But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen”
It looks like Paul is blessing the folks (the philippian church) who had given to him… I find this very interesting. He was their spiritual leader (starting with Lydia I believe), they gave, he blessed.
What do you think?
God approves of GIFTS given in love, not out of obligation, and the giver is blessed. There was lots of poverty and hunger in Paul’s day (and still is) and those who feed the poor are precious in the eyes of God (no mention of the tithing law).
‘Remember Covenants.’ 1 Cor. 7:19 Note “Keeping the commandments of God is what matters.”..My belief is that the 10 commandments remain to be obeyed..Mt.7:21-23. Depart from me, all who practice LAWLESSNESS [emphasis mine]:without law there couldn’t be any ‘lawlessness.’..1 Jn.2:5 + 5:2 If we love God we’ll KEEP His commandments..Rev.22:14. Blessed are they that DO [emphasis mine] His commandments v15 Mentions 2nd, 6th + 9th of God’s 10 commandments specifically; identifies breakers of them as ‘outside’ God’s kingdom..Rev.14:12. Describes God’s ‘saints’, His true church, as those that “KEEP” [emphasis mine] God’s commandments and the faith of Jesus..Rev.13:17. This future scenario depicts Satan, making war with God’s church:those who ‘KEEP the commandments of God.’..Acts 7: 53-56 God and Christ were present as Stephen stoned to death for telling crowd they weren’t keeping the ‘law.’..Mt 24:20. Christ, speaking of the future, 40 years hence/post crucifixion. Tells disciples to pray that they be able to observe Sabbath..Eccl 12:13-14 “KEEP” God’s commandments..
A question folk may ask themselves is Why would anyone choose to believe God’s 10 commandments are ‘done away’ annulled ‘ended,’ ‘fulfilled’ etc etc? Clearly, if we all lived them to the best of our abilities; what a wonderful society we’d have! In Dan.7:25 We read of God’s and His church’s enemy: ‘antichrist.’ This individual will forcibly change God’s laws, times etc, representing Satan, he will oppose God’s law!Following this, ‘antichrist’ will be destroyed.
You are kind of talking in circles. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you know he offered an entirely new plumb line for our “conduct” far above the 10 commandments. If you only follow the 10 commandments, thinking the world will be a better place, we have a problem. One of the commandments is to not commit adultery. Jesus said we should not even think about committing adultery. Which is the right measurement? You cannot live under two priesthoods. This is made clear in Galatians and Hebrews.
“Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” – Romans 7:4-6
Paul explains in the verses before this of how a woman is bound to her husband while he lives in their marriage. However, if he dies, she is released from the law of marriage (Romans 7:1-3). He is comparing that to how followers of Christ have died to the law (Ten Commandments). He is saying that we live in the new way of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) and not in the old way of the written code. Meaning for followers of Jesus, it’s not about our performance or how many items we can mark on our checklist, but rather it’s about what Jesus has already done for us on the Cross. Followers of Christ are not under the Ten Commandments because He First Loved Us.
Most of the time the Ten Commandments are thought of in this “Old Testament ritual” type of way, meaning they are worthless today and there is no point. I would argue there is still a great point for the Law as we have it in the Bible. The reason would be is that we still get to understand the Character of God. We get to understand what is important to Him and what He is against. We see a list of commandments that we will never, ever, be able to fulfill completely. We will never be able to get this right because of sin. They serve as a reminder to us that since we can never get it right, someone had to get it right for us. This is where Jesus comes in.
When God looks at us, He doesn’t see us or our sin. Rather, He sees His Son. He sees Jesus who is fully God and who was fully man. Jesus fulfilled this Law. Since God sees Jesus when He looks at us, we are made righteous through Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the Cross. The complete law (Ten Commandments) was completely settled by Jesus and nothing can change that.
So if we believe Jesus paid it all, does that mean we can just sin freely and let grace take care of everything? Paul proclaims we have died to sin, so how can we still live in it (Romans 6:1-3)? We now live in the new Spirit and we are not measured under the Law any longer.
We don’t start our day off with a checklist for completing good tasks, but rather we start our day off praying to God and thanking Him for everything He has done for us. We praise Him for sending His Son to die for us and that through Christ, we are free. We strive to be obedient to how the Bible says we should live because of an overwhelming gratitude of what has been done for us.
Can we still read the Ten Commandments and make an effort not to break any of them? Sure. There is nothing wrong with that, however, we can’t make that the top priority and the only point. We need to understand that we will indeed break them, but we aren’t measured by them. I would encourage you to think first on what Jesus has done for you, and let that be your guide for striving to live a holy and obedient lifestyle.
YOU didn’t address: 10 commandments I referred to in Revelation. That’s just for starters!
Then there’s the FACT that Jesus told us to simply think of breaking the 10 commandments is sin! You need to address the 10 commandments question: in Revelation: or your argument lacks muscle!
‘Remember the covenants’. Show us where commandments in Revelation doesn’t mean 10 commandments, seeing as some are specifically named there! You’ve completely ignored those scriptures!
Everything I offered you in scripture was accurate regarding the ending of the Old Covenant law for Christians. I didn’t twist scripture and I didn’t play with words. There would be no need for a New Covenant, Jesus, or The Holy Spirit guiding our lives if the Old Covenant was still our measuring stick today. If you can be set free by me simply explaining what “Commandment” means in the book of Revelation, then here you go:
The John that was on the Island of Patmos downloading the book of Revelation from God was the same John that walked with Jesus, wrote the books of John, 1John and 2John. He is the same John that took care of Jesus’s mother for many years after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. 1John 2:3, 2:4, 3:22, 3:24, 5:2, 5:3, and 2 John 1:6. John is very clear about what he calls a “Commandment”. A commandment to John was simply the two commandments Jesus preached during his entire three-year ministry. Love God and Love your neighbor, neither of which are part of the original 10. The word “Commandments” is only used 3 times in the book of Revelation. John never used this word in any of his books to speak about the old covenant 10 commandments. In fact, in John 11:57, he said that the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a “commandment” to find Jesus and arrest him. In Luke 23:56, they returned and prepared spices and ointments and rested on the Sabbath according to the “commandments”. Do you prepare spices and ointments on the Sabbath? Probably not. So you are breaking a commandment. There are 10 commandments and about 613 others you must follow to measure up to the Old Covenant. The word “Commandment in all of these verses is the same word in Greek “G1785”.
When you get this revelation deep in your spirit, you will be able to live a sinless life by simply walking in the Holy Spirit, loving God and loving your neighbor. You will be fulfilling all of the commandments by doing this. You will not need to go back to an old measuring stick to see if you are in sin. The truth will set you free. The most important thing is that you pray about this and let God speak to your heart.
I said this before, There is nothing wrong with
“Spices and ointments’: No,I’m not a Pharisee. They were bound to follow the rituals of the law, along with circumcision, washings and many others: I’m not bound to or by them either.
John, Christ’s disciple whom He ‘loved,’ last of the original 12 apostles: “He who says ‘I know Him’ + doesn’t keep His commandments, is a liar, the truth isn’t in him” 1 Jn. 3:4….”sin is lawlessness”: has to be law for there to be “lawlessness.”…..”Because we KEEP His commandments: 1 Jn 5:2-3 and they’re NOT burdensome.” The rituals law was very burdensome: timewise and physically, IT was annulled, done away, ended, abolished or whatever terminology suits you..”This is love: walk according to His commandments”:2 Jn 6..Gen 13:13 [Para/emphasis mine] Sodomites were extremely wicked and SINFUL against the Lord. If there were no 10 commandments BEFORE Mt Sinai, they wouldn’t have been guilty of SIN, which is LAWLESSNESS: 1 Jn 3:4 and Rom 4:15. Ergo, transgressions of the 10 commandments: described as sinful BEFORE Moses time..Gen 20:3-9 and 39:7-9 Describe breaking the 7th commandment: a GREAT SIN and a SIN against God.. Remember,where there’s no law, there’s no sin!..Gen 3: 6+17 Adam/Eve broke the 5th, 8th + 10th commandments: God punished them..Gen 4:9-12 God punishes Cain for murder and lying: broke 6th/9th commandments..Ex 16:4 Weeks BEFORE Moses received 10 commandments engraved in stone by God. God commanded them to keep the 4th commandment, with which they were partly familiar. Sabbath was set apart, hallowed, sanctified and blessed by God, when He created it:time of Adam/Eve Gen 2:1-3..God’s reaction to Israel’s disobedience thereto: ” How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws”: Ex 16:28..His 10 commandments existed before the Moses at Mt Sinai formal covenant..I believe the Royal law: two GREAT commandments summarize the 10 commandments. 1st Four depict love of God and remaining 6: brotherly/neighborly love..Oh, Rev 22:15 STILL mentions 2nd,6th + 9th of the ten commandments: clearly stating that those folk breaking these three won’t be in God’s kingdom!..You’re wrong, I’m not travelling in circles; our debate has become circular. You believe the 10 commandments ended:I don’t..You believe the 600+ laws as ending,included 10 commandments; I believe the ritual laws. Circumcision and myriad others were, NOT the big 10! I don’t see 10 commandments observance as burdensome: it is living love of God and neighbor. If everyone obeyed them, what a wonderful society we’d live in. I ask you and others,this website: why would anyone want to do away with God’s 10 commandments? What motives and from whence came they? The scripture “Calling good evil and evil good” comes to mind! Your apparent reasoning that folk keeping the 10 commandments don’t thank God for Jesus our savior in prayer: what’s with that?!.. Let’s agree to disagree, without malice.
I will never have any malice and I have enjoyed sharpening swords with you. I would never say that the Law or the 10 commandments are burdensome. They are very important pieces of scripture that show God’s mercy, power and goodness, and if you feel you need to follow them to be justified before Christ, then I would never want to cause you to stumble. You need to do it. I am a new covenant Christian filled with the Holy Spirit under an entirely new priesthood. My plumb line is Jesus and my conscience is The Holy Spirit. I am aware of sin and right and wrong by the same Holy Spirit. Galatians 3:25 makes this perfectly clear for Gentile Believers (That’s me)”Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster”. My faith has come. If your faith has not come and you are not able to abide in Jesus entirely, you must remain under the law.
I pray God’s blessing, prosperity, wisdom and revelation over your life. May the Holy Spirit anoint you to preach the gospel in liberty and freedom in Jesus’s holy name. Take care.
Well, I take your most recent comments in the spirit with which they’re given; certainly no malice from me.
Trust you note that the 10 commandments were in force PRIOR to Sinai?
I recognize Jesus as our High Priest according to Malachi.
The ten commandments have the Sabbath; many recognize this as a ‘test’ commandment. Folk may agree the ten commandments are required to be observed but stall at the 4th. Adopting viewpoint that the 10 C’s therefore ‘ended’: soft option; 9 are supposedly easy to keep, the Sabbath. Hey what, I’m supposed to give up my own time for God?!… Bible tells us Sabbath was MADE [created] for ‘man’: all homosapiens, Gentiles included.. Anyway-Vale.
Every day is the sabbath in the new covenant. We don’t forsake ourselves the assembling of the saints. Sunday, Saturday, Wednesday bible study, whatever, as the Holy Spirit guides your church and your church leadership. Melchizadek was a great high priest before the 10 commandments were ever a thought for man. Abraham walked with God and is the father of many generations. He had no 10 commandments. How did they obey, know right from wrong, and walk in a right relationship with God when there were no commandments whatsoever. The answer is intimate relationship. God uses Jesus to return us back to an intimate relationship where we, simply by walking by the spirit of God, we operate in self discipline and stay away from sin. This is why Paul said, “Chist is the end of the law, so that righteousness (right standing) can come to those who believe.” Again, I am a Christian under a new priesthood, a priesthood that never operated under commandments, but under relationship, which when operating correctly, will fulfill each and every commandment and more. I will never be justified, sanctified or righteous before Jesus by simply following the 10 commandments. He expects much more from me.