Discussion Forum – Talking About The Tithe

The law of the Tithe is Old Testament and nailed to the cross, so why is it taught in the Church today?

The law of the Tithe is Old Testament and nailed to the cross, so why is it taught in the Church today?

Discussion Forum Topic

This weeks topic is a discussion of the Tithe.  The Tithe is taught from just about every pulpit in every church on every Sunday through out the world, but is Tithing biblical?  The Christian church sure thinks it is and so does Judaism.  However, Tithing is part of the law, the same law that the Christian Church says Jesus fulfilled.  Let’s dig into just a few scriptures and like the last topic, Peter’s Vision, verse numbers are removed for easier reading and to keep text into context, the indicators will be stated.

Scripture References From Old and New Testaments

Genesis 14:17-20 (NASB)

Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tenth of all.

Malachi 3:7-12 (NASB)

“From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes, and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed Thee?’ In tithes and offerings. “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!  “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.  “Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the LORD of hosts.  “And all the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 23:23 (NASB)

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Luke 11:42 (NSAB)

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

 

Review of key points

We see that the law of the tithe was instituted by Abram after rescuing his nephew Lot from the hands of king Chedorlaomer when he gave a tenth of all of what he took back from his victory.  This he gave to Melchizedek and thus according to most, started the requirement of the Tithe.  Although the word “Tithe” is not used, the practice of giving a tenth is assumed.

The Church always points to the scripture in Malachi where it seems that the nation of Israel was not giving the whole Tithe to the Levites.  This would mean that the Levites, being in service to God, would have to leave that service in order to feed themselves and their families.  So here in Malachi, we see a reference to the nation of Israel to test God in this one matter and for them to see the results.  Paying the Tithe would allow the Levites to return to serving the Father and the Father to return to the nation of Israel.

The word “Tithe” is only mentioned twice in the new testament, and done so by two different Gospel writers describing the same scene.  Matthew and Luke cover Jesus lecturing the Scribes and Pharisees about their insistence of paying the Tithe on such little things as herbs and spices, yet ignoring the far weightier items like justice, mercy and faithfulness.  Jesus instructed them that they should be following all of the law and not just the parts that benefit themselves.

An interesting observation

It is very important that the requirement of the Tithe is based upon the law of the Torah as Jesus points out plainly.  However, it is the position of the Christian Church that the law of the Torah was nailed to the cross when Jesus was crucified, therefore fulfilling the requirement of the law.  So the question has to be, if bringing the Tithe to the Pastor is part of the law (Torah) and it is nailed to the cross, then is the Tithe required today?  Does the church who claims the law is done away with have any right to ask for a Tithe?

But there are other practices by people who say that the law (Torah) was not nailed to the cross, but that the requirement of the law (sin equaled death) was fulfilled so that the blood sacrifices are no longer needed to atone for sin.  Thus the rest of the law that Jesus said not one Jot or Title would pass away is still in effect, therefore requiring the law of the Tithe.

Discussion – Is the law of Tithe still in effect, and if so then what about the rest of the law?

Please enter your thoughts and opinions supporting your beliefs in the comments.

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