IS TITHING A BIBLICAL MANDATE TODAY? IS TITHING A SIN?
Prolegomenon
The tithe in Scripture means 10
percent, literally "the tenth part," from the Hebrew word maaser.
Tithes need to be explored more in
detail in the light of Biblical ethos. I’ve already written an article on
Tithes, which was published by ICI Central Kristien Ṭhalai Pawl (Central Youth) for Youth Common
Subject 2021; Lesson 11- ‘Ṭhalaihai
leh Sâwma Pakhat (Youth and the Tithes)’.
1. What is Deepfake?
Deepfakes are images, videos, or
audio that have been edited or generated using artificial intelligence,
AI-based tools or audio-video editing software. The process of producing
complex deepfakes involves two algorithms. One algorithm is trained to
produce the best fake replicas possible of real images. The other model is
trained to detect when an image is fake and when it's not. The two models
iterate back and forth, each getting better at their respective task.[1]
1.1.
Uses of Deepfakes
The main purpose of a deepfake is
to influence people into believing something happened that didn’t. Anyone with
the capability to create deepfakes can release misinformation
and influence us to behave in a way that will advance their agenda in some way.
Deepfake-based misinformation could wreak havoc on both a small and large
scale. [2]
2. Did Billy Graham
say Tithing is a sin?
No, Billy Graham did
not say tithing is a sin. In fact, he was a strong advocate for tithing and
believed it was a Christian duty and a privilege. Graham consistently taught
that giving a tenth of your income to God's work is a biblical principle that
brings God's blessing. Key points of his teachings on this topic from billygraham.org
(Billy Graham Evangelistic Association):
Tithing is a commendable goal and
is a worthy standard for our giving–and no, it isn’t just for rich people. On
one occasion, Jesus commended a poor widow because “she, out of her poverty,
put in everything–all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44). She did it out of her
love for God.
In the Old Testament, tithing was
an important part of the worship of God’s people, and God promised to bless
them if they obeyed His command to tithe. The Bible says, “Bring the whole
tithe into the storehouse … and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of
heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it”
(Malachi 3:10). Think how much greater our impact
on the world would be if every Christian followed this injunction.
Someone has said that our giving is
the true measure of our commitment to Christ—and it’s true. Which should be
more important: your wallet, or God’s work? But which actually is more
important to you and your husband? Put Christ first in your life, and then ask
Him to help you use the resources He has given you for His service.
The Bible says, “Each man should
give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The more we
love Christ, the more we will want to advance His work by our giving.[3]
Nowhere in this writing, Billy
Graham is against tithing nor he never affirmed that Tithing is a Sin.
3. The Place
of the Issue of Tithing in Theology
The debate over tithing properly
lies (at least in part) under the issue of the relationship between the Mosaic
law and Christians. [See W. G.
Strickland, ed., Five Views on Law and Gospel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1996); and T. R. Schreiner, 40 Questions about Christians and Biblical Law (Grand
Rapids: Kregel, 2010].
Which Mosaic laws apply directly to
Christians? This is one of the most difficult problem we Christian faced today.
We need to delve deeper and break it down into smaller pieces.
3.1.
The Mosaic Law and Christians
Some laws cited by New Testament
authors apply to Christians. For example, “Love your neighbor as yourself”
(Lev 19:18) is quoted in the New Testament in several texts (Mt 19:19; Mk
12:31; Lk 10:27; Gal 5:14; Jam 2:8). But the New Testament has no comments on
verses like, “You must not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk” (Deut
14:21). Nor do we see an explicit teaching in the New Testament on whether
Christians are allowed to wear clothes with two different types of material
(Lev 19:19), in a verse that comes right on the heels of the command to love
your neighbor.
We believes that the Bible was
inspired by God and is authoritative for every believer. Paul said, “All
Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for
correcting, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). Therefore, we all
hold to a conservative and orthodox view of Scripture, though we interpret and
apply many texts differently. For those of us who hold to the authority of the
Bible, Scripture itself needs to be the final arbiter. Many of us have an
irritating question always. Will your church go bankrupt if the members are
not told to tithe? This is a good question to ponder. But the fact of the
matter is, it's not about bankruptcy; it's about putting God first (our
priority from our earnings).
3.2. Different
Views on Tithing
The complexities over the continuity
or discontinuity of tithing are numerous. Some say that the tithe was only
for Israel (Old Covenant View) and has no application or Christians (New Covenant).
Others say that Christians must pay God His tithe. However, there are several
mediating views and other aspects that need to be addressed.
Some from a Reformed perspective,
who typically divide the Mosaic law into three parts (civil, moral, and ceremonial/sacrificial),
consider tithing as part of the moral law; thus, they might begin their
discussion on the amount of giving by stating that Christians should
begin with the tithe.
Many from the Dispensational
perspective view the Mosaic law as a unity and therefore consider all of it
as having been fulfilled and none of it directly applying today. They typically
don’t include the tithe when considering how much a Christian should give. Not
all Dispensationalist hold on this view.
Those who consider themselves theonomists
(dominion theology) view the civil and moral laws as binding and thus the tithe
is binding as well. However, they are sharply divided over the issue of where
the tithe must be given—to the church only or to Christian organizations?
Many others do not approach tithing through theological systems, but they try
to allow Scripture to lead them to their conclusions regardless of their
theological systems.
4. Tithing in
the Bible
For a complete understanding of the
Biblical mandate on Tithing, read the book ‘Perspectives on Tithing: 4 Views’ edited by David A. Croteau (Nashville: B&H
Publishing Group, 2011).
What is the biblical definition of
a “tithe”? The Hebrew word for “tithe” is maaser , which means “a tenth
part.” Many Christians claim that the tithe always refers to giving back to the
Lord 10 percent of all income (or increase). Tithe point to Abram as a Pre-Mosaic law when
Abraham gave Melchizedek, king of Salem him a tenth of everything” (Gen
14:18–20).
Another passage in Genesis appears
to define the tithe as 10 percent prior to the
Mosaic law. Jacob was on his way
to Haran when he stopped to rest (Gen 28:12–22).
4.1.
Tithing in the Mosaic Law
The first reference to tithing in
the Mosaic law is Lev 27:30–33. In Numbers 18:20–24, it describes the Levitical
tithe, and provides more clarity on the subject. Also, the priestly tithe, is
described in Num 18:25–29. Further, we have a Festival tithe in Deut 14:22–27. The
Charity tithe is found in Deut 14:28–29; 26:10–16.
4.2. Tithing in
the Rest of the Old Testament
Several passages outside the
Pentateuch also mentioned the tithe. The first is 2 Chron 31:5–6. The next
passage that mentions the tithe is Neh 10:37–38. Nehemiah explained that the
Israelites were giving 10 percent of the produce of the land to the Levites. Nehemiah
said that the tithes are to be placed in the “storerooms of the treasury.”
Probably the most famous passage on
tithing is Mal 3:8–12. The prophet Malachi received an oracle (1:1) from God.
God told the Israelites that they were robbing Him by not paying their tithes:
“Will a man
rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!”
You ask:
“How do we rob You?”
God told the Israelites that by not
giving their tithes and offerings they were robbing Him. Then God commanded
them to bring the full tithe into the storehouse. This
is the main text that supports the doctrine of “storehouse tithing.” This
doctrine teaches that Christians must give at least 10 percent of their income
to the local church. If they decide to give it anywhere else, they are robbing
God of His tithes, according to Malachi 3.
What was the storehouse? Some
scholars believe that the storehouse was the temple. The sentence says to bring
the tithe into the storehouse “so that there may be food in My house” (v. 10).
The reference to the Lord’s “house” would be the temple. So by bringing the
tithe to the storehouse, the temple is provided with food. The local church
today would be the equivalent of the temple.
A final passage makes a curious
reference to tithes. Amos 4:4 says, “Come to Bethel and rebel; rebel even
more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tenths every three
days.”
These are all the Old Testament
passages that directly discuss the tithe. Before the Mosaic law, Abram gave 10
percent of the spoils of war to Melchizedek, and Jacob promised to give 10
percent of his increase if he was safely returned to the land of his father
Isaac. Several tithes occur in the Mosaic law: the cattle tithe, the Levitical
tithe, the priestly tithe, the festival tithe, and the charity tithe. In 2
Chron 31:5–11 the Israelites are told to bring tithes to the temple and the
chambers that were prepared in the temple treasury (storehouse) to hold the
leftovers. Nehemiah 10:35–39; 13:9–13 detail Nehemiah’s reinstitution of the
tithe. Malachi 3 contains an oracle against the Israelites for robbing God of
His tithes.
4.3. Tithing in
the New Testament
The Greek word for “tithe” is ( δεκάτη)
and means “to pay a tenth.” Four passages in the New Testament directly mention
tithing.
The first is Matt 23:23: “Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and
cumin, yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice,
mercy, and faith. These things should have been
done without neglecting the others.” The
parallel is in Luke 11:42.
The third passage that directly
mentions tithing occurs in one of Jesus’ parables: “I fast
twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get” (Luke 18:12).
The statement is made by a Pharisee as he contrasted himself with a tax
collector. There is nothing in this text that would argue for the cessation of
tithing, but there also is not much to argue that it should continue.
The final passage that directly
mentions tithing is Heb 7:1–10. For many
scholar, this is the ultimate New Testament passage for the proof that Christians
are required to tithe since it connects a pre-Mosaic law event, Abram’s tithing
to Melchizedek, with Christians in the new covenant.
For this Melchizedek— King of
Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham and blessed him as he
returned from defeating the kings, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything;
first, his name means ‘king of righteousness,’ then also, king
of Salem, meaning ‘king of peace;’ without
father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life,
but resembling the Son of God— remains a priest forever.
Every text that explicitly mentions
tithing has now been examined. Texts that may allude to tithing, without
directly referencing it, could also be important in this debate. For example, 1
Cor. 9 or Chap. 16 could be discussing the concept of tithing, even though Paul
did not mention the word directly. Regardless, this debate needs to center on
Scripture; the Word of God is our center, our standard, and the final arbiter
of all truth.
Therefore, we should all allow the
text of Scripture to determine our conclusion on tithing, not history, not
tradition, and not pragmatics.
5. What Bible
Scholars Say About Tithe
5.1.
Iain Duguid
Old Testament scholar argues that
Christians should tithe as an expression of their covenant relationship with
God. In his booklet ‘Should Christians Tithe?,’ he notes that the
biblical tithe was designed for three distinct purposes: supporting full-time
ministry, providing for the poor, and funding communal celebrations. The New
Testament teaches us that Christian giving should be proportional, as indeed
Tithe was (1 Cor.16:2) but also willing and generous (2 Cor.9:7). Even hyper-generous
(2 Cor.8:2). So there is no reason for us to stop giving tithe, if we grasp the
beauty and power of the Gospel. Because financial resources generously spread
glad tidings everywhere.[4]
5.2. John Piper
American Reformed theologian and
retired pastor. Specializing in New Testament studies, who is the chancellor of
Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota argues that “But the
other thing to notice is that tithing is not unimportant; it is to be done:
"These [i.e., justice and love of God] you ought to have done, without
neglecting the others." In other words don't neglect tithing all your
income, even the spices and herbs. But let it all be in the context of justice
for people and love for God. Let your concern for people and your passion for
the glory of God set the tone of your whole life. Then in that tone of life,
your tithing will bring blessing and not a condemnation” [5]
5.3. Randy
Alcorn
Evangelical bestselling Christian author,
pastor, and the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries, says, ‘I detest
legalism and I don’t want to try to pour new wine into old wineskins, imposing
superseded First Covenant restrictions on Christian. Every New Testament
example of giving goes far beyond Tithes. Jesus raised the spiritual bar, He
never lowered it (Mt. 5:27-28). Jesus validated the mandatory tithe, even on
small things (Mt.23:23)[6].
The tithe is God’s historical method to get us on the path of giving. In that
sense, it can serve as a gateway to the joy of grace giving. It’s unhealthy to
view tithing as a place to stop (Old Covenant fulfilled view), but it can still
be a good place to start. Tithing isn’t the ceiling of giving; it’s the floor.
It’s not the finish line of giving; it’s just the starting block. Tithes can be
the training wheels to launch into the mind-set, skills, and habits of grace
giving. To give less than He expects of us is to rob him. God doesn’t expect us
all to give the same amount. . We’re to give in proportion to how He’s blessed
us (Deut.16:16;16-17)[7]
5.4. Gary North
Gary North an American writer,
Austrian School economic historian, and leading figure in the Christian
reconstructionist movement and Reformed Protestant theology states that, ‘It
is common to hear Christians dismiss as “Mosaic” the requirement that they
tithe a tenth of their income to God.’ They claim that as Christians, they
are not under the Mosaic law, and so they are not under the Mosaic obligation
to pay tithes. But the New Testament does not ground the tithe on the
Mosaic law. On the contrary, Hebrews 7 establishes the authority of
Jesus Christ’s high priestly office in terms of Melchizedek’s collection of the
tithe horn Abraham. The superiority of the New Covenant to the Old Covenant is
seen in Abraham’s payment of his tithe to Melchizedek - a representative
judicial act of submission in the name of Israel and his son Levi. Any attempt
to escape the obligation of the tithe is an assault on the New Covenant’s High
Priest, Jesus Christ.[8]
Gary further articulated, ‘Tithing
is unbreakable connected to the institutional church because the sacraments are
unbreakable connected to the institutional church. Any attack on the
God-delegated authority of the institutional church to collect the tithe is an
attack on the God-delegated monopoly source of the sacraments in history.
Taking the sacraments in a local church without paying a tithe to that church
is a form of theft.’
5.5. George A.E.
Salstrand
American theologian, author, and
professor of New Testament Interpretation and Evangelism argues in his classic
book ‘The
Tithe The Minimum Standard for Christian Giving,’ that ‘tithing is a timeless,
pre-Mosaic principle that serves as the baseline for financial stewardship. He
presents a detailed biblical defense, asserting that giving one-tenth of one's
income is the baseline for honoring God. [9]
5.6. A. T.
Robertson
Archibald Thomas (A.T.) Robertson
(1863–1934) an evangelical and a devout Southern Baptist preacher, a prominent
conservative theologian, and one of the most celebrated New Testament Greek
scholars in Christian history, argues that, ‘Jesus does not condemn tithing.
What he does condemn is doing it to the neglect of the weightier matters (τα
βαρυτερα). The Pharisees were externalists. We should tithed and should not
neglect other things like externalists (hypocrites).’[10]
5.7. Craig L.
Bloomberg
Dr. Craig L. Blomberg a prominent
evangelical New Testament scholar and author says, ‘I am not opposed to anyone
who voluntarily chooses to tithe, including those who give it all to their
local church. Because the overall levels of Christian giving are so low, a tithe
well surpasses the percentage of giving of most of the church finance resources.
Jesus laments the practice of tithing by proclaiming ‘You should have practiced
the latter, without neglecting the former’ (Mt.23:23; Lk.11:42).[11]
5.8. David
Jeremiah
American evangelical Christian
author, founder of Turning Point, also a prolific, award-winning Christian
author who has received multiple honors from Evangelical Christian Publishers
Association (ECPA), says, ‘What we do with our money indicates whether we honor
God above all else in life. The tithe was established as a way to keep God
first in the hearts and minds of His people. [12]
To Tithe is to Trust God.’ [13]
5.9. Elmer Towns
A Christian academic, pastor and
writer who co-founded Liberty University in his book ‘Tithing is
Christian’ says, ‘The early church gave more than the tithe. When
Christians no longer gave to the temple, they brought their money to the
church. Twice the Scripture records they gave all their possessions (Acts 2:44,
4:34), this included more than the obligation of the tithes (10%) in the Old
Testament. Most who argue against tithing want to do less, whereas the early
church did more.’[14]
6. Today’s
Attitude on Tithe
Because most of all the Charismatic
or Prosperity Gospel (health-prosperity-wealth movement) preachers are
advocating Tithing. Many argues that Tithes and Prosperity Gospel are in same
tune. In the prosperity gospel, tithing is often reframed as a "seed of
faith" or ‘an investment’. Proponents teach that paying the
first 10% of your income obligates God to financially and physically bless the
giver, functioning as a spiritual cause-and-effect mechanism for wealth and
health. This is one of the main reason for many scholar and theologian to
counter them back with biblical teaching of giving. They (Prosperity Preacher)
distorted the gospel and claimed a "shameless fraud."
But, it is significant, lay aside the prosperity gospel and all the health-wealth strategy. Putting God
first with our income or earning is what Worshipping God "in spirit and
truth" is all about.
In Today’s context, many believers
often says
‘Mosaic Law’ has been fulfilled by
Jesus Christ.
Tithe is under the Old Covenant, in
the New Covenant we must give freely, generously and willingly.
We are not obligated to the Old
Covenant Law.
The New Testament nowhere
designates a percentage of income a person should give.
Christians are not obligated to
give a 10-percent tithe.
However, all Christians believes
that the entire Bible is God’s inerrant Word and that it is divided into two
parts, the Old and New Testaments. The continuity vs discontinuity debate has
to do with how the two parts of the Bible relate and the application that has
for Christians today. The best answer seems to be that there are some areas of
both continuity and discontinuity, and that neither sharp discontinuity nor
uniform continuity is warranted. Jesus said He did
not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). In other
words, He was not preaching something brand new (discontinuity) but the
culmination of what had been there all along (continuity). But Jesus’
fulfillment of the Law had in it the seeds of discontinuity, because, after the
Law had been fulfilled, it was no longer needed (Galatians 3:24–25). God never
changes, but the way that He deals with people can change. What about tithe is it still relevant today? The
deeper question, is this: What has priority in our
lives? Is Christ really first—or do we put ourselves and our own desires
first? Make sure Christ is first in your life, and then ask Him to guide you.
Tithing is never condemn by Jesus. The foundation of Biblical mandate of Tithing
in the Old Testament lies on ‘Putting God First.’
Conclusion
When the church teaches that God
has no legal claims on modern man’s institutions – it’s pluralism - it places
itself under another god with another law. God is presented as if He had no
legal claims on modern man. “God loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your
life.” The doctrine of a claimless God has financial consequences for the
churches, just as it does for the people in them who refuse to pay wallets with
holes.
Covenant-breaking man affirms his self-professed autonomy by controlling his wallet.
His control over the allocation of his money is the number-one manifestation of
his faith. Covenant-breaking man’s number-one priority is to affirm his own
autonomy without coming under God’s judgment in both history and eternity. He
believes that he has the right to decide what to do with his money. God tells
him he is wrong about this. God has first claim through His institutional
church.
Men in their rebellion do not
accept this teaching. They would prefer to keep 100 percent of a shrinking
economic base.
Christians are still so impressed
with covenant-breaking philosophies of human autonomy that they have not obeyed
God in this area. They cling to their wallets as tightly as the Israelites of
Haggai’s day clung to theirs.
But they have nevertheless felt
guilty about this. They have therefore sought to justify themselves
theologically. In doing so, they have abandoned the tool of dominion: God’s
law.’
Meredith G. Kline, Old Testament
Scholar proposed ‘A Theory of Cause and Effect in the New Covenant Era’.
He states that,
‘And meanwhile it [the common grace
order] must run its course within the uncertainties of the mutually
conditioning pinnacles of common grace and common curse, prosperity and
adversity being experienced in a manner largely unpredictable because of the inscrutable sovereignty of the divine will that
dispenses them in mysterious ways.’[15]
He has substituted a theory of
God’s common-grace inscrutability (the quality of not showing
emotions or thoughts )to mankind in New Covenant history. Social
cause and effect become mysterious from the point of view of biblical
revelation. Self consciously, they have abandoned the Mosaic Covenant’s doctrine
of covenantal.
Another way to deny the moral
necessity of tithing is to declare, with fundamentalism, “We’re under
grace, not law!” The result of such a universal affirmation is the
self-conscious surrender of history to covenant-breakers.
A third way is to affirm that God’s
Holy Spirit will inform each Christian how much to give.
But all these pointed to give tenth
of our income for God instituted Church.
The leadership of Christians in
society depends on their covenantal faithfulness. Each individual
Christians within the institutional church also depends on our covenantal
faithfulness. If God still brings judgment accordingly then in order for men to
prosperous they must obey God’s Bible-revealed laws. As you sow so shall you
reap. (this is not in conjunction with the prosperity gospel)
Those who tithed proportionately,
saw their hearts move deeper into God’s Kingdom and they are more satisfied
than those who never tithed. It was tithing that set the waves to swing and we must catch the waves with the right
attitude. Tithe may not be mandatory in New Covenant as claimed by many, but
the Old Covenant continues in our lives for our moral growth towards God.
Tithes pave the road for giving more for God’s Kingdom and for the His Glorification.
It is strongly mandated in the Old Covenant and never abolish the mandate even by Jesus and by the Apostles. In God’s instituted Church Tithes should be the baseline for our giving. Tithe is never a Sin. It becomes a sin if you think your tithe earns you entry into the Kingdom of God. Tithing is not a ticket for Heaven.
[1] https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/older-adults/golden-gazette/2024-03-artificial-intelligence-and-deepfake-videos-what-you-need-to-know#:~:text=The%20process%20of%20producing%20complex,better%20at%20their%20respective%20task.
[2] https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/older-adults/golden-gazette/2024-03-artificial-intelligence-and-deepfake-videos-what-you-need-to-know#:~:text=The%20process%20of%20producing%20complex,better%20at%20their%20respective%20task.
[3] https://billygraham.org/answers/my-husband-says-that-tithing-i-e-giving-one-tenth-of-their-income-to-the-church-is-just-something-rich-people-do-is-he-right
[4] Iain Duguid, Should Christian Tithe? Excelling in
the Grace of Giving (Glenside: St. Colme’s Press, 2018) kindle 215 of 286.
[5] https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/these-you-ought-to-have-done-without-neglecting-the-others
[6] Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle (Colorado
Springs: Multinomah Books, 2001) kindle 694 of 1407.
[7] Alcorn, The Treasure Principle…740 of 1407.
[8] Gary North, Tithing And The Church, (Texas, Institute
for Christian Economics), 1994, 2.
[9] George A.E. Salstrand, The Tithe The Minimum
Standard for Christian Giving (Michigan: BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1954),
[10] A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New
Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 136.
[11] Craig L. Blomberg, Christians in an Age of
Wealth: A Biblical Theology of Stewardship (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan,
, 2013), kindle 3494 of 7910.
[12] David Jeremiah, ‘How does understanding tithing as
God's plan change your view of giving?’ Link https://www.davidjeremiah.org/search?q=Tithes
[13] David Jeremiah, ‘The Sermon on the Amount’ https://www.davidjeremiah.org/search?q=Tithes
[14] Elmer Towns, Tithing is Christian (Virginia: Liberty
University, 1984), 34.
[15] Meredith G. Kline, “Comments on the Old-New Error,” WetminsterTheological
Journal, XLI (Fait 1978), p. 184.
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