Does the New Testament teach that believers are still under the law of tithing? There are
only seven places in the New Testament where the word tithe is used. Let's look at each one of them and see what they
mean for us today.
First of all, the references to tithing in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 are both referring to the same instance in which Jesus rebukes the Pharisees because they tithe down to the last penny, and yet, their hearts are not right. Some use these two scriptures to justify tithing today because Jesus told the Pharisees "these are the things you should have done (tithe) without neglecting the others." What these people seem to forget is that Jesus was speaking to Jews who were still under the Law because Christ had not yet gone to the cross. The New Covenant was not yet in effect; therefore, to apply Jesus' rebuke to Christians today is erroneous.
First of all, the references to tithing in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 are both referring to the same instance in which Jesus rebukes the Pharisees because they tithe down to the last penny, and yet, their hearts are not right. Some use these two scriptures to justify tithing today because Jesus told the Pharisees "these are the things you should have done (tithe) without neglecting the others." What these people seem to forget is that Jesus was speaking to Jews who were still under the Law because Christ had not yet gone to the cross. The New Covenant was not yet in effect; therefore, to apply Jesus' rebuke to Christians today is erroneous.
Another reference to tithing in the New Testament is in
Luke 18:12 where Jesus is telling a parable about a Pharisee who is boasting
before God that he paid tithes of all that he got. God was obviously not impressed because Jesus
tells us that the other man in the story, a repentant tax-gatherer, went away justified
rather than the proud Pharisee. Again,
this story does not justify tithing for today. The people in this story were still under the Old Covenant.
The only other references to tithing in the New Testament
are all in the book of Hebrews, chapter seven, where the priesthood of Christ
is compared to that of Melchizedek. The
writer of Hebrews is not trying to say anything about tithing in the New
Testament church. He is merely trying to make a
point about the superiority of the priesthood of Christ to that of Melchizedek
by pointing out that even Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek while he was in the
loins of Abraham. Please keep in mind that the tithing mentioned here all took place under the
Old Covenant. This passage is certainly no
justification for carrying the law of tithing forward to the New
Covenant.
If the Apostle Paul believed
that the new gentile converts were subject to the old Jewish laws of tithing he
would certainly have made that clear to us in at least one of his letters to
the churches. As it is, even when
discussing the subject of giving he made no such assertion. In fact, in the book of Acts we have a ruling
from the council at Jerusalem regarding what was to be required of the gentile
converts to Christianity. In a letter to
the churches from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, it says in Acts
15:28-29, "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you
no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things
sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from
fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well." Please read the whole chapter to
get a clear picture of what was going on here.
If tithing were as important an issue as some try to make it seem today,
surely it would have been mentioned here.
These are the only scriptures in the New Testament that speak of tithing. None of them state that Christians today are under the law of tithing. Of course, Christians should give, and should desire to give generously, but not because someone says that they have to. There is much joy in giving, but Satan loves to steal our joy by putting us under the Law.
"Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver." II Cor. 9:7
It is difficult to give cheerfully when someone tells you it is mandatory.
I agree! Three things:
ReplyDelete1. I have been in meetings where the preacher took 30 minutes plus to take the offering. And we are not talking about passing the plate, either. He would set a goal, and get the money as people held it up. Sometimes, when the goal was reached, he would tack on a few more hundred! There have been times when I marveled in amazement, considering what God must be thinking. Hmmm? What is it called when you ask for money and make someone uncomfortable until they give it?
1 Corinthians 6:10
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor **extortioners,** shall inherit the kingdom of God.
2. I am not as certain as I used to be about the idea that the law simply vanished at the crucifixion. There are some things that Israel was commanded to do as a "perpetual covenant" "throughout your generations for ever." I don't have it all nailed down, but I think one big clue is in the law itself... some things were never commanded to gentiles at all, ever. James in Acts 15 is simply saying what the law had already said.
3. Besides that, Biblical OT tithing is NOT what we are doing today.
A good place where a lot of this comes together is in Deuteronomy 14.
(a). Verse 21 is another of many places where the gentile was under a different rule than the Jew.
Deu 14:21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God.
The nations never stood, as Israel did, at the base of Sinai and make those famous declarations, "we will do" and "we will hear." So God does not hold the nations to the 613. He never has. It's a different rule.
(b). Verses 22 to 23 show us that OT tithing is different than what we usually mean when we are talking about "paying your tithes."
Deuteronomy 14:22-23
[22] Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
[23] And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
So they took their tithe to the temple AND ATE IT THEMSELVES, making sure to share with the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. That certainly isn't what we do when we tithe! But it gets better. God told them that if it is too much hassle to drive cattle and carry food to the temple, that they can sell it at home, make the journey to the temple and use the money to buy food and drink - - even strong drink - - so they can eat and rejoice in the place that God chose.
If you hear a message on that in any church, please let me know.
:-)
Amos
Dear Amos, I just read your reply to this post again! I love it!!!
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