Do Christians Have to Tithe?
Pastor Leslie Chua
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
In my last pastoral reflection, I wrote about the importance of tithing. While giving is important and generous giving is strongly encouraged in the Bible, some Christians opine that tithing is an Old Testament concept.
The practice of tithing was mandatory for the Israelites who lived under the Mosaic Law. However, Christians are not obligated to tithe because we are no longer under the Law. Instead, we live under the covenant of grace, and so we have the freedom to choose how much we want to give. To insist on tithing is legalistic. This is how the argument goes.
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I contend that the argument against tithing for Christians is seriously flawed.
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I beg to disagree. I contend that the argument against tithing for Christians is seriously flawed. If we examine the Scripture in its totality, it can be easily shown that tithing is not rendered obsolete by the New Covenant. Tithing was practised under the Law. However, the practice of giving ten per cent of our income remains valid for Christians in the New Testament era.
I will give you three reasons.
Tithing is Not Nullified
The first reason is tithing is not nullified by the New Covenant.
Those who argue against tithing claim that this practice is not specifically instructed in the New Testament Scriptures. Nowhere can you find the command to tithe.
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Tithing is not nullified by the New Covenant.
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I agree. However, I would hasten to add that there is also no specific mention that the tithe has been abolished.
Those who argue against tithing point to the abolition of the Mosaic Law, which includes the tithe. We must be careful to distinguish between various broad categories of the Law.
While the ceremonial and civil laws are no longer in force under the New Covenant, Christians are still obligated to obey the moral laws such as the Ten Commandments. In Acts chapter 15, Peter, speaking on behalf of the Jerusalem Council, established this understanding.
Speaking to the crowd, Jesus made this remark: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5;17-18).
The point is that not all the Old Testament laws are rendered obsolete, among them is the law regarding tithing. It is still applicable to the New Testament believers.
Tithing is Practised Before the Law
The second reason for Christians to tithe is tithing was practised before the Law.
God gave the Law to Moses when He brought the Israelites out of the Egyptian slavery. 430 years before, Abraham tithed. So, while tithing is mandated in the Law, it did not begin with the Law. The practice was started long before God gave the Law to Israel.
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Tithing was practised before the Law.
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Here is what happened. A war broke out between several kings in Canaan. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was caught in the crossfire. Lot was captured and his possessions taken from him.
When Abraham learned about the plight of his nephew. He took 318 men with him to rescue Lot. He defeated King Chedorlaomer and the kings allied to him, rescued his nephew, and took away great plunder.
On the way home from victory, Abraham met Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High. Melchizedek took out bread and wine and Abraham gave him a tenth of his plunder.
This is the first mention of the tithe in the Bible. The first mention of any concept in the Holy Scripture is always important.
Notice that Abraham was not under the obligation of any law to pay tithe to Melchizedek. Melchizedek also did not ask him to tithe. Nevertheless, Abraham tithed voluntarily, presumably out of gratefulness to God for granting him victory over the kings.
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So, Abraham serves as a model for the New Covenant believers. He tithed. Therefore, we also tithe. Not just because it is a requirement, but because we love God and we are grateful for all that He has done and will continue to do for us.
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When asked which was the most important commandment, Jesus put His finger on the crux of the Law. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Matthew 12:30).
Abraham exemplified love for God. He tithed to the priest of God Most High as an expression of his love and gratefulness to Him.
Abraham is “the father of all who believe” (Romans 4;11). In other words, he is the prototype of the Christian. That is how the apostle Paul portrayed him – “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3).
So, Abraham serves as a model for the New Covenant believers. He tithed. Therefore, we also tithe. Not just because it is a requirement, but because we love God and we are grateful for all that He has done and will continue to do for us.
Jesus Affirms the Practice of Tithing
The third reason is that Jesus affirms the practice of tithing.
While there is no specific command to tithe in the New Testament Scriptures, Jesus uphold tithing when the topic cropped up.
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Jesus affirms the practice of tithing.
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I am referring to the famous chapter of Matthew 23 where Jesus proclaimed seven woes in his denunciation of the hypocritical Pharisees.
In verse 23, we read - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others” (Matthew 23:23).
Jesus criticised the religious leaders in many areas of their conduct. In this verse, He chided them for neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. However, notice that Jesus did not say anything negative regarding their tithes of the spices. Instead, He said, “These (justice, mercy, and faithfulness) you ought to have done, without neglecting the others (tithes)…”
Jesus affirmed them for tithing.
This might not be a command or an instruction to tithe. But it clearly underscores the fact that Jesus endorses tithing. Like the Old Testament moral laws, the command to tithe continues to be in force under the New Covenant.
Tithing with Joy
Considering the three reasons, Christians ought to pay their tithes. The principle of the tithe is just as valid under the dispensation of the Mosaic Law as it was before the Law was given and after Jesus had instituted the New Covenant.
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Our attitude toward tithing ought to be one of thanksgiving and gratefulness given that we have received so many wonderful blessings from God.
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The practice of tithing is not rescinded. Therefore, we are obligated to bring our tithes into the house where we worship and serve God.
However, though it is a requirement, we do not want to fulfil our duty in a legalistic manner. God would not be pleased because God loves a cheerful giver. Our attitude toward tithing ought to be one of thanksgiving and gratefulness given that we have received so many wonderful blessings from God.
Tithe and be blessed!