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There are two schools of thought about the "Tithe." One side is positive that believers today are under a biblical mandate to "tithe" ten percent of their income to their church on a regular basis, the frequency equals every time they get paid. On the other side, where I stand, is the belief that the "tithe" was commanded by God, through Moses, for the Jewish people only. Nowhere in Scripture is there a command for Gentiles to tithe.
This post is not an attempt to prove which side is correct. "To each his own" is my philosophy when it comes to what people believe, want to believe, or reject. I do studies based on what is found in Scripture. But at no time am I convinced that my words make any difference as to what people believe or reject. I just put the information out there. This post is simply showing verses that deal with the subject at hand and my only "goal" is for people to read the verses and consider if the verses have any bearing on the debate about this subject. If you feel that Gentile believers are obligated to tithe, well, that is what you chose to believe.
This post was motivated by my coming across a verse in Deut I hadn't been aware of before. This was a "WOW" moment. This moment led me to look at some other things and I am just putting different things out there, comparing what is being taught to what Scripture says or doesn't say, for people to consider.
In the O.T., that which was to be tithed on were these crops, barley, wheat and corn, the fruit of the tree, figs and pomegranates, these animals, cattle, including oxen, sheep and goats, wine made from grapes, oil made from olives and honey (Not honey from bees, honey made from figs.)
The tithe was to be eaten, so everything that was tithed on was consumable by humans. Tithes were given based on when they were harvested or produced. Concerning animals, the animals were to be passed under a rod and every tenth animal was set aside for the tithe. The only Jews that were required to tithe were those who possessed that which is listed. This means that not every individual Jew was required to tithe. If there was a Jewish man who had 5,000 acres of land, grew cotton, and had a herd of camels, he was not required to tithe! A fisherman was not required to give a tithe on the fish he caught. There was no command to give a tithe on personal money or any money earned. A midwife was not required to tithe. A mason was not required to tithe. A carpenter was not required to tithe. There was no way for a tithe to be given on a weekly basis.
There were three separate tithes, Levitical, the Feasts, and a tithe for the poor. At no time, when the Jews gave their tithes, did the entire amount of the tithe given across the land ever go to Jerusalem. All of the Levitical tithes were given to the Levites, who were spread out among the tribes. The Levites in turn gave a tithe of what they received and sent that to the priests, so the priests could eat. (This is the tithe God was referring to in Mal 3:10. The tithe that was sent to the priest, who in turn were to put that tithe into the storehouse of the Temple, not the entire tithe given to the Levites. In those days there were Levites and priests who were withholding a part of that tithe) You have to keep in mind that until the Jews conquered the Promised land, there was no way for the Jews to grow crops or fruit trees. Did that make the Jews guilty of not tithing? You can't tithe on what you don't have. The Jewish males were required to come to Jerusalem for three feasts, Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. The entire family would accompany each man. Part of the tithe they brought would be for the priests, the other part was to be consumed as part of the feasts! Do people eat money?
The system of tithing was set up on a seven-year cycle. In the seventh year, no tithe was given because the Jews were not to plant any crops. Hmm, I wonder if this is taught from the pulpits? I wonder if any of this post is taught from the pulpits?
I'll say it again, you won't find one verse in Scripture where there is a command to tithe on an individual's money or income. There is only one time when money is associated with the tithe.
Deuteronomy 14:22-27, "You will truly tithe all the increase of your seed (Nowhere in Scripture is the word "seed" ever used to mean money.) that the FIELD brings forth year by year (Not week by week) And you will EAT before the LORD your GOD, in the place ...the TITHE OF YOUR GRAIN, OF YOUR WINE, OF YOUR OIL, AND THE FIRSTLINGS OF YOUR HERDS AND FLOCKS...And if the distance is too far, where you cannot carry it, or if the place is too far, then you will turn it into money and go to the place...and(after you arrive) you will purchase for yourself, oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, whatever you want to consume, and you will EAT IT before the LORD. (As part of celebrating the feasts)
The word "money" is used 101 times in the O.T. Yes, there was a system of currency, even in the days of Moses! Not once in any of these 101 verses is there any command to "tithe on your money! If there was even one verse that showed a command to tithe on your money, don't you know that you would hear that verse countless times from the pulpit? If Scripture is God's inspired word, doesn't it make sense that if God purposed that Gentile believers were to give a tithe from their income, and earnings, He would have had someone in Scripture say it and it would have been written down? Paul talked about Gentile believers giving money, yet, Paul never used the word "tithe." Paul never commanded the Gentiles to tithe! All of this huge debate would disappear if there were a couple of verses that taught that Gentile believers were commanded, by God or Jesus, to give a tithe from what they earned! The only money that God commanded for each Jewish male over twenty to give was the Temple Tax, which was to be used for the upkeep of the Temple. This tax was to be paid ONCE A YEAR! The amount paid by each male was the exact same! The rich paid the same amount as the poor. There is not one verse in the N.T. that says anything about "giving to the church." 2Kings 12:16 mentions "trespass money," and "sin money." There is no mention in Scripture of "tithe money."
Are believers supposed to give money? Yes. The only four reasons in the N.T. for a believer to give money are. 1. To help the poor and needy saints. 2. To pay those who teach. 3. To support missionaries. To help a neighbor or enemy in need. (These are people you personally know, have contact with, and have personal knowledge of a need.) Scripture teaches these things, but when it comes to how much a believer gives, Scripture teaches that it is up to each individual how much they give! Here is the verse that started my writing this post.
Deuteronomy 16:10, "You are to observe the festival of Shavuot for Adonai your God with a freewill (voluntary) offering, which you are to give according to the degree your God has prospered you.
Along with the tithe given at the festival, (A tenth of consumable things) the Jewish man was commanded to also give a freewill offering! This offering was separate and completely disconnected from the tithe! Nothing here about any set amount. While a freewill offering could be made in food, animals, houses, fields or other things, including money, regardless of what was given, the amount given was based on the prosperity God had given to each individual. If one Jewish farmer had had a banner year with a bountiful harvest, his freewill offering would be much larger than a farmer who had suffered a lean year. There is no comparison here about how much is given by each individual. God doesn't set any amount or minimum of "how much is acceptable in your freewill offering."
2Kings 12:4...and all the money that comes into any man's heart (the amount each man decides to give) to bring into the house of the Lord. (The Temple. Individual church buildings are not individual "temples of God," nor do they represent the Temple, of which there was only one for the whole nation. They do not represent the treasury or storehouse of the Jewish Temple. Church buildings are not constructed or designed to be a physical copy of the Temple. Church buildings stem from the Jewish synagogues, not the Temple!)
1Cor 16:1 "Now concerning the collection for the SAINTS..." Who was Paul collecting money for? The needy and oppressed believers living in Jerusalem.
1Cor 16:2 "Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay aside in store (have ready to go) AS GOD HAS PROSPERED HIM, so there will be no collection taken up after I arrive." Paul instructed each individual to set aside some money for the needy saints in Jerusalem, but he never mentioned, commanded, or hinted at how much each person should give. He did not want to make a big deal of it or put the spotlight on the money collected. He didn't want people giving money turned into a "public affair," a "public display." Isn't the "giving of money" made into a "big deal" in church buildings today? How antithetical is Paul's approach to collecting money compared to the Gentile Pharisees' approach? Any Gentile Pharisee would not do what Paul did. A Gentile Pharisee would wait until he arrived with a great "sermon" designed to beat people up and guilt them into giving more than the people could afford. Guess which group of people in the N.T. are commanded to be generous? The rich! 1Tim 6:17-19.
2Cor 9:7. All are familiar with this verse as it is a favorite of false teachers. But how many of you are familiar with 2Cor 9:5? "So I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go ahead of me and prepare (gather the donations together) your promised gift in plenty of time; this way it will be ready when I come and will be a genuine gift, not something extracted by pressure.
2Cor 9:7, Each should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion..." Telling people that they MUST give 10% of their income is compulsion! Telling people that the tithe is not enough, but they must give "sacrificially" beyond the tithe is a compulsion. There is no phrase in Scripture that reads, "sacrificial giving," or "sacrificial offerings." The word "sacrificial" is not found in Scripture. How many times have the Gentile Pharisees combined the word "tithe" with another word for giving money, "your tithe and offerings," "Your tithe and your gifts and offerings," or "your tithe and your sacrificial offering?"
This post is not an attempt to prove which side is correct. "To each his own" is my philosophy when it comes to what people believe, want to believe, or reject. I do studies based on what is found in Scripture. But at no time am I convinced that my words make any difference as to what people believe or reject. I just put the information out there. This post is simply showing verses that deal with the subject at hand and my only "goal" is for people to read the verses and consider if the verses have any bearing on the debate about this subject. If you feel that Gentile believers are obligated to tithe, well, that is what you chose to believe.
This post was motivated by my coming across a verse in Deut I hadn't been aware of before. This was a "WOW" moment. This moment led me to look at some other things and I am just putting different things out there, comparing what is being taught to what Scripture says or doesn't say, for people to consider.
In the O.T., that which was to be tithed on were these crops, barley, wheat and corn, the fruit of the tree, figs and pomegranates, these animals, cattle, including oxen, sheep and goats, wine made from grapes, oil made from olives and honey (Not honey from bees, honey made from figs.)
The tithe was to be eaten, so everything that was tithed on was consumable by humans. Tithes were given based on when they were harvested or produced. Concerning animals, the animals were to be passed under a rod and every tenth animal was set aside for the tithe. The only Jews that were required to tithe were those who possessed that which is listed. This means that not every individual Jew was required to tithe. If there was a Jewish man who had 5,000 acres of land, grew cotton, and had a herd of camels, he was not required to tithe! A fisherman was not required to give a tithe on the fish he caught. There was no command to give a tithe on personal money or any money earned. A midwife was not required to tithe. A mason was not required to tithe. A carpenter was not required to tithe. There was no way for a tithe to be given on a weekly basis.
There were three separate tithes, Levitical, the Feasts, and a tithe for the poor. At no time, when the Jews gave their tithes, did the entire amount of the tithe given across the land ever go to Jerusalem. All of the Levitical tithes were given to the Levites, who were spread out among the tribes. The Levites in turn gave a tithe of what they received and sent that to the priests, so the priests could eat. (This is the tithe God was referring to in Mal 3:10. The tithe that was sent to the priest, who in turn were to put that tithe into the storehouse of the Temple, not the entire tithe given to the Levites. In those days there were Levites and priests who were withholding a part of that tithe) You have to keep in mind that until the Jews conquered the Promised land, there was no way for the Jews to grow crops or fruit trees. Did that make the Jews guilty of not tithing? You can't tithe on what you don't have. The Jewish males were required to come to Jerusalem for three feasts, Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. The entire family would accompany each man. Part of the tithe they brought would be for the priests, the other part was to be consumed as part of the feasts! Do people eat money?
The system of tithing was set up on a seven-year cycle. In the seventh year, no tithe was given because the Jews were not to plant any crops. Hmm, I wonder if this is taught from the pulpits? I wonder if any of this post is taught from the pulpits?
I'll say it again, you won't find one verse in Scripture where there is a command to tithe on an individual's money or income. There is only one time when money is associated with the tithe.
Deuteronomy 14:22-27, "You will truly tithe all the increase of your seed (Nowhere in Scripture is the word "seed" ever used to mean money.) that the FIELD brings forth year by year (Not week by week) And you will EAT before the LORD your GOD, in the place ...the TITHE OF YOUR GRAIN, OF YOUR WINE, OF YOUR OIL, AND THE FIRSTLINGS OF YOUR HERDS AND FLOCKS...And if the distance is too far, where you cannot carry it, or if the place is too far, then you will turn it into money and go to the place...and(after you arrive) you will purchase for yourself, oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, whatever you want to consume, and you will EAT IT before the LORD. (As part of celebrating the feasts)
The word "money" is used 101 times in the O.T. Yes, there was a system of currency, even in the days of Moses! Not once in any of these 101 verses is there any command to "tithe on your money! If there was even one verse that showed a command to tithe on your money, don't you know that you would hear that verse countless times from the pulpit? If Scripture is God's inspired word, doesn't it make sense that if God purposed that Gentile believers were to give a tithe from their income, and earnings, He would have had someone in Scripture say it and it would have been written down? Paul talked about Gentile believers giving money, yet, Paul never used the word "tithe." Paul never commanded the Gentiles to tithe! All of this huge debate would disappear if there were a couple of verses that taught that Gentile believers were commanded, by God or Jesus, to give a tithe from what they earned! The only money that God commanded for each Jewish male over twenty to give was the Temple Tax, which was to be used for the upkeep of the Temple. This tax was to be paid ONCE A YEAR! The amount paid by each male was the exact same! The rich paid the same amount as the poor. There is not one verse in the N.T. that says anything about "giving to the church." 2Kings 12:16 mentions "trespass money," and "sin money." There is no mention in Scripture of "tithe money."
Are believers supposed to give money? Yes. The only four reasons in the N.T. for a believer to give money are. 1. To help the poor and needy saints. 2. To pay those who teach. 3. To support missionaries. To help a neighbor or enemy in need. (These are people you personally know, have contact with, and have personal knowledge of a need.) Scripture teaches these things, but when it comes to how much a believer gives, Scripture teaches that it is up to each individual how much they give! Here is the verse that started my writing this post.
Deuteronomy 16:10, "You are to observe the festival of Shavuot for Adonai your God with a freewill (voluntary) offering, which you are to give according to the degree your God has prospered you.
Along with the tithe given at the festival, (A tenth of consumable things) the Jewish man was commanded to also give a freewill offering! This offering was separate and completely disconnected from the tithe! Nothing here about any set amount. While a freewill offering could be made in food, animals, houses, fields or other things, including money, regardless of what was given, the amount given was based on the prosperity God had given to each individual. If one Jewish farmer had had a banner year with a bountiful harvest, his freewill offering would be much larger than a farmer who had suffered a lean year. There is no comparison here about how much is given by each individual. God doesn't set any amount or minimum of "how much is acceptable in your freewill offering."
2Kings 12:4...and all the money that comes into any man's heart (the amount each man decides to give) to bring into the house of the Lord. (The Temple. Individual church buildings are not individual "temples of God," nor do they represent the Temple, of which there was only one for the whole nation. They do not represent the treasury or storehouse of the Jewish Temple. Church buildings are not constructed or designed to be a physical copy of the Temple. Church buildings stem from the Jewish synagogues, not the Temple!)
1Cor 16:1 "Now concerning the collection for the SAINTS..." Who was Paul collecting money for? The needy and oppressed believers living in Jerusalem.
1Cor 16:2 "Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay aside in store (have ready to go) AS GOD HAS PROSPERED HIM, so there will be no collection taken up after I arrive." Paul instructed each individual to set aside some money for the needy saints in Jerusalem, but he never mentioned, commanded, or hinted at how much each person should give. He did not want to make a big deal of it or put the spotlight on the money collected. He didn't want people giving money turned into a "public affair," a "public display." Isn't the "giving of money" made into a "big deal" in church buildings today? How antithetical is Paul's approach to collecting money compared to the Gentile Pharisees' approach? Any Gentile Pharisee would not do what Paul did. A Gentile Pharisee would wait until he arrived with a great "sermon" designed to beat people up and guilt them into giving more than the people could afford. Guess which group of people in the N.T. are commanded to be generous? The rich! 1Tim 6:17-19.
2Cor 9:7. All are familiar with this verse as it is a favorite of false teachers. But how many of you are familiar with 2Cor 9:5? "So I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go ahead of me and prepare (gather the donations together) your promised gift in plenty of time; this way it will be ready when I come and will be a genuine gift, not something extracted by pressure.
2Cor 9:7, Each should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion..." Telling people that they MUST give 10% of their income is compulsion! Telling people that the tithe is not enough, but they must give "sacrificially" beyond the tithe is a compulsion. There is no phrase in Scripture that reads, "sacrificial giving," or "sacrificial offerings." The word "sacrificial" is not found in Scripture. How many times have the Gentile Pharisees combined the word "tithe" with another word for giving money, "your tithe and offerings," "Your tithe and your gifts and offerings," or "your tithe and your sacrificial offering?"
