Old Testament tithing versus New Testament perspective

 Old Testament tithing versus New Testament perspective

By James Linders

SO many less fortunate, misinformed, overburdened and ignorant members of the Christian church have fallen prey to the loophole on this Old Testament tithing issue. Since the establishment of the Christian church, some leaders have grown fat and even became millionaires and businessmen as a Direct result of this technicality.

Those members who are struggling to pay their full tithes are motivated with these words from Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; So, your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine”. The members who can’t give their tithes every month, is confronted and sidelined with the text from Malachi 3:8-9: “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.

You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me.… “

In the Old Testament the word “tithe” occurs thirty-one times, but in the New Testament the word occurs only five times (Matt. 23:23, Luke 11:42, Luke 18:12, Hebrews 7:8-9). What makes the Old Testament tithing even More controversial is the fact that Y’shua and the Apostles NEVER taught that the Old Testament tithing was an obligation to the members of the Body of Christ. In fact, the Apostle Paul had this to say on the issue in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.…”

In the New Testament the focus has shifted from ‘tithing’ to ‘giving’ to the poor and widows. The New Testament never asks or commands us to give tithes to God. But God asks us to give to Him freely as we desire. Tithing is not a biblical concept for Christians.

After Israel inherited Canaan as the promised land in the year 1200 BC it was divided among its eleven tribes. The twelfth tribe of Levi did NOT get land to farm because the other eleven tribes provided for their livelihood by means of tithes in exchange for their services to God and to provide food for the Levite priests that was serving in the temple. Additionally, it also served as Israel’s national taxation system.

The question on whether you can be cursed today if you DON’T tithe, is an emphatic ‘NO’ we cannot be cursed. The person who said that the congregation could be cursed, does not understand the biblical teaching about tithes and giving. Malachi’s prophecy was for ancient Israel and not for Christians. The scriptures do not teach that believers should give ten percent (or a tithe) to God. That was only for Israel. The New Testament calls us to give freely from the heart. Our giving should be to the support of our local church and missions.

Nevertheless, although Christians are NOT under obligation to give tithes, NOTHING stops them from doing so should they freely wish to do so, because God loves a cheerful giver.