Yo! The first installment of our STRAIGHT UP Series tackles a serious question that many of us have, “Should a Christian pay tithes?”

There is a bit of controversy when it comes to the tithe. Some people think that they will be cursed with a curse if they don’t tithe, due to a scripture in Malachi. Others have questions on exactly what they should be tithing on: gross income? net? Others of us feel as though the tithe is something that may be exploited by certain churches just for profits. Others feel as though it’s the best thing to do for God and for the church.

Whatever you think, take a listen as we answer some questions regarding an all important topic: Tithes.

Hit us up! We’re loving all the feedback and questions that have been coming in. Email contactus@thewordxtheworld.com to share your testimonies, ask questions, or just to chat!

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Music credit: https://soundcloud.com/samuraiguru

Transcript

What is a tithe?

A “Tithe” simply means a tenth or 10 percent of something.

Where do we see tithing in the Bible?

We see instances of tithing as well as commandments to tithe in the Old Testament. There are mentions of tithing in both the Old and New Testament books of the Bible.

When is the first time we see tithing in the Bible?

We see tithing for the first time in the Bible in one of the stories of Abram, who was later renamed to Abraham, the name we are more familiar with. In this particular story, Abram has just returned from a war where he was fighting to rescue his nephew Lot after Lot had been taken captive by a group of Kings who had conquered the city that Lot was living in, which was Sodom. During the rescue mission, Abram had recovered Lot, Lot’s possessions, as well as all of the goods of Sodom and its people.

After recovering everything from Sodom, Abram meets with two people. One of those people was the King of Sodom. After all, Abram had all of his stuff now, and the king was hoping to get it back. The other person that Abram met with was someone named Melchizedek. Melchizedek was the King of Salem, and a priest of God. Melchizedek brought bread and wine to his meeting with Abram and the story says that he blessed Abram saying

Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
   Creator of heaven and earth.
And praise be to God Most High,
   who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Melchizedek was letting Abram know that

1.  He was blessed by God, and
2. the victory that Abram had in war was actually God-given

The story says “Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything”. This was the first time we see anyone pay tithes in the Bible

Some things to note here:

1. Abram did not pay tithes on anything that he had earned himself, he paid the tithe on what God had delivered into his hands, on what was specifically God-given, which in this instance, were the spoils of war. This is a very important fact that we will see again.
2. Abram did not pay money. Instead he paid his tithe on goods, which again were the spoils of the war. Spoils of war would include livestock, clothing, jewelry, maybe some money. It says that he tithed on everything that he received as a result of the victory he received from God
3. This is the first mention of a tithe being given, but it is not the first mention of someone having money or valuables in the Bible. The previous chapter of the book of Genesis, Chapter 13, mentions that Abram was wealthy in livestock, and silver, and gold. So although Abram had possessions, wealth, silver and gold prior to his meeting with Melchizedek in Chapter 14, the Bible never mentions him paying tithes on anything that he had. This points to the fact that there was something significant about this occurrence that caused him to pay the tithe and that it was not something given regularly or given on things that someone worked for or acquired themselves. This is another significant point that we will see again.
4. Abraham’s giving of this tithe was not mandatory. There was no commandment or law to pay tithes at this time.

When is the next time that we see tithing in the Bible?

1. The next time we see tithing in the Bible is in the story of Jacob in Genesis Chapter 28:20-22. In this story Jacob has a dream. In the dream, God says to Jacob that he will have many descendants and own land. God also promised that his descendants would spread all over and that all of the people of the earth would be blessed through Jacob and his offspring, and that God would never leave Jacob until accomplishing all that had been promised.

The next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had slept on, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on it, naming that place Bethel.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying:

“If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear, so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

This is the second mention of a tithe in the Bible.

Again, there are some things to note here:

1. We see Jacob making this vow to give a tenth only once, this is not something that seems to be recurring.
2. Notice the language of the vow wherein Jacob says “if God gives me, then I will give back to him”. Jacob is not talking about things that he will earn, but things that will be given to him.

Where is the next time that we see tithing in the Bible?

The next time that we see tithing is in the Mosaic law that was given to Israel. It is important to note that the laws regarding tithing were not in operation until the Israelites had reached the promised land. They were not in place during their captivity in Egypt or during their time in the wilderness. The laws were in effect only in the land that God said he was “giving to them”.

Were there different types of tithing?

In the Mosaic law there were 3 types of tithes:

1. The Lord’s Tithe
2. The Tithe of Feast
3. The Poor Man’s tithe

The First tithe, the Lord’s Tithe, required the Israelites to give one tenth of the agricultural produce and livestock to the Levitical priesthood for their service to the Lord. This was how they were provided for since the Levites didn’t receive any land inheritance like the other tribes in the promised land. It is important to note that if the Israelite wanted to redeem their tithe, meaning keep the tenth of food and livestock and pay money instead, an additional 20% had to be added to the monetary equivalent of the tithe. There was a penalty for paying with money. We will see why in a moment.

The Second tithe, the Tithe of Feast, was a tithe that one would set aside for themselves. This tithing would occur on years 1, 2, 4, and 5 of a 7 year cycle. The Israelites were instructed to eat this tithe before the Lord, wherever the Lord instructed them to do so. They were to take a tithe of their grain, their wine, their oil, and the firstlings of their herds. If they could not transport their tithe to the place that God instructed them to go, then they were instructed to exchange it for money and then take that money to the specified place and spend that money on whatever their hearts desired. They were instructed to eat and drink whatever they desired and to rejoice in this place where the presence of the Lord would be.

The third tithe, The Poor Man’s Tithe, was a tithe of the produce that was set aside for the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow on the 3rd and 6th years of the 7 year cycle.

It is important to note a few things about the 3 types of tithes

1. None of the tithes were paid with money. In fact, paying the tithe with money incurred a penalty of an additional 20%, meaning the Israelite now had to pay 30% instead of 10%.
2. The tithes were paid only from the land that God gave to the people with things that only God could give, not things that the people could earn for themselves.

Ok, so those are the scriptural references to the tithe, but what exactly is the significance of the tithe? Why was it important to God?

Before we can answer the question of its significance, we must answer another question first, which is why was the tithe a tenth, or 10%?

Numbers are very important in the Bible. We see the repetition of numbers like 3, 7, 10, 12 and 40 amongst others all throughout scripture. The number 10 in scripture represents a complete provision from God to Man. God provided great things for man in counts of 10. For instance:

1. When God created the earth as a place for man to live, He spoke 10 times.
2. When God gave his first clear expectations of man, He gave 10 commandments.
3. When God wanted to free his people from Egyptian captivity, He caused 10 plagues
4. When God wanted to send the Holy Spirit to His people people, he did so 10 days after Christ ascended into Heaven
5. When God chose to make His First covenant with man, he waited 10 generations from Adam, making the first covenant with Noah.
6. When God decided to make his Second covenant with man, he waited another 10 generations from Noah, making His second covenant with Abraham.
7. The flood waters receded on the 10th day of the 10th month
8. There were 10 post-resurrection appearances of Christ.

Not only do we see the number 10 having this significance of divine complete provision towards man in the Bible but its significance is also found in the historical remnants of other pagan religions as well.

Why is this significant? Well lets remember the first person recorded paying tithes in the Bible. Abram. In Joshua 24:2-3, it tells us how God had taken Abram from the place where he and his family served other gods, meaning that Abram was pagan prior to being called by God also meaning that Abram had pagan understanding, rituals, and beliefs.

The pagans believed that when the gods had made the complete provision for you, which was again signified by the number 10, it was to be acknowledged by giving back 1 part, or one-tenth, or a tithe.

The purpose of the tithe was to acknowledge that the complete provision had been divinely given. So when we circle back to Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek, we see that after Melchizedek informs Abram that it was God who had delivered Abram’s enemies into his hands, then Abram gives the tithe, as an acknowledgement that the victory had been divinely provided, and that it was not the work of his own hands.

We see this same theme of the tithe used to acknowledge that the complete provision had been divinely given again with the Israelites commandment to tithe. They were only to tithe on the promised land, the land that God repeatedly told them was the land He was “giving to them”.

Not only were they to pay tithes on the things that were in the promised land, but they were only to tithe on the living things, again things that can be only attributed to God and not man, such as food and livestock, since man can create neither of those.

Another point to note here is that the Israelite tithe would go to the Levites. The Levites would then tithe on what was given to them. They were also to acknowledge that God’s divine provision had been made for them as well.

Okay, so that’s a ton of information, but what does that have to do with me, should I pay tithes or what?

Well let’s take one more look at everything we have seen now.

1. The commanded tithe was not on money, but instead, they tithed on living things, that that could only be credited to God. Remember, there was a penalty for paying with money. This is because money could be earned by one’s own efforts and hard work. The tithe however, had to do with divine provision being made, where no man could claim credit.
2. We should take note of the pattern of tithing under the Mosaic law, which shows us that God gave living things to his people, and as an acknowledgement of these living things being given to them, they gave living things back to God. In other words, there was life given for life received. Being that every ordinance and practice under the law pointed to Christ, we can easily see the true significance of the tithe coming to the forefront. Christ, who referred to himself as the Life, was God’s complete and divine provision given to man, and as an acknowledgement, we give our lives in return.
3. Here is another point that we must consider. Christ fulfilled the law, meaning that we are no longer to live under the law any more. Because the tithe was mandated under the Mosaic law along with commandments such as making animal sacrifices, then if we are to continue paying tithes as a mandate, we should also continue to sacrifice animals for our sins. Doing either of the two points to the insufficiency of Christ to fulfill the law after all.
4. Continuing with that point, both tithing and animal sacrifices were done before the Mosaic law was given and continued until the death of Christ on the cross, but after his death on the cross, animal sacrifices were no longer done by those who believed that Christ had fulfilled the law, why should tithing continue?

Wait, so there are no mentions of tithing in the New Testament?

Well yes, there are, but these should be carefully looked at before coming to any conclusion that we should continue tithing after the death of Christ.

One scripture that is often pointed to but less often analyzed is Matthew 23:23 where Jesus says:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. “

This same account is given in Luke 11.

There are a few things to note here:

1. Jesus has not yet died on the cross, so the law was still technically in effect. Remember that although the gospels are not in the Old Testament section of the Bible, the law of the Old Testament was still in effect until the death of Christ.
2. Jesus was criticizing the Pharisees who were teachers of the law for tithing but acknowledging the more important things of God’s law. And he tells then that they should have be doing both, especially since He had not yet died on the cross.

There is another mention of tithing in Hebrews  chapter 7. In this reference Paul is giving a thorough explanation of the insufficiency of the law and the significance of Christ. The mention of the tithe here is actually a reference to the exchange between Abram and Melchizedek in Genesis 14 as we have already discussed.

The final mention of the tithe in the New Testament worth noting is in the parable that Jesus tells about the pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. Here the Pharisee is thanking God for his righteousness based on his good behavior and his obedience to the law by paying tithes. We know that his mention of paying tithes was in obedience to the law because he was a Pharisee, a teacher of the law.

Therefore, we see that these 3 New Testament mentions of the tithe are actually criticisms and references to the Mosaic law, not actually supporting scriptures of paying tithes in the New Testament.

So does this mean that I will not be cursed with a curse for not paying tithes as mentioned in Malachi 3:10?

That’s exactly what this means. The use of this scripture in support for Christian tithing is incorrect for the following reasons:

1. This scripture was intended for the Levitical priest during the time of the law. This specific mention of the priests to whom this was addressed can be found in the previous chapter of Malachi, Chapter 2, in the first verse, which says “Now you priests, this is a warning for you. If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name, I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings”.
2. The storehouse mentioned in this scripture is the temple, which housed the spirit of God under during the time of the law. That temple was destroyed. Christians are to now see themselves as the temple now, still housing the Spirit of God. This is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”. However, because the temple was destroyed, there is no longer a Levitical Priesthood, and therefore no longer a need for anyone to pay tithes to provide for the Levites.
3. There is also the fact that Malachi 3:10 mentions God’s concern for there being food in His house, not money. This is in line with everything we have learned thus far. The tithe was never monetary.

So to answer the Question: After analyzing the scriptures of the Bible, we do not believe that the tithe is something that should be practiced by Christians.

1. It was not money, because money is something that we could work for and take credit for. It is also something that is man-made.
2. It was done under the law, the same as animal sacrifices
3. There are no mentions of it being done after the death of Christ since Christ fulfilled the law.
4. The tithe was given under the law to acknowledge that life had been received and life should be given in return. The way that we pay  tithes today is with our entire lives. We give our lives, because life has been given to us in Christ Jesus.

So should I stop giving my money to the church?

Of course not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving to church to advance the Kingdom of God.

Also, we must remember that Jesus tells us that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. He also says “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Of course it was not intended for us to give only to the needs of the church, but to the poor as well as we see in Matthew 19:21 where Jesus tells the young rich man “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

The point that is being made is that we are not under any obligation to give 10 percent of our income to any church because the law requiring the tithe is no longer in effect after it’s fulfillment in Christ Jesus. After the death of Christ we are to give freely as emphasized in 2 Corinthians 9:7, which says “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

We have been set free from the law. As the Word says “Whom the the Son has set free is free indeed”.

STRAIGHT UP!

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