Tithing?????

You must tithe.

 

The tithe law is one of the most misunderstood and misconstrued laws in the Old Testament. Why is it that this tithe law that is stuck in the middle of many different Old Testament laws must ripped from the passage, mutilated, misapplied, and oversimplified as some kind of obligation for New Testament Christians while the rest of the surrounding laws are just skipped over? Immediately after the tithe law in Deuteronomy 14, chapter 15 talks about every seventh year the people of Israel were to forgive all their debts owed and free all their servants. Why don't we do this today also?

Also please note: there is not one mention in the Bible (Old or New Testaments) of anyone ever tithing money. Not one reference! Money was a commodity when the tithe law was given and was mentioned in the tithe law as we shall see:

Money was only a medium and tithes were given to outsiders every three years. Earned money itself was not a titheable commodity.

Levites, fatherless, widows, and strangers within the gates again: still no mention of tithing money, and no central collection to pay for church buildings and pastors' salaries.

More tithing of the increase of the field, priests and Levites, and the numbers three and seven appear often in the Law. Still no record of tithing money.

Still no mention of tithing money. Some of the purpose of this tithe was for offering (i.e. things burned on an altar). We will see how this comes into play later on.

We see where the "windows of heaven" will be coming from. We see again the actual giving of the tithe of the increase of the tillage was every three years. God promised that those who gave tithes faithfully of their harvest would have their land prosperous.

Now, are we ready for Malachi?!

Part of the tithe law involved sacrificing upon an altar. No one burnt money on an altar. The people were tithing and sacrificing, but they were giving corrupt and least preferring things rather than the best--the firstfruits--of their harvest. Now, let's go to chapter 3!

Still no mention of tithing money! Ready for the New Testament?

These are common passages to support that New Testament believers are to "tithe," yet there is still no mention of tithing money! Absolutely no where is there any mention of tithing money! Also, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees who were supposed to be examples of following the Mosaic Law, yet they were being hypcrites by stressing their own standards that were not expressed in the Law (such as tithing exotic spices which were not common tillage) while not obeying the whole point of the Law.

How can you give "not... of necessity" if 10% of your paycheck is a necessity? It does not compute. I have studied long and hard at this so-called "tithe" mandate for New Testament Christianity and I have come up with these conclusions:

1. Tithe = a tenth. Don't call simple "giving" tithing.
2. Tithing as a law is part of the Levitical law. If it is to be observed, it should be observed as it is spelled out in the actual Law itself, along with the other Levitical Laws.
3. The Tithe law was about the tillable ground, the increase of the land, and was publicly laid up every three years.
4. There is absolutely no record of anyone in the Old or New Testaments giving money and calling it "tithing." There is no correlation between the tithe laws and giving 10% of one's paycheck except the technicality of ten percent.
5. The only term used in the New Testament for giving money is "gift." Not "tithes." Offerings refer to things burned on an altar. Therefore, the only Scripturally correct term for giving is giving.
6. There is absolutely nothing wrong with someone "tithing" 10% of his paycheck. It is a good thing to do. There is, however, something wrong with the idea that believers are required to give this to a church building. This cannot be Scripturally supported. To argue that salvation is by faith alone is not to argue that works are bad. In the same way, to argue that a mandate of tithing a paycheck to a church building is not to argue that tithing is wrong.
7. Give whatever you can and give cheerfully. That is the whole point.

I really encourage everyone to do some in-depth study on tithing and draw your own conclusions. Don't let ignorance burden you!

 

I have done some in-depth study on tithing and find it is a requirement. One must tithe.

 

Can you show me some Scripture to prove your point. Please make sure the context is clear. Make sure it is applicable in our context.
I used to believe "tithing" was a mandate until I studied the Scripture.

 

I find the opposite.

 

Ok. When is the last time you gave your tithes of fruit, and grain, and corn, and oil, and wine, and oxen, and sheep, and dough, and honey, and mint, and rue, and annis, and cummin, and all manner of herbs (or converted it to money and back) in the place where the LORD chose to put His name and/or every three years to the Levites, the fatherless, the widows, and the strangers within your gates? Do you eat it before the LORD with your neighbors in a celebration of praise and rejoicing to the LORD?
Also, do you release your debts every seven years?

If not, why do you pick and choose certain portions of the Law and modify it to your liking and reject others as not mandatory?
Also, Abraham and Jacob tithed, but were not required to do so. Abraham gave tithes of the spoils of war to Melchizedek and gave the rest to the king of Salem. Jacob's tithing was also his own choosing based on the premise that God would fulfill His promise to his family.
Remember, a so-called "tithe" of a paycheck is a good idea, but it is not a clear command of Scripture, neither in the Old nor in the New Testament.

 

Gee Davidson.....how can you possibly say such a thing in light of the very thorough review AresMan just did on virtually every major passage in the Bible(in plain english I might add)both Old and New Testaments? What you are saying just doesn't make much sense.Can you PROVE TITHING from a scriptural standpoint comparing SCRIPTURE with SCRIPTURE....'rightly dividing the word of Truth'? I was misled or "ill-taught" on this subject for many years.Thank God for His Grace and the freedom from man-made bondage that is found in it.Give and do it liberally as you are able....It all belongs to God anyway.

Greg Sr.

 

I appreciate your post AresMan, it was very comprehensive. I personally believe in the tithing principle.

1) Tithing was part of the law.
2) We are freed from the law through Christ.
3) Tithing was a principle that was around before the law. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek hundreds of years before the law. We also find that Jacob made a vow to God that he would give a tenth. None of this pre-Law tithing was commanded.
4) Tithing became part of the law because the Levites (as priests) had to get something.
5) Tithing is not commanded in the NT. Cheerful giving is.

I personally think tithing is an excellent principle, and if one has income, 10% is a reasonable amount that many people can cheerfully give. If 10% of the gross was good enough for the priests, it's probably good enough for the NT Assembly. But I too don't find a commandment of 10% anywhere that applies directly to us.

Giving is commanded in the NT. Tithing is not. But I still think it's a principle that many of us can and should follow, even if it's not commanded.

 

If anything, NT giving is more like the 'free will' offering that Moses took up in the wilderness (not the tithe). Remember, the people gave so much that Moses had to stop taking...

 

Remember, offerings in the Bible had to do with things burnt on an altar to God. Here is the freewill offering:

 

I stand corrected...I meant the 'offering' that Moses was commanded to collect in Ex. 25. they were commanded to give 'willingly'...

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. 3 And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair; 5 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 6 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. 8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

 

I for one believe in tithing. God did command us to give through out the OT and 10% of the best of what you had seemed to be the going rate. God knows our hearts and He knows how wrapped up in making money most of us can get and it is a tell for any person to see where their priorities are when it comes time to giving and trusting God.

Most of us have glazed over the old woman who Jesus had been observing with His disciples and commented on her giving. He mentioned that it was not alot of money and in fact it was everything she had which indicates she was dirt poor. He also made mention that her giving when she had nothing was actually worth more than those who gave out of their plenty. He commended her because of her faithfulness to God's word and giving even when it might seem she could not afford it. She obviously trusted in God more than the money itself to provide her needs. She knew where her help came from and from the fact that Jesus mentioned her being old indicates that she has been around long enough to appreciate taking God at His word. We can assume she has been poor for some time or has had some devastating event to cause her to be where she was at but either way she was giving to God first.

Another layman observation on tithing is that we give out of what we have already recieved. God told them to bring in a tenth of what they had been givin not 10% of your projected income. And Aresman using the fact that they tithed fruits, grains etc... instead of cash is a weak argument since bartering certain products for other products was what they did in that time period. We just happen to use cash now and does not change the fact that we are to supposed to give 10% of what we have. We do have bank accounts,savings accounts and money in other places that we store our money just like they stored their produce and livestock.

I would like someone to correct me also if I am wrong but the only thing that changed from the OT to the NT was the fact that after Jesus paid the penalty for my sin was the fact that the daily sacrifice for our sins was done away with. I realize the NT says that we are no longer under the law but under grace but when were we never under grace since the first sin was commited. Jesus said if you say to your brother you fool then you have commited murder and to me that puts the law in full swing it does not indicate that we do not have to obey the letter of the law. When they had asked Jesus which of the commandments was the most important one I don't recall Him saying none of them because if you accept Me you are under grace, I believe He gave them the order in which they were the most important. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I would give to God first since His promise was to take care of us. If you cannot afford your bills even if you don't tithe then I would certainly make tithing a regular part of you life. Out of sheer speculation and experience maybe their is a greater lesson God is trying to teach you.

These are not questions that need answering but they are something to think about.

Are you content where you are at right now knowing you are doing the best you can? The Apostle Paul said be content in all things.

Are you trying to juggle everything in your life school, work and personal time and thinking that one slip up could ruin the whole thing? If you are doing the best you can to pay your bills and are still coming up short you are not going to be condemned. Most of us realize it is a bad witness but you need to realize it is ultimatley God's opinion of you that counts first and God does know everything. That should give us some peace of mind.

A really tough question is, have you asked for long term help, are you one who is embarassed or who might feel like a failure if you have to ask for some assistance when your in need are you proud and don't want anyone to know your struggles? God puts other people in our lives to be of some assistance, if you think you are supposed to do everything on your own and be an island unto yourself and think that is what God wants for His people then good luck. Maybe asking for help is what God wants to break down some pride issues in your life. God does not always want us to be self sufficient but be mindful of His provisions even if it means going outside our own means. Pride is a terrible thing to a needy person.

This subject is as highly debated as the once saved always saved vs. you can have and give it away.

You will have to do alot of prayer and also ask the people in your church that you see are the most faithful in service to your church and by faithful I mean who give their time in extra activities and not just showing up on Sunday. They are the ones who will tell you an answer that will help you make a decision. I realize that is getting personal but if your striving for an answer then those are the ones you see first hand that will give you an honest answer. I suggest asking at least three of the faithful in your church. If you are not that close to them then now is a good time to start.

[ November 23, 2005, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: fatbacker ]

 

I forgot one last comment.

What ever decision you make do it with your head held high.

What I mean is this, if you make a decision either way don't feel guilty for it. If you feel guilty then you still have not made a sound decision one way or another. I believe God can handle what ever decision you make and can bless you accordingly. We always talk about being ground in the word and that to me means making solid choices with our heads held high according to what we have learned.

Here is a half of a sentence... It is better to give...

 

is this tithing debate only amongst Baptists? i spent nearly all of my Christian life outside the baptist church. everything i knew about tithing was as AresMan explained above. then i started to go to (2 different) Baptist churches where tithing is taught or mandated (not even debated).

 

A person who is transformed by Christ to be more like Christ is generous. One must tithe. Don't be cheap.

 

DavidsonBap, you are constantly presenting a mantra and not supporting it.

So, if someone does not believe in the church "tithing" myth then he cannot be generous? I would have you know that I often give far more than 10% of my income. Just because I don't write a calculated check with the decimal point moved to the left one place does not mean I am not generous.
I often see "tithers" around me faithfully putting their check in each month, yet giving nothing in excess even when an important missions collection comes up. That is legalism.

I think the burden is on those who wish to mandate church "tithing" to prove the correlation between the tithing in the Old Testament to the 10%-of-paycheck-to-church-building scheme.

 

Aresman says!!I often see "tithers" around me faithfully putting their check in each month, yet giving nothing in excess even when an important missions collection comes up. That is legalism.

So what your saying Aresman is that you know exactly what everyone around you is giving at the collection plate on Sundays. That also means you know what their annual or weekly incomes are. In all the years of being a christian I have never at any givin time had the slightest clue as to whether or not someone next to me was giving their correct tenth or an offering. Even if I saw the amount I would still have no clue if they were giving the amount they were supposed to. That comment is sheer speculation and very judgemental.

 

How on earth do you know that. Sound to me like you're judging them based on what you "think" they're contributing. The only ones who see the amount on my check are myself, my wife, and my Lord. All alyone else sees is me putting an envelpe in the basket. And I don't do that to show off. I do it because the basket is passing by.

You're in effect doing the same thing that you accuse "tithers" of doing. Plus, you're doing it unrighteously. At least tithers are doing it out of a sense of respect for the Lord, even if you're right and that sense is misplaced.

 

No burden or proof of correlation needs to take place to acknowledge God requires tithing.

You can get away with being cheap with others by playing on the legality of words, but the context is clear in the New Testament.

One must tithe

 

I see many like AresMan{ed. misspelled members name}. Trying to rip off people by saying the Bible doesn't require tithing. Playing the literal game. It's a sad affair when a person goes into this denial. Then they start playing more games "how much then, 10% or what?" Jesus told us to do our best and help the poor. I guess if there is no tithing requirement than why bother?
It's inferred to give the most we have. The only scheme around here is AresMan {ed. misspelled members name}trying to tell folks to give anything, but you don't have to.

You give your all.

[ November 25, 2005, 03:25 PM: Message edited by: Frogman ]