Tithing: Is it Christian?

This is an addendum, and/or correction, to what I previously wrote on Tithing, which should cease to be called "tithing" and be called "giving" instead.

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." Malachi 3:8-10

This verse is often used by pastors to guilt their congregants into giving. But what is the biblical truth concerning giving? In order to understand that, we need to turn to the Bible, which ought to be our only rule for faith and practice. Are you ready to learn the truth and be set free from the yoke of bondage that has been placed upon you?

First of all, let us examine the tithe of Israel once again. In my previous blog article, I wrote:

The nation of Israel was required to pay tithes in order to run the country. These were basically taxes. They were mandatory and commanded. There was the tithe for their festivals (of which there were 7), there was the tithe for the poor, and there was the Levitical tithe. These tithes equate to 30-33%.

Frank Viola, in Pagan Christianity?, writes:

The Lord instituted three kinds of tithes for Israel as part of their taxation system. They are:

• A tithe of the produce of the land to support the Levites who had no inheritance in Canaan (Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers 18:21-31).
  
• A tithe of the produce of the land to sponsor religious festivals in Jerusalem. If the produce was too burdensome for a family to carry to Jerusalem, they could convert it into money (Deuteronomy 14:22-27).
  
• A tithe of the produce of the land collected every third year for the local Levites, orphans, strangers, and widows (Deuteronomy 14:28-29, 26:12-13.
  

This was the biblical tithe.

Do we have the above straight in our minds? Do we understand this? Okay, let us continue.

Most churches today have a weekly "goal" that they need met by the giving of their congregants. What does this money typically go to? The pastor's unscriptural salary, the bills for the building (electricity, heating, water, taxes—unless exempt, loans), maintenance and upkeep, etc.

Many pastors today will reference Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek, proof-texting the passage in order to make tithing compulsory rather than letting the Bible speak for itself. In the 175 years that Abraham lived on the earth, how many times did he tithe? Once! Was he tithing out of his own regular earnings? No, he was not! He tithed out of the spoil he acquired after a battle he fought. His act of tithing would be similar to you winning the lottery or receiving a work bonus, and then tithing it. And his tithing was completely voluntary! He was not obligated to tithe any of it.

So what is Malachi 3:8-10 speaking about? We just reminded ourselves that the tithe of Israel was essentially their taxation. What the Jews were doing was refusing to pay their taxes. It would be like you refusing to pay taxes in the USA or Canada, or whatever country you belong to. Yet, tithing was about food; never about money.

As Frank Viola rightly points out, "Tithing belonged exclusively to Israel under the Law. When it comes to financial stewardship, we see the first-century Christians giving cheerfully according to their ability—not dutifully out of a command. Giving in the early church was voluntary. And those who benefited from it were the poor, orphans, widows, sick, prisoners, and strangers." Never was the giving to line the pastor's pocket or to pay for the upkeep of a building that predominantly sits empty!

If the religious building you attend is not using your giving appropriately, the way the New Testament prescribes its use, then you are not obligated to give them anything! It is your responsibility to make sure your money is used how God intended, and thus you should be distributing it where it is most needed. Use your money to support an orphanage, a local shelter or soup kitchen, widows who have no family to look after them, or those in desperate situations who need help. Since the building was never part of God's prescribed plan to begin with, you are not obligated to support its existence! If you want to, that is up to you, but you are not required to do so. Your giving should go primarily where it was intended to go in the first place: the poor, orphans, widows, sick, prisoners, and strangers.

Do you see how knowing the truth on this issue sets you free? Do you see how there is no condemnation placed upon you? You are not obligated or under compulsion to give. Giving is supposed to be voluntary in relation to what you have determined (2 Cor. 9:7), what you are able (Acts 11:27-39), and how the Lord has prospered you (1 Cor. 16:1-2). The early Christians gave in order to help other believers, to support apostolic workers planting churches, and to look after the poor, the orphans, the widows, the sick, etc. Period! This is why people such as philosopher Galen were able to say, "Behold how they love one another."

Any pastor or "church" that tries to compel you to give by guilt, demand, or bullying, let him/them be damned! They are concerned with their own pocket and the budget to run a building that never should have been in the first place. You follow after God, not mens' compulsion.