Must Christians Tithe Ten Percent?


Christian Evangelism, Healing, and Teaching Resources


Home > Various Christian Topics > Must Christians Tithe Ten Percent?	Email this article

Introduction

Before we discuss tithing, we should first define what we mean by the word "tithe." The Greek and Hebrew words for "tithe" literally mean "tenth" (according to Strong's Dictionary), so the basic meaning of tithing involves giving 10% of something. Therefore, if I choose to give 10% of my paycheck to my church then I have given a "tithe" according to the most basic definition of that word. The New Testament tells us to give generously (as we will see later), and my 10% offering would certainly qualify as generous giving.

However, many churches teach that Christians must give 10% of their paychecks to their local church, otherwise they are robbing God and shutting off the flow of God's blessings. So when Christians talk about "tithing," they're usually referring to this idea that giving 10% of every paycheck to our local church is a Scriptural requirement or a Scriptural principle which Christians should be following.

There are differences of opinion among Christians about whether or not Christians must tithe. For a number of years I was a tither, and I defended tithing against the arguments that many people make against it. However, recently I began prayerfully re-evaluating this issue, and I no longer see tithing as a principle that Christians must follow.

Passages on Tithing

In order to determine whether or not Christians must tithe, we obviously need to study what Scripture tells us about tithing. What makes our job easier is the fact that the Old Testament Law of Moses (with its commandments and regulations) was completely abolished and canceled at the cross:

Ephesians 2:13: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."
Ephesians 2:14: "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,"
Ephesians 2:15: "by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace"

Colossians 2:13: "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,"
Colossians 2:14: "having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

For more proof that the Law of Moses was totally abolished at the cross, I invite you to see my article called Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments. The Law of Moses contained a number of rules and regulations concerning tithing, but those rules and regulations have all been canceled in Christ. When we understand that the Law of Moses was canceled at the cross, which includes all of the forms of tithing that were in the Law, then we can set the Law aside. Later we will examine all of the tithing passages under the Law of Moses in order to gain a more complete understanding of tithing, and we will see that no Christians today are tithing in the way that it was done under the Law of Moses.

So in order to prove or disprove tithing for Christians, we need to find our Scriptural support outside of the Law. Here is every passage on tithing before the Law of Moses was instituted and after the Law ended at the cross:

Genesis 14:17: "After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley)."
Genesis 14:18: "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,"
Genesis 14:19: "and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth."
Genesis 14:20: "And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything."

Genesis 28:20: "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear"
Genesis 28:21: "so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God"
Genesis 28:22: "and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.""

Hebrews 6:20: "where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 7:1: "This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,"
Hebrews 7:2: "and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace.""
Hebrews 7:3: "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever."
Hebrews 7:4: "Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!"
Hebrews 7:5: "Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people--that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are descended from Abraham."
Hebrews 7:6: "This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises."
Hebrews 7:7: "And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater."
Hebrews 7:8: "In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living."
Hebrews 7:9: "One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham,"
Hebrews 7:10: "because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor."
Hebrews 7:11: "If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come--one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?"
Hebrews 7:12: "For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law."

These passages are the only places in the Bible where tithing is mentioned before the Law of Moses began or after it ended, so these are the only passages of Scripture on tithing which might have a bearing on Christians. Remember, Christians are not obligated to obey the rules and regulations in the Law of Moses because those commandments were totally abolished at the cross.

The first passage above (Genesis 14:17-20) shows a man named Abram tithing to a priest-king named Melchizedek (Abram's name was changed to Abraham in Genesis 17:5). Since Abraham is our spiritual "father" (Romans 4:9-17), and since he paid a tithe, this seems to imply that Christians should pay tithes as well. That was my reasoning when I was a tither, even though I knew that Christians are never commanded to tithe. Since there are references to tithing before the Law of Moses began (Genesis 14:17-20 and 28:20-22, above), and since there is a reference to Abraham's tithe after the cross (Hebrews 6:20-7:12, above), it seemed to me that I was able to justify tithing more than I could justify not tithing.

After prayerfully re-evaluating this issue, however, I found that Abraham's tithe has no bearing on Christian tithing, as we'll see in the next section.

Abraham and Melchizedek

Now let's examine Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek. First, who was Melchizedek? Some people believe that he was Noah's son Shem (for example, see these Google search results

). Some people believe that he was a pagan priest-king who did not worship the Lord (for a detailed discussion, see chapter 2 at Should the Church Teach Tithing?

). Some people believe that he was a priest who did worship the Lord (for example, see these Google search results

). Some people believe that he was an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ (for example, see these Google search results

). Some people believe that he was an angel (for example, see these Google search results

). Christians have offered various arguments to support their views concerning who Melchizedek was, but there really isn't a great amount of evidence in Scripture to prove much about him. As we examine Abraham's tithe, however, we'll see that we can disprove Christian tithing without knowing anything about Melchizedek.

Okay, let's look at Abraham's tithe again:

Genesis 14:17: "After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley)."
Genesis 14:18: "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,"
Genesis 14:19: "and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth."
Genesis 14:20: "And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything."
Genesis 14:21: "The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods [spoils of war] for yourself.""
Genesis 14:22: "But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath"
Genesis 14:23: "that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.'"
Genesis 14:24: "I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me--to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share.""

Now, consider that there are no Scripture passages which say that God told Abraham to pay a tithe. There are no Scripture passages which say that anybody at that time had the custom of tithing to God (the Law of Moses did not begin until four centuries later - see Galatians 3:16-17). There are no Scripture passages which say that Abraham ever tithed before or after he tithed to Melchizedek. There are no Scripture passages which prove that Abraham was tithing to God through Melchizedek (there is actually a different reason why Abraham tithed, as we'll see in a moment). Throughout the entire Old Testament, there is no Scriptural evidence concerning Abraham which justifies a doctrine of Christian tithing.

So now let's ask ourselves why Abraham paid a tithe. Keep in mind that Abraham did not live in our 21st century Western society, but instead he lived in a different time period with different cultural norms, different attitudes, different customs, different behaviors, and so on. The thing that changes our whole perspective on Abraham's tithe is the fact that throughout history there has been a common custom in many different lands and cultures in which people paid tithes from the "spoils of war," meaning the loot or the plunder that they won in battle. Here are some examples:

"In the same manner the Greeks too, the Carthaginians, and the Romans devoted a tenth portion of the spoils of war to their deities." (On the Acquisition of Territory and Property by Right of Conquest , emphasis added)

"The Greek League against Persia, founded in 481 vows a tenth of the spoils of war to the shrine (7:132), and this happens, after Salamis and Plataea." (Herodotus on Greek Religion , emphasis added)

"During the twelfth century, evidence points clearly to the growing significance of warfare in the life of the towns, especially in Portugal, Leon, Castile and Aragon. Precise indications of this development are demonstrated in the increasing concern demonstrated by the makers of the municipal charters in three areas closely related to booty. The first is the royal demand to collect the one-fifth tax on the spoils of war, a tax the Christian rulers inherited from the Muslim practice of laying aside a portion of the gains of the jihad for Allah." (Spoils and Compensations , emphasis added)

"For his courageous role in helping to take the Volscian town of Corioli, Caius Marcius, declining to accept one-tenth of the spoils, was named Coriolanus" (Roman Expansion to 133 BC , emphasis added)

"In the days of Abu Bakr much wealth came to the state on account of the spoils of war. The movable property won as booty on the battlefield was known as "Ghanimah". Four-fifth of the spoils of war was immediately distributed among the soldiers who had taken part in the battle. The remaining one-fifth went to the State. The State's one-fifth share was further divided into three parts. One part went to the family of the Holy Prophet, one part went to the Caliph, and one part was spent for welfare purposes." (Political, Social, Economic and Military Organization , emphasis added)

"TITHES, a form of taxation, secular and ecclesiastical, usually, as the name implies, consisting of one-tenth of a man's property or produce. The tax probably originated in a tribute levied by a conqueror or ruler upon his subjects, and perhaps the custom of dedicating a tenth of the spoils of war to the gods led to the religious extension of the term, the original offerings to deity being "firstfruits."
The custom was almost universal in antiquity; for Greece and Rome see Pauly-Wissowa, Realencyclopädie, iv. 2306, 2423; for Babylon, M. Jastrow, Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, p. 668; for China, J. Legge, Chinese Classics, i. 119; for Egypt, G. Maspero, Struggle of Nations, p. 312.f The general notion of tax or tribute often prevailed over that of "the tenth" part, so that in Dion Halicarnassus (i. 23) and Philo (Dc mutat. noin.~. 607) hirapxai and &thTat are synonymous, and in Mahommedan law the "tithe" is sometimes only -510th or ~f'eth." (1911 Encyclopedia , emphasis added)

"To maintain a warband a lord needed a constant supply of commodities to support the warriors and gold and silver to give out as gifts. There were two ways in which these could be obtained. If the warband were strong enough they could raid neighbouring regions and either force them to yield tribute or just carry off valuables. Cattle were a particular target of this activity, because of the relative ease of driving them from one area to another. Since raids would often lead to battles, another type of booty would be the wargear of vanquished opponents. The pillaging of the dead is frequently mentioned in poetry; Ongentheow's body is stripped of his sword and helmet (Beowulf line 2986) and a Viking warrior attacks Byrhtnoth with the intention of taking his sword, armour and rings (Battle of Maldon line 160). It is not clear how these spoils of war would be divided, but it is likely that the majority would have been distributed among the participants in the raid with a proportion being retained by the lord." (The Social Context of Warfare in Anglo-Saxon England , emphasis added)

"The inscription on the base reads: "The Messenians and Naupactians dedicated this to Olympian Zeus, a tithe from the spoils of war. Paionios of Mende made this, and was victor [in the competition] to make the akroteria for the temple"." (The Nike of Paionios , emphasis added)

"Through the spoils of war, Edward was able to refill the bankrupt treasury. Heavily ransomed prisoners, brought fortunes in gold coin to their noble captors--who, in turn, paid a handsome tithe to the King." (Edward III: King of Illusions , emphasis added)

"It was traditional to give the Byzantine Government a set percentage of the spoils of war." (Chapter III: Eastern Expansion , emphasis added)

So throughout history there has been a common custom in different time periods, different lands, different cultures, etc., in which people paid tithes from the spoils of war. In addition, Numbers 31:25-30 describes a "spoils of war tribute" to the Lord:

Numbers 31:25: "The LORD said to Moses,"
Numbers 31:26: ""You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured."
Numbers 31:27: "Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community."
Numbers 31:28: "From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the LORD one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats."
Numbers 31:29: "Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord's part."
Numbers 31:30: "From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord's tabernacle.""

So again, a "spoils of war" tithe was common among many different peoples, lands, cultures, and time periods. The 1911 Encyclopedia (quoted above, emphasis added) says that "The custom was almost universal in antiquity." So tithing on the spoils of war was practically a universal custom. With this in mind, go back and look at Genesis 14:17-24 again. Notice that Abraham defeated Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, and therefore the spoils of war belonged to Abraham. Next we see Abraham paying a tithe to a local king (Melchizedek) from the spoils of war. The Bible never says that Abraham had a custom of tithing to God, but instead the Bible shows Abraham paying a one-time "spoils of war" tithe to a local king (which was a common practice throughout history).

When I was a tither, I felt that Abraham had tithed on his "increase" (the plunder), just as Christians today are often taught to tithe on our "increase" (our paychecks). But notice in Genesis 14:21-23 (above) that Abraham did not accept any spoils of war for himself. This means that Abraham did not view these spoils of war as an "increase" for his personal wealth. So when Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek, Abraham was not trying to follow a principle of tithing on his increase!

Furthermore, Abraham became a wealthy man (see for example Genesis 13:2), yet we can't show any place in Scripture which says that he ever tithed on the "increase" as his wealth grew. I used to believe that it was appropriate for Christians to tithe on our "increase," but then I realized that I couldn't find anybody in the entire Bible who ever did such a thing (except under the Law of Moses, which has been canceled in Christ). Some people believe that "tithing on our increase" is a principle for Christians to follow, but there is absolutely no Scriptural support for this principle outside of the Law of Moses.

Was Abraham Ever Influenced by the Customs of His Day?

Some people argue that Abraham was a man of great faith in God, and therefore he would not have been influenced by people who did not worship the one true God. According to this argument, it is unlikely that Abraham would have followed the customs of his day by paying a "spoils of war" tithe. Rather, it is more likely that he was paying his tithe to God.

Certainly it's true that Abraham had great faith in God, but notice that this argument is based on an assumption about what Abraham would have done or would not have done. To see why this is a false assumption, let's look at some events in Abraham's life. First, Abraham (who was originally known as "Abram") received his calling from God in chapter 12 of the book of Genesis:

Genesis 12:1: "The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."
Genesis 12:2: ""I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing."
Genesis 12:3: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.""
Genesis 12:4: "So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran."
Genesis 12:5: "He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there."
Genesis 12:6: "Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land."
Genesis 12:7: "The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him."
Genesis 12:8: "From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD."

Then Abraham and his wife Sarah (who was originally known as "Sarai") traveled to Egypt:

Genesis 12:10: "Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe."

At this point, Abraham was already a devout believer in God (Genesis 12:1-8, above), but watch what happened when he and his wife arrived in Egypt:

Genesis 12:11: "As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are."
Genesis 12:12: "When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live."
Genesis 12:13: "Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.""
Genesis 12:14: "When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman."
Genesis 12:15: "And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace."
Genesis 12:16: "He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels."
Genesis 12:17: "But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai."
Genesis 12:18: "So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?"
Genesis 12:19: "Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!""

Notice that Abraham was afraid for his life in Egypt because Sarah was so beautiful. Rather than trusting in God, Abraham deceived Pharaoh by saying that Sarah was his sister, which resulted in Sarah being taken to become Pharaoh's wife (Sarah actually was Abraham's step-sister (Genesis 20:12), but this doesn't change the fact that Abraham deceived Pharaoh). In this incident, Abraham was swayed by concerns for his personal safety (instead of trusting his life in God's hands) based on his knowledge of the local customs in Egypt where the will of Pharaoh was law. As the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

puts it, Abraham's deception "showed a reliance on worldly policy more than a trust in the promise." (verses 11-13, emphasis added). This commentary also says that "Eastern kings have for ages claimed the privilege of taking to their harem an unmarried woman whom they like. The father or brother may deplore the removal as a calamity, but the royal right is never resisted nor questioned." (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

, verse 15, emphasis added). Abraham is not shown resisting this royal custom, and Sarah was taken to become Pharaoh's wife. Fortunately, God intervened! Notice in verse 16 (above) that Abraham's wealth increased, yet we don't see Abraham paying any tithes. In every case where Abraham's personal wealth increased in the Bible, Abraham is never shown tithing on his increase. There is no Scriptural evidence that Abraham ever had the custom of following such a principle.

Here's another example of Abraham being swayed by the customs of his day. God had promised Abraham that he would have a son, but Abraham assumed that one of his servants would become his heir according to the customs of the time:

Genesis 15:1: "After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.""
Genesis 15:2: "But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?""
Genesis 15:3: "And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.""

As the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

puts it, "According to the usage of nomadic tribes, his chief confidential servant, would be heir to his possessions and honors." (verse 3, emphasis added). Here we see Abraham intending to follow the customs of his day concerning an heir, and therefore it is erroneous to argue that Abraham would not have been influenced by the customs of his day.

After God specifically said that Abraham would have his own son, Abraham was persuaded by Sarah to take Hagar (Sarah's slave girl) as his wife according to the customs of the time:

Genesis 16:1: "Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar;"
Genesis 16:2: "so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said."
Genesis 16:3: "So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife."
Genesis 16:4: "He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress."

As the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

puts it, ""Wife" is here used to describe an inferior, though not degrading, relation, in countries where polygamy prevails. In the case of these female slaves, who are the personal property of his lady, being purchased before her marriage or given as a special present to her, no one can become the husband's secondary wife without her mistress consent or permission." (verse 3, emphasis added). Here we see Abraham following the local custom of polygamy, and therefore it is erroneous to argue that Abraham would not have been influenced by the customs of his day.

Here's another example of Abraham observing the customs of his time. When three "men" appeared to Abraham, we see him following the common hospitality customs:

Genesis 18:1: "The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day."
Genesis 18:2: "Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground."
Genesis 18:3: "He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by."
Genesis 18:4: "Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree."
Genesis 18:5: "Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way--now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say.""
Genesis 18:6: "So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread.""
Genesis 18:7: "Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it."
Genesis 18:8: "He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree."

As the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

puts it, "When the visitor is an ordinary person, the host merely rises; but if of superior rank, the custom is to advance a little towards the stranger, and after a very low bow, turn and lead him to the tent, putting an arm round his waist, or tapping him on the shoulder as they go, to assure him of welcome." (verse 2, emphasis added). This commentary also says that "The hospitalities offered are just of the kind that are necessary and most grateful, the refreshment of water, for feet exposed to dust and heat by the sandals, being still the first observed among the pastoral people of Hebron." (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

, verse 3, emphasis added). Here we see Abraham following local hospitality customs, and therefore it is erroneous to argue that Abraham would not have been influenced by the customs of his day.

Once again we see Abraham deceiving a local ruler by saying that Sarah was his sister:

Genesis 20:1: "Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar,"
Genesis 20:2: "and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her."
Genesis 20:3: "But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.""
Genesis 20:4: "Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?"
Genesis 20:5: "Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.""
Genesis 20:6: "Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her."
Genesis 20:7: "Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die.""
Genesis 20:8: "Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid."
Genesis 20:9: "Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.""
Genesis 20:10: "And Abimelech asked Abraham, "What was your reason for doing this?""
Genesis 20:11: "Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'"
Genesis 20:12: "Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife."
Genesis 20:13: "And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'""
Genesis 20:14: "Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him."
Genesis 20:15: "And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like.""
Genesis 20:16: "To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.""

So again Abraham was deceptive about his relationship with Sarah for fear of his life. Just as in Genesis 12:11-19 (above), Abraham is not shown resisting the local custom in which a ruler can choose whomever he desires, and Sarah was taken to become the king's wife. Fortunately, God intervened again! And once again we see Abraham's personal wealth increasing (Genesis 20:14-16, above) without any mention of his paying any form of tithes on his increase. There is no Scriptural evidence that Abraham ever had the custom of following such a principle.

When Sarah died, Abraham followed the common practice concerning mourning:

Genesis 23:1: "Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old."
Genesis 23:2: "She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her."
Genesis 23:3: "Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites."

As the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

puts it, "He came from his own tent to take his station at the door of Sarah's. The "mourning" describes his conformity to the customary usage of sitting on the ground for a time" (verse 2, emphasis added). Here we see Abraham following local mourning customs, and therefore it is erroneous to argue that Abraham would not have been influenced by the customs of his day.

When Abraham purchased a tomb for Sarah, he weighed out the price based on the weight which was current among the local merchants:

Genesis 23:16: "Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants."

As the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

puts it, "The practice of weighing money, which is often in lumps or rings, each stamped with their weight, is still common in many parts of the East; and every merchant at the gates or the bazaar has his scales at his girdle." (verse 16, emphasis added). Here we see Abraham following local customs, and therefore it is erroneous to argue that Abraham would not have been influenced by the customs of his day.

Some people claim that since Abraham was a man of great faith in God, he would not have been influenced by the customs of his day (such as paying a "spoils of war" tithe to a local king). However, this argument is based on a false assumption because the above examples show that Abraham did follow various customs of his day. In addition, even though we see Abraham's wealth increasing, we never see him tithing on his increase. The only time we see Abraham tithing is after he won the spoils of war in battle. We have seen that tithing on the spoils of war was practically a universal custom, and we have seen that Abraham followed various customs of his time. All of the evidence is consistent with Abraham paying a one-time "spoils of war" tithe, and there is no evidence that Abraham ever "tithed on his increase." Abraham's one-time tithe does not justify any form of ongoing tithing by Christians.

Hebrews 6:20-7:12

In the New Testament, the author of the letter to the Hebrews confirms for us that Abraham tithed from the plunder (not from his personal wealth):

Hebrews 7:4: "Just think how great he [Melchizedek] was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!"

So Abraham specifically gave a "plunder tithe" or a "spoils of war tithe" to a local priest-king named Melchizedek. If Christians win some plunder by defeating an enemy in battle, then perhaps it might be acceptable for them to follow Abraham's example by tithing ten percent from their "spoils of war." But beyond that unlikely scenario, Abraham's one-time "spoils of war" tithe has no similarity to the way that Christians are tithing today. People who believe in tithing will usually teach (as I used to do) that we should pay one-tenth of our personal income to our church as our tithes (based in large part on the example of Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek), but notice that Abraham is never recorded as tithing any of his personal property or his personal possessions or his personal money or anything that he owned. He specifically tithed from the spoils of war, and nothing else, and we have seen that this was a common practice throughout history (recall that Abraham did not consider any of the spoils of war as being an "increase" to his personal income). Therefore, comparing ongoing Christian tithing of our personal income with Abraham's one-time tithe of the spoils of war is not comparing "apples to apples." Abraham's tithe does not justify Christian tithing.

As I said earlier, understanding about the common "spoils of war" tithe puts Abraham's tithe in a whole new light. Now let's look at what the author of Hebrews wrote concerning Abraham's tithe:

Hebrews 6:20: "where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 7:1: "This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,"
Hebrews 7:2: "and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace.""
Hebrews 7:3: "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever."
Hebrews 7:4: "Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!"
Hebrews 7:5: "Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people --that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are descended from Abraham."
Hebrews 7:6: "This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises."
Hebrews 7:7: "And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater."
Hebrews 7:8: "In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living."
Hebrews 7:9: "One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham,"
Hebrews 7:10: "because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor."
Hebrews 7:11: "If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest [Jesus] to come--one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?"
Hebrews 7:12: "For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law."

In the entire New Testament, this is the only passage after the cross which says anything about tithing, so let's look carefully at what this passage says and what it doesn't say. Notice that there are no commands here for Christians to pay any kind of tithes, and there are no examples here of any Christians paying tithes. There is no principle at all here concerning "New Testament tithing." Notice that there are only two types of tithes mentioned in this passage: Abraham's tithe (which we have already examined), and tithing under the Law of Moses (which has been canceled, as we saw earlier). In fact, this is not even a passage on tithing, it is a passage which is demonstrating the high priestly office of Christ using Melchizedek as a "type" or a "foreshadowing" of Jesus. This passage is not trying to teach any lessons on tithing, nor does it command anyone to tithe, nor does it give any examples of Christians paying any tithes. It does not justify Christian tithing.

Jacob's Bargaining with God

We have now looked at two of the three passages which mention tithing outside of the Law of Moses, and we have seen that they have no bearing on Christian tithing. The only other passage is Genesis 28:20-22:

Genesis 28:20: "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear"
Genesis 28:21: "so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God"
Genesis 28:22: "and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.""

Here we see Jacob promising to give a tenth of his possessions to God, but notice that this promise is conditional. Jacob tried to bargain with God by setting certain conditions in which God must first bless Jacob, which is hardly a good example for Christians to follow! There is no Scriptural evidence that God ever required or commanded Jacob to pay a tithe, nor is there any Scriptural evidence that God commanded anyone to pay any tithes before the Law of Moses began. There are no Scripture passages which say that anybody at that time had the custom of tithing to God (remember, the Law of Moses had not yet been instituted). There are no Scripture passages which say that Jacob ever tithed in any way either before or after he made this vow. There are no Scripture passages in the New Testament which use Jacob's vow as an example for Christian tithing. In other words, there is no Scriptural evidence at all concerning Jacob's vow which supports a doctrine of Christian tithing.

To summarize, these are the only passages in the entire Bible which mention tithing in any way either before the Law of Moses began or after it ended at the cross. As we have seen, none of these passages has any connection with a tithing doctrine for Christians. The Scriptural support just isn't there.

The "Jerusalem Conference"

After the Church was born on the day of Pentecost, thousands of Jews began putting their faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Acts 2:41, 47, 4:4, 5:14, 6:1, 7), but it wasn't until Acts 10:1-11:18 that the first Gentiles (non-Jews) converted to Christianity. There was some friction when the Gentiles started coming into the Church because certain Jews felt that the Gentiles needed to bring themselves under the Law of Moses. In Acts 15, the apostles and elders in Jerusalem met to consider this issue, and they wrote a letter to the Gentiles:

Acts 15:22: "Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers."
Acts 15:23: "With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings."
Acts 15:24: "We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said."
Acts 15:25: "So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul--"
Acts 15:26: "men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Acts 15:27: "Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing."
Acts 15:28: "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:"
Acts 15:29: "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell."

The Jewish Christians had grown up under the Law of Moses (before it was canceled at the cross), and therefore they were familiar with the idea of tithing to God. The Gentile Christians, on the other hand, were not familiar with tithing to God because they did not grow up under the Law of Moses. So if the Gentile Christians needed to begin tithing then this letter to the Gentiles from the Jewish apostles and elders would have been the perfect time to explain to the Gentiles about tithing. Yet the apostles and the elders of the Church did not say anything at all about tithing. In fact, none of the books of the New Testament ever teach Christians anything about tithing. Granted this might be considered an argument from silence, but silence is all we have in the Bible concerning Christian tithing! The weight of Scriptural evidence shows that tithing is not a New Testament principle for Christians to follow.

New Testament Passages on Money and Giving

Apart from Hebrews 6:20-7:12 (which we examined above), the New Testament is completely silent about tithing after the cross. I used to believe that tithing is an important principle, as many of us have been taught, but then I realized that the New Testament has absolutely nothing to say about Christians tithing. Jesus and the authors of the New Testament had a lot to say about money and giving, yet they never said a single thing about Christians tithing. Tithing is completely a non-issue after the Law of Moses ended at the cross.

However, giving generously is a huge issue in the New Testament. There are many principles that can be taught about our giving, but the main point is that we are told to give generously and not under compulsion. In order to allow you to do your own study of New Testament giving, and to allow the Holy Spirit to highlight anything that He might want you to see, here are the vast majority of the passages from Matthew to Revelation which concern money, offerings, greed, generosity, and so on:

Matthew 5:40: "And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well."
Matthew 5:41: "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."
Matthew 5:42: "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

Matthew 6:1: ""Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
Matthew 6:2: ""So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."
Matthew 6:3: "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,"
Matthew 6:4: "so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Matthew 6:19: ""Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal."
Matthew 6:20: "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."
Matthew 6:21: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:25: ""Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"
Matthew 6:26: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
Matthew 6:27: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?"
Matthew 6:28: ""And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow.
They do not labor or spin."
Matthew 6:29: "Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."
Matthew 6:30: "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
Matthew 6:31: "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'"
Matthew 6:32: "For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."
Matthew 6:33: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:34: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 22:21: ""Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.""

Mark 12:41: "Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts."
Mark 12:42: "But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny."
Mark 12:43: "Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others."
Mark 12:44: "They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on.""

Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.""

Luke 12:15: "Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.""

Luke 16:9: "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings."
Luke 16:10: ""Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."
Luke 16:11: "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"
Luke 16:12: "And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?"
Luke 16:13: ""No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.""

Acts 2:44: "All the believers were together and had everything in common."
Acts 2:45: "Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."

Acts 4:32: "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had."
Acts 4:33: "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all."
Acts 4:34: "There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales"
Acts 4:35: "and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."
Acts 4:36: "Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement),"
Acts 4:37: "sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet."

Acts 5:1: "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property."
Acts 5:2: "With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet."
Acts 5:3: "Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?"
Acts 5:4: "Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.""
Acts 5:5: "When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened."
Acts 5:6: "Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him."
Acts 5:7: "About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened."
Acts 5:8: "Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price.""
Acts 5:9: "Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.""
Acts 5:10: "At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband."
Acts 5:11: "Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events."

Acts 11:29: "The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea."
Acts 11:30: "This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul."

Acts 20:33: "I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing."
Acts 20:34: "You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions."
Acts 20:35: "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'""

Romans 12:6: "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith."
Romans 12:7: "If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;"
Romans 12:8: "if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

Romans 12:13: "Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Romans 13:6: "This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing."
Romans 13:7: "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."
Romans 13:8: "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law."

Romans 15:26: "For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem."
Romans 15:27: "They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings."

1 Corinthians 4:7: "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?"
1 Corinthians 4:8: "Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings--and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!"
1 Corinthians 4:9: "For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men."
1 Corinthians 4:10: "We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!"
1 Corinthians 4:11: "To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless."
1 Corinthians 4:12: "We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;"

1 Corinthians 6:7: "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?"
1 Corinthians 6:8: "Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers."

1 Corinthians 7:29: "What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;"
1 Corinthians 7:30: "those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;"
1 Corinthians 7:31: "those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away."

1 Corinthians 9:4: "Don't we have the right to food and drink?"
1 Corinthians 9:5: "Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas ?"
1 Corinthians 9:6: "Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?"
1 Corinthians 9:7: "Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk?"
1 Corinthians 9:8: "Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing?"
1 Corinthians 9:9: "For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned?"
1 Corinthians 9:10: "Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest."
1 Corinthians 9:11: "If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?"
1 Corinthians 9:12: "If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ."
1 Corinthians 9:13: "Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?"
1 Corinthians 9:14: "In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel."
1 Corinthians 9:15: "But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast."
1 Corinthians 9:16: "Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"
1 Corinthians 9:17: "If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me."
1 Corinthians 9:18: "What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it."

1 Corinthians 16:1: "Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do."
1 Corinthians 16:2: "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made."
1 Corinthians 16:3: "Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem."

2 Corinthians 2:17: "Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."

2 Corinthians 6:4: "Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;" ...
2 Corinthians 6:10: "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

2 Corinthians 8:1: "And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches."
2 Corinthians 8:2: "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity."
2 Corinthians 8:3: "For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,"
2 Corinthians 8:4: "they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints."
2 Corinthians 8:5: "And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will."
2 Corinthians 8:6: "So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part."
2 Corinthians 8:7: "But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us -- see that you also excel in this grace of giving."
2 Corinthians 8:8: "I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others."
2 Corinthians 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."
2 Corinthians 8:10: "And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so."
2 Corinthians 8:11: "Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means."
2 Corinthians 8:12: "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."
2 Corinthians 8:13: "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality."
2 Corinthians 8:14: "At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,"
2 Corinthians 8:15: "as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.""

2 Corinthians 8:19: "What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help."
2 Corinthians 8:20: "We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift."
2 Corinthians 8:21: "For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men."

2 Corinthians 9:1: "There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints."
2 Corinthians 9:2: "For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action."
2 Corinthians 9:3: "But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be."
2 Corinthians 9:4: "For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to say anything about you--would be ashamed of having been so confident."
2 Corinthians 9:5: "So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given."
2 Corinthians 9:6: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
2 Corinthians 9:7: "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 9:8: "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."
2 Corinthians 9:9: "As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.""
2 Corinthians 9:10: "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness."
2 Corinthians 9:11: "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."
2 Corinthians 9:12: "This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."
2 Corinthians 9:13: "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else."
2 Corinthians 9:14: "And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you."
2 Corinthians 9:15: "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"

2 Corinthians 11:7: "Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?"
2 Corinthians 11:8: "I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you."
2 Corinthians 11:9: "And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so."

Galatians 2:9: "James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews."
Galatians 2:10: "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."

Ephesians 5:3: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."

Philippians 4:11: "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."
Philippians 4:12: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
Philippians 4:13: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:15: "Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;"
Philippians 4:16: "for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need."
Philippians 4:17: "Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account."
Philippians 4:18: "I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God."
Philippians 4:19: "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Colossians 3:5: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."

1 Thessalonians 2:3: "For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you."
1 Thessalonians 2:4: "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts."
1 Thessalonians 2:5: "You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed --God is our witness."

1 Thessalonians 2:9: "Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you."

1 Timothy 3:2: "Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,"
1 Timothy 3:3: "not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money."

1 Timothy 3:8: "Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain."

1 Timothy 5:3: "Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need."
1 Timothy 5:4: "But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God."
1 Timothy 5:5: "The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help."
1 Timothy 5:6: "But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives."
1 Timothy 5:7: "Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame."
1 Timothy 5:8: "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

1 Timothy 5:17: "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching."
1 Timothy 5:18: "For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages.""

1 Timothy 6:3: "If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,"
1 Timothy 6:4: "he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions"
1 Timothy 6:5: "and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain."
1 Timothy 6:6: "But godliness with contentment is great gain."
1 Timothy 6:7: "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it."
1 Timothy 6:8: "But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."
1 Timothy 6:9: "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction."
1 Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

1 Timothy 6:17: "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."
1 Timothy 6:18: "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share."
1 Timothy 6:19: "In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

2 Timothy 3:1: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days."
2 Timothy 3:2: "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,"

Titus 1:7: "Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain."

James 5:1: "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you."
James 5:2: "Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes."
James 5:3: "Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days."
James 5:4: "Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty."
James 5:5: "You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter."

1 Peter 5:2: "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;"
1 Peter 5:3: "not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock."

2 Peter 2:1: "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves."
2 Peter 2:2: "Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute."
2 Peter 2:3: "In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."

1 John 3:17: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
1 John 3:18: "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

Revelation 3:17: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."
Revelation 3:18: "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
Revelation 3:19: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."

In some of the passages above, the apostle Paul commended certain churches for their "rich generosity" (2 Corinthians 8:1-4, above), and he urged the Corinthian church to "excel in this grace of giving" (2 Corinthians 8:7, above). We can see that giving generously and cheerfully, not reluctantly or under compulsion (as in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, above), is a big issue in the New Testament, and there are dozens of passages which talk about our generous giving. Yet there is not even a single verse in the entire New Testament which talks about a principle of tithing for Christians. Not one! Notice that if we are required to give 10% of our paychecks to our church (as many churches teach) then this would mean that we are under compulsion to give 10%. Yet 2 Corinthians 9:7 (above) specifically says that we must not give under compulsion!

Some Christians argue that tithing was "carried over" from the Law of Moses into the New Testament Church. But remember that the entire Law of Moses was canceled at the cross (see my article called Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments), and therefore nothing was "carried over" from the Law of Moses into the New Testament Church. In fact, Christian tithing as it is practiced today bears little resemblance to the tithing laws under the Law of Moses (as we'll see in the next section). Therefore, when Christians say that tithing was "carried over" from the Law of Moses into the New Testament period, they are contradicting their own view by not tithing in the same way that people tithed under the Law. The fact is, there is not a single passage in the entire New Testament after the cross which says that tithing was "carried over" into the New Testament period, nor that it was "carried over" and then altered into the form of tithing which is practiced today. Some people might point out that in the New Testament we see Jesus telling the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees to tithe (Matthew 23:23), but remember that the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees all lived under the Old Testament Law of Moses because the Law was still in effect before the cross.

When I was a tither, I felt that there was a distinction between our "tithes" and our "offerings." Therefore, my view was that the above passages (which talk about giving generously) are referring to our offerings, which come after our tithes. However, this view is only valid if tithing is a New Testament principle for Christians to follow. But as we have seen, the weight of Scriptural evidence shows that there is no such thing as a principle of "New Testament tithing."

Did the Israelites Use Money?

It is easy to assume that the Israelites must have been agricultural and not very familiar with using money, but money (e.g. silver pieces) was in common use hundreds of years before the time of Moses. For example, money was used in Abraham's time (as we'll see in a moment), and notice that Abraham lived centuries before the Law of Moses was instituted:

Galatians 3:16: "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ."
Galatians 3:17: "What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise."

Now, according to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, the Hebrew word keseph means:

"silver (from its pale color); by implication money: - money, price, silver (-ling)" (emphasis added)

Here are a number of passages which refer to the use of money before the first tithing commandment was given in the Law of Moses:

Genesis 17:12: "For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money [keseph] from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring."
Genesis 17:13: "Whether born in your household or bought with your money [keseph], they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant."

Genesis 17:23: "On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money [keseph], every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him."

Genesis 20:16: "To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver [keseph]. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.""

Genesis 23:9: "so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price [keseph] as a burial site among you.""

Genesis 23:13: "and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price [keseph] of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.""
Genesis 23:14: "Ephron answered Abraham,"
Genesis 23:15: ""Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver [keseph], but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.""
Genesis 23:16: "Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price [keseph] he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver [keseph], according to the weight current among the merchants."

Genesis 37:28: "So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver [keseph] to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt."

Genesis 42:25: "Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver [keseph] back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them,"
Genesis 42:26: "they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left."
Genesis 42:27: "At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver [keseph] in the mouth of his sack."
Genesis 42:28: ""My silver [keseph] has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?""

Genesis 42:35: "As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver [keseph]! When they and their father saw the money pouches [keseph], they were frightened."

Genesis 43:12: "Take double the amount of silver [keseph] with you, for you must return the silver [keseph] that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake."

Genesis 43:15: "So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver [keseph], and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph."

Genesis 43:18: "Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the silver [keseph] that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.""

Genesis 43:21: "But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver [keseph]--the exact weight--in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us."
Genesis 43:22: "We have also brought additional silver [keseph] with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver [keseph] in our sacks.""
Genesis 43:23: ""It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver [keseph]." Then he brought Simeon out to them."

Genesis 44:1: "Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver [keseph] in the mouth of his sack."
Genesis 44:2: "Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver [keseph] for his grain." And he did as Joseph said."

Genesis 44:8: "We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver [keseph] we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?"

Genesis 45:22: "To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver [keseph] and five sets of clothes."

Genesis 47:14: "Joseph collected all the money [keseph] that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment [keseph] for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace."
Genesis 47:15: "When the money [keseph] of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money [keseph] is used up.""
Genesis 47:16: ""Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money [keseph] is gone.""
Genesis 47:17: "So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock."
Genesis 47:18: "When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money [keseph] is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land."

Exodus 12:44: "Any slave you have bought [keseph] may eat of it after you have circumcised him,"

Exodus 21:11: "If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money [keseph]."

Exodus 21:32: "If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver [keseph] to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned."
Exodus 21:33: ""If a man uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it,"
Exodus 21:34: "the owner of the pit must pay for the loss; he must pay [keseph] its owner, and the dead animal will be his."
Exodus 21:35: ""If a man's bull injures the bull of another and it dies, they are to sell the live one and divide both the money [keseph] and the dead animal equally."

Exodus 22:17: "If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay [keseph] the bride-price for virgins."

Exodus 22:25: ""If you lend money [keseph] to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest."

Exodus 30:12: ""When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay [keseph] the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them."
Exodus 30:13: "Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD."
Exodus 30:14: "All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD."
Exodus 30:15: "The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives."
Exodus 30:16: "Receive the atonement money [keseph] from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives.""

Exodus 35:24: "Those presenting an offering of silver [keseph] or bronze brought it as an offering to the LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it."

Exodus 38:25: "The silver [keseph] obtained from those of the community who were counted in the census was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel--"
Exodus 38:26: "one beka per person, that is, half a shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more, a total of 603,550 men."
Exodus 38:27: "The 100 talents of silver [keseph] were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and for the curtain--100 bases from the 100 talents, one talent for each base."

Leviticus 5:15: ""When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord's holy things, he is to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver [keseph], according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering."

Leviticus 25:37: "You must not lend him money [keseph] at interest or sell him food at a profit."

Leviticus 27:2: ""Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate persons to the LORD by giving equivalent values,"
Leviticus 27:3: "set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver [keseph], according to the sanctuary shekel ;"
Leviticus 27:4: "and if it is a female, set her value at thirty shekels."
Leviticus 27:5: "If it is a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels and of a female at ten shekels."
Leviticus 27:6: "If it is a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels of silver [keseph] and that of a female at three shekels of silver [keseph]."
Leviticus 27:7: "If it is a person sixty years old or more, set the value of a male at fifteen shekels and of a female at ten shekels."

Leviticus 27:16: ""'If a man dedicates to the LORD part of his family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it--fifty shekels of silver [keseph] to a homer of barley seed."

Leviticus 27:22: ""'If a man dedicates to the LORD a field he has bought, which is not part of his family land,"
Leviticus 27:23: "the priest will determine its value up to the Year of Jubilee, and the man must pay its value on that day as something holy to the LORD."
Leviticus 27:24: "In the Year of Jubilee the field will revert to the person from whom he bought it, the one whose land it was."
Leviticus 27:25: "Every value is to be set according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel."

So from the time of Abraham we can see that money was used for buying, lending, and so on. There was also a tax imposed by Moses (2 Chronicles 24:6), and there were offerings of money which were brought to the temple (2 Kings 12:4), and there was money collected in the census (2 Kings 12:4), and there was money given for personal vows, and there was money which was brought voluntarily to the temple (2 Kings 12:4), and there was money which was used for repairing the Temple (2 Kings 12:5-15), and there was money which was used for guilt offerings and sin offerings (2 Kings 12:16), and so on. However, these Old Testament passages which talk about money are not passages on tithing. We have seen that the Israelites used money, yet nowhere in the entire Bible did God ever allow or command people to use money for their tithes, as we'll see in the next section.

What Does Malachi 3:8-10 Really Mean?

Pastors and Bible teachers are sometimes accused of deliberately twisting Scripture (out of greed) by pushing tithing, but my feeling is that most of them really do believe in a principle of "New Testament tithing." They are sincerely trying to teach the body of Christ how to receive God's blessings, and the main passage that they use is Malachi 3:8-10:

Malachi 3:8: ""Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings."
Malachi 3:9: "You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me."
Malachi 3:10: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "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."

Based on this passage, many people teach that we are robbing God when we don't pay our tithes, and that we are placing ourselves under a curse when we don't tithe, and that we are commanded to bring all of our tithes into "the storehouse of God" (in other words, all of our tithes must be paid to our local church), and that God tells us to "test" Him in the matter of tithing, and that God will open up the windows of heaven and pour out abundant blessings on us because we are tithers. That's essentially what many people teach concerning "New Testament tithing," based on the above passage.

Notice that the above passage says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse" (Malachi 3:10, above). As we will see, this command has been misinterpreted by many Christians, and God was not actually saying what many people believe He was saying.

Recall that Malachi 3:10 was written during Old Testament times, and the original readers were all living under the Law of Moses. Therefore, in order to understand what God was really saying through the prophet Malachi we need to learn about all of the tithing commandments in the Law of Moses. We'll look at everything that the Law of Moses said concerning tithing, but keep in mind that we're simply trying to discover the original intent of Malachi 3:10. As we saw earlier, the Law of Moses was totally canceled at the cross, and therefore these tithing passages are not commands for Christians to follow.

Here is the first commandment in the Old Testament concerning tithing:

Leviticus 27:30: ""'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD."
Leviticus 27:31: "If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it."
Leviticus 27:32: "The entire tithe of the herd and flock --every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod-- will be holy to the LORD."

Notice in this passage that the Jews were specifically commanded to tithe from the land and from the flock. What we'll see is that the Israelites' tithes were always meant to be edib