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Tithing On Trial

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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How Can Christians Give Less Than Israel Did?

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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.

This argument is one of the tougher discussions to defend against. We live in a very prosperous world while living under the grace of God. Israel never had the opportunities we have had in our time. How can people living under grace, with a higher calling, and the Holy Spirit possibly be excused from giving less than the 10% tithe that Israel gave?

First, the facts: Israel did give less than 10%

The initial problem with the above argument is believing that 10% was the minimum Israel gave in the first place.

  • Israel was only required to give 1/500 of the spoils of war (Numbers 31). The Israelites were not required to give 10% of their spoils of war. They weren’t even required to give one percent.
  • Bankers, lawyers, and doctors did not participate in tithes because Israel was only required to give from the increase of their animals or from their crops of the land. They gave 0% from their non-farming occupation.
  • Israel’s tithe paid for civil duties. The tithe was a part of Israel’s civic duty and tax obligations. According to Zippia, the average household income in the US is around $87,000. The tax bracket for joint filers at that income level is 22%. Our taxes pay for social welfare, including food, housing, schooling, etc. The budget for the welfare program alone was 1 trillion dollars in 2021. According to Statista, personal income was 21 trillion. In summary, Americans are already giving ~5% of their salary towards one of the welfare programs that exist. This does not include sales taxes that are paid. Don’t get me started on business taxes. If you’re a small business entrepreneur, you understand the absurd amount of taxes you pay towards your civil duty.
  • Israel’s rich and poor gave an equal amount of half a shekel for the temple tax. Across the board, everyone was required to give towards the upkeep and maintenance of the temple. A shekel was about 7-8 grams of silver. In today’s value, that could be around $4-$6. This does not equate to the value of silver back then, but it gives you a picture. Regardless, the flat offering was across the board and was more than 10% for some and under 10% for others.
  • Israelites never tithed outside of the promised land. When the Israelites lived outside of their land, they did not give a tithe. God only wanted crops and animals that were a part of the increase of the land of Israel. So, a farmer gave 0% of grain towards the storehouse if the crops were grown outside the land. Please read more about why Israel only tithed on food.
  • Jesus’ own words to his disciples about ministry said, “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8). Although, his words are not direct proof, it does set a precedent and relieves us from some of the pressure to meet a standard that not even all of the Israelites had to meet.
  • Israel only tithed on the increase of animals. If their flock increased by nine animals that year, then they gave 0% of their increase.

10% is not a spiritual principle – it is an earthly standard

God never raised the standards of his principles in the New Testament. We can’t hold ourselves accountable to any of Israel’s requirements. Take a look at priests: they could only serve 25 years from age 25-50 and had to have documented lineage. These aren’t standards that any of us would consider universal principles.

God placed certain rules and restrictions on Israel because he wanted to teach a spiritual principle through earthly regulations. The regulations are not there for us to compare ourselves to. Do you realize how crazy some of the Old Testament laws are that we would find ourselves working towards?

If we can take the tithe and compare it with our efforts in the New Testament, we are opening the door to other rules and regulations for adoption. Where do we draw the line on which Old Testament laws we should supersede? Which laws do we ask ourselves, “How can we do less, serve less, give less, say less, than Israel did?”

God’s spiritual standards are repeatable and applicable across the board. If questioning how we can give less than Israel helps us uncover tithing as a spiritual principle, then this same question could be repeated to compare our efforts versus everything that Israel did. This self-reflection shouldn’t just stop with our wallets.

The question is flawed. Using it to confirm our doctrine may make sense in some instances, but we soon find ourselves realizing that this is a poor question to confirm New Testament practices. If it was a good question, we could apply it to everything.

The truth is that God never raised the bar. His principles have been steady and unwavering. It’s dangerous to base our theology or doctrine on qualitative questioning. How can we give less than Israel did? Well, let’s find out the facts first before we start basing our doctrine on unstable rationale.

You Be The Judge

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

Can we give less than Israel did?

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Did Jesus Fulfill or Destroy 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.

When many inquire how authoritative the Mosaic laws are at governing the Church, a portion of Matthew 5:17 is invoked, which states that Jesus fulfilled the Law for us. This seems to end the Law’s jurisdiction over the Church. Although, when it comes to the authority of tithing over the Church, many invoke a more complete version of Matthew 5:17, which states, that Jesus did not come to destroy but to fulfill the Law. Now a very simple interpretation becomes convoluted. So, let’s inquire about what it means for tithing when Jesus said he did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Jesus did not come to destroy the Law – there’s no argument there. So let’s focus on what he did when he fulfilled the law. We have an article dedicated to defining what fulfill means. 

I don’t want to rehash everything that’s written in the article, but to use that illustration imagine you have two buckets that are both supposed to be filled with water. If one bucket was filled to the brim and the other bucket was empty, which bucket would you say had fulfilled its purpose? Which bucket would you say cannot be used anymore to gather more water? Would either bucket need to be destroyed for any reason? The answer is obvious.

All that Jesus was saying is that the old bucket is used up and can no longer be used to gather more water. The new bucket can be used and has replaced the old bucket. Jesus did not destroy anything. 

The Old Testament is still relevant to us. It offers glimpses of God’s promises and his truth. There are thousands of other reasons why Jesus did not destroy the Law. Fulfilling the Law can be like paying a doctor’s bill. You can pay a bill and fulfill the obligation for it, but that doesn’t mean the bill didn’t exist or the evidence of your medical treatment didn’t exist. The bill isn’t destroyed just because you paid it. Fulfilling the obligation doesn’t mean the obligation is continuously ongoing. 

The same is true for us. Fulfilling the law has nothing to do with confirming its practice in the church. If Jesus came to continue the law for us, we are going to be in trouble because we would be bringing back a lot more than tithing. 

The answer is yes, Jesus fulfilled tithing, but it doesn’t mean to continue. He completed its purpose for us, so we should not continue to fulfill tithing for ourselves. Let’s not cherry-pick verses in the bible to encourage the usage of certain Laws that we want to fit into the church. 

You Be The Judge

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

Did Jesus Continue Tithing for us by Fulfilling the Law?

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Did Abraham Tithe Prior to the Law?

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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.

The argument here is that Abraham tithed prior to the law of Moses, therefore it should be continued since it was outside of the fulfilled law of the Old Testament. To me, the cross fulfilled laws beyond the Mosaic law, but I understand that some don’t see it that way.

The Mosaic Law

Abraham did tithe before the Mosaic law, but that shouldn’t satisfy any answers regarding tithing. Was the Mosaic law the only portion of Old Testament laws that were fulfilled by the cross; and does this mean that any laws inside or outside those bounds are subject to fulfillment in the New Testament? The Sunday Sabbath, clean animals, animal sacrifices, & circumcision were all practiced prior to the Mosaic law, and yet they are excluded from New Testament practices. When you look at these four laws, you realize tithing isn’t an exclusive pre-mosaic ordinance.

The problem with basing our current practices on any practice that was pre-mosaic is that you are defending a practice based on a marker that is proven to be insignificant for the NT Church. NT Scripture wasn’t compelled to mention that clean meats, animal sacrifices, & circumcision were not required just because the change in law had to be reiterated in the New Church Covenant. The cross nullified those laws because pre-mosaic practices had no consequence for the Church in the first place. God’s instructions were not this – “I want you to obey all the laws that came before Moses, with the exception of sacrifices, clean meats & circumcision”. There was no need to add amendments to the New Covenant.  Simply put – clean meats, sacrifices and circumcision are dead laws because of Calvary, not because the NT happened to clarify it for us after Calvary.

It was Adam Not Moses

Scripture focuses on when sin entered the world through one man and when the penalty of sin was paid for by another.  Christ didn’t die on the cross to save us from the Mosaic law; he died because of Adam’s flaw. The focus of Christ’s death was about the law of sin and death that was introduced by Adam not the law that was introduced by Moses. The Bible focuses so much on the Mosaic law because the Hebrew culture was so saturated with it in their every-day life. Because of this, we unintentionally forget that Christ wasn’t here to fulfill the Mosaic laws. If he only did that, it would be great news for the Jews but not for the gentiles since it wasn’t the Mosaic law that gentiles were slaves to.

Let’s Follow Abraham’s Example

Let’s say for a moment that we are to follow Abraham’s example prior to the Law of Moses. There are two big problems with this.

First, Abraham only gave from the spoils of war and not from his own wealth. Hebrews chapter 7 clarifies that Abraham Gave Melchizedek the spoils of war. There is no mention that he gave anything from his own wealth. Maybe he just tithed for the week so he was already paid up except for the spoils of war. I don’t know. You tell me.

Second, Israel was instructed to give 1/500th of the spoils of war (Numbers 31). If tithing is really a permanent ordinance then why was Israel instructed specifically by God to give less from their increase? If Abraham’s practice was not binding enough for God to ask Israel to do it, then why is it even considered binding for a New Testament Church, after Calvary, & led by the Holy Spirit?

A Look at Jacob’s Tithing vow

Abraham wasn’t the only occurrence of tithing prior to the Mosaic law, Jacob made a tithing vow to God as well. So, his example also shines some light on this topic also. We did an in-depth study on Jacob’s tithing vow here: Part 1 & Part 2. So I don’t want to go too deep into this. I just want to highlight a valid point that pertains to the current topic.

Jacob’s vow indicates that tithing was not required because he willingly offered it. You can’t offer God something that was already required in the first place and get away with pulling a fast-one. Abraham’s example doesn’t indicate whether tithing was required or not, but we can know for certain through Jacob’s example that it wasn’t. What do you use to determine biblical doctrine? Would it be the the facts found in Jacob’s example or would it be speculation through Abraham’s?

You Be The Judge

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

Does Abraham's example before the Mosaic law mean we should tithe?

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Is a Tithe a Good Place to Start for Young Believers?

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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.

Argument: Tithing is a Good Starting Point for Young Believers

I believe it was Randy Alcorn who stated that tithing was the “training wheels” of giving. This argument is easily refutable through examples in scripture. I’ll give a few responses below with some explanation.

1. There was no mention of a starting point in the bible:
Let me know if you can find a verse or example that states tithing is the starting point? This is the most basic question – if tithing is the starting point, where does the bible say that it is? Tithing wasn’t even the first offering given from Israel’s increase.

2. There were no tiers of giving for young and old Israelites – 10% was the set amount:
Neither the young nor old; neither the wise nor the simple gave any less or any more than a 10% tithe. The tithe was the beginning and it was the end. There was no advancement above the tithe and neither was there working up towards a tithe.

3. The first fruit offering was given before the tithe was:
The very first offering given from the increase was the ‘first-fruit’ offering. The tithe and first fruit offering had nothing to do with one another. They both had unique quantities, unique qualities, unique meanings and were given at separate times.

4. The first recorded gift to God in the bible was NOT a tithe – Gen. 4:4:
The very first example we can find in regards to giving towards God is found in Genesis 4:4. In this example, Abel gave the firstborn of his flock – not a tithe.

5. Tithing was never mentioned in the bible for growing Gentile Churches:
The Gentile churches were very uneducated with the infrastructure of Jewish philanthropy. If tithing was for anyone, it was for them, or us for that matter; but there’s not a single instruction about tithing to the Church.

6. Old believers have a hard time tithing:
It may be just me, but old believers don’t seem to have conquered tithing any more than younger, more passionate believers have.

7. The only time tithing is mentioned in the epistles is during a mature discussion:
Hebrews 7 is the only chapter in the Epistles that mentions tithing. A few verses earlier the author stated that he was, “leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ”

8. Only farmers and herdsmen (land and animal owners) tithed on their income:
If you did not own land and a farm, or if you did not own animals then you simply were not required to tithe on your increase. Land owners and farmers sound like mature, responsible people to me.

9. Many Israelites did not tithe
As stated above, if you did not grow crops or own animals you did not start your giving at the tithe.

So What is a Good Starting Point for Young, Christian  Believers?

Besides surrendering your whole heart, I have to say, I don’t know. Maybe that’s why 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, ‘Each man should give according to his heart’. Paul didn’t know either. Only God knows the heart. The only thing i do know about your giving is that it should be liberal, cheerful, willing, sacrificial, and continuous; just as Christ gives towards us.

You Be the Judge

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

Is Tithing a Good Starting Point for Young Believers?

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Where Does the New Testament Command Us Not to Tithe?

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It’s been a while since our last post but i want to continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

The main argument is that because the New Testament does not tell us to stop tithing, this means that God wants us to continue tithing. This is one of the most immature excuses used to require tithing. Have you ever done something stupid when you were a child and then make the excuse to your parents, “You didn’t tell me not to do it”? How did that work for an excuse to get you out of trouble? Well, this excuse doesn’t work for tithing either. Just because there is no verse that states, “Thou shalt stop tithing” does not issue a license to continue it’s practice. The New Testament (NT) wasn’t written because God needed to explain how to reverse all the Old Testament (OT) laws one by one.

The NT Wasn’t Written to Reverse the OT

There are 613 laws and commandments listed in the Torah. Do you think the New Testament should go through each of these and pick and choose which ones are applicable?

Let’s use circumcision as an example. Most of us commonly agree that circumcision is no longer required in the New Testament and we agree so easily because circumcision was clearly repealed in the New Testament. The bible is pretty cut and dry and plain as day on the issue; but what about addressing all the other laws? It’s unnecessary to address the other laws and in reality it was unnecessary to address circumcision either. You have to ask yourself, “What is the real reason why we don’t require circumcision?” If there was no verse that clearly repealed circumcision as a requirement would you still practice it? The answer would be, “No”, many of us would still not require circumcision. And the reason is that we don’t really base our doctrine on what Paul/Peter/Jesus didn’t say, we base it on what Jesus did.

Jesus’ act on the cross and the fulfillment of the laws is why we don’t practice circumcision. Even if there wasn’t a single word uttered about circumcision in the New Testament, we should be able to deduct that circumcision is not a New Testament practice. I think most of us can make that logical connection with circumcision, but why can’t we do the same with a mechanical, calculated practice called tithing? All of a sudden the actions of Christ on the cross is voided because we don’t have solid concrete proof slapping us in the face telling us to “QUIT TITHING!”

I’m not trying to throw out scripture, but the truth of the matter is that there were 613 Old Testament laws listed in the Old Testament while many of them were not addressed again in the New Testament. So you can whine about my effort to discount the lack of scripture; but it’s just hypocrisy unless you actually obey many of the 613 laws that were not addressed in the NT.

My argument here is based on the fact that the law is clearly repealed and that tithing is part of the law. Why should i find a verse that specifically ends tithing, when I can find plenty of proof that tithing is in fact part of the law? There are Old Testament laws that are specifically mentioned and ended in the New Testament, so it is through these examples we can determine the principles we should apply to all the laws in scripture.

Other Old Testament Laws that Were Not Repealed in the New Testament

  1. Deuteronomy 23:2 – Don’t let illegitimate children in the Assembly of God
  2. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 – If your brother dies, you have to marry his wife so she can have a son.
  3. Deuteronomy 25:11-12 – If a woman hurts a man’s testicles, you should cut off her hand
  4. Deuteronomy 21: 20-21 – You can beat your slave within an inch of his life.
  5. Leviticus 15:19 – A woman must be quarantined for 7 days if she’s on her period.
  6. Leviticus 19:19 – Don’t mix cotton with polyester in your clothes.
  7. Leviticus 21:5 – Ministers can’t shave their head or their beard
  8. Leviticus 21:16-23 – No one with a defect can approach the altar of God.
  9. Numbers 8:24 – Ministers can only serve if they are older than 25, and the can’t serve more than 25 years.
  10. Leviticus 20:9 – Rebellious children are to be put to death.

I’m sure you’ve heard many of those laws mentioned before and you don’t even blink twice at them. I’m sure you pass them off as part of the Mosaic law and if need be you recite some of these statements below in your defense.

  • “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom”
  • “If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law”
  • “Follow the Spirit of the law, not the letter”
  • “We are not under the law, we are under grace”
  • “We are delivered from the law, Christ has made us free”
  • “Christ nailed the ordinances against us on the tree”.  .  . etc

These statements are great to use to exempt yourself from circumcision, shaving ministers’ beards, beating slaves, mixing clothing, or eating unclean meats. But for some reason, these exemptions are powerless to stand up against the 10% benchmark. Strange, don’t you think?

Why Shouldn’t We Require Offerings?

Offerings began even sooner than the practice of tithing did, but no one seems to be preaching about them as a requirement. There were five main offerings required in the Old Testament

  • Burnt Offering – Voluntary act of worship; atonement for unintentional sin in general
  • Meal Offering – Voluntary act of worship; recognition of God’s goodness and provisions
  • Peace Offering – Voluntary act of worship; thanksgiving and fellowship
  • Sin Offering – Mandatory atonement for specific unintentional sin
  • Tresspass Offering – Mandatory atonement for unintentional sin requiring restitution

Besides these five main offerings in the Old Testament, there were also additional offerings given during these events

  • New moon
  • Feast of Unleavened Bread – 7 Offerings,  7 days Total
  • Feast of Weeks
  • Feast of Trumpets
  • The Day of Atonement
  • Feast of Tabernacles – 7 Offerings,  7 days Total
  • The Last Great Day

Even though the Peace offering is not an obligation to us anymore, it was never stopped in the New Testament. If we are basing church practices on Old Testament exemptions, can someone explain why we are required to offer a tithe and not required to offer anything else? Of all the focus on stewardship in the bible, does our selection make sense?

How Does the New Testament Teach us to Give?

The New Testament doesn’t tell us to stop tithing, but it does give guidelines and example on how we should give. Here are a list of bible verses that talk about giving

  • 2 Corinthians 9:7 – Decide in your heart what to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. Give cheerfully.
  • Acts 20:35 – Work in order to help the weak, and It is more blessed to give than receive
  • Acts 2:44-47 – Giving to those who had need and sharing with others as if all things were common with one another
  • 2 Corinthians 8:1-24 – The joy of the Macedonians allowed their giving to go beyond their means
  • Acts 4:32 – There was no feeling that their possessions were their own as owners sold land and gave to those in need
  • Hebrews 13:16 – Do good and share with others
  • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 – Be willing to share & rich in good deeds
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 – If you sow sparingly you’ll reap sparingly
  • 1 John 3:17 – If you don’t give to someone in need, God’s love does not abide in you.
  • Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
  • Romans 12:13 – Distribute to the needs of the saints and be hospitable
  • Philippians 4:15-17 – Provide for ministers of God.
  • Romans 12:8 – Giving is a Spiritual gift that should be used liberally
  • 1 Peter 4:8-10 – Be hospitable. Use our abilities to share with one another.
  • John 3:16 – Of course the greatest example of giving made by God for giving his only son (his everything)

There are so many verses and examples about how we should give. In all honesty, the list of verses above outline a daunting task for us. I look at those verses and can’t help but think that these early Church believers were super-Christians. How they felt about their possessions and having all things in common blows my mind. Not that I’m all for throwing our money in a pot and redistributing, but I just want to have the mentality that what’s mine is not really mine, but is yours also.

The New Testament clearly shows that our giving should be sacrificial, cheerful, liberal, and consistent. This doesn’t exclude 10% minimum, but neither does it include it. One thing I know for sure is that Jesus’ example of giving and the example of his love should inspire me to give beyond my ability, and I struggle with that.

You Be the Judge

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

Should we continue tithing since the New Testament doesn't tell us to stop?

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