Do I Need to Tithe
Do I Need to Tithe?
If you were a Jew living under the Law of Moses, then “yes,” you need to tithe. (Lev 27:30-32; Deut 14:22; 2 Chron. 31:5-6 Neh. 13:12) The Children of Israel were commanded by God to tithe, or give 10% of what they possessed. The man, who refused to give the full tithe, was guilty of robbing God. (Mal 3:8)
However, from a study of the Scriptures, we learn that the Law of Moses was done away with. (Eph 2:14-15; Col 2:14; Heb 8:6-13) And we also learn that the Law of Christ (i.e. new covenant) was established when Jesus died on the cross. (Heb 9:15-22) Furthermore, the law of Christ was given to all men, (Eph 2:11-18; 3:6; Matt 28:19;Mark 16:15; Rom 1:16)
Tithing was commanded under the 1st covenant, but is nowhere commanded of us to obey under the 2nd covenant. So no one is obligated to tithe today. Now that is not to say that the people of God today have no responsibility to give of their means. But it is to say that many denominational ministers teach error when they direct their members to tithe today. They are binding an OT command during the NT era.
Members of local churches of Christ were commanded “on the 1st day of the week” to “lay by something aside, storing up as he may prosper.” (1Cor 16:1-2) First century Christians were instructed to “give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Cor 9:7)
From these two Scriptures we learn a great deal about the Christian and his giving;
WHEN: A collection from the saints is to be gathered on Sunday, the 1stday of the week. Churches are in error when they take up a collection on any other day, as many practices.
HOW MUCH: No specific amount is revealed in the NT like the OT. Remember, the Christian is commanded to ‘store up as he may prosper.” Giving is based upon our earned income. As a family makes more money, they should give more. The amount you can give may be more than 10%.
PLANNING: There needs to be some forethought behind our giving. It should not be a last minute planning. It should not be a case of seeing what is left in our wallets to give. Rather, it is a matter of “laying something aside.” We give as we have purposed in our heart. To do this indicates we have planned and determined beforehand the amount we intend on giving back unto the Lord.
ATTITUDE: Each Christian obeys a command of God when he or she contributes to the collection of the saints on the 1st day of the week. Yet this command is to be obeyed with a cheerful disposition. Our heart has condemned us if our giving is done grudgingly or out of necessity. We should even learn to be sacrificial in our giving. (Mark 12:41-44; 2Cor 8:1-5)
No, we are not commanded to tithe today. But let us be sure to give on the right day with the right heart. If we will do that, then the amount will always be pleasing unto God.
Must the Christian tithe?
Bob Prichard
Topic(s): Bible Study, Worship
The custom of giving a tithe, which means “a tenth,” to priests and kings is a very ancient custom. Genesis 14 gives the first Bible reference to a tithe. After a great military victory Abram [Abraham] gave a tenth of the plunder, or a tithe, to Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Years later, Abraham’s grandson Jacob promised to give God a tithe: “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: . . . and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee” (Genesis 28:20-22). These patriarchs gave a tenth, the same percentage that the Lord required when tithing began under the law of Moses.
Leviticus 27:30-34 gave specific instructions concerning the tithe as given to the priest. The tithe, “whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.” The tithe included a tenth part of the seed of the land, the fruit of the tree, the herd, and the flock. As the herd or flock passed under the rod, every tenth animal was counted as holy to the Lord. The owner could not search among the animals to determine if the animals of the tithe were better or worse than the rest of the flock. He simply had to accept things as they came. A second tithe was also set aside to be enjoyed by the people “in the place which he shall choose to place his name there [Jerusalem]” (Deuteronomy 14:23). Deuteronomy 14:28-29 mentions a special tithe every third year for the Levites, strangers, fatherless, and widows. Some count this as a third tithe, while others count this as a special use of the second tithe every third year. Despite the many difficulties they faced, the Jews, including the poorest, almost always paid their tithes, except for the period immediately following the return from Babylon.
Jesus spoke only one time about tithing. He condemned the Pharisees, saying, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23).Their hearts were not right before God, so Christ condemned their attitude. Jesus never taught directly on tithing. It was an accepted and important of the Mosaic law, under which Christ lived. The Levitical priesthood was still in place, and the old law was in effect. Christians today, however, do not live under the old law, but the new law of Christ as revealed in the New Testament. Under the New Testament law, there is no command for the Christian to give exactly a tenth, as was required of the poorest of the Jews. Christians must give, however, and frequently can give much more than a tenth. Paul expounded the principle of giving God expects of the Christian: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
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