Tithing was an Old Testament practice, which became a requirement under the Law. We are going to examine what the Bible has to say on the issue of tithing and keep the passages in their correct context. In so doing, you are going to find that the Bible condemns many of your "pastor's" around the world who follow a tradition implemented in the 4th century under the reign of Emperor Constantine.
In Genesis 14 (cf. Hebrews 7:1-10), after winning the battle of kings, Abraham encounters Melchizedek, who was both king and priest. Abraham then gives to Melchizedek a tenth of his spoils from the battle—voluntarily. In Abraham's 175 years on this Earth, he tithed only once, and it was from the spoils of war—not from his earnings. His act of tithing would be similar to you winning the lottery or receiving a work bonus, and then tithing from it.
In Genesis 28:10-22, Jacob makes a vow to God to give a tenth of all God gives to him if God will keep him safe and bring him back to his father's house. There is no record as to whether Jacob, the Usurper, kept this vow.
In Leviticus 27:30-33 and Numbers 18:8-32, the legal requirement of tithing is made known—and clear. The Levites received no land inheritance from God, but were to be taken care of by the other tribes. 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 (widows, fatherless, etc.), and there was the Levitical tithe. These
tithes equate to 30-33%. But notice what these tithes were. It was not money! These tithes were edible items—oil, wine, grain, animals from their herds and flocks, etc. These tithes were food! These passages have to do with the tribe of Levi, the Levitical priesthood—not a 21st century "pastor"!
Deuteronomy 14:22-29 is the only location where you find money in relation to tithing. But what does the text say? If your tithe was too much to carry across a long distance, you were allowed to exchange it for money, and once you got to where you were going you were to exchange it back. It was for the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.
In Malachi 3:8-15, which is frequently eisegeted by dishonest preachers in order to line their own pockets, God is condemning the Jews who were failing to pay their legally required tithe. In other words, they were refusing to pay their taxes. They were refusing to take care of the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows. They were robbing God. Again, this had to do with food and not with money! Pay attention to verse 10. Preachers who use this verse to guilt congregants into giving their money to provide for their lifestyle are false teachers. Because they are dishonest with their treatment of this passage, and quite likely willfully so, they are disqualified from ministry. They are liars.
In Matthew 23:23-24, Jesus curses the Scribes and Pharisees. They would tithe a tenth of even their spices, and yet they neglected the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, truth, faithfulness, etc. Jesus was not commanding a tithe here. He was acknowledging their tithing, as part of the Law, but highlighting their neglect of more important aspects of the Law. Even though the Law required sacrifices, God had told them that He desires loyalty, knowledge of God, and obedience to the voice of God rather than sacrifices.
In 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15), this giving (not "tithing") was a relief collection for the suffering church in Jerusalem (see Acts 11:27-30). Not once in the New Testament will you find an example, requirement, or command to give money to support a "pastor." Not once will you find an example where the church paid someone to deliver a message to them. This practice originated with the Greek Sophists around 500 B.C. and was incorporated into religious temples and institutions under the reign of Emperor Constantine in the 4th century after he had built temples for Christians to worship in. Every other religion had their temples and priestly castes, and now so too would Christians. The church has never been the same ever since.
Do you see what paying attention to the context of Scripture results in? It results in you being set free from the demands and shackles that have been placed upon you by godless, unbiblical, anti-Christian religious institutes calling themselves "churches." For the first 200-300 years of the early Christians, they went from house to house worshiping God (Acts 2:2, 46; 16:40; 20:20; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phile. 1:2 [and if you would like to eisegete it, you can include Matt. 18:20 here]). They had no temples. There was not a single person monologuing to the whole. The body is not made up of one mouth and many ears. "What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ... But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (1 Cor. 14:26; 30-33).
Giving in the New Testament is to support missionaries/church planters (which is what the apostles were), the needy, the poor, the fatherless, the widows, the sick, and the imprisoned. It is to be distributed among the church first, among your town second, and among the world third. Once you have looked after the needy in the church, you can look after the needy in your own town or local area (but make sure the Gospel is presented with it, otherwise you are merely clothing and feeding them while sending them off comfortably to Hell). Once those have been looked after, you can then look after those across the globe.
If you want to see what doing the work of Jesus and the kingdom looks like, look no further than this: "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" (Matt. 25:34-40). This is what New Testament giving ought to look like.
Your money should not be going to pay one person's (or a group of people's) salary, the bills for a building, or the maintenance and upkeep of that building. Have you ever noticed how little of the money gathered by religious institutions on Sunday mornings actually goes to where the Bible prescribes it ought to go? How much actually goes to missions or to the needy or to widows or to orphans? Less than 10%? And, again, it is not about money. What do the following groups of people predominantly need the most: widows, orphans, sick, imprisoned? Nourishment! When you encounter homeless people in your own town or area, what do they need the most? Nourishment! Perhaps even clothing and shelter. A wise individual will not give these people money because you have no idea where that will end up being used. Quite possibly on alcohol and drugs. If they truly are in need, they will have no problem with you buying their food, clothing, or whatever. If money is actually required, such as paying a bill, you can pay it for them without giving them the money. Again, how do you know the money is going where they say it is going? Christians are to be wise and discerning, not gullible and naive.
You can read my previous two articles on tithing below:
Tithing (2012)
Tithing: Is It Christian? (2020)