Don’t Tithe!!???
I was surprised last week to see the front cover of the primary mainstream Christian magazine in UK and read the title - Don’t Tithe! At first I thought it was going to refer to an ironic article that acually meant ‘Do Tithe’, but don’t do it out of legalism. Imagine my shock when I read the article and found it actually meant what it said, and was an attempt at arguing that tithing is not taught in the Bible. You can read the beginning of the article here.
I could hardly believe it and yet I should not really be surprised any more. On reflection, I came to three main conclusions:
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I continue to be completely disappointed with the spiritual shallowness of mainstrean Christianity in the UK, perhaps represented by Christianity magazine. It inevitably goes for the ‘lowest-common denominator’ form of evangelical, ever-so-slightly charismatic (or renewalist) Christianity and is emptied out of anything radical, fervent, gutsy, full of faith or geninely challenging. It is frequently occupied with passing fads and lightweight excuses for spirituality.
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It was irresponsible of the Christian leader who wrote the article and the magazine for publishing it, because one of the whole points of tithing is that it is an expression of our faith in God that he is our Provider and that whatever the financial challenges we face, he will provide all that we need. From the very beginning, the article cut right across this. Many people in churches struggle to learn this important faith step, and they need to be helped and encouraged to do so - certainly not condemmed, but neither given an easy cop-out so they never learn to grow in faith for finance and to enjoy the blessing that tithing releases. Tithing has got nothing to do with legalism, or so-called and often mis-represented ‘prosperity teaching.’ It isa joy and a privilege to tithe as an expression of faith and an opportnuity to prove God’s faithfulness and goodness again and again. For a better understanding and experience of tithing see what my freind Richard Anniss, leader of King’s Church, Manchester, has to say about it.
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We would do well to get some clear and thorough teaching ‘out there’ on tithing (and faith for finance generally) and not just the occasional assertion of its value. It is true that there is very little about it in the New Testament, and though it is true that tithing is before the Law (see Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek, a type of Christ, in Gen.14) and I believe that this period - what Jesus refers to as ‘at the beginning’ hold keys to many spiritual truths, it raises the need for us to get clear on exactly how we feel the Old Testament is meant to be used under the new covenant. Some good clear and thorough teaching on this generally and in relation to tithing specifically would be good to get ‘out there’ to the wider Christian constituency and not just ‘in here’ to our own churches. Can anyone recommend a good book on this subject? And is anyone provoked to start writing prophetically on such stuff, that can get out and challenge the lightweight pap that dominates the mainstream?!
March 28th, 2006 @ 3:30 pm
[…] I have just read about on Trevor Lloyds blog about an article in Christianity magazine written by a minister who believes that tithing is not in the word of God. Like Trev I believe firmly that this man has got it wrong. […]
March 28th, 2006 @ 5:36 pm
The NT may not say much on tithing, but it says enough; both Matthew (23:23) and Luke (11:42) witness to Jesus’ affirmation of tithing as a principle - and 2 witnesses establish a word.
Is this some kind of misguided exercise in bringing freedom to people, doesn’t the scripture say, “you will know the truth and the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:32)?
Anyone who teaches the Word of God should make themselves familiar with James 3:1!
March 28th, 2006 @ 8:59 pm
It is important that we give feedback to magazines such as this.
We need to get our voices heard.
March 28th, 2006 @ 9:10 pm
Terribly interesting topic and one that I’ve been thinking a good bit about as of late. I do sympathize with those who claim that tithing, as understood to be a required 10% of a person’s income, is not a practice that can be carried over from Levitical law and applied in exactly the same way to the Church under the New Covenant. In this sense, it seems that the observations that are made in this article about the specific applications of a 10% tithe in the Old Testament are valid and very insightful. However, it would seem that this shouldn’t be used a reason to release of from a bare minimum of giving 10%, but rather as incentive to give at least that and much more in response to the grace shown to us in Christ and the great need of our brothers and sister in the Church. Really interesting stuff.
March 28th, 2006 @ 10:57 pm
Trevor, I share your feelings about the Tithing article but disagree that “Christianity is emptied out of anything radical, fervent, gutsy, full of faith or genuinely challenging.” You will find a 3-page article in the same magazine about young Christians who are deliberately moving from the leafy suburbs to live as tent-making missionaries in inner city Manchester. That’s exactly the kind of gutsy faith which does deserve to be profiled and celebrated.
March 29th, 2006 @ 5:33 am
It was just pointed out to me what a sloppy comment that was. I should say, “this shouldn’t be used as a reason to release us from a bare minimum.”
March 29th, 2006 @ 8:55 am
Amen.
I echo Matthew’s comment entirely, and would also add Matthew 5:19, 2Timothy 3:16… etc.
I am provoked, Trevor. I plan to write a few posts on my blog in response to this. Starting with the authority of God’s eternal word. As you rightly point out, how we apply the Old Testament is vitally important. If tithing is a principle in God’s word for any time, then it is a principle for all time. Unless you can show it was fulfilled by the cross, or set aside as a foreshadow of a new covenant spiritual reality - which you cannot.
The default for all God’s word is its eternal validity. We do not need a NT word to confirm OT truth (even though as Matthew points out, we have it.) We need specific NT clarification *not* to apply anything which God lays out in the OT…
See, I’m off already!
March 29th, 2006 @ 9:37 am
Hi Trevor,
I just want echo what Chris and Matthew have said. I was watching a Christian channel recently and David Pawson was on and stated that he could find “no evidence” to tithing in all of the New Testament.
The footage of Mr. Pawson was not recent by any means and perhaps he has since changed his viewpoint, but I felt so sad that so many are being robbed of the joy of giving and of an eternal truth that precedes the Mosaic law and is, as Matthew says above, endorsed by Jesus.
March 29th, 2006 @ 10:56 am
The extract of the article stated that when tithing is mentioned in the NT it is not to a Christian audience - it is when I read the Bible! Every promise of God is yes and Amen in Christ to me.
March 29th, 2006 @ 4:36 pm
Yet another nail in the coffin of a Christianity that has committed spiritual suicide by drifting away from the Word of God. They criticise us for our stance on things like finance (’prosperity teaching’) and then wonder why we have the money we need to extend the Kingdom into nations like Cuba (120 pastors supported fulltime). I gave up reading magazines like Christianity ages ago; it was so banal and ‘nice’ it actually offended me.
March 30th, 2006 @ 4:54 pm
I think the mans article is perfectly consistent with a dispensational hermeneutic. This is exactly why we Spirit filled Christians need to get clear on the continuation of the so called Old Covenant (I would argue one covenant)into the New. I am convinced that Paul or the other NT writers did not need to teach on tithing because it was already taught. They did not teach the radical discontinuity we teach concerning the Old and the New, at least in terms of objective standards of conduct. Thus they did not have to hold the indiffencable position that the OT is not a valid objective standard of conduct where properly understood, and still try to teach tithing. As sited earlier by Chris, the OT was used to train the man of God in his conduct. The best book I have read on the subject is by Gary North, yes the reconstuctionist beast, called “Tithing and the Church”
Doug H.
March 30th, 2006 @ 8:11 pm
This Blog has certaintly ruffled a few feathers.
Some teach that tithing is a way to worship God,
but so was burnt offerings under the old testament.
We must always keep in mind brothers that there is
not one example of anyone tithing money to anyone in the entirety of the bible. Yet some teach to the elderly and the disabled people that they are expected
to tithe on their measly income…Are we not to give to the needy?
In my study, I can’t find the Apostle Paul tithing,
He never taught Gentiles to tithe, never collected
tithes, and never accepted tithes. In all his epistles
Paul never mentioned tithes. Why does not Peter, James, John or Jude mention tithing in any of their epistles ?
Perhaps this man you mention, needs further investigation. Because tithing in the Church first appears centuries after completion of the Bible.
Perhaps we should all seek the Lord on this important
subject again. We all tend to want to do the physical things to prove our spirituality But God doesn’t want our physical things, God want’s a Broken Heart and
a contrite spirit {1 sam 15.22}
Just a comment from another christian
April 1st, 2006 @ 5:35 pm
In response to Doug Hume:
Although I find hyper dispensationalism to be quite unbiblical, no one I know doubts the dispensations of the Old and New covenants as Hebrews 8:8-13 tells us. Verse 13 couldn’t be more specific “In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
A lot of doctrine has been fulfilled in Christ and therefore not applicable to Christians in the same sense that the Old Covenant communicated it, it’s my opinion for what it’s worth that tithing is included. I’ve never read or heard a meaningful scholarly argument that proved tithing from the New Testament, that’s why many theologians are being honest about it. That said there must be Christian giving and if you decide to give 10% or more then that’s between you and God, it’s time Christians stopped being so stingy and pastors stopped using scripture out of context to try and get their parishioners to give, Christ give his all that should be reason enough.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to communicate with “This is exactly why we Spirit filled Christians”? I ‘m not familiar with any other type of Christian according to scripture, “Romans 8:9 Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” You either have the Spirit or you’re not a Christian. Unless you’re into the unbiblical idea that we have to speak in tongues, make animal noises, and fall around under some mass hysterical trance that I have so often seen masquerading as being filled with the Spirit. I apologize in advance if I sound a rather irritated, but my experience after being involved with the charismatic movement for 15 years is, that there are some folk out there who have never spoken in tongues; and as such would have been thought of as lacking in the fullness of the Spirit, only to prove that they had more biblical fruit and guts than our whole charismatic fellowship put together.
In Christ
Mark Robins
April 3rd, 2006 @ 6:51 pm
This comment is in regards to Rogers comment.
Yet another nail in the coffin of a Christianity that has committed spiritual suicide by drifting away from the Word of God. They criticise us for our stance on things like finance (’prosperity teaching’) and then wonder why we have the money we need to extend the Kingdom into nations like Cuba (120 pastors supported fulltime). I gave up reading magazines like Christianity ages ago; it was so banal and ‘nice’ it actually offended me.
I am at this time nothing more than an outsider regarding the different strands of Christianity, so just an enquiry. Roger are you stating that the prosperity message is right because you have the money to spread your ministry (Cuba etc.)? I am told that by JW’s and Mormans all the time, yet surely you disagree that God is blessing them, because they have the finance to teach their messages? Obviously one of you has to be wrong, so do you not think it is dangerous to base your teaching on tithing on the basis of money you have to spread your word?
April 7th, 2006 @ 10:34 am
Neil: thanks for the comeback. I don’t believe there is such a thing as ‘the prosperity message’. If financial prosperity is the sign of God’s blessing then Bill Gates must be God’s favourite! I don’t base my teaching on tithing on having the money to spread the word; I teach tithing because of my understanding of the nature of God. When I tithe I don’t give God anything; I am bringing him what is already his - 10 percent. It’s only when I have tithed that I am in the place to give. Many people miss this point: tithing is not giving; it’s an act of bringing to God what is already his. And once I have tithed I am free to give.
Tithing and giving offerings releases the blessing of God, enabling us to bless the world. It’s not to make us millionaires. My point was that Christians who oppose tithing often plead poverty (I get letters all the time from such people, asking us to support this project and that project because they don’t have the money). Jesus taught more about money than almost anything else; simply because it comes down to whether we serve God or Mammon (the whole spirit behind money).
Sorry to have gone on a bit; thanks for the question. Don’t get hooked up on ‘prosperity teaching’; God wants to bless you so that you can be blessed and be a blessing.
April 7th, 2006 @ 10:53 pm
Isn’t everything we own given and provided for us from God. Aren’t our jobs given to us from God. When we sing songs like ‘I will worship, give you everthing’ do we mean just that. The guy who used to lead our church said the last thing to be converted is a mans wallet. I love that statement it’s so true. Money is indeed a god and one that shouts for our attention all the time. Once again I don’t think the issue is God needing our financial help. As he owns the cattle on a thousand hills I think He is well able, but isn’t it our heart once again and our surrender to His will that he is looking for. To be able to trust Him for everything. God gave us His only Son, I don’t see how money has any real value in our life except to bless Gods people with it. God loves a cheerful giver. If we’re not cheerful then don’t give. God doesn’t need it, are we bold enough to trust Him with our money. I think it’s a safe bet.
May 15th, 2006 @ 10:54 am
Tithing is an eternal pricniple. Notice how it was in the heart of both Abraham and Jacob to give one tenth without being instructed to. Under the Law of Moses God required the people to give a tithe. Consider the fact that God’s people tithed in the Old Testament, and given the fact that the book of Hebrews tells us that we are under a better covenant, we should then be actually giving more than one tenth.
Tithing creates expectancy in the heart of a believer and triggers a relase of faith. I strongly advocate the practice of tithing.