What Does the Bible Say About Tithing?

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That’s a question I’ve been asking over the past year. I basically grew up with a “10% of all gross income goes in the offering plate” understanding of Christian giving… but that changed about a year ago, when I began to study the topic in earnest.

For instance, one thing that constantly trips up modern-day Christians is that we fail to remember that the Law given to Moses did not merely outline a religious system… it was a constitution establishing a nation’s government. Thus, we need not only to discern which laws were sacrificial in nature (as Christians, we hold that Jesus Christ is our atonement and makes all other sacrifices—and thus all laws requiring sacrifices—moot), but also whether certain laws were governmental or sacramental in nature. While this may be a simple process with the laws of a “secular” nation, it can get difficult when you’re dealing with a theocracy.

My studies keep drawing me to the same conclusion: God’s eternal Law of Love compels us to serve the poor, but the tithe laws were a form of taxation, and served as the welfare system for Ancient Israel. Thus, these laws only apply to those under the Old Covenant living in geographical Israel.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (which I wrote about recently) provides the framework for all God-glorifying giving, and serves as the “spirit of the law” regarding money, possessions and neighbors:

If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye [be evil toward] your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be [evil] when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

The tithes, while a sacrifice to the LORD, were arranged in such a way as to serve as the particular fulfillment of this command with regards to the Levites (as God forbade them from owning land, cf. Deut. 18:1-8), as well as other poor in the Israelites’ midst (Deut. 14:22-29). Additionally, not only here but also in Nehemiah’s time (after two months of working daily with wood, stone, etc. to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem), the reinstated tithe consisted solely of agricultural produce (Neh. 10:35-39).

Now when you begin to question the tithe, the knee-jerk response you often get is a quote from The Most Overused Tithe Verse In The Bible: “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.” Congratulations, you have now been labeled a God-robber! However, this is neither faithful exegesis nor Biblical correction. It’s simply propaganda and browbeating. To show you that this is the case, let me share the entire passage with you, and pay attention to what I emphasize:

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:8-12, ESV)

Let me make it perfectly clear: the tithes were never about collecting money for the Temple. Tithing was the means by which a food bank was kept for the poor and needy in Israel.

There is only one passage in all of Scripture which speaks of money in relation to the tithe: Deuteronomy 14:22-29. However, the money is never actually given to the Levite. Rather, it is used only as a convenient form of transport for those who must travel a long distance. Once the tither arrives at Jerusalem, he is commanded to convert the money back into food, strong drink (beer), etc. and to consume these items with the Levite, sojourner, fatherless and widow (that is, those without such provision). And you know what? Jesus mentioned something much like this in Luke’s gospel:

[Jesus] said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12-14, ESV)

Never, all in Scripture, is a tithe used to pay building and maintenance expenses for a meeting-house or clergy. The tithe is food, and it’s used to feed people—period. Freewill offerings (and/or perhaps a modern-day equivalent to Nehemiah’s “temple tax”) are the only Biblically-approved source of income from which such things as Equipment Upgrades, Insurance, Janitorial Services, Payroll Expenses, Repairs and Maintenance, Utilities, Mortgages, etc. are to be paid.

In contrast to the Old Covenant system, Paul set aside any pastoral “right” to live off the ministry and instead worked additional jobs to provide for his own expenses. He reasoned that he stood to gain no heavenly reward from “simply” preaching the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:15) and must go out of his way to make it a completely free gift if he were to receive anything from the Father because of his work. However, if Paul were simply a “New Covenant priest” he would have been leading the churches into sin by causing them to break God’s Law which required a community to feed its Levites (again, Deut. 18:1-8). Thus, we can infer that Paul did not believe these laws were binding for ministers of the Gospel.

That being the case, a Christian pastor ought not presume to live off of the tithes of his people. If a tithe is requested of the congregation, then Biblically it needs to be food, and it needs to be distributed to people who need food. (Which is to say, faithful application of the tithe laws requires the establishment of a congregational food bank.) Beyond that, there is no Biblical requirement to “lay [any] money at the [pastors'] feet.” (It is certainly encouraged as the decent thing to do for a chap who has given his whole lives to serving you and yours spiritually… but it’s not required.) In and 4, the money laid at the apostles’ feet was “distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32-35). Likewise, the money collected on Paul’s behalf from the Church in Macedonia, Achaia, and Corinth was going directly to feed the Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering through a famine—not to line his personal “chariot fund.” And of course a meeting-house is nice, but depleting a collected tithe to fund it—or even to keep it lit and climate-controlled—is unbiblical.

So if I don’t think the tithe applies to us today, does that mean I can get away with not giving anything? God forbid! On the contrary, I believe Christians are to “sell [their] possessions, and give to the needy” (Luke 12:33), but are not bound by a 10-33% annual tithe to modern-day Levites per se. The sacrificial system is no longer binding, but I am still bound by the perfect Law of Love: specifically, to “love [my] neighbor as [myself],” (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, etc.) and thus to “remember the poor” (Gal. 2:10), “open wide [my] hand to [my] brother, to the needy and to the poor, in [my] land” (Deut. 15:11), “bear with the failings of the weak, and not… please [myself]“ (Rom. 15:1-3, cf. vv. 25-27), and to “contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” (Rom. 12:13) “that there may be fairness” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). Sometimes fairness means giving 1%, sometimes 99%.

But the most ironic thing about my tithe law studies is that some of those who are being commanded to “tithe” (give 10% of your gross income) to “the church” (really meaning “the pastors”) are actually poor enough that the pastors are required by God’s Word to be tithing to them.

So in conclusion: Christians are commanded to give to the poor and needy in our midst, but we are not bound by tithe laws. However, even if one were convinced that Christians must tithe, a faithful reading of Scripture insists the tithe be used to feed the poor. It is wholly foreign to the Word of God to use a tithe on buildings, utilities, vacations, insurance or even clothing.

193 thoughts on “What Does the Bible Say About Tithing?”

  1. Willis
    I stick by my previous statement. Rather than allow Hebrews 7 to explain itself you are floating around for out-of-context statements.

    ?Verse 18 begins the CONCLUSION of the arguments from verses 1-17! …
    Hebrews 7:5 is the “first” occurrence in Hebrews of the words “tithes”, “commandment” and “law”! While all of the Mosaic Law is in view, the specific “law” being discussed is the “statute” of tithing from verse 5. When verse 12 says there is a necessary “change” of the “law” it must refer back to tithing from verse 5. And when verse 18 says the “commandment” has been “annulled” must also refer back to tithing from verse five. Argue all you want to but you cannot deny common sense (or maybe you can).”

    I noticed that you began you exposition of the law in Exodus 21:17. Why did you skip 21:1-11? They use the Sabbath commandment to endorse slave ownereship. What is your “spiirutua application” of this salvery endorsement?

    You still refuse to answer where the Bible says that the Law was given to Gentiles.

    Am I as an American citizen under any of the British laws which governed me before the Declaration of Independence in 1776? Why not? They were mostly good laws, weren’t they?

  2. I tried to contact Willis via e-mail, but the address he left is giving me “permanent failure” errors. He has nearly 20 comments in my moderation queue(!) and I don’t intend to let them through. Not because of what he says, but because he rambles quite a bit and his comments get increasingly tangential. As I said, I attempted to e-mail him to speak to him privately about this, but he hasn’t left me that option. So, I have to do it here.

    Willis, you seem to have quite a bit to say about all of this. Might I encourage you to start your own blog? You can do so at WordPress.com or Blogger.com. It looks like you’re writing from Saudi Arabia, so I don’t know what sorts of restrictions they may have there. Still, if you can comment on a blog you can probably write one. By all means, do so. When it’s up, let me know about it and I’ll be happy to edit your comments so that your name links to that blog instead of Yahoo! (BTW, the link field is optional. It’s best to leave it blank if you don’t have a web site to link to.)

    Anyway, there’s an obvious (to me, at least) language barrier between Willis and myself & Dr. Kelly. Because of that, it just takes too long to communicate well in the comments section of a blog post. I feel bad “restraining” Willis like this, but I would feel worse letting him run roughshod over this comment thread. Bugger. :/

  3. Travis

    I am going to drop this thread sicne it has dried up. Please send me a personal email so I can add you to my list. The Wall Street Journal has finished an article against tithing and is awaiting an editor’s OK for publication. I would like to be able to notify you. God bless, my friend. My usual blog site is Tithing-Study at Yahoo groups. My personal web site has had well over 100, 000 page views and over 20,000 copies of my free book have been downloaded, so the word is going out strong.

    In Christ’s love
    Russ Kelly

  4. I would like to know about future concerns, concerning the bible in anyway. How can I download your ebook on tithing? Thank You, Nancy

  6. Hi Travis

    Thank you for bringing this topic to us. You know I have been asking myself why I’m also not comfortable when coming to paying tithe. You feel so scared because it looks like the pastor is victimising you if you didn’t pay. Recently my pastor preached that we can pay 5% or 6 % tithe until we get a breakthrough. Is that in the bible? Thank you for your boldness to speak about this matter freely. It’s high time that Children of God should wake up and start doing God’s will, ie, taking care of the Poor. Thanks Once again
    Lilly from South Africa

  7. Lilly,

    God bless you!

    The Old Testament’s tithe laws and regulations do not allow any deviation from the three 10% tithes (two annual tithes, the third given once every three years). However, your pastor does not have any authority to collect the tithes in the Old Testament, unless he is a direct descendant of Moses’ brother, Aaron.

    Feel free to give generously to the poor and those in need as God directs. Forget all the “tithe” nonsense. God may be calling you to give 1%, or 99%, or your time instead of your money, or free room and board, etc.

    Christ did not set us free only to be bound again to the law of Moses’ regulations and sacrificial system. Follow the leading of his Holy Spirit, and seek to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

    When you do that, you’ll be giving exactly what God has called you to give. :)

  8. Hmmm, I just read your article, and it confirmed what I had been reading on my own in the bible, about the tithe being bought to the priests so that they could help the poor. I broke my leg a few months back, and am unable to work now, and feed my little guy, and each time I go to a church for help, they refer me to Social Services to get food stamps. The same government entity that promotes abortion on demand, and wants birth control for 6th grade kids. The churches seem to feel it is not their job to help anyone, unless you live overseas…then they seem to want your money to help the people over there, by providing them with medical care, housing and food. But I have to wonder…what about people like me? Christians who have had an unfortunate time of it lately, and need some genuine help? Instead of help, I get requests to send them money to help their ministry, so they can help feed someone overseas. I don’t understand anymore what the church is supposed to be for.

  9. “…each time I go to a church for help, they refer me to Social Services to get food stamps.”

    Tracey, I know what you mean. My last pastor thought this sort of thing fulfilled his duty to the poor in our congregation. (Literally–he suggested the church office keep various welfare forms and applications in the lobby so anybody going through hard times could quickly and easily get financial assistance that way.)

  10. Thank you Travis. StumbledUpon this and glad I did. Attended a a friend’s church a week ago that made a point about tithing I was VERY uncomfortable with. After the sermon, the pastor spoke about giving (the church is behind budget on giving) and treated the tithe as a “fee for service”. The pastor strongly encouraged all christians and non-christians (!!!) who had attended to remember to “give” (though he spoke of it more as “paying” than “giving”). He actually likened the service to a movie (whether you liked it or not, you would pay for the service rendered). I was astounded (both on the tithing statement AND likening a service as entertainment to be paid for).

    So thank you for a biblical and well thought out teaching on tithing. You have given me a lot to think about.

  11. Pingback: WSJ on Tithing :: On The Other Hand, by Travis Seitler

  12. Greetings in Christ! First I would like to commend you for the easy to understand pop-theology you utilize in delivering the truthes of scripture. I also have recently discovered the truth regarding new covenant giving, and the error of the practive of 10% or any other required number based under the old covenant. I recently started a blog titled,” Deceptions in the Church” So far I have one post in which I share a brief testimony of my life and how Christ saved me and transformed me. I plan to post regularly on various topics and issues plagueing the post-modern church. If you have any helpful hints on how to publish and get traffic to a blog, I would greatly appreciate it. I am sort of new to blogging!:) Anyhow, keep up the good work in preaching the word of God, rightfully dividing the truth, and revealing it as the Spirit leads you. My moto, scripture is self interpretive and stands on it’s own merrit. We need to take off the spectacles of traditional and erroneous views and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth as revealed in the written Word.

    God bless, In Christ,
    Goran

  13. Hi Travis

    Can you please explain this chapter for me: Hebrew 7. especially when it speaks about tithing.

  14. Lilly, the more pressing question is this: how do you explain Hebrews 7 in light of Numbers 31:25-47?

    Abraham gave 10% of his war spoils to Melchizedek and the other 90% to the king of Sodom. The LORD commanded the Israelites give either 2% or 0.2% in such a case, depending on whether they fought in the battle. (Non-fighters gave 2%, fighters gave 0.2%. Either way, it’s a far cry from 10%!)

    If war spoils were a Lawful source of tithes (“tithable income”), God would have been commanding disobedience to direct the Israelites to act this way. In God’s eyes, war spoils (what Abraham “tithed” from) and the crops you grow in your field are different things, and only one of them is to be “tithed” on, and only then to support the Levitical priesthood.

    Abraham’s gift to Melchizedek is not a “tithe” ever commanded by God in Scripture, and was only used by the author of Hebrews to illustrate his point. Like many pastors today, the author ended up clouding the obvious truth in the cited passage in favor of bolstering a point it was never trying to make.

  17. Pete, you’ve got a nice series shaping up there. Thanks for the heads-up! (And I quote other bloggers all the time. It’s cool.) :)

  18. Pingback: Moving On :: On The Other Hand, by Travis Seitler

  19. I have never heard such blasphemous garbage and changing of the word of God to fit your own idea of what is true. You are as wrong as wrong can be and if you take ANY part of the Word of God and say it was for a certain time, then anyone can take ALL of the Word and change it until our grandchildren won’t even recognize what is right from evil. Tithing is a test to test your own heart to see if you are willing to give all you have to God. He doesn’t require all, just a tenth. and it was and it is and it will always be. Don’t you know that if you are telling these folks wrong and they quit tithing that their sin will be on your head? If i am wrong i’d rather lose a tenth of my money than my place in heaven.

  20. “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”

    This is the “offense of the cross” Paul spoke of in Galatians 5: that we really aren’t bound to any of the laws given to Moses.

    I didn’t change anything; Jesus fulfilled the whole Law, and we’re not obligated to it anymore.

    Rather, we’re obligated to pursue the Law of Love.

    Fran, please go back and read my conclusion at the end of the blog post. If you really think that it’s blasphemous to say that we’re giving to God by caring for the poor (rather than investing in multi-million dollar meetinghouses), then I would have to suggest that maybe you don’t really know Jesus as he is.

    But maybe that’s not why you accused me of blasphemy. Regardless, you didn’t give a reason for why you considered my statement so devilish, so I don’t really know how I’m supposed to respond except to say, “that’s nice.”

  21. I have never heard such blasphemous garbage and changing of the word of God to fit your own idea of what is true.

    Never?

    Franny dear, you really need to get out more.

    In the meantime… [link]

  24. A nice exposition and commentary here, Travis. I know I read this before, but in light of what I blogged about recently, I thought I’d come back and read it again fresh.

    Blessings.

  25. wow. Hot topic here. I am going to have to really pray to our Father about this one. I will also be going to my earthly daddy I truly respect his opinion when it comes to Biblical finances etc. in fact he used to teach a course at CCC years and years ago on that topic. hmmmm… Me thinks I feel a long heart to heart daddy/daughter style! :) Thank you for spurring me on to think. I am not sure if I agree with you, but I appreciate your time, effort, and thoughts on this topic.

  27. Karen: I hear ya! I was a hardcore “10% on gross” tither for two decades. ;)

    Russell: Yes, the war spoils “tax” equaled 1.1% of the total spoils, but each individual warrior was taxed 0.2% and each individual member of the congregation was taxed 2% on their own allotment. Since we’re talking about the individual’s responsibility, I went with the numbers applicable to the individuals in question. :)

  28. Travis.. I have a decade on you of wrestling with the tithe! ;) One thing i will say is this. My dad always taught me that tithing of your time when you didn’t have the cashflow was acceptable. In fact that is what my husband and I are doing at this time. Augmentation with time of what we are giving in the “plate.”

    btw… I did read you and your wife’s profile/romance. Very sweet. Being that I am 8 years older than the love of my life, my wonderful husband, I can relate to her side just a bit.

  29. Travis-

    I have come to beleive in tithing, after originally taking your position that tithing is not Biblical.

    But good for you that you are being Berean about issues! The churches need more of that from their congregants.

    Anyway, what convinced me is Paul writing about how Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, and how Jesus is the new Melchizedek, his priesthood replacing Melchizedek’s. I beleive Paul then quotes Christ as saying the Pharisees should have taken care of the sick and poor while at the same time NOT neglecting the tithe.

    My own studies of tithing led me to begin to tithe. This is, admittedly, the opposite direction of a lot of people who study tithing- LOL. What are your thoughts on Christ and Melchizidek and tithing?

    -Ribu John

  30. After so many months of studies I have found that this law still binding even to this day and still amazed of where did the doctrine that opposed the tithing come from?

    Read my blog and you will have an answer from the combination of the two fractions and it is a clear 10 percent which is considered the holiest tithe of God.

  31. Amos 4:4-5

    “(4) Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: (5) And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.”

    This shows that if you are tithing in Gilgal and also offering the leaven sacrifice, you are just wasting your money. The problem is that we are seeing lot of Pastors who call themselves Priest taking our offering and I’m telling you, in my area, these guys are are stinking rich, they drive beautiful cars, their children are in good schools and while we are struggling with inflation and high fuel price and food price, that doesn’t bother them, there is always offering and tithe at the end of the week.

    Willis, I would understand if the tithing was done in a biblical way. Remember, if the priest was not completely pure, he would get out of the holy of holies dead. Nowadays we are seeing divorcing pastors preaching to us, men without good reputation standing before the body of Christ with the Filthiness. Churches are now organisation and my Pastor one day, I do not know if he heard himself, he said he has been long in this Industry, meaning the church. Go on waste your money!!!

  32. Travis,

    Now I understand why you blog movie reviews.

    Bless you for taking this on. You are obviously correct, and the Scripture is so clear on this matter.

    Has no one heard of the Jerusalem Council?

  33. Jim,

    Ah, you saw right through me. ;)

    I asked my previous (SGM) pastor specifically about the Jerusalem Council in regard to tithing. He gave me something of a “hmm… that’s interesting — I never thought about that” answer and never said another word on the matter.

    But I’m sure you never experienced anything like that. ;)

  34. Pingback: The Bible and tithing: To give or not to give - Part 2 | Bible Money Matters

  35. Travis,

    What do you think about this passage on tithing:

    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

    Thanks!

  36. Psychoanalysis: People who are very bitter after being in churches that abuse the tithe system tend to overcompensate and try to find any and all arguments that excuse them from tithing. They are understandably upset, disillusioned, and they feel cheated. They are determined to never tithe again, so they never have to feel cheated again.

    Jesus said to not neglect the tithe. These words were uttered by Christ himself in Matt 23:23 and Luke 11:42. Also see Hebrews 7 for an explanation of how Christ is the new High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, and as Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, so we are to tithe now to Christ.

    People need to try to stop making escuse for themselves through “justification interpretations”. Just tithe already. 10% off your net income won’t kill you.

  37. “People who are very bitter after being in churches that abuse the tithe system tend to overcompensate”

    Other than using “react” instead of “overcompensate,” I agree with you here. Now: given that I began questioning this particular doctrine during my membership classes (after which I joined, then remained a member for nearly two years), are you really going to accuse me of being such a bitter reactionary?

    Jesus told people under the Law to obey the Law. At the very same time, he made it abundantly clear that the tithe regulations weren’t important parts of the Law.

    Hebrews 7 says that Jesus is a different kind of priest. It says absolutely NOTHING about who (if anyone) we’re supposed to tithe to.

    Ribu, you have no substantial argument in support of tithing, so you try to make a level playing field by claiming that nobody else does, either (that’s the point of your first paragraph). But man, you have no game. So stop trying; you’re only going to embarrass yourself.

  38. No game? wha…

    We’re talking about tithing. We’re not talking about practice. Mr. Iverson, are we talking about practice?

    Travis, it’s nice to see a Christian in the comics industry, since there are few in it. Kudos to you for breaking in, and for having a blog.

    But your blog isn’t exactly Stan’s Soapbox, and any of your views on tithing (or any other subject) aren’t equal to voices of the apostles, church fathers, or to Lewis, Charles Stanley or even Alistair Begg. Plus, I’m not here to invade your blog-kingdom and challenge your throne in your own house. I know this, however, when I study the scripture or discuss the scripture, it is not a game to me. I’m here on this Earth to learn and grow in the Lord like everyone else posting here.

    I used to never tithe. Please do understand that, like you, I have also researched the subject to come to the conclusion that I need not tithe. Having further researched it, I reversed that decision and concluded that tithing is indeed pleasing to God and a Christ-given directive, further backed by Paul. I was willing to change my mind. Furthermore, I convinced myself, in Berean fashion. No pastor took me under his wing and plied me with a cocktail of guilt, emotions, and scriptures for that to happen. I simply changed my mind in the course of study.

    I stand by the comments about people being bitter after seeing churches in corruption. Spiritual abuse is a huge problem in Evangelical-style Christianity. It is a tool of Satan often in the hands of once well-meaning pastors who have gotten on a high horse and think they can start twisting the scriptures in order to achieve some good. These pastors steadily and surely become villians, a la the effect of the Ring in Tolkien’s work. I’m fairly certain none of these liars started off that way. They learned to justify lying, and in their actions, scarred many people. Many of those people came to hate God becuase of how they were manipulated for money in a church.

    Like I said before, tithe to support the church. It’s not as big a financial burden as people fear. It won’t kill anyone who budgets. Churches need tithes. It’s the best way to fund the church, and that is why it was mandated in wisdom.

  40. Jesus word’s that the Pharisees should not neglect the tithe don’t count? I would read it as a mandate of implication.

    In fact, Paul teaches that we are to provide for the pastors and missionaries (1 Corinthians 9:7, and all the rest of the beginning of chapter 9- and 1 Timothy 5:18 which teaches that pastors deserve their wages in honor). This is even though Paul himself worked as a tentmaker in order to minister to more people through commerce and teach “ministry in the workplace” to new Christians (and to us who have jobs in today’s world- and work with unbeleivers). Tell me, how should we support the pastors and missionaries. Is there a viable option to replace the tithe?

    Also remember, the tithe has nothing to do with Mosaic law. After all, Abraham predated Mosaic law, but he still tithed. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek while Melchizedek was in the position of High Priest of the Most High God before Christ took that position (see Hebrews 7). It stands to reason that Christ, as High Priest, now gets the tithes. One can see that even in the time of Cain and Abel there was giving to God in some sense.

    People will make the argument that we don’t have to follow the old testament. And they’ll say the Mosaic laws in particular are no longer valid. While it’s true that many of them were made obsolete by Christ and the apostles, the tithe itself was not one of them. Nowhere does it say in the New Testament that we don’t have to tithe anymore.

    I would stand against any pastor saying something ludicrous like “people are ROBBING GOD if they don’t tithe!” using a opportunistic interpretation of Malachi 3. That would be because God doesn’t judge solely by the wallet, but by the heart. I would also be against using and interpretation of “firstfruits doctrine” for teaching that tithing be from the gross income instead of the net increase. And while it is true that churces during the new testament era, and many other eras such as the dark and middke ages, were probably too poor to tithe enough to support their pastors or the apostles and other missionanaries, or to tithe at all, the fact remains that the principle of supporting those in ministry was set up by Paul, regardless of whether or not Paul chose to use support for himself. This in conjunction with Christ’s implication that the tithe should not be neglected both serve to lead to a rationalization that pastors and missionaries and churches should then be supported via tithing.

    -Ribu John

  41. a tithe was an offering to the Lord to remind us that we need him, regardless of how much we earn or how much we don’t earn.

    as far as God’s commandment, it is physically impossible to follow each and every one of His commandments to the t. Jesus even says that even if you think of sinning against another, then that is equal to have committed the sin physically. the fact of the matter is God sent Jesus, because only Jesus could live a life worthy enough to say it was perfect, and He died a death that we had to suffer, in it’s entirety, so that we have no need to either live or die the death that we deserve. there is nothing that we can do to redeem ourselves of the sinful lives that we all lead. no matter how many good deeds you do, no matter how well we follow the commandments, no matter how well we try to avoid thinking lustful, covetful, even maybe murderous thoughts, we will always fall flat because in the end, we are only human, as the saying goes.

    that’s why we tithe. it’s a reminder of who we really need in our lives and how grateful we are of the blood of Christ shed FOR us so that we may be lifted up. So tithe, it’s humbling.

  43. I just don’t understand why the Apostle Paul would teach in 1 Timothy 5:18 that the pastor deserves his wages and that we shouldn’t keep him from getting wages from the church (don’t muzzle the ox) if it would be just as okay to not write a check to the pastor. Out of the tithe check, the pastor gets paid, but also the poor get help (its called the Barnabas barrel in many churches), ministries and outreaches get funded, and the church is maintained for the needs of the building. Also other church workers get paid.

    Why shouldn’t we write a check to the pastor? Is EVERY pastor expected to be a tentmaker like Paul was? If so, then why 1 Timothy 5:18?

    When we write a check to the pastor, we pay the pastor, and we take care of the poor, and we fund ministries and missions. All those things are done for Jesus. Of course, needless to say, a tithe check to the pastor is for all intents and purposes a check to Christ himself. That’s the way it works out if the pastor is the honest sort.

    -Ribu John

  45. Hello, I sat and read almost all of the post and I have thisto say.I was and still kinda a member of a small church about 10 members. I was giving tithes faithfully about $200 a week. I knew that the majority of the members were receiving food stamps , fixed income and the only people that worked were me, the pastors husband and her daughter.I gave willingly because I assumed that when the members needed help the pastor would have the funds to give them food and etc.. I have 7 children and my husband use to bring them to church when I had to work. at that time we were renting hotel rooms for service. the pastor brought alot of new outfits and getting her hair done ” she stated “if the pastor looks tore up it looks bad for our church”The money was being spent on herself and her family members, when her daughter would preach she would give her money, when her son-in-law say a few words she would give him money. Our family left because she lied about giving certain gifts to the needy children. She brought her family expensive things and gave the other children 99 cent things .It is a lot more to tell but it doesn’t matter now. I went to the church(they now have a building that a Catholic pastor loaned them which is about to be foreclosed on) I sense that if i start to give tithes again I don’t know where it will go.You are supposed to give with a glad heart. It hurts to think how she made a single mother spend her food stamps on ingredients for pie sale for the church and not help her when she needs food. I try to get souls and talk to people but the first thing everyone says it they can’t afford to go to church. that might be an excuse but I feel that way when the preacher asks for specific amounts and pass collection plate with envelopes so you have to write down your name and amount. Should I continue to tithe there? Am I wrong to feel this way? Am I sinning?

  46. Ann- Find a new church.

    There are lots of problems when looking for churches. We live in a corrupt world, and God’s truths are going to be corrupted by both men and women of God as well as by men and women who don’t beleive in God.

    Use your brain and pray for wisdom.

    -Ribu John

  47. Ribu John-

    You exegesis scriptures very well.

    I thoroughly enjoyed your sublime dissertation of biblical tithing principles. I’ve done an in-depth examination of Ten Commandments and intent to teach them to young and mature Christians. This information will be tremendously beneficial to the congregants at my soon to be church. I can add this information to a certain part of the teaching. If people could only comprehend God’s agape love then giving will be a breeze. Thanks for your conscientious labor and diligence in clarifying these scriptures.

    God bless you all.

    A fellow laborer in Christ-

  48. You know, I always meant to get back to Ribu John on his last comment. In fact, I have a drafted response laying around here somewhere…

    …but not today. Maybe tomorrow, or the day after, or next week. Suffice it to say, I remain unconvinced by his unoriginal (and deeply flawed) defense of Christian “tithing.”

  50. Travis-

    I’ve bookmarked this page, so I can check back every so often. But if you want, just email me about this issue in a back-and-forth. Posting publically here is fine too. Despite what you may read from me at the ccnet christian comics forum (user: CrypticMyopic), my intention is not to fight about things. :) I know I rub your buddy Kneon the wrong way, but you and I can still be tithe-topic buddies, right?? hehe A little jokey-joke… JK… I like Kneon- after all, Transformers 2 is coming out soon (just ask him about this using Transformers 2 and Cryptic Ribu John in the same sentence).

    -Ribu John

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