TITHE- OPPOSING VIEWS

Is it Biblical to Tithe if Jesus Fulfilled the Law?

• Clarence L. Haynes Jr.Contributing Writer
• 20204 Aug

The question of giving is a very interesting one in many churches. In one corner, you have those who believe that tithing is based on Malachi 3:10, tying it to the law. In the other corner, you have those who believe that everyone should give according to what they have determined in their heart according to 2 Corinthians 9:7, connecting it to grace.

I don’t know which side you fall on, but I want to shed some light. I want to provide an answer to the question: is it Biblical to tithe if Jesus fulfilled the law?

2 Principles about Jesus and the Law

In Matthew 5:17-18, we have Jesus’ statement about the Law. Here is what he said:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Before we can answer this question of tithing, there are two things we can learn from these verses.

1. Jesus Did Not Come to Abolish the Law

I know the Law often gets a bad rap, but the truth is—the Law is actually good. Before you think I’m going to tell you to start sacrificing animals again, keep reading. There was never a problem with the Law, or the first 5 books of the Bible. The problem was, men could not live up to the requirements of the Law. I want you to put this in your heart. The Law is good. However, trying to earn justification or salvation by living up to the requirements of the Law is not good. If you try to do that, you will fail miserably. Paul reminds us of this in Romans 3:20:

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Because the Law is good, pure, and holy, it makes us aware of our sinful condition. For this reason, the standards of the Law will never go away. From now until Jesus returns, the Law will always be present making us aware of our sin.

2. Jesus Fulfilled the Law

Knowing the standards of the Law remain and will always remain presents a problem. We can’t live up to them. The good news, however, is we don’t have to—because that’s what Jesus did for you. Your justification now comes through faith in Jesus, not trying to fulfill the requirements of the Law.

Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” – Galatians 3:11

You may be asking...what does this have to do with giving? Do I tithe or not?

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/valio84sl

The Connection to Giving

Let’s take these principles and apply them to giving. Let’s consider the verses I mentioned earlier. First Malachi 3:10:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

The Old Testament principle was to give God a tithe, the first 10 percent of your income. Since Jesus did not come to abolish the Law, there is actually nothing wrong with giving a tithe. It is a great principle to live by and it is still a great way of acknowledging that everything you have comes from God. That does not answer the question completely.

What you have to consider is your motive for giving. What the Law does not do is expose the attitudes or conditions of your heart. This is the problem the Pharisees had. They knew the Law and even lived up to the requirements of it (sometimes) but they were not aware of the attitudes of their heart.

The same is true of giving. It’s not just about what you give, the spirit or attitude with which you give matters as well. Paul addresses this in the New Testament.

The Other Verse to Consider about Giving

Remember this:

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Paul throws a wrench in this equation because he is not as concerned about the amount you give, but the spirit with which you give it. What he does do, however, is he ties your sowing (giving) and your reaping together.

If you give much, you will reap much. If you give little, you will reap little. This is a carryover from an Old Testament proverb,

The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, And he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown].– Proverbs 11:25 (AMP)

There is a connection between giving and receiving. The measure you give out will be measured back to you. However, Paul adds one thing here that is worth noting. And it is this that will ultimately determine if your tithing is biblical or not. I want you to take this little three-question quiz based on 2 Corinthians 9:7:

1. Are you deciding to do it on your own?

2. Are you being forced or conned into giving?

3. Are you doing it cheerfully or reluctantly?

How did you do? This is not graded pass/fail it is graded by reveal. What did your answers reveal about your giving?

For your giving to be biblical and pleasing to God, it has to come from a willing and cheerful heart. If you are angry, unwilling, reluctant, or don’t see the point...then that is not the attitude God blesses in giving.

If that is the spirit with which you are giving, it’s probably better not to give and keep your money. You have missed the blessing of giving. Your giving should flow out of knowing that God is your source and you are gladly choosing to honor him with your giving. When that is your attitude, that’s when the blessing of sowing and reaping happens.

So What about the Tithe?

Finally, the answer. Here’s what we have uncovered so far: Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. With that being said, tithing is indeed biblical, so go ahead and continue tithing. However, we have also discovered that your attitude in giving is just as important, maybe even more important, than your tithe.

As God has blessed you (and continues to bless you) you will discover that you worry less and less about the 10 percent. Often you will end up giving more because you see the needs, and you are using the resources and blessings God has given you to meet them.

I would even go so far as to say this: If your attitude is “just give 10 percent and your obligation is fulfilled,” then you really don’t understand the spirit of giving. When you really understand giving, you will soon recognize that the tithe is not the end of giving...it is just the beginning.

When you give in this manner, it’s not because you have to or you’re forced to—it’s because you want to. This is the real heart of the matter, and it’s what God was after all along.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Thomas Bullock

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Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, author and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He has spent more than 30 years serving the body of Christ in various capacities and has just released his first book, The Pursuit of Purpose. If you have ever struggled trying to find God’s will, this book will help you discover the different ways God leads you into his perfect will. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. 

LINK: https://www.crosswalk.com/church/giving/is-it-biblical-to-tithe-if-jesus-fulfilled-the-law.html

HERE ARE 3 OF THE MOST POWERFUL ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST TITHING

by Ramon Mayo

Tithing is a controversial topic. It is definitely one of those issues that can ruin a dinner conversation. Some people believe in tithing and hold that it is the key to financial prosperity. Others say that it is only the key to the financial prosperity of the preacher who is promoting it. Are these the only perspectives on tithing?

Both views of tithing are promoted in the church today. One view is held by those are attached to the so-called “prosperity gospel.” Those who claim to see through the greed and corruption of the pastors who preach the prosperity gospel hold another view. These folks have usually abandoned the church and see it as nothing more than a moneymaking machine. What about those of us who have not abandoned the church but at the same time don’t see God as a cosmic Santa Claus or vending machine. What if there was a third way?

1. We are obligated to tithe

The first view that summarizes the prosperity preachers basically says that as believers we are obligated to tithe. The law says to tithe and therefore in order to be blessed by God, we tithe. They espouse that just like ancient Israel, those who are in the church will receive material blessings as we give our material wealth into the hands of the church.

The usual sermon text for this idea is Malachi 3:8-10 where it says:

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Here Malachi references the obligation the Israelites had under the Mosaic law to bring tithes, or a tenth of their produce and livestock, to the temple (Numbers 18:21–32, Deuteronomy 14:22–28).
The assumption that those who promote this view of tithing hold is that the church is the new Israel and that all the promises that were given to Israel still hold true for those of us who are under the new covenant.
And if they are challenged on this, they could also bring up the fact that even Abraham tithed. In Genesis 14:17-21 it says that after Abraham fought a battle to bring back his nephew Lot, he offered a tenth of the spoil to Melchizedek the priest of Salem. If Abraham paid tithes to Melchizidek before the Old Testament law was handed down to Israel then tithing is more than just a requirement of the written law.
They would also point to the fact that even Jesus told people to keep tithing (Matthew 23:23). So if it was good enough for Jesus then it should be good enough for us. I mean, the seal of the Son of God is enough, right?

So you have all of these Scriptures backing up tithing. How can someone say that you don’t have to tithe?

2. We are no longer obligated to tithe

Those who hold to the view that we are not obligated to tithe cite a scriptural concept that’s interwoven through the Bible. There is an old covenant that God made with the people of Israel and a new covenant that God has made with His people now that Jesus has died and been resurrected.

The logic is that since we are no longer under the old covenant God made with Israel, those old covenant stipulations no longer apply to us. They point to the fact that tithing is a part of the ceremonial and civil laws of Israel and those types of laws are no longer binding on believers under the new covenant.

Jesus mentioned tithing directly only once (Matthew 23:23) and in that instance the main point he was making was not to be like the Pharisees. In context, the passage isn’t about giving; it’s about hypocrisy. So Jesus was just talking to people who would have tithed given their cultural context and obligation to the law.

Another negative instance of Jesus mentioning tithing is in the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. Here Jesus makes the point that even though the Pharisee tithed that is not what made him righteous. His heart attitude was more important than the amount of money he gave. While this does not clearly denounce tithing it does show that Jesus cared more about people’s internal attitude than about whether they externally gave ten percent of their income.

Those who hold to the view that we are under grace say that we are just commanded to give and to give cheerfully (1 Corinthians 9:7). There is no obligation for a tenth of our income.

They claim that the people who do advocate for tithing are only trying to line their pockets so they can keep their money making machine, i.e. the church, going.

So which one is it? Are we supposed to tithe? Are we not supposed to tithe? Let’s take a look at a third way of tithing.

Thw word TITHE written in vintage lead letterpress type

3. We are privileged to tithe

Instead of looking at tithing as an obligation we keep or on the other hand as an obligation that no longer applies to us, what if we looked at tithing as a privilege? In fact, what if tithing is just the first step in our journey of giving?

When we look at tithing as an obligation, it may seem like a lot, but in fact when we consider what the greatest commandment is, a tithe is nothing. The law says a tenth. Jesus says our all (Matthew 22:36–37, Deuteronomy 6:5). In Matthew 22:36–37 Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, from a central passage in Jewish theology. In this verse, the Israelites are commanded to love the Lord with all their mind, soul, and strength. The word “strength” is the physical aspect of human functioning and by extension any resources or possessions gained from it. This would include our wealth.

From the point of view of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, being under grace makes tithing a privilege. It is a way of showing our total commitment. In fact it is only the beginning step in excelling in the grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7).

If we are commanded to offer our whole lives as living sacrifices, then that would include our wallets and bank accounts as well.

Tithing was required for those under the law. It was more like a tax. Tithing supported the priestly class and the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). It was mandatory. Now we are to give cheerfully as an acknowledgment of the debt we can never repay. Tithing is just a first step toward excelling in giving.

When it comes to giving to God, a tenth is nothing. Jesus left heaven and glory to give His life for us. He owns everything we have anyway. Tithing is just a sign of that.

The early church father Irenaeus in his book Against Heresies contrasts the system of tithing under the law with the generous disposition required in the New Covenant by saying: “And for this reason they (the Jews) had indeed the tithes of their goods consecrated to Him, but those who have received liberty set aside all their possessions for the Lord’s purposes, bestowing joyfully and freely not the less valuable portions of their property, since they have the hope of better things [hereafter]; as that poor widow acted who cast all her living into the treasury of God.”

I love how Rick Warren and his wife Kay have practiced a reverse tithe. To put it simply, they give away 90% of their income and live off 10%. This may be extreme, but it sure puts the baby step of giving a tenth of your income in perspective. If all we have is His, then a tenth is a good starting point on the road to giving more.

1. 

   Norman Dowe on February 10, 2016 at 4:09 am

   Thank you for this. There are problems with the common approach of equating the church to the temple. Does the Bible actually say or imply that the tithe belongs to your local church? A friend was denied the deaconate when he, a naval officer, joined a church because he wasn’t tithing to the church. As he moved from post to post he had established a pattern of giving over 10% to missions.

   How would pastors minister if people their giving should reflect their relationship with God and was not a legal mandate. Perhaps pastors would focus on discipleship and being catalysts in their members’ faith. Maybe it would redirect some to kingdom building away from pastor empire building.

   Christians are not under the Law. We should give liberally and cheerfully but without obligation. The church we attend should be helping us in our relationship with God with integrity. We should be able to eagerly support its ministry financially without a legal mandate.

   Writing this has surfaced a question in my mind. If a person cannot give to a local church as an act of worship but only if they feel that God makes them, should they be part of that church?
2. 

   Ronald W. Robey on February 15, 2016 at 5:05 am

   We have Scripture that commands tithing to Levites, but not one single Scripture that states one is to tithe to a pastor, elder, or bishop of a New Testament Church.

   We have Scripture that commands tithes of an agricultural content, but not one single Scripture that states one is to tithe his or her money to a New Testament Church.

   When the Berean’s of the first century heard preaching, they did not automatically accept it. Nor did they immediately dismiss it as not being worthy to research. No, the Word of God teaches us that they “searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” As those professing Christ today, we should be willing to do no less.

   The young Timothy was instructed by the Apostle Paul to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” As Christians today, we should endeavor to study the Word in the same manner as instructed by the Apostle Paul.

   That said, I encourage all to grab their Bibles and follow along as I present some Biblical truths concerning the tithes that God commanded, who He commanded them from, and how tithing was to be observed.

   Hebrews 7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

   Here, men that die receive tithes. Who are the men that die that receive tithes? The sons of Levi…

   Hebrews 7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

   But there He receiveth them. Receives what? Tithes. What tithes? The tithes that the sons of Levi receive of their brethren.

   And what tithes do the sons of Levi receive? The tithes according to the Law. What does the Law say concerning the tithes?

   Leviticus 27:30-34 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

   1. They receive the tithes of the seed of the land. This is speaking of garden produce. Food for the sustenance of the workers of the Temple and for their sustenance at home as well.
   2. They receive tithes of the fruit of the tree. This is speaking of that which grows on trees, such as pomegranates, dates and figs. Again, for the sustenance of the workers of the Temple and for their sustenance at home.
   3. They receive tithes of the livestock in Israel. Animals born in the flocks and herds, were to be tithed from. Every tenth animal to pass under the counting rod.
   4. They were to receive tithes of the children of Israel. God gave no command in His Word for peoples of Gentile nations to travel to Israel to tithe. Nor was there a command for peoples of Gentile nations to tithe once God gave the tithe to the Levites.

   Numbers 18:24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

   Numbers 18:26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.

   Numbers 18:28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD’S heave offering to Aaron the priest.

   The tithes “according to the Law” were agricultural.” There is no other type of tithe commanded in the Word of God.

   Every single command concerning tithes in the Bible reveals that the tithes were for those living in the land of Israel.The tithes “He receiveth” are the tithes “according to the Law”…agricultural tithes. He is not the one commanding or demanding the monetary tithe that men preach today. And yet, preachers will stand behind the sacred desk and tell their congregations that God requires tithes of them… monetary tithes. If God requires monetary tithes, such a command should be in His Holy Word. And yet, there is no such command therein.

   Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

   Is tithing an eternal moral principle as some people claim? If so, then what is that principle? Under the dispensation of the Law, God stated that His tithe was of crops and livestock only. This means that not everyone was able to tithe. A tentmaker, who raised no cattle, nor cultivated a garden, would not have been required to tithe. One cannot tithe agricultural products if one does not have agricultural products to tithe. Nor could a fisherman tithe. His trade was not a land trade. Brickmasons, artificers of brass, tax collectors, etc., none were required to tithe.

   The poor were exempt from tithing. Instead, according to Deuteronomy 14:28-29, they were fed by the tithe. Deuteronomy 14:22-29 reveal to the reader that the tither was supposed to eat his tithe with his family, his servants, and the Levites, widows, fatherless and strangers in Jerusalem. Eat, not spend. This is a truth that few preachers will have their congregations turn to, because it reveals that the tither was to partake of his tithe too. Do these preachers give back to their congregations the “tithe” that they receive? It is highly doubtful.

   So ask yourself, where is the principle when not all were required to tithe? Where is the principle when there are only four passages in the New Testament concerning tithing (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; Luke 18:9-12; and Hebrews 7) and all those passages are referring to the tithe under the Law (an agricultural tithe) and a tithe before the Law that was voluntary? (tithes of the spoils of war; tithes of property that Abram would not even call his own)

   One would think, that the Apostle Paul would have mentioned tithing in at least his pastoral epistles. And yet, he was completely silent on the matter when it came to instructing Titus and Timothy in matters of the Church and how it was to operate.
   • 

     ramon on February 15, 2016 at 4:59 pm

     Hey Ronald,

     Thanks for your input.

     I would say that since we do not have an agricultural system our giving should come from our harvest i.e. money earned from labor in an industrial/knowledge economy. Also Paul was not completely silent about giving. Maybe not a tithe but the point of the article still stands: our giving should be our whole lives and we should be out giving folks from the old testament with giving from our heart.
     • 

       Ronald W. Robey on February 16, 2016 at 4:59 am

       Our giving should be from the heart,… I agree.

       The Apostle Paul had a lot to say about giving.

       For example:

       It is not to be a dictated percentage, rather, we are to choose what we want to give ourselves. 2 Corinthians 9
       Our giving should not be such that we leave ourselves burdened. 2 Corinthians 8
3. 

   F. Glen Skidmore on February 18, 2016 at 10:00 pm

   As recorded in Scripture, the tithe was always a food offering “so that there may be food (not silver or gold) in my house.” The money that churches collect now really is called a tax in the Bible, like the “census tax” from Moses in Exodus 30:11-16. But, the biggest argument against tithing is Acts 15:28,29, where the requirements of the Holy Spirit from the Law are listed without including tithing or circumcision. Tithing is a “greater burden” that the Holy Spirit omitted from Christianity. No one who promotes tithing is focused on God answering prayers by grace. In fact, read Gal 3:10-14. Those who tithe without keeping the rest of the Law are actually under a curse, whether or not you believe Gal 3:10.
   • 

     Ramon on February 19, 2016 at 9:39 am

     I agree that the tithe is similar to a tax. I also would say that a tax is something for people who have to be forced to give. Under the New Covenant we freely give and not under compulsion. So our giving should outdo the giving in the Old Covenant. So for those who say we are not supposed to tithe or give a tenth I would challenge you to give even more than the tithe. The Israelites gave because of their obedience to the law. We ought to give because of our gratefulness for Jesus’ sacrifice and that should be more than 10% in my opinion. See the article above.
   • 

     Ronald W. Robey on February 19, 2016 at 1:55 pm

     An argument I would present is, that neither tithes, nor taxation should be imposed upon the Body by the religious organization dba a Church.

     I believe tithes and taxation would cause ones giving to be contrary to the giving sanctioned by the Apostle Paul when he said that giving was not to be under compulsion, (2 Corinthians 9:7) and that it should not be such that others are eased and the giver himself/herself burdened. (2 Corinthians 8:13)

     Generous and cheerful giving should be the hearts of God’s children. However, it is wrong for anyone to guilt another into giving by claiming rhat they should be giving “more than the Israelites.”
4. 

   Ramon on February 19, 2016 at 2:17 pm

   Ronald,

   I don’t believe that saying New Testament believers should be giving more than the Israelites is guilting others. It’s just saying that as a person who has experienced grace I would expect someone to want to give more than just ten percent. I’m not advocating for imposing this as a law. I’m saying suggesting this as a place to start. I

   Check out what the early church father Irenaeus had to say about it: “And for this reason they (the Jews) had indeed the tithes of their goods consecrated to Him, but those who have received liberty set aside all their possessions for the Lord’s purposes, bestowing joyfully and freely not the less valuable portions of their property, since they have the hope of better things [hereafter]; as that poor widow acted who cast all her living into the treasury of God.”

   All I’m saying is that under the new covenant ten percent is nothing when we have laid aside all our possessions for God and those who have tasted grace will be eager to give.
5. LINK:  https://urbanfaith.com/2016/01/3-powerful-arguments-tithing.html/

The Bible Might Not Require Christians to Tithe...

Christians: how do you decide what to give to your church, the work of the gospel, and those in need? Below are links to two articles with opposing viewpoints on the topic of tithing.

This article by William Barclay says Christians must tithe.

This article by Thomas Schreiner says Christians are not required to tithe. 

Are you led by the Bible and the Spirit in your choices, or by your own needs/fears/legalisms/greed? Let the gospel be your rule: Because Jesus Christ gloriously sacrificed all for us, we are free to live and give sacrificially to the church and to others, that he may be glorified all the more. Whether Barclay or Schreiner is right, it's worth considering passages like Acts 2, 4; Romans 12; 2 Corinthians 8-9; and 1 Timothy 5-6. These show how early believers applied both the OT guidelines and the fulfillment of Jesus to the matter of financial generosity and contribution to the church.

And if this article somehow reminded you - led by the Spirit - to give to the work of the Gospel at Littleton Christian Church, you can do it here. 

LINK: https://www.littletonchristian.com/blog/2017/3/28/the-bible-might-not-require-christians-to-tithe

TO TITHE OR NOT TO TITHE: FIRST THINGS FIRST

CHUKWUNULOKWU FYNE NSOFOR·FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017·READING TIME: 9 MINUTES

A creedal can of worms has been blown open in the Nigerian church over the question of tithing in the church. At issue, it seems, are whether there is scriptural requirement for Christians to pay a tenth of their income to the church or pastor; and, the legitimate use of tithes when and where it is collected. Not being physically on ground, I have only followed the controversy mostly on media platforms from afar. Regrettably, the responses I have read and watched from my colleagues in ministry have been anything but encouraging. What should provide the church a mighty fine opportunity for clear articulation and informed guidance about what we believe has largely been met with mere pontifications and restatement of positions, or with name calling, demonization of opposing viewpoints and claims of satanic attach on the church. It seems as if we are all over back to John Mbiti’s African church of the 60s, “trying to exist without a theology.”

No, a thousand times, no! It is not the devil fighting the church or trying to destroy God’s work because someone is calling on the church back to scriptural authority. Truth does not cease to be truth because it is told by an opponent. Neither you nor I have a monopoly of truth or the Holy Spirit. And, it is nauseating arrogance that causes us to insist on the rightness of our positions and refuse to submit our conclusions to the scrutiny of even opposing viewpoints. Doctrine is community owned, and requires the collective involvement of the community in hammering out what we shall believe. It is not enough to substantiate a doctrine on the bases of anyone’s experience or say-so, no matter how lowly or highly placed. And, it is serious dereliction to ask believers to simply follow what “the Spirit of God” is telling them. We have a duty to do the painstaking work of serious study of scriptures and engagement with a broad base of fellow believers in clearly articulating for the believers the contours of our faith and the tools for lifelong independent students of the faith.

For the Christian, the Bible is (or should be) the word of God and final authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. But how do we ensure that what we believe and teach are indeed what the Bible teaches? Do you pay tithe? Why? What if another “true” Christian does not? Do you as apostle, bishop, daddy, GO, mummy, pastor, prophet, reverend, teach tithing? What if another bishop, or daddy, or GO, or mummy, or pastor, or prophet, or reverend, disagrees? How do we resolve it? Or do you believe that the God of the church has left every man to himself? What then shall we believe and practice? The task is demanding, it is messy and will most likely upset some of our carefully constructed doctrinal apple cart. But we must never stifle or shut down the conversation. We must engage it, with openness and with charity towards all. I will engage more fully with the particular subject of tithing, but I there is some clearing of grounds that we must do.

First things first, we must begin by establishing simple ground rules to guide our task of determining what Christians should believe and practice—on this or any other subject for that matter. The best we can, we should earnestly apply two sets of four key questions, in order:

a) Is there a biblical command? Our covenantal relationship with God is based on these two principles: from God, self-donating love; and from us, loving-obedience. Biblical commands indicate the particulars of God’s holy-love and provide us tangible ways of affirming our loving-obedience. We do due diligence to determine biblical commands (see, a) below) and respond in loving-obedience. The Old Testament speaks expressly on tithing. More on that below, and later.

b) What did Jesus and/or the early apostles teach/practice? Our Lord Jesus’ direct commands fall in the above category. Further, Jesus elaborated and exemplified what God has always wanted his people to know and do. Where there is no specific command, we look to Jesus’ and his early disciples’ teachings and examples. It is very important and helpful to note that as fully man and together with his early disciples, Jesus was Jewish and lived and functioned with a Jewish cultural-religious context. Against that backdrop, it is easy to see why Jesus could not have received tithes.

c) What has been the practice of the church historically? We tend to see the church from the nearsighted view of our particular denominations and/or traditions, reformations, rediscoveries, etc. The fact remains, however, that the church is way bigger, has lasted way longer, and with multiplied millions of faithful believers across multiplied cultures across the centuries. We look back through the years and across denominations/traditions to see how God’s people have interpreted and applied the faith.

d) What is informed by sanctified common sense? God endowed us with the faculty of mind. True worship involves the full engagement of our mental capacities and reason in discovering, organizing, practicing and teaching truth. Anything less subverts true worship. In doing a, b, c, above and in those circumstances where those tools could not provide the answers, we draw from our sanctified common sense. Please stop saying it, and please let no one continue to deceive you with the nonsensical dichotomizing between the so-called “head” and “spirit” knowledge.

You really want to obey God if you could determine the clear teaching of the Scriptures on a given subject—in this case, tithing. You have seen, for instance, Gen. 14:20, 28:22; Lev. 27:30-34; Num. 18:21ff. Deut. 14:22ff. Neh. 10:38; Mal. 3:8-12; Mat. 23:23. These texts—not exhaustive—contain commands examples and guidelines relating to the subject of tithes. How should you go about working these texts (and other related ones) towards understanding what Christians should believe and practice about tithes? The following four questions will help us begin to come to clearer understanding of what (especially and Old Testament) text is teaching. But bear these two critically important points in mind, without which you are guaranteed to more likely misinterpret and misapply the bible than not. First, God did not reveal the Bible in chapters and verses. We put them there to aid reading and memorization. Failing to read and understand the Bible (and each of the books) as a continuous story has made us much more biblically illiterate than we readily appreciate, breeding more misinterpretations and false teaching. Second, you not being the original audience, the Bible was not addressed directly to you. Don’t read the “you” “I” “me” “we” “us” in the Bible as if they relate directly to you. They don’t! Imagine for a moment that you picked up a second page of a two-page document which reads: “Needless to say that we have watched and followed your work over these past years and we are very impressed with what we have seen. It will be our honor for you to join forces with us. Come to my office, first thing on Nov. 30 and pick up our N12ml. donation for your work. Signed: Aliko Dangote.” You wouldn’t be packing up and heading out to Ikoyi next Thursday, I hope. You would want to ask a few questions and know a few things before you dash out to claim your blessing, right? You should never, therefore, approach the Bible firstly with the posture of “what it is saying to me.” With those two points firmly in mind, let’s go interrogate a text or passage of scripture.

a) What did the original actor/s understand? Take Gen. 14, for instance. You want to consider the original actors including Abraham, Melchizedek, servants and soldiers in context. Who were they, were they religious/ministerial persons or ordinary individuals/heads of communities interacting with one another? What did they understand themselves to be doing—some form of religious activity, military/war--related customs or social interactions between heads of communities? Doing a one off social act or establishing a religious pattern for all time? As much as we can discern what the original actors understood by their actions to that extent we are coming closer to understanding the text.

b) What did the original author intend and what did the original audience understand? A biblical text has two authors—divine and human. A writer choses to include a particular story in order to teach something or make a point, cf. Jn. 20:31. Moses wrote to wandering Israelites and Malachi addressed post-exilic priests. Understanding the author’s audience and intention are crucial in understanding the text. Where was Malachi and what were the circumstances of God’s people when he wrote? How did the long history of Sinai, monarchy, first temple Judaism, destruction of Jerusalem, exile and second temple Judaism relate to the issues he was addressing? Why did the Holy Spirit include this story? What was the point of Malachi as a book (remember, a Bible book has a main point/thesis)? What did his audience—the original people to whom his prophecy was addressed) understand his message to be?

c) How shall we understood this text in the context of the Old Testament? The Bible is comprised of many self-contained books, written by many human authors of diverse backgrounds over a very long period of time. But all these many human authors wrote as they were specially carried along by the Spirit of God. As a result the Bible is indeed telling one big story: God and man in redemptive relationship. The Old Testament shows us images of God as the Sovereign Creator—bringing into existence things that were not; the Righteous Governor—establishing order, rule in accord with that which is right and what it means to live in relationship with God; and Loving Father—giving and sustaining life and caring especially for those in the margins. Each text and each book contributes something and fit altogether into the shadowy tapestry of things yet to come.

d) How shall we understand the text in the context of the New Testament? With the Incarnation of God the Son, a fundament shift occurred in man’s relationship with God. The testimony of the New Testament is that the covenant of God’s lovingkindness and human loving-obedience finds complete fulfillment in the Person of Jesus Christ. We are confronted with what John Piper refers to as “the stunning indifference to the outward forms and places of worship.” Worship does not have to have building, a priesthood, and a sacrificial system. It has to have the risen Jesus. Yet, one perennial problem that has continued to bedevil the church from its humble Jewish beginnings has been the pull to fit the new wine of Christ into the old wineskin of Moses. No wonder in vain do we search for specific commands or practice relating to tithing or even sanctuary giving per se in the New Testament. From before the beginning and after the end, God’s covenantal relationship with us requires one and only one response: not obedience qua obedience, but loving-obedience—a response that flows completely voluntarily from a heart filled with and propelled by love of God. You probably notice how pernicious a word I used above about “paying” tithe.

To be continued.

© +Chukwunulokwu Fyne Nsofor, PhD.

November, 2017, Riverside, CA.

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