What if I were to tell you that you don’t need to tithe when you come to church, ever? There, I said it. It’s true. But allow me to explain.
If you guessed that tithing is a teaching from God in the Old Testament, you have guessed correctly. God commanded the Israelites, through the requirement of the Mosaic Law, to give ten percent of the crops they grew and the livestock they raised to the tabernacle/temple.
Leviticus 27:30 Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S; it is holy to the LORD. Numbers 18:21 To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. Deuteronomy 14:22 You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. Nehemiah 13:12 All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses.
In fact, the Old Testament Law required more than just one tithe—there is one for the Levites, another one for the use of the temple and the feasts, and yet another one for the poor. Therefore, it would be misleading for us to say to someone an Israelite merely gave ten percent of what he earned in the Old Testament days. But that’s not why we are here to discuss.
As Christ followers in the New Testament age, are we commanded to give tithes? Does God still expect us to tithe? Many Christians use the term “tithe” or say, “I tithe,” when they give to the church. I think I know what they mean, and what they are trying to do, but it is inaccurate, in my opinion. God taught the Israelites about the tithe in the Old Testament, but there is no teaching of tithe or tithing in the New Testament. The words “tithe” and “to tithe” appear in 30 verses in the Bible. But that does not mean that we do not find the word “tithe” in the New Testament. We do. The word “tithe” appears in five verses in the New Testament.
Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." Luke 11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." Luke 18:12 "‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’" Hebrews 7:8–9 In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes...
As you can see, even though tithe is mentioned in five verses in the New Testament, they are referenced as part of a conversation, or a story. None of these five verses are saying God commands the New Testament believer to give tithes. If God still expects us to give tithes in the New Testament age, it is strange to me the Apostle Paul was mum on the subject, even though he wrote a lot on giving in his epistles.
One of you will ask me, “If God commands us to give, but he does not command us to give tithes, then how will you call it?” I call it simply, “giving”. We continue to give in the New Testament as the Israelites gave in the Old Testament. But the concept is largely different. God commanded the Israelites to give tithes in the Old Testament. God commands you and me to give gifts in the New Testament. This is not just a different choice of words. We continue to give according to what God has prospered us. This has not changed. But we no longer give according to the Law. Giving in the New Testament age is the response to the work of God in the believer’s heart. We do not need to give tithes.
Romans 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Some say that even though Christians should not tithe, we should take the ten percent from the Old Testament tithe, and apply it as a “recommended minimum” when we give. I disagree. If the New Testament does not teach anywhere we must tithe, I don’t want to think anything about it when I give. I like to remove myself as far as I can from the idea of tithe because if I were not careful, I would make the mistake of combining two principles into one. One from the Old Testament. Another from the New Testament.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 1 Timothy 6:18–19 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
Most importantly, as with the tithe in the Old Testament age, giving in the New Testament age is intended to be something joyful. If you cannot give cheerfully, don’t do it. God does not need our giving in the sense that if we don’t give, he runs a deficit, and he has to make up for it elsewhere. Rather, God designed giving to be a blessing to us. Each time you and I give, something happens to us. Let’s learn how to do this together, and to do it better and better to the glory of our Father, who is in heaven.