Tithing Truth
The Bible does not teach that “Tithing” is the recommended or required basis of giving for New Testament Gentile believers.
Tithing in the Old Testament was NEVER of money and the New Testament NEVER teaches that we as believers should tithe. To the contrary it clearly teaches that tithing is NOT required in the New Covenant!
This is best verified by systematically going through the various Covenants which God had with his people and addressing the sacrifices, firstfruit offerings and tithing that occurred.
1. The Adamic Covenant (from the Fall to the Flood)
Gen 3:15 God promised a seed who would crush the serpents head
Gen 3:21 God sacrificed an animal to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness
Gen 4:4 Abel offered a sacrifice of the fat portions of some of the firstborn of his flock …(this is clearly not a tithe).
It was accepted because it was the best of the firstborn of his flock which was later reserved for burnt offerings. It was also offered in faith and speaks prophetically of Christs sacrifice.
Cain’s sacrifice of ‘some of the fruits of the soil’ was probably rejected as a mediocre sacrifice and of the work of his hands.
Some claim that the first instance of tithing occurred in the Garden of Eden....this is totally wrong.
The 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil' was not a tithe. It was one tree out of thousands....and neither was it the 'first' because the 'tree of life' was! (Gen 2:9)
It should be noted that there was no mention of tithing at all and there was NO priesthood to whom it could have been given.
2. The Noahic Covenant (from the Flood to the call of Abram)
Gen 8:20 Noah built an altar and taking clean animals and birds sacrificed burnt offerings on it
Gen 8:21-22 God was pleased and covenanted a blessing of
'seed time and harvest’
Gen 9:8-17 God covenanted a promise of no future worldwide flood and provided the rainbow as a sign.
It should be noted that there was no tithing mentioned at all and there was no priesthood to whom it might have been given
3. The Abrahamic Covenant (from the call of Abram to the giving of the Law)
Sacrifices
Gen 13:4 Abram made an altar and offered a sacrifice on it
Gen 22 God tested Abram and he was prepared to obey God even to the extent of sacrificing his only son
vs 8 ‘God himself will provide the lamb’
This speaks prophetically of God providing his son Jesus Christ as our sacrifice
The Tithe
Gen 14:11-24 Abrams nephew Lot was carried off and his possessions along with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah
Abram rescued Lot and the spoils and people .... and was blessed by Melchizedek on his return
Abram gave him a tenth of 'everything' (vs 16 gives the context of 'spoils')
NOTE As Abram was on a war/rescue mission he did not have any of his own wealth with him. Hebrews 7:5 makes it clear that all he gave was a tenth of the PLUNDER. He therefore gave only of that which was not his own and returned the rest to the King of Sodom to give to Lot and those it was stolen from!
NOTE It is not recorded that Abram/Abraham ever ‘tithed’ or ‘gave a tenth’ again ...or EVER gave any of his own wealth
NOTE Abram was rich long before he encountered Melchizedek (Gen 13:2).....so it was NOT a blessing for tithing
NOTE The narative and context of this event is clearly descriptive and not prescriptive. The tenth he gave is not as significant as the remainder he gave back because Abram says ... 'I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you....' (He never took ownership of the plunder!)
THIS CANNOT LEGITIMATELY BE ARGUED TO CONSTITUTE A PRE-MOSAIC SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE OR TITHING AS IT IS TAUGHT IN THE CHURCH TODAY (except if we should have a magnificent victory in war and get spoils of which we freely give 10% to a king and a priest...ie anyone of God's children...who blesses us)
Gen 28:20-22 Jacobs Vow….. ‘If God will be with me and will watch over me….then the Lord will be my God….and I will give you a tenth’
NOTE God bless me first and then I will give!
The fact that the bible does not tell us that Isaac ever tithed together with the fact that Jacobs vow was a voluntary and conditional vow indicates strongly that there could NOT have been a requirement to tithe!
NOTE Jacob at this time was still a deceiver...it is not recorded that he actually ever did give the tithe - if you disagree with this please tell me when, where and to whom was his tithe given?
THIS again CANNOT LEGITIMATELY BE ARGUED TO CONSTITUTE A PRE-MOSAIC SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE AND IT IS NOT RECORDED THAT THIS WAS EVER DONE AGAIN BY ANYONE......NOR IS IT EVEN SUGGESTED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
NOTE All the way from Adam to Moses there is NO scriptural record of anyone EVER having given a tithe of their own possessions to any one!
4) The Mosaic Covenant (from the giving of the Law to the death of Jesus)
Sacrifices (Hebrews 10:8-14 Christs sacrifice has once and for all set aside all sacrifices)
Leviticus and Deuteronomy detail more than 20 types of offerings including Firstfruits offerings were to be offered through the year and at the annual feasts (Lev 2:12 and Exodus 23:16 – Firstfruits is clearly NOT A TITHE)
Tithes (Hebrews 7:5 …. 'Now the LAW requires the descendants of Levi……to collect a tenth from the people' - Not a pre-mosaic spiritual principle)
The LAW refers the Mosaic Law which was given by God to Moses at Mt Sinai and was recorded in the Books of the Law (TORAH) by which all Jews (including Jesus) lived and still try to do today
Lev 27:30 ‘A tithe of everything from the land , whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees belongs to the LORD:
it is holy to the LORD
Lev 27:32 ‘The entire tithe of the herd and flock, ...will be holy to the LORD
NOTE This is specifically only applicable to produce of the land (the promised land) and does not ever apply in the scriptures to money earned by people. The purpose of this passage is to define the 'what' of tithing...ie that which must be tithed.
NOTE The argument that money was not the common means of exchange because it was 'a barter or agrarian society' is wrong. Even 430 years before the Law Abraham had silver and bought land for 400 shekels.....Exodus 30:13-16 talks of the half-shekel temple tax that all paid.....and Deut 14 talks of changing your tithe to silver....and buying things with it to eat.
NOTE The scope of the above passages from Leviticus 27 are defined in vs 1 and vs 34 as being for the Israelites only.
Num 18:21 ‘I give to the Levites all the tithes as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving….23
it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. NKJV
’
NOTE This scripture defines the reason 'why' tithing was required to be given to Levites. It is NOT because they were 'fulltime' workers (a typical Levites rooster was 1 week out of 24 ONLY - 1 Chron 24-26). It was primarily because they got no share of the Land as an inheritance.
Num 18:23-24 '...the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, 'Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.'" NKJV
NOTE This scripture is addressed to the priests and the intent is to show 'how' they are to be supported.
It is NOT a command to the people on 'when' or 'how' tithes were to be given...that is detailed in Deut 14 and 26 only.
NOTE The tribe of Levi had forfeited their inheritance in the land given to Israel and therefore needed to receive the
food grown on it...this supply was secured under an everlasting statute or a covenant with God (Numbers 18:23)
(Mal 2:4-9)
NOTE The requirement to have 'no inheritance in the land' is casually overlooked by those who claim to be entitled
to receive tithes today!
NOTE As detailed in Deut 14 and 26 it was only in the third year that ALL the tithe was given to Levites. (& widows & orphans)
(In the bible the meaning of the word ALL is usually required to be interpreted in line with its context and other scriptures
as to its extent. ie ALL does not necessarily mean all of the types of tithes, from all of the people and all of the time)
This equated to 10% divided by 3 (ie every third year).... and was also for the 'poor' = 3.34% per year
Levi had 22,000 people over 1 month old out of 603,000 Israelites over 20 years old = approx 2.2% of Israel's population
(Num 1:32 and Num 3:39)
NOTE This % is confirmed as being correct because the Levites and priests share of the spoils was set by God as 2.2%
of the total (refer Numbers 31:28 & 30)
NOTE Today as New Testament believers WE ARE ALL PRIESTS (1 Pet 2:5 and 2:9 and Rev 1:6, 5:10 and 20:6)
Deut 12 :5-12 (bring your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes etc ……)
Vs 7 there in the presence of the Lord your God you and your family shall eat and rejoice …because the Lord your God has blessed you
Deut 14:22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year (tithes were NOT the first 10%...or given weekly)
NOTE The tithe always specifically referred to produce of the fields only (NEVER the wages of people)
NOTE This is the ONLY place where the people of Israel are commanded under the Law 'how and when' to tithe....
and 'what' is to be done with the tithe.
No reference is given to tithes being required from Israelites that had other occupations ie workmen, skilled craftsmen, weavers, designers, or carpenters (or being Jews – merchants, bankers, and lawyers or doctors) under the LAW . All the highly regarded rabbis of the past concur on this matter.
Deut 14:23-26 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine, oil…in the presence of the Lord your God at the place He will choose
NOTE This was to celebrate religious feasts as a spiritual family and community holiday (ie Passover, Weeks and Tabernacles). In 33 years of listening to teachings about tithing I have never been told that GOD commands me to EAT my tithe together with my family...Have you?
Note that in verse 24-26 we are told that (if we are to far away from Jerusalem) we can convert our tithe to money but that we are then buy 'sheep, cattle, wine or strong drink' and 'to eat and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God'. Yes this is in your bible.....God wants you to eat your tithe in a party to celebrate His blessing on your life.
Deut 14:27-29 ……At the end of every THREE years bring all the tithe of that years produce
and STORE it in the towns so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands
NOTE Only on the THIRD YEAR was the tithe brought to the store (house) in the city (ie the Levites being 2.2% of Israel's population clearly were not intended to get 10% of the nations food every year)
NOTE The poor were to partake of the tithe....not to give it!
Deut 26-1-11 …(vs2) take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil …and put them in a basket...(vs11)
and you and the Levites, and aliens shall rejoice in all the good things (ie EAT) that the Lord your God has given you
NOTE Firstfruits are clearly not tithes …ie a basket which contains some of the firstfruits (See also Lev 2:12) (this can be verified in most bible dictionaries)
Deut 26:12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, THE YEAR OF THE TITHE you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied (This was done by bringing it to the STORE in the towns as detailed in Deut 14:28-29)
NOTE Firstfruits were the first part of the produce ….Tithes were not the first as they were set aside through the year
NOTE The third year was called THE YEAR OF THE TITHE for a reason (In that year ONLY was it ALL given to the Levites as per Num 18:21) In the other years it was to be eaten by the giver and his family as commanded in Deut 14.
Deut 26:13 then say to the Lord ‘ I have removed from my house the Sacred Portion and have given it to the Levite the alien, the fatherless and the widow as you have commanded me’ (ie from the third years produce only)
Note This ties up with Mal 3:8 as to having robbed God by not obeying this command. Ie GOD had given the tithe to the Levites....they were to give 10% of the Sacred Portion or the Lords offering (Num 18:26) to the Priests …..therefore by not giving it in the THIRD YEAR God was robbed!
NOTE The poor were to partake of the tithe....not to give it!
Deut 26:15 ‘Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people and the land you have given us…..a land flowing with milk and honey
Note This aligns with Mal 3:12 ‘open the heavens and pouring out a blessing’
Amos 4:4 ‘bring your sacrifices every morning and your tithes every THREE years'
Note that in the seventh year the Israelites did not grow crops....and therefore tithe.....but because of the blessing of God on their crops in the sixth year they still had an abundance to celebrate at the festivals with. (Leviticus 25 :20-22)
(This clearly indicates a seven year cycle....with tithes given to Levites in years 3 and 6....and tithes eaten by the giver in years 1, 2 and 4 and 5.....and no tithes of crops in year 7)
FURTHER REFERENCES TO TITHING IN 2 CHRONICLES AND NEHEMIAH ARE NOT ADDRESSSED IN DETAIL AS THESE WERE MERELY PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE LAW AND COULD NOT IN ANYWAY CHANGE THE LAW AS GIVEN ABOVE
Mal 3:8-12 This scripture, because of its frequent ‘out of context’ use, can best be described as ‘the sledgehammer to cause fear, guilt, condemnation and confusion’ for Christians today
Note Malachi was an OLD TESTAMENT prophet. Prophets pointed Israel back to THE LAW (read Mal 1 and 2 and you will see it is primarily addressed to the Levites and priests) God did not use prophets to re-write the Law! It was the Levites whose tithe was to be brought to the temple for the Priests (Nehemiah 10:36-37)
Note We cannot be cursed today as born again believers for disobeying the LAW of Moses (which never even applied to us Gentiles believers...and today does not even apply to Jewish believers)
Gal 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us as it is written ‘Cursed is anyone who is hung on a tree’
Note As New Testament believers we receive the blessings by faith in the completed work of Christ and not by doing the works of the Law (Eph 1:3 and Gal 3:1-14…..a must read)
Note I say ‘out of context’ use as scripture must be used to interpret scripture and ‘in the mouth of two witnesses or three let every word be CONFIRMED’ …….. doctrines should not be based on one scripture only (using Malachi 3:8-12 and ignoring the LAW as detailed in Leviticus 27 and Numbers 18 and Deuteronomy 14 and 26)
Mal 3:8 Will a man rob God? You ask how have we robbed you? ….. ie God had set out the law in Deut 14 and 26 which they were not obeying by not giving the Sacred Portion, ie the third years tithe, to the Levites who would then bring the Lords offering to the temple for the priests (Numbers 18:26)
Mal 3:9 You are under a curse…. ie Deut 28:1-14 were the blessings for obedience but Deut 28:15-68 were the curses Israel put themselves under by disobedience ..."THIS whole nation of you"...it was only addressed to ISRAEL
Note We are not under the Law today ….. even the Jews...see Romans 7:6 ‘We have been released from the Law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit not under the old ways of the written code’
Mal 3:10 ‘Bring the whole tithe (as per Deut 14 and 26 this clearly means the whole of the Lords offering which was 10% of the THIRD YEARS TITHE which the LEVITES brought to Jerusalem) into the storehouse that there may be food in my house’
Note The explanation of the ‘storehouse’ is clearly related to storing the food in the temple in Jerusalem for the priests and the poor... and never was the local synagogue (NOR was it the 'treasury' which was a place to store money)
Mal 3:12 Then all the nations will call you blessed….ie as per the promises of Deut 28:1-14
TITHING WAS GODS WAY UNDER THE LAW THAT THE LEVITES/PRIESTS WOULD GET THEIR SHARE OF FOOD AND THAT THE POOR OF THE NATION WOULD ALSO BE FED AT FESTIVALS
5) NEW COVENANT/TESTAMENT FOR GENTILE BELIEVERS ----- WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW
Hebrews 7:5 ‘Now the LAW requires the descendants of Levi……to collect a tenth from the people...their brothers’
Note that it was NOT a 'pre-law spiritual principle'...but the LAW which requires tithing. Jesus himself confirms that tithing is one of the 'matters of the LAW' (Mat 23:23)
Romans 3:19 ‘Now we know that whatever the law says it says to those who are under the LAW ….’
Oh that this would be taught today!
Romans 7:6 ‘We have been released from the LAW so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit not under the old ways of the written code’
The total clincher which confirms that tithing is NOT required is the following passage ......
Acts 15:5 …the Pharisees stood up and said ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses’
Acts 15:28 But the apostles, elders and Holy Spirit said…..
‘It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following
requirements: that you abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat strangled
and from sexual immorality’
NOTE TITHING WAS NOT MENTIONED AS A REQUIRED PRACTICE
This explains why Paul and the other apostles never taught that tithing was required to the gentile churches who would not even have known of such a practice.
THEY WERE INSTEAD TAUGHT TO GIVE WITH A GENEROUS HEART, MOTIVATED BY LOVE AND AS LED BY THE SPIRIT.
(see the separate section)
HISTORY of TITHING IN THE CHURCH
It is important to note that the vast majority of Christians in the world today either do not worship in churches that preach "tithing" or do not practice tithing even it their churches preach it.
American statistics record that less than 1 in 6 christians in churches which preach tithing actually practice it. This would indicate that most believers have serious scriptural concerns about tithing being applicable today despite many years of being told by preachers that it is required.
As far as I can identify Tithing did not become a practice in any parts of the church until almost 800AD.
This would mean that Tithing was not part of the Apostolic Doctrine or practiced by the early church (which would explain why it was not taught to the Gentile Church)
(According to preaching that we have all probably heard we would therefore have to conclude that they have all robbed God and, at the worst, would be on their way to Hell as that is the destiny of all thieves, or at the best, would never have experienced the blessing of God as they were disobedient.....Clearly this is baloney!)
The early Jewish church at one time did practice having all things in common when there was a great need (Acts 2:44-45) but this was never practiced by the Gentile Church and is rarely practiced today. This is NOT taught as a requirement by the apostles or even as a suggestion ....and it is certainly not practiced by the vast majority of preachers or pastors in the world today.
Note There are claims that multiple tithes applied in the Old Testament but under the LAW only one tithe was ever required. Numerically the notion of 'multiple tithes' can be easily proven to be grossly inequitable which was clearly NOT God's intent. The bible knows nothing of a 'Levites tithe'....or a 'Festival tithe'....or a 'Poor tithe'. (Do a search yourself). It teaches only 'the Tithe' or 'a Tithe'. The whole teaching is no more than a fabrication of greedy rabbis (Mat 23:4) While the king and civil authorities may also have collected taxes (much as is done today) this had no relevance to the LAW of God as set out in the OLD TESTAMENT