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Can The Church Be Supported Without Tithes?

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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:

Argument:  How can the Church be supported without tithing?

Jesus Supported His Ministry Without Tithes

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Luke 8:1-3

Jesus supported his ministry of the freewill offerings of others as mentioned here in Luke 8. If Jesus’ ministry can be supported without tithes, why couldn’t we expect the same thing? Many emphasize the example of priesthood and Levitical system in Old Testament times, but de-emphasize the example of Jesus’ ministry. Why would we value the Levitical system over Jesus’ example?

In other passages, this method of ministry funding is further validated. Matthew 10:7-10 states, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.” (NIV)

If Jesus had faith that his ministry and the ministry of his followers could be funded without tithing, why would we expect that the Church would fail under the same model? Jesus wouldn’t tell his disciples to follow him and live by the gospel if he thought it would fail. Unfortunately, we’ve become so addicted to the security blank that mandated funding offers us that we fail to see the forest from the trees.

The Church Already Operates Without Tithing

According to Non-Profit Source, here are some statistics about giving

  • Only 5% tithe, and 80% of Americans only give 2% of their income
  • Christians are giving at 2.5% of income
  • Only 3-5% of Americans who give to their local church do so through regular tithing
  • Tithers make up only 10-25 percent of a normal congregation

Some may be thinking about how much more of an impact we could have if everyone just tithed. That’s a fair point, but the whole premise of the argument is how could the Church operate without the tithe. It can, because it is already operating without the tithe. It’s not like if tithing stopped existing the Church would dissolve because tithing is hardly practiced in the first place.

So what’s the point of convincing people that tithing is not required if no one’s doing it? Even though people aren’t following through with tithing, the ones with the voice on stage still emphasize it. The reason why people even worry about how the Church can operate is a matter of being educated or a matter of being rational about the actual reality.

Only 1% Went To Ministers Serving at the Temple

“To bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse” Nehemiah 10:37-38.

The Levites were divided into two factions. The priestly faction (descendants of Aaron) served at the temple, while the non-priestly faction served within the city gates. The priests rotated throughout the year and individually served 2-weeks in the Temple. When their two-week term finished, they served alongside Levites for the remainder of the year.

The entire Levitical tribe received 10% (a tithe) of Israel’s food (more on food later). The tithe was divided into two parts. First, to support the service at the temple, the priests received 10% of the tithe while the Levites (not serving at God’s house) received 90% of the tithe given. There is no question we need to be more generous Christians, but the fact was God’s house (the temple) was supported by 1% of Israel’s increase of food products, then is it fair to ask if the Church can be supported by 2-3%?

Stewardship is a two-way street. Should Christians give more? Yes. Is the Church body being efficient with what’s been given already? No. 1% was given to support the ministerial duties at the temple. The Church is supplied with 2-3% of income from every financial sector, not just from agricultural increase.

Christian Ministries and Missionaries Thrive on Freewill Offerings

Aside from a small fraction, Christian ministries that operate beyond the local Church function receive support from freewill offerings. Most of these ministries perform Church functions such as spreading the gospel and supporting the needy. We may not see them in the traditional sense that they have preaching and worship every week, but just like any local church, they are ordained by God and the Holy Spirit, and are a part of the body of Christ.

Ma y missionaries are commissioned and actively supported through freewill offerings. Certainly, they are ministers who are part of the apostolic calling to spread the gospel and build the Church of God. Yet, they thrive on freewill offerings.

If we support different parts of the body of Christ through freewill offerings, why would specific functions within the body of Christ get separate treatment for funding? Whatever the Holy Spirit commissions, He supplies for. The Holy Spirit should not be compartmentalized in a way that excludes his influence on funding. Whoever he leads, He feeds.

If Christian ministries that serve God, preach the gospel, and serve the needy thrive on freewill offerings, why would we believe that a local body would dwindle without tithes? Hundreds of thousands of Spirit-led ministers reach millions of people throughout the world with freewill offerings.

The Holy Spirit Empowers the Church

The previous section is a great segway – We have the Holy Spirit. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

God gave the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:12-15

The Holy Spirit isn’t limited as a guide to our conscience helping us weigh the consequences of good and bad decisions. He is more powerful, detailed, and instructive than that. John 16:15 states that all that belongs to the Father is mine. This includes all the riches, influence, and power the father has. Why do we question the Holy Spirit’s ability to provide for his Church? The Holy Spirit supported Jesus ministry in this fashion and even guided Jesus in his decisions: Matthew 4:1, Luke 2:27, Luke 4:1, Luke 4:14, and Luke 4:18.

If the Holy Spirit calls a missionary to forgo the comforts in his life to serve in the darkest parts of the world, isn’t the Holy Spirit powerful enough to instruct supporters?

The Levites Could Not Always Receive Tithes

The Bible states that the tithe was to support the Levites and their service, but depending on the land where the tithes were from, they did not always get the tithe. As Israel wandered the wilderness for years, the Levites did not collect tithing. God was clear in his instructions that the tithe was to come from crops harvested in the promised land and animals born there as well.

This means that while the Israelites were in the wilderness, they did not tithe. God only considered a tenth of the animals or crops within the promised land to be holy. Anything outside of the promised land was considered unholy. Read Deuteronomy 12:5-11

Israel did not tithe while in captivity in other nations either. Again, crops or animals that were raised or grown outside of Israel were unholy for the tithe. As Israelites found themselves under captivity in other nations, they had to rely on other offerings to support any type of ministry or Levitical service. Is it ok that we are tithing outside the promised land today? If the Levites did not have tithes for extended periods of time, then could the Church do the same?

The Levitical System Was Not Exclusively Funded by Tithes

The Israelites gave other types of offerings that supported the poor and the ministers. The dozens of other ways the Israelites gave included wave offerings (Exodus 29), heave offerings (Exodus 29), trespass offerings (Lev. 6:24-30), first fruit offerings (Exodus 23:19), burnt offerings (Leviticus 1:3-17), grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1-16), peace offerings (Leviticus 3:1-17), sin offerings (Leviticus 6:21-30), freewill offerings (Leviticus 7:16-18), and vows (Leviticus 22:21-23).

Not all of these offerings were consumed by the Levites. But If the Levitical system and operations was supported by offerings in the Old Testament, then why would we be concerned with the Church being supported without tithes in the New Testament?

Israel Gave Much of the Tithe for Alms and Feasts

The Bible describes three different tithes – A Levitical tithe, a festival tithe, and a poor tithe. The Levitical tithe went completely to the Levites (Numbers 18:21-26). The Festival tithe was shared among all Israelites (Deuteronomy 14:22-23). While the poor tithe was shared among the Levites and the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).

Let’s break this down into numbers. To keep this simple, since there were three tithes, let’s assume that each tithe equaled 33.3% (10 divided by 3) of the whole tithe. I am sure this oversimplifies, but it does prove the point that the Levites did not operate on 10%.

  • Levitical tithe = Levites received 33%. (The entire portion of 33.33%)
  • Festival tithe = Levites received 2.77%. (Levites were 1 of 12 tribes. So they received 1/12th of 33.33%).
  • Poor tithe = Levites received 16.66%. (Assuming the tithe was split evenly between Levites and the Poor, The Levites received half of 33.33%.)

Drumroll….If my math is correct, the Levites received 52.76% of the whole tithe (There is a high chance that I am not that smart, so please recheck the numbers). So, this means the Levites did not receive 10% Israel’s food increase, they received closer to 5%.

It’s a possibility that we could have calculated from 9% instead of 10% since 1% may have gone to the temple right off the top. If that’s the case, then the final number the Levites received would be more like 4%. This is not far off the 2-3% of giving statistics.

Freewill Offerings Funded the Temple

Much of the battle of funding a local Church is paying for the lease, operation, and maintenance of a church building. Many people do not realize the temple was built and maintained by other offerings other than tithes.

“And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. (Exodus 35:21-22)

“Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.” (Exodus 3:13)

If Israel built and maintained the temple without tithing, why would the Church need tithing to fund building construction and maintenance? Since Churches today allocate tithing towards the operation and building of our worship centers, it’s no wonder why we think we are so dependent on it. Israel wasn’t, so why are we?

The Early Church Flourished with Freewill Offerings

Does the Church need tithing to grow? I think the early Church would beg to differ. The early Church did not practice tithing. First, if they were Jewish, they only knew how to give to the Levitical system, so ecclesiastical funding was a new concept to them. Second, the Gentiles were completely ignorant about how Israel’s support system functioned so their only familiar form of giving was freewill offerings

As we read in the book of Acts, the Church exploded within a few years. This growth did not happen because tithing was at an all-time high. The Church expanded for other reasons. Yes. They sacrificed much and shared equally with one another, but this type of giving is different than tithing.

The point is that the Church does not need tithing or any compulsive giving to grow. We do not need to institute a mandated minimum amount to even sustain our growth. Freewill giving was the basis of growth for the early Church and can sustain the Church for future generations.

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Only the Tithes from Agriculture & Animals Supported the Levites

If Israelites did not raise animals or grow crops, they did not tithe off their increase. In other words, the Levites did not receive a tithe out of income from bankers, lawyers, tax collectors, blacksmiths, or carpenters. Contrast that with expectations today that assume all market sectors should tithe from their increase. Read more about why Israel could only tithe from food.

According to USDA.gov agriculture, food, and related industries amount to 5.5% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023. Even if agriculture and food-related industries amounted to 50% of ancient Israel’s gross domestic product, it still means that a tithe was given from only 50% of the entire Israelite income.

This means that the Levites received only 5% of Israel’s entire increase of all incomes, and I think 5% is being generous. The standard in churches today is to expect a tithe from every income sector. Today, the church receives tithes from more market sectors than Israel did. It’s hard to determine what percentage of Israel’s GDP counted towards food, but one thing I know for a fact is that the amount of food it takes to feed one person today is the same amount it took thousands of years ago. Israel did not grow more food than necessary per person than we do today. If we’re being honest, we probably raised more food products per person in America today than Israel did, which would be more beneficial to the ministries today than compared to ancient Israel. Knowing that Levites survived without a tithe from everyone’s income, we should find it more plausible that the Church can survive without a tithe.

Tithes Funded Israel’s Government

Tithes were not used exclusively for ministry since Israel was a Theocracy. Many of the Levites held civil and leadership duties in Israel’s form of government. They had educational, judicial, and safety responsibilities. They taught children, guarded city gates, and acted as mediators of the law.

On the other hand, tithes focus explicitly on ministry today, while our taxes are used for duties such as education and judicial responsibilities. This means that 100% of the donations to Churches do not go towards the added responsibilities that the Levites had.

We should consider ourselves privileged that church donations can go towards 100% focus of Gospel outreach. We can even claim that much of the responsibility to care for the poor, educate children, and settle disputes has been taken away from the Church. Our burden to care for the poor has been reduced since many state programs already care for the poor and the needy today. This means that the Church has more donations to use for their discretion than Israel had. With a large reduction in responsibilities, why couldn’t church ministry function on offerings alone?

Many Local Churches Don’t Teach Tithing

This website provides a list of organizations and churches that do not teach tithing. You can also see a list of prominent pastors, authors, and theologians who do not teach tithing. Read quotes from C. S. Lewis, C. I. Scofield, Francis Chan, John MacArthur, and even Creflo Dollar.

Thousands of local churches around the world already do not collect tithes, so we don’t even have to guess what would happen without tithes. The worry about what would happen to the Church if we didn’t demand compulsive giving is living by fear, not faith.

Summary

Let’s analyze how much the Levites truly received from Israel

  • First, the Levites received 5% (my generous estimate) of Israel’s overall increase in income since they only collected food tithes.
  • Then, the bible states that 10% of that went to the Temple Storehouse for service. This leaves 4% of Israel’s overall increase in income for the Levites in the cities.
  • Finally, 52% remained after the poor tithe and feasts, leaving 2.08% of Israel’s overall income/increase for Levitical consumption outside of feasts.

Even if I was more generous with my estimates, the final percentage still would not come close to a ten-percent figure from Israel’s entire increase. At best, we could say the priests received 0.5-1% of Israel’s increase for temple service, while the Levites received 2-3% for general service. The irony is that giving statistics state Christians are giving 2.5% of their income. The percentage of Israel’s increase that the priests received is so low that we need to consider the serious possibility that the Levitical system was supported more abundantly through offerings than it had been through tithing. With that in mind, shouldn’t we consider that to be the case for the Church?

You Be the Judge

Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:

Can the Church Be Supported Without Tithes?

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Dave Ramsey on Tithing

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Who is Dave Ramsey?

Dave Ramsey is the most popular Christian voice today offering stewardship and financial advice. Ramsey is a NY Times Bestselling author and has currently written five books. His most notable book is The Total Money Makeover. According to Wikipedia, The Dave Ramsey Show is broadcasted to over 600 radio stations.

Ramsey focuses much of his attention on debt. Many families have changed their lives and vanquished their debt due to the highly popular Financial Peace University program.

What does Dave Ramsey believe about tithing?

RamseySolutions.com states, “The Bible explains that tithing is an important part of faith for those who follow God and that your tithe should be money you set aside first.” Dave Ramsey believes that Christians should be giving a minimum tithe of 10% of their income to their local Church.

Dave Ramsey believes tithing must go to your local church

Ramsey says, “Giving 10% of your income to anything other than the local church isn’t really a tithe.” I don’t know where Ramsey gets this declaration from because it’s not found in scripture. Tithing was explained in the Old Testament but there’s nothing in the New Testament that states where or how to give a tithe to your local church. During festivals, the Israelites traveled to far places to have feasts and celebrate using a tithe.

He believes tithing should go to the local church due to the interpretation that the Old Testament storehouse equates to the New Testament local church. This belief is in error because the bible makes no correlation between the Old Testament storehouse and the Church. The storehouse at the temple stored grain. Our church stores nothing. The storehouse in the Old Testament correlates to our storehouse in heaven, not the one on earth. 90% of the tithe never even made it to the temple storehouse. The Jews in Israel had synagogues much like our worship centers, yet, they didn’t bring the tithe to their local worship building.

Dave Ramsey believes you should still tithe while paying off debt

“Even if you’re in debt or walking through a rough financial season, tithing should still be a priority.” This statement from Dave Ramsey’s site is shocking to some. It’s very difficult for many people to make ends meet. I have read numerous stories of those struggling in debt while advancing further into debt because of their tithe. There are other ways to give back while getting out of debt. God looks at your stewardship practices as a whole. If you are in debt because of poor financial decisions then tithing does not make a wrong a right. If you are in debt because of economic circumstances such as expensive medical bills while living on social security, then you can find peace in knowing that the poor in Israel received tithes. You can read more about this in the article, Should I Tithe While in Debt?

Dave Ramsey believes tithing is 10% and anything above that is considered an offering

Many people equate tithing and offerings. Offerings are considered a very general term for giving to God, which includes tithing. Tithing is considered a subset of offerings and is the act of giving 10% to God to fulfill an Old Testament command.

Dave Ramsy states, “A tithe is a specific amount (10% of your income) that you give first, and an offering is anything extra that you give beyond that.” It may sound confusing that tithes and offerings are separate when I just explained that tithes are a part of offerings. It really comes to semantics. Many Christians like to say that anything above 10% is a freewill offering. Yes, tithing is a type of offering to God but that’s how many differentiate the two.

Dave Ramsey believes tithing is a firstfruit offering

Here’s a quote from his website. “Firstfruits is just a biblical way of saying that you should give first—before you do anything else with your money.” Dave Ramsey believes in setting your tithe away first before you spend your income on anything else. He also quotes Proverbs 3:9, which states “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.”

The Bible was very clear in Leviticus 27:32 that the tithe was to be taken from the tenth one, not the first, and that it didn’t matter if it was good quality or poor. I am not arguing against honoring God with the best of what we have. What I am stating is that tithing and first fruits are not synonymous. The first fruit offering is a representation of Christ. The tithe, which was given at a separate time, was not.

Dave Ramsey believes tIthing can be from your income either before or after taxes

After reading about Dave Ramsey’s beliefs about first fruits, I was surprised to read from his website, “Whether you tithe from your gross pay or your take-home pay is totally up to you.” This seems to deviate from his belief that our tithe should come out first. Nonetheless, why this question can get complicated is because tithing was used in Israel for civil duties, much like a tax, which paid for judicial matters and such.

If you are paying more than 10% of your income towards the government in taxes, then technically speaking you are paying tithes much in the same way that Israel was.

Is 10% a Good Place to Start Giving?

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I’ve established that tithing is not required and that giving 10% of our income is a benchmark that should not be enforced under the New Covenant Church. If you’re not sure about that yet yourself, then please read these pages first:

Now that we’ve gotten past the point of being freed from the mechanical law of rituals, there is still the question about whether or not 10% is a good place to start giving. I’ve heard so many pastors, authors, and theologians admit that tithing is not required, but can still be a good place to start.

I don’t know why many of teachers say, “I don’t believe tithing is required, but i think it’s a good place to start”. Maybe they fear others’ reactions? Maybe they are concerned that others will blacklist them or will accuse them of greed. (Not speaking from experience or anything)

10% is not a good place to start. Although, I’ll say that is an understatement since I consider it a harmful place to start at for 99.9% of us. Here’s why:

You are Not Letting God Lead

I do think standards are imperative for our lives. I have many of them in my own life. I do have standards for my giving, but ultimately I decide to be “Spirit-led”. For this, I get labeled “kooky”, “radical”, etc;. Although strangely enough, believing in an invisible being that lives in me, created the entire universe with words, became human with a virgin birth, and wrote a creepy book that is the basis of all apocalyptic movies is kinda out there as well. I digress. Following God is not about throwing darts or “winging” it.

When I’ve come across those that do not believe in tithing but still feel anchored to the tithe (10% minimum), their reasoning is very stange. It’s as if they just discoverd they have the power to walk after believing they were paralyzed their whole lif…but strangely enough, have made the decision that being anchored to the wheelchair is a more logical decision than than trying to learn to walk.

I typically find out that there was no prayer about what they should give and there probably wasn’t even a look at the budget.

I get that 10% is easy. I also get that we have to start somewhere. So, I understand why some would rather give 10% than let laziness get in the way and not give at all. Solving laziness with mindlessness does not make what you are doing right. 10% is a place that you can start at since giving something is better than giving nothing, but don’t mistake better for right.

I wouldn’t consider giving my wife a vacuum cleaner for our 20th wedding anniversary a good start. It may just be quite the opposite of good. It may be bad and set me back negative yards putting me in the dog house for weeks or months. The reason I gave her a vacuum cleaner as opposed to a bed and breakfast, or romantic evening is because I was not communicating, asking questions, or listening to her about her wants and desires.

The same goes for my relationship with God. Every week you can show up with the same old vacuum cleaner that shows God you know he’s there, but you really don’t care to uncover the complexity of the desires of his heart. After you’ve given the vacuum cleaner, try using the lazy excuse with your wife – “But it’s a start”. You’ll find out whether your giving was right or wrong pretty fast.

Remember when you were first in love with your boyfriend/girlfriend? Remember all those questions you used to ask? Curiosity about the other person shows a lot about how much in love you are with them. So the question is, are you curious about God or do you treat him as if he is there to listen to you? Your monotonous and mindless giving demonstrates that your relationship with God is all head and no heart. Although i find that to be ironic.

Israel Gave Much Less than 10% to the Temple

Only 10% of 10% (1% total) actually made it to the temple storehouse. 1% of Israel’s entire increase that was given to the house of God. You may not be aware of this either, but it was 1% of the increase from agriculture and herding that only went to the storehouse. It did not include tithes from other occupations such as carpenters, blacksmiths, bankers, tax collectors, doctors, etc. Imagine the Church being supported by only the farmers in your church today? Yikes!

The Israelite farmers gave 10% of their increase in total while there were also additional offerings given by all the Israelites, but overall the entire nation was not required to give up to 10% of their income.

So, if 10% wasn’t a starting place for the majority of Israelites under the strict, written ordinance of the law, how would it be considered a good starting place for those who have a direct connection with God dwelling within them?

You are Giving Too Much or Too Little

Some of us are in debt, have a hard time paying bills, are single parents, on government assistance, or have some other hardship. If you are in (unsecured) debt or on government assistance, I’d encourage you to consider either finding some way to earn more income or keep the offering money in your pocket to take care of other important matters.

I defer to the story about the poor widow giving her last two mites in the box. There is no indication as to whether she was living on other’s assistance or welfare. We don’t know if she was filled or about to starve. My personal opinion and philosophy are that if you are giving away what you’ve earned and yet ask others to assist in your basic needs, then you are probably giving too much. I do not wish to put God in a box though. God could be calling you to give what you have, just as he did the widow, and yet have already set in motion a way to provide for you.

Take the story of the widow at Zarephath who was making her last dying meal for her and her son while Elijah asked her to make a loaf of bread for him first. What an amazing example of faith and a good example of giving even though it is beyond our means.

These are amazing stories of widows during a snapshot of their life, but these are not representations of their life week after week. Widows giving every week to the church while going to the government to support her needs is not wise and gives a negative reflection of God’s power.

I’ve addressed tithing and debt in greater detail, but generally speaking we can’t cover up debt that may or may not be the fault of greed or stupidity by painting a coat of white paint over mud. “Unsecured” debt can be used as a tool by the enemy to reflect poorly on Christ. So, Stop Tithing and get out of debt.

Now that I’ve covered those that are giving too much, I don’t think I really need to spend too much time talking about those who are not giving enough. If you are giving 10% and could be giving more, then it is just shameful. Enough said.

Moral of the Story

The problem is that we are human and will always be in a battle with the tangible vs. intangible. We wish to see things in black and white so that way God’s calling is clear-cut and without ambiguity. It’s not wrong to create standards in your life. The wrong is when our own standards overshadow God’s principles. God’s principles are found in the lessons, not the exercises.

Let me explain what I mean by looking at an example. The principle of cleanliness is a good thing and is a natural spiritual principle. God didn’t create an orderly universe and expect mankind to strive for disorder and filth. So, If I were to say that making your bed every day is a great exercise to help you honor the principle of cleanliness, I would say there’s not a soul that would disagree with me. If I could read your minds, there’s probably an utterance of some ‘Amens’.

Could there be anything wrong with doing that chore every day? I’m sure you said, no. What if I were to tell you that I have made my bed every day for the last 10 years, but haven’t washed my sheets during that time? I’ve made my bed 3,650 days in a row like a good little Christian should, so I should get credit right? At that point, who cares about my perfect streak of making my bed for 10 years. This resonates with the story in Matthew 25 when Jesus seemed to be indifferent about the Pharisee’s meticulous attention to tithing but neglecting weightier matters.

The same goes for all standards – not just giving. If we fail to look at the bigger picture and instead become so task-focused we forget about the goal (ie: cleanliness), then even the safest standards become disgusting. If you could choose to either have clean sheets for the next 10 years or a bed that was made, we would all choose to have clean sheets…at least for those of us with a sound mind.

Some have been tithing for 10+ years. How do you think God views your generosity after 3650 days of the same mindless chore? Do you think it has a bad smell yet? Sometimes you could have given more, and sometimes you should have given less. Either way, by now, it stinks because God doesn’t want your mindless actions that ignore obvious signs of smelly stewardship, God wants a spirit-filled life that exemplifies a faithful steward that is intentional in seeking out opportunities to shine his light in a smelly world.

Well…I guess I should start making my bed. Nah. Too much work to just mess up every night. LOL.

What do you say? Say it below.

Is the Church a Storehouse to Collect Tithes?

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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:

Argument: Israel gave their tithes to the storehouse, so we should give our tithes to the church.

Malachi 3:10 – “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”

There are good principles we can draw from Malachi 3, but using the storehouse as an argument to bring tithing to Church is not accurate. Yes. We should supply ministers and the Church body with food and provisions for their needs, but the principle in Malachi 3:10  is about supplying for the needs of others; it is not about giving 10% to a Church. Here are 3 areas to review on why the Church is not a storehouse for tithing.

Only 1% Made it to the Temple Storehouse

The temple storehouse only received 1% of Israel’s increase, the other 9% was stored in Levitical cities – not at a place of worship.

Nehemiah 10:37-38 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.

The Israelites were responsible for giving their tithe to the Levites and in turn, the Levites were then responsible for giving a tenth of the tenth towards the temple storehouse. 1% of Israel’s increase was used for the support of those ministering and serving in the House of God. I’m sure the percentages today do not come anywhere close tho this figure. The latest giving statistics state that 85% of the offerings received by Churches are used for internal operations. The Priests only absorbed 10% of what was given to the Levites (or 1% of Israel’s increase)

The irony of all this is that the decree in Malachi 3:10 was not addressing the whole Israelite nation. It was only addressing the Levitical tribe since they were the only ones responsible for the 1% that was supposed to bring food to God’s StoreHouse. As a word of wisdom to leaders in our Churches who may be reading this – In Malachi 3, it was those who received the tithe that was neglecting their duties to give. Considering 85% is spent on internal operations, I don’t think we’re any better off than those in Malachi were . . . what a scary thought!

If you wish to read more about the Levitical cities, they are first outlined in Numbers 35:2-3, while other references can be found throughout scripture in regards to the storage of tithes and offerings within these cities as well.

Your Church Building Is Not A Storehouse

A storehouse actually STORES something. Duh! Right! If you had a storehouse for your farm, that means you are safekeeping your grain to be used later for feed or for seed. The Church building, is not used as storage to preserve or distribute anything. Quite simple to understand, don’t you think?

Most people don’t pick up on the fact that Malachi 3:10 mentions two different places. First, God mentions a “storehouse”; then, God mentions a separate place and calls it “my house”. The two are exclusive of one another. God’s house is NOT the storehouse, and the storehouse is NOT God’s house. Did you think the grain was sitting in the Holy of Holies? Maybe they stored some of their corn in the ark of the covenant? There was no Shekinah Glory sitting above the grain house. God’s house was not a place to bring your goods or possessions. Neither was it a place to make transactions.

Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

God kicked ALL the money changers out. There were no exceptions for those who were honest and those who were dishonest. Jesus statement was that in the presence of God, there was to be prayer, not business.

I know that I stated the temple is not the Church building today, so it’s not like these restrictions in the Temple are applicable to worship buildings today, but this means if these restrictions aren’t applicable, then it also means that the Church building is not a resemblance of the Storehouse or the Temple.

The storehouse was was not considered a holy place or part of the worship process. The only reason why a storehouse was needed was because there was food to store. If you are unaware of the temple tax; it was a monetary offering required for everyone to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the House of God. The temple tax was never kept in a storehouse. So, God doesn’t need a storehouse in order for us to have a reason to give to support His work.

One last note. If you observe the New Testament, there is no reference to a Church storeroom to bring your tithes or offerings. Nor was the word ‘storehouse’ mentioned whatsoever.

Our Storehouse is Not in This World

Let’s set aside the technicalities and semantics and focus on the spiritual application of a storehouse. Some of you believe that the Storehouse in the Old Testament, through spiritual meaning, is comparative to a church today. I get why this thought occurs to most people. But let me show you two significant differences between a church and the Temple and a storehouse.

1. A Building was Where God Dwelt – Isaiah 66:1-2, 1 Chronicles 17:6, 1 Kings 8:27
Our Soul Is Where He Dwells Now – Acts 7:48, John 1:14, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

In the Old Testament, the temple was known as the House of God, but in the New Testament, we know that God does not dwell in houses made with hands. We are the temple of God.

2. A Storehouse Stores Corruptible Things – Luke 12:16-21, Matthew 6:19
Heaven Stores Incorruptible – Matthew 6:20, Matthew 19:21, 1 Peter 1:3-4

The earthly Storehouse symbolizes the purpose of an eternal storehouse, it does not symbolize a worship building or any other form of infrastructure you may have for the local Church.  The storehouse symbolism is perfectly described in Matthew 6:19-20 where Jesus commands us not to store up treasure on earth, but to store treasure in heaven.

It’s a disservice to consider your worship building God’s Storehouse. I know there are many great programs and actions that come through some local churches and their facilities, but certainly, God did not want us to focus on earthly legacies. He wanted us to focus on eternal legacies. If anything, Malachi 3:10 should be a reminder to lay up treasures in heaven, not to bring a check to the next service.

Review

Here is a review of the key points from the article.

  • Only 1% of Israel’s tithing increase was used to support the service in God’s house while 9% was NOT used within God’s House
  •  The Temple was not a building to store money or goods, and was not used for any financial transactions. A Storehouse was Not needed unless there was something to store.
  • God no longer resides in a building and our storehouse is found in heaven, not on earth.

If a Church wants to consider itself a storehouse for tithing, then by all means make sure they follow the guidelines in the Old Testament.  Otherwise, let’s not call the Church building a storehouse. In the mean time, let’s encourage one another to give as God leads us. May it be sacrificially, liberally and cheerfully.

You Be the Judge

Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide

Do You Think the Church is a Storehouse for Tithing?

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God Never Changes. What About Tithing?

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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.

Argument:
Malachi 3:6 States That God Never Changes, so we must continue to obey tithing.

Malachi 3:6-8 “For I am the Lord, I do not change;  . . . Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.”

Anyone who says that tithing never changed because God never changes couldn’t explain these next NINETEEN ways that tithing had been changed. These 19 changes are not only examples of how things have changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament, but many of these examples show how tithing was altered and even exempted at times within the Old Testament alone.

Change #1
From This:  Abraham tithed on all the spoils of war (Hebrews 7:4).
  → To This:  Later Israel could only tithe from their crops or animals (Leviticus 27).

Change #2
From This: Abraham tithed items made outside the land of Israel
  → To This: Israel could only tithe from items grown from within the land of Israel. (Deuteronomy 12:5)

Change #3
From This: Abraham gave 1/10 of the spoils of war.
  → To This: Israel was commanded to give 1/500 of their spoils of war. (Numbers 31:9, 27-29)

Change #4
From This:  FIRST, Abraham gave the tithe out of obligation (Genesis 14:20)
→  To This: AND then Jacob offers it voluntarily (Genesis 28:22)
→ →  Then To This: AND then the nation of Israel is required to give it out of obligation (Leviticus 27)
  → → → And Finally To This: Now, we are under grace so we are told that it’s now voluntarily obligated? Huh?! (Galatians 4)

Change #5
From This:  Israel’s tithe only went towards taking care of the poor, Levites, and national feasts (Nehemiah 10:38, Deuteronomy 14:22).
  → To This: Today, we’ve been told that the tithe can be used for anything including building funds.

Change #6
From This: Non-farmers and non-herdsmen (ie: Bankers, Lawyers, Doctors, and Carpenters) were not allowed to tithe their income. (Leviticus 27)
  → To This: Today, we’ve been told that every occupation is required to tithe their income.

Change #7
From This: It was directly commanded by God to not include the best nor the first in the tithe. (Leviticus 27:32)
→  To This: Today, we are told to include the best and first fruits of our tithe, disregarding not only the Old Testament command in Leviticus 27:32 but also the New Testament command in 2 Timothy 2:6.

Change #8
From This: The poor didn’t give tithes in the bible, they received them. (Nehemiah 10:38)
→  To This: Today, not only do the poor probably see very little of the tithe, if any, but they are told they are required to tithe.

Change #9
From This: Most of the tithe was stored in storehouses to be distributed and consumed mostly outside the temple. (Nehemiah 10:37-38)
  → To This: Today, there is no storage house for the tithe, and mostly consumed within the Church instead of distributed.

Change #10
From This: Only 1% was stored in the Temple Storehouse, the other 9% were stored in Levitical cities
  → To This: Today, we are told to bring the whole 10% to the Church building. (Deuteronomy 14:28)

Change #11
From This: Some of the agricultural tithes were only given 5.5 out of every 7 years – The 7th year was sabbatical, so there was no gleaning or planting. The first half of the next year was planting. (Leviticus 25)
  → To This: Today, we changed it to give tithe year after year without a single sabbatical or rest.

Change #12
From This: Abraham & Israel gave a tithe while under the Old Covenant
  → To This: We are told it is still required under a completely new covenant.

Change #13
From This: Many types of offerings in the Old Testament were also required
  → To This: We’ve been told these offerings are freewill now.

Change #14
From This: We are no longer under the curse (Galatians 3:13)
→  To This: But are reminded that we are still under the curse of the tithe (Malachi 3:9)

Change #15
From This: The tithe was given to the Levites because they couldn’t have an inheritance of land (Numbers 18:24)
  → To This: No one is stopping ministers from owning land today.

Change #16
From This: Jesus’ own ministry was supported without tithes and also sent the disciples out without tithes. (Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 10:8-10)
  → To This: Ministries today do not follow Jesus’ example.

Change #17
From This: The tabernacle was built and maintained through only freewill offerings (Exodus 35).
  → To This: Today, we support the church through tithing while other “outside” ministries receive freewill offerings.

Change #18
From This: From 1 A.D. through 566 A.D. the Church did not recognize tithing.
  → To This: In A.D. 567 The Church ordered the payment of tithes.

Change #19
From This: God did not accept money for tithing (Leviticus 27).
  → To This: The church accepts checks, cash, credit card, and even Bitcoin.

Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide

YOU BE THE JUDGE

Has Tithing Changed?

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Tithing on Trial Series

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I’m going to start writing a series of posts to address common arguments and questions used to promote tithing. These arguments have been listed on the 60+ tithing arguments debunked page, but it is not in a format where I can really go into detail. This series of posts are going to be called the “Tithing on Trial” series. As I hear arguments used to promote tithing in the Church, I will address them in this series. On the side menu, you can see a link under the categories for ‘Questions About Tithing’. If you click it in the future, you will see a comprehensive list of posts that address each and every argument to promote tithing.

Here are a few of the pro-tithing questions that are used to argue for the practice of tithing: