One thing about tithing that is most commonly debated among Christians is probably whether we should tithe or not. Some say that we are not obliged to tithe anymore since Christians are now under grace and not under the Law (Romans 6:14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.). In other words, tithing as commanded in the Old Testament is not applicable to us anymore. However, using the same logic, if tithing is not applicable to us, does that mean we should also throw out the Law because it’s in the Old Testament? We need to understand a couple of things first before concluding that tithing is an Old Testament thing and not for us.
First, we should fulfill rather than abolish the Law as Christ Himself came to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.). Grace should not be used as an excuse to get around God’s commandments. Instead, grace helps us obey His Laws. If we could just obey the Law, we could be righteous, but because of our sinful nature, we can’t. But Jesus came and made us righteous despite our shortcomings. That itself is already grace (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 3:28). God also gives us the grace that enables us to live a godly life.
Tithing in the New Testament Context
Tithing in the New Testament Context
The Bible says that we are made righteous by having Christ alone. However, that does not mean we are to throw away the Law because of that faith. Instead, we should uphold the Law all the more (Romans 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.). But that does not mean we have to follow exactly what the Jews and Israel were doing at the time of Moses. Because we are under grace, there have already been changes. Although some practices indeed are not applicable to our time right now, that doesn’t mean we’re exempt. For example, tithing in the Old Testament pertains to agriculture; that’s why the Bible uses the term “storehouse” (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 there will not be room enough to store it.), but in our present age, tithing relates to our income or salary. Tithing is still applicable to us right now, and it’s something we should still do.
Tithing in the New Testament Context
Tithing in the New Testament Context
Tithing is not just a Law requiring one to give a share of their earnings. There’s a purpose behind it, and the human heart (not your physical heart) is involved in that purpose. For example, God wants His people to trust that He is faithful enough to provide for them and pour out blessings upon them even if they have to give ten percent of what they receive. Even Jesus said to still give your tithes to the Lord. In (Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.), Jesus rebuked the Pharisees about them tithing (they are very good at it) yet failing in other important matters, which were justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Jesus continued on to say that they ought to do those things without neglecting tithing. Of course, in our context, we don’t have a temple to give our tithes to. But what we do have is a church, and just like how tithing in the Old Testament contributes to God’s work, so do the tithes we give to our churches today. In Philippians 4:14-16, we see the partnership that the Philippian church had with Paul’s ministry work as an example.
Tithing in the New Testament Context
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