Tithing

This page is a consolidation of links to the articles that I have written on tithing. I initially undertook this study in response to an avid online community which strongly and vocally denounces tithing for Christians. In this first article, I gave a basic overview of how these people, who I frequently refer to as "anti-tithers," approach the topic of tithing:

Introduction to the arguments against tithing

I have isolated each of these arguments and answered them in a logical order. Firstly, because tithing is part of God's law, you must understand that God's law is relevant for Christians today if you want to defend the command to tithe. My next article in the series begins in Hebrews 7, where some anti-tithers say that all of God's law, and specifically tithing, was abolished:

Was tithing abolished in Hebrews 7?

Once it has been established that the law, including tithing, was not "done away," we are then ready to consider whether it applies under modern circumstances. In the Old Covenant, tithes were given to the Levites. Therefore, if tithing is going to be relevant for today, we first have to evaluate whether there is anyone who is capable of receiving it in light of the fact that we don't know who the Levites are today:

Did God give tithes to the Levites FOREVER, so that ministers today aren't eligible to receive it?

Another argument that anti-tithers make along this same line is that every believer in the New Covenant is a priest. If this is true, they then conclude that it doesn't make sense for ministers, who are priests, to receive tithes from members, who are also priests. Such is the topic of the next article:

Is every New Covenant believer a priest, meaning that ministers have no more right to receive tithes than anyone else in the Church?

Once we understand that tithing is part of God's law, which has not been abolished, and that ministers in God's Church are scripturally qualified to receive tithes, we move on to the anti-tithing claim that tithing was only commanded to be done within the borders of the Holy Land of Israel. If it was only for the land of Israel, then the command to tithe for Christians today would only be relevant if you were living in that geographic area:

Was tithing only supposed to be done in the land of Israel?

Next, once it is confirmed that New Covenant believers, regardless of their location, should give tithes to ministers of the Church of God, the question is, "what did God command us to tithe on?" Anti-tithers would have you believe that the bible says that we should only tithe on agricultural produce, which consists of wine, oil, the crops grown in the field, and farm animals that are kept in herds and flocks.

The practicality of tithing only on farm products - consider the "2nd" or "festival" tithe, and the command to rejoice in everything that you put your hand to

One underpinning that the anti-tithers use to support their idea that only these agricultural products should be tithed on is to say that these products are "God's miracles" as opposed to "man's labor." In the next article, I refute this notion by looking closely at what goes into making these agricultural products:

Are agricultural products really God's miracles instead of man's labor? Does God not bless other forms of labor?

With this foundation laid, I've now begun a systematic look at the main passages on tithing in the bible:


This series is still ongoing, and this page will be updated as new articles are published. Future articles will examine more anti-tithing arguments. Additionally, I would like to write a couple of more positive (rather than defensive) foundational articles on the basic concept of tithing.

3 comments:

  1. The modern tithe is straight from Satan and a pure corruption of the bible. Anyway you slice it, tithing is the prosperity gospel. Do you find it interesting that the apostles didn't tithe? Paul was a tent maker who payed his own way, should not we look to him as an example? What do Most preachers do for income, oh yeah thats right, they steal from you! Why dont these con artists get a job and stop free loafing off their congregation. I know why, because the tithe is easy money. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and the church is no exception. I'm so tired of the lies, tithing is not part of the new covenent. You are not under a curse if you don't engage in this heresy! If it was part of the new covenent then Christ died for nothing. If one wishes to follow the law then they are accountable for all of it. DONT BE DECEIVED: it doesnt cost anything to tell someone about Jesus. The men who perpetuate this false teaching wont let you see the churches budget, ask them and find out. They like to take trips around the world on your dime and guilt/trick you into giving beyond your means with prosperity gospel. Its ok to buy nice stuff with your money because you earned it. I would never charge for a bible study so why do they insist on charging you? Must be nice to be a wealthy preacher who doesnt ever have to work for a living. Here's a few facts: Jesus didn't tithe, Paul didn't tithe and Peter didn't tithe. Guess who does: CUlTS! Wide is the road that leads to destruction, narrow is the way that leads to life and few find it. The atheist are right about this one, all they really want is your money.

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  2. I've dealt with this subject at length - if you actually take time to read through and consider my material you may want to rethink some of the points that you've made. At present, I'm simply going to point out your most egregious errors, and I'll let people sort the rest out for themselves.

    1. You said "if one wishes to follow the law then they are accountable for all of it" - tell me, do you love your neighbor as yourself? That's in Leviticus 19. Do you love God with all your heart, your soul, and your strength? That's Deuteronomy 6. If the two greatest commandments are smack in the middle of this law which you insist we are not accountable to, then indeed we must be accountable to nothing at all!

    2. If it "doesn't cost anything to tell someone about Jesus," why did Paul imply that His congregations owed him for preaching to them (although he admittedly refused to take anything at first to set an example for them)? No one argues that the work of spreading the gospel doesn't require money because even Paul plainly admits that it does - that's why he made and sold tents, to help pay for his work of preaching the gospel.

    3. Jesus, Peter, and Paul most certainly DID tithe. Jesus, being obedient in every point of the Law, would have tithed to the Levites just like every other observant Israelite. Likewise, Peter and Paul would have done the same up until Jesus' death. Perhaps what you meant to say is that Peter and Paul never tithed AFTER Jesus died, i.e. never tithed to a "church" as we think of it today; however, you would still be wrong.

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    Replies
    1. Steven:
      Can you list for us the occupations that the Bible indicates must bring forth a TITHE.

      Also there was NO TITHE collected in the 7th & 50th, the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. Do you teach that as well?

      The shepherd who had 9 lambs born in a year, had not tithe to pay. It was only the 10 animal that was to be tithed.

      So how to you translate that principle to today's money economy? Do you teach that the young child with a 10 allowance is robbing God if he doesn't give a penny in offerings to the church?

      What about the widows and orphans? They were to recieve tithes. Do you send those needy individuals to the government to get a check? That was never done by Israel's priests.

      If you are requesting that people tithe and are not distributing it Bibically then it is you who are sinning and robbing God.

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