To tithe or not to tithe?

Next week our Sunday School class will be discussing Abram and Lot (Genesis 12–15:6). In the passage is the first mention of tithing in the Bible (Genesis 14:18-20). Since the last post was about giving, I thought this might be a good opportunity to talk about tithing. This is a little dangerous because I believe that many Christians struggle with the issue of tithing. I am sure that in some churches tithing is over-emphasized while in others it may be ignored completely. Giving is intended to be a joy, but many times that is not the case in the church today.

Here are a few thoughts on tithing. Both the Hebrew (ma`aser) and Greek (dekate) words for tithe mean a tenth. Did you ever wonder why God chose a tenth? In the Bible the number 10 means the whole or the entirety. The 10 commandments represent the whole law and the 10 lepers that were healed in Luke 17 represent all of mankind.

So by tithing 1/10 we are not just giving back 10% of our income to God, we are acknowledging that God is the owner of all that we possess. (Psalm 24:1)

This first mention of tithing in Genesis is about 400 - 500 years before tithing became part of the law (Leviticus 27:30-32). So the practice of tithing actually preceded the law by quite a few years.

Moving to the New Testament, we don’t see any reference to a legalistic tithe; however we see the early church giving far beyond the tithe (Acts 2:44-45) and we see Paul commending the Macedonians for their great generosity (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Paul does state that believers should set aside a portion of their income in order to support the church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) and giving is certainly encouraged throughout the New Testament.

So the question is: Is the tithe still relevant in today’s church? After all it was an Old Testament concept/law and we are not under law anymore, we are under grace. This is true, Praise God!

But, did you ever notice that when we move from law to grace the standard is always raised? The 10 commandments told us not to commit adultery or murder. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that a lustful thought or harboring a hateful attitude in our heart is just as bad. Galatians 3:24 says that…”the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ”. Could it be that the tithe is our tutor to lead us to giving?

So we don’t tithe today because of a legalistic law, we tithe because it serves as a physical demonstration of our commitment to God. It acknowledges His Lordship and His Ownership of all areas of our lives including our finances

If we believe that God owns everything and grace raised the standard from the law, then the 10% tithe could be the starting point for giving today and not the ending point.

We don’t give because the law tells us to; we give with pure motives and an attitude of worship to God and service. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says that “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”. We give because we love God, and the OT Tithe is a great school to lead us to cheerful giving today.