Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes . . . (Malachi 3.10-11)
For the first twenty years of my Christian life, as a faithful tither, I can say that I never once questioned the validity of tithing as a New Testament doctrine. That all changed when I set out to see what the Word really had to say about it. (Don’t ask what took me so long.) What I found changed my whole perspective on tithing, and has greatly enhanced my appreciation for Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the cross. While I had to be brutally honest with myself over what the Word really says about tithing, I would rather be in alignment with what the Word says, than what others may teach. As a result, I thought I’d share some of what I found in the Word with you.
If you’re like me you have heard Malachi 3.10 used again and again to teach tithing. Maybe you not only heard it taught but you’ve stood on that scripture for yourself as a means of making sure God’s blessing was upon your life. But there’s a really important question about that verse that needs to be addressed. Are we to ignore the fact that Malachi 3.10 was written to men who were still under the law and therefore subject to it? Even for those who contend that tithing existed before the law, is there any justification in holding up Malachi 3.10 as a proof-text for New Testament tithing when it distinctly pertains only to those required to tithe under the law? Not only is it unjustifiable, it’s dishonest.
Also, in Malachi 3.11 there is a promise to those under the law, that if they would tithe as required, the Lord would rebuke the devourer (Mal. 3.11) on their behalf. All of that changed when Jesus came and gave us authority over the devil in His name. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10.19 ASV.) When Jesus distributed His authority over the devil to us, the tithing system under the law was no longer required. Now we have the authority over the devourer, and it’s based on our identity in Christ, not because we tithe, as it was under the law.
What about Abraham? Didn’t he tithe hundreds of years before the law was given? Yes he did. However, before you cling to Abraham as an example of tithing, don’t forget, he only tithed once; he was never commanded to tithe; and it was merely something he purposed in his own heart to do. And he didn’t even tithe on all that he had, but only on the spoils of a recently won battle.
. . . even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. (Heb. 7.4)
Doesn’t this disqualify Abraham as an example of perpetual, obligatory tithing outside of the law?
Additionally, Proverbs 3.9 is a common verse used by those who claim tithing to be a “universal truth” superseding both covenants.
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. (Prov. 3.9-10)
Well, should we also ignore that Solomon, who penned this proverb, was as a man living under the law? Since all who were under the law were to bring the first-fruits of their harvest to the temple, Solomon was simply echoing his, as well as his son’s, obligation to abide by the law. There is no universal truth here regarding tithing. Tithing was only mandated under the law. It was never intended to overreach its purpose under the Old Covenant and end up undermining justification by grace through faith.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (Gal. 3.24-25.)
When tithing is taught as New Testament doctrine to believers who are dead to the law, it only frustrates the grace of God, because the law is not of faith (Gal.3.12.) Therefore, obligating men to tithe according to Malachi 3.10 subverts the faith that has come and relegates Christ’s death to be in vain.
Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation. (Malachi 3.8-9)
Fear of not tithing (unduly imposed upon believers) lest you fall under a curse, shows an immense disregard for Christ’s work of redeeming us from the curse of the law. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (Gal. 3.13.) Our redemption from the curse of the law falls entirely on faith in Christ, not on if we tithe. And since tithing is not of faith as we saw earlier (Gal. 3.12 – the law is not of faith), it’s a work of the flesh. While the blessings were conditional under the law, in Christ, there are no conditions to be met outside of faith in His finished work. If you believe that tithing is necessary in order to avoid the curse and walk in the blessing, it’s no longer faith in Christ’s work, but your own works in which you trust. It’s like Paul said, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight (Rom. 3.20.)
When tithing is taught under the New Covenant it subverts faith in Christ’s finished work. We should never forget that Christ is the end of the Law . . to everyone that believes (Rom.10.4.) Because we are identified with Christ in His death, it’s also true that we were made dead to the law through the body of Christ (Rom. 7.4 ASV.) Imposing Malachi 3.10 upon believers undermines the extent of what Jesus paid for on their behalf.
The bottom line is this. We are to trust in Christ’s finished work! This is the gospel. It was all accomplished by Jesus, and there is nothing we can add to it. Not even our tithe.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
HI, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCLUSIONS. I’VE PAYED TITHES SINCE 1978 BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT IF I DIDN’T I WOULD BE CURSED AND I WAS ROBBING THE LORD. I WAS UNDER SO MUCH BONDAGE. I LET BILLS GO BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT I WAS TAUGHT. I, LIKE YOU, DEEPLY STUDIED TITHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. IT WAS NOT FOUND. ONLY HEART GIVING UNTO THE LORD WITH JOY (2 COR. 9.6-15) MY PASTOR IS NOT HAPPY WITH THIS. HE FEELS THAT I’M NOT FOLLOWING THE DENOMINATION. I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW SO CALLED TEACHERS OF THE WORD MISS THIS? SOMETIMES I FEEL ALONE IN MY STUDIES COMPARED WHAT I’M TAUGHT. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS. MIKE
Hi Mike. Thanks for your comment. Be encouraged, there’s a good number of believers out there who are going through exactly what you are. Hang in there. Staying with the Word is always the right thing to do, even if you seem to be alone in it.
John
In prov 3:9 its says to ‘Honor God with our substance”
Since that was old test does that mean we no longer need to Honor God? Do we Honor God in every way but in our substance?
Bible says that we are free from the curse of the laws but it doesnt say we no longer can reap the benifits of keeping the laws. You see the laws are only a curse when they are broken, but a blessing if they are kept. In context the bible speaks of those that break the laws, but what does it say for those that keep them? We are free from the law of sin and death not the law of the blessing.
Bible says the laws will contunue until Jesus’s work was accomplished,Is Jesus really done with all his work? Has he accomplished everything yet? I dont believe he is done because there is still a rapture that he must lead ,correct?
Let me ask this…Just because God did not directly command us to pay tithes does that mean the tithe no longer belongs to him? or do we assume that since he didnt ask then it must be all ours and we no longer owe him anything? What about Honor, do we owe him that and if so why is the substance excluded?
example: I gave my younger brother a few hundred dollars to help him out. I told him he must pay me back(mostly to teach responsability). Well if he didnt pay me what belongs to me im not going punish him or curse him becuase i love him, i have grace towards him, but that doesnt mean that he didnt fail to give me what belonged to me. It was most certainly honorable to not pay me what belongs to me.
Do we no longer suffer curse if we dont tithe. Maybe not, but i know what life is like when i dont tithe and there is certainly evidence of a curse that surely follows. I never did read the intire law of gravity but i have dropped something on my toe before and learned it first hand.
We do indeed now tithe out of love, but that tithe will allways belong to God and not giving it to him will allways be stealing wether we are cursed for it or not.
Kyle,
You cannot honor God by dishonoring Christ. If you really believe that “the blessing,” as you call it, is obtained by keeping the law or by tithing, then what do you need Christ for; or if you seek the benefits of keeping the law, Christ shall benefit you nothing. (Christ is become of no effect unto you who are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace. Gal. 5.4)
Did you know that not all of the Jews were required to tithe? Jesus, Peter, John and the others never did. It was for those who were farmers; not all were. How does a carpenter or a fisherman tithe on all of those wheat fields he doesn’t have? You willingly burden yourself with a yoke of bondage you were never meant to carry, nor are you able. (Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Gal. 5.1) You have a heart to give, and that’s a wonderful thing. Just seek out the pattern that Paul encourages in the NT. You won’t find him point to the law or to tithing, but rather, away from it.
Does this mean you believe the tithe no longer belongs to God?
Tithing is only bondage for those who tithe under a commandment to tithe, but the blessings(what the bible calls blessing, not me) comes through the tithe given out of love. Christ is the high preist and praise God he is still receiving tithe today! Just like all other High Priest in the pass. The only difference is that he receives tithing through love.
We do have commandments in the new testiment. We are not lawsless. Our new commandment is to love God.
Do you think you can stil not tithe and still be loving God? Can you do that?
So I ask again… Does the tithe belong to God or does it not?
It’s hard for me to believe that you answer is “no”.
Well my answer is no! And yes, I am a generous towards others, but tithing free lover of God. Those under the law were obligated by God to tithe, and yes, their tithes belonged to God.
But Kyle, I am dead, and my life is hid with Christ in God.(Col.3.3) I am not my own, I am bought with a price.(1 Cor. 6.20) The life that I now live I live by the faith of the son of God.(Gal. 2.20) In my giving I’m led by the Spirit, and if I’m led by the Spirit, I am not under the law.(Gal. 5.18) I have been called unto freedom; only I use not my freedom as an occasion to the flesh, but by love I serve my brothers.(Gal. 5.13)
The blessing does not come from the tithe my friend, it comes through faith in Christ. The blessing of Abraham is mine and yours through Christ’s work, not ours, and we receive this promise of the Spirit through faith.(Gal.3.13-14)
The OT servants of God followed rules, the NT sons of God follow the Spirit. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.(Rom. 8.14) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.(Gal. 5.18)
Abraham looked forward to this day, when Christ’s work would secure the blessing. He saw it and was glad (John 8.56), yet you are compelled to turn away from the thing he greatly desired and look back to his day. We are in Christ, not Abraham. As Jesus said, “begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father.” (Luke 3.8)
We have many teachers among us today, just as Paul did, who spoil the gospel by bringing believers under the condemnation of the law. Hear what Paul had to say of these men.
“For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain . . . Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.” (Titus 1.10-14)
I love this discussion! I have been a teacher of the tithe for many years, only because I was lead by the “blind” into the teaching. And we all know that if the blind lead the blind then both fall into the ditch. I really wasn’t interested in falling into the ditch(pit). I’ve heard the tithe taught even in the garden(God’s tree being the tithe). There is little teaching on the totality of migration from OT to NT covenant. Sadly, but the yearly sin offering of the OT is now happening every 7 days(Sunday), for many but not all. It’s so sad how Authoritarian/Dictators have assumed positions in leadership and have changed Christianity into Churchianity! I’ve also seen Mat 23:23 used talking of the scribes and Pharisees paying tithe of Anise, Cumin and mint. Jesus said,” These ye ought to have done…”. What folks don’t understand is that they were under the law when He told them this. I get the same garbage with demon possession and Christians. People say that if “Born-Again” Peter can have a demon then all of us can. Well, Peter wasn’t born-again because Christ had not yet died and been resurrected. The knowledge is increasing as was prophesied and there will be a great dissension between true believers and OT saints in a NT world.