Is Tithing Biblical?

I pray that you open your Bible and walk through this concept with me.  I've questioned tithing with numerous pastors and they couldn't show me in scripture where the tithe was changed from food products to sustain the Levitical priests and the poor, to money.  I've even had one tell me that there wasn't much money back in those days, which is false, because Jesus would have had no tables to overturn in the temple, if that was the case.


I've had a pastors convince me that it was a matter of faith and that there was no way to be baptized without tithing first.

We can see here that early churches didn't require tithing:

The Encyclopedia Britannica records: 

"The Christian Church depended at first on voluntary gifts from its members." 

The Americana says: 

"It [tithing] was not practiced in the early Christian Church." 

The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: 

"The early Church had no tithing system...it was not that no need of supporting the Church existed or was recognized, but rather that other means appeared to suffice." 

So why institute it later and call it biblical truth?  Is it to build these huge "Mega Churches" and give pastors jets and helicopters?  (Pastors shouldn't even be paid, as can be seen in Paul's ministry of how he supported himself by making tents and spread the Word of God on his own time.  But that's another post entirely.)

Ultimately, if a change can't be found in the Bible, I don't accept any man-made traditions.  Nowhere in the Bible is there a reference to tithing being on anything other than produce and farm animals.  Jesus didn't tithe his chairs, Paul didn't tithe his tents, etc.   Neither of them tithed the money that they received from these "professions".  Jesus did make a way to pay the temple tax for himself and a disciple, but this cannot be confused with tithing.  (And also, how could the masses pay this temple tax if there "wasn't much money" back then.

The Bible does talk about free will offerings as being separate from tithing.  This can be seen with the woman who offered all that she had in Mark Chapter 12: 

The Widow's Offering:

"He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”  Mark 12:41-44 (NRSV) 

As I spend more time reading my Bible, I find myself comparing it's teachings to the churches of today.  There are many inconsistencies, tithing being one of them. 

Did you know that God commanded the Israelites to EAT some of their own tithes as part of rejoicing in what God provided them?  In Deuteronomy Chapter 14, we see: 

"Set apart a tithe of all the yield of your seed that is brought in yearly from the field. In the presence of the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose as a dwelling for his name, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, your wine, and your oil, as well as the firstlings of your herd and flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always." Deuteronomy 14:22-23 (NRSV) 

There's nowhere in the Bible where tithe changed to your income.  Yes, it was allowed to be changed into money if it was too far for the Israelites to transport their goods.  But as can be seen in verses 24-26, they were to then turn that money BACK into sustenance and celebrate by partaking in a portion of it. 

"But if, when the LORD your God has blessed you, the distance is so great that you are unable to transport it, because the place where the LORD your God will choose to set his name is too far away from you, then you may turn it into money. With the money secure in hand, go to the place that the LORD your God will choose; spend the money for whatever you wish—oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever you desire. And you shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your household rejoicing together." Deuteronomy 14:24-26 (NRSV) 

This sounds like a celebration.  Do we partake of our tithes in this way today?  No!

Somewhere along the line it changed from a type of Social Security system, and celebration of God's blessings, to something that churches require of you.  In fact, the Jewish don't tithe today because the system that was in place at the time of tithe is no longer active.

One pastor's argument was that Jesus encouraged the tithe in Matthew 23:23 (NRSV).  As can been seen in this verse, the tithe is on spices, not money. 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others." 

What Jesus did teach was this:

"for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’...Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Matthew 25:35-36, 40 (NRSV) 

This is the spirit of giving that God commands, and what we should model ourselves after.  You give directly to God if you help others in need.

God is concerned with the motives of our hearts, not our pocket books.  Remember though, He does want us to have a giving heart, as can been seen in 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NRSV): 

"Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 

For me, this means to think of others before spending money on a desire, if they have a need.  It also means that we should not be guilted into giving by our spiritual "leaders" telling us that it is a matter of salvation, or a measure of faith.

I was basically told that I had no chance of a relationship with God, and salvation by Jesus, without tithing.  Pastors are in a position to tell you the truth, and this is not the truth.

Something to ponder...  When the thief being crucified next to Jesus on the cross was dying and realized that Jesus was who He said He was, the thief then repented and Jesus said this to him: 

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 (NRSV) 

Was Jesus concerned with how many times the thief had attended a temple made with hands, or if he tithed 10% of his income before taxes or any other expenditure?  Another, No!

Consider this:  Before new, enthusiastic believers were baptized, did they go through a paper Baptismal Review, and the person that would be performing it said, "Wait, let's make sure you are tithing first."  Another, No! 

"So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added." Acts 2:41 (NRSV) 

I've asked 6 pastors to show me where I was wrong in these scriptures and they couldn’t, which only made me feel that much more conned.

The only other times that tithe (meaning one tenth) was mentioned in the Bible was during spoils of war, which doesn’t apply here, and when Jacob bargained with God saying that he would give Him a “Free Will” offering back IF and AFTER God blessed him.  Neither of these other mentions of tithe (that are not part of the obsolete Levitical tithe) are anything close to what churches do today.

Here are some of the things we are taught from the church: 

“If you belong to a church, the way to give to God is to give it to the church organization/leadership.” 

The church also teaches: 

“That your 'church' deserves the money because it is doing God's work on earth." 

The “church” is a body of believers, not a physical building or organization.  If a whole state was demolished by a tornado tomorrow, and those who were still alive assembled to pray and praise God for their lives and blessings, they would be having “church”.

Any organization that tells me that I'm incomplete in Christ without following their man-made rules is something that God wants me to steer very clear of.  I believe that churches have created a doctrine that has twisted scripture into an unrecognizable state.  The tithe of today did not start until after Bible times.  Should we really embrace anything other than what the Bible says?

The "Go To" scripture that many churches use to warn their congregation of the loss of salvation, is Malachi 3:8 (NRSV): 

"Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, 'How are we robbing you?' In your tithes and offerings!" 

The back story on this (if you don't take the scripture out of context) is that they were talking about the lame and sick animals, and other substandard items that were offered.  This can be seen in Malachi 1:7-8, 14 (NRSV):

"By offering polluted food on my altar. And you say, “How have we polluted it?” By thinking that the LORD's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts." 

"Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished;" 

The sacrificial system required an unblemished animal for offerings.  You were, and are, supposed to give your best to God.  Now, it's through sacrificing our whole selves to Him, as a living sacrifice completely, not just the parts that we want to give Him.  If you don’t simply stop at verse 8, Malachi 3:10 also explains that the tithe items were food in a storehouse.

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing." 

This, in NO way, supports any church’s doctrine of tithing on income.

Here are some links that give 100 times more information than I just did: 

http://www.tithingtruth.com/

http://www.askelm.com/tithing/ 

Some people might look at this article and think, "Well, she's just selfish and doesn't want to give."  This couldn't be further from the truth.  Why would I want to give to an organization that's teaching the wrong way to give?  If I found a church that taught: "The WHOLE truth and NOTHING but the truth, so help me GOD!", I would certainly give whatever I could of my SSDI income (due to a battle with Lupus).  I wouldn't, however, jeopardize paying my rent and other things that pastors tell poor widows to do.  We're supposed to be helping the poor and widows, yet they're being told, "Don't worry about your rent/mortgage or your prescriptions, God will take care of you."  The Bible clearly states: 

"And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."  1 Timothy 5:8 (NRSV)

God wants us to make sure that our families are taken care of.  When do you ever hear this preached?  Imagine how much you could help others in need if you weren't giving to an organization that wants to build a bigger, fancier building.  Would you have an extra $20 in your pocket to help a mother buying diapers that had to put toothpaste back? 

I’ve never been one to just “Go with the flow.”  Anything I come across, I always ask, “Why?”  I'll paraphrase a story that I once heard: 

A mother and daughter are in the kitchen at a family dinner and the mother cuts the ends off of a ham, puts it in the roaster, and then into the oven. 

The young daughter asks her mom, "Why did you cut the ends off?"

The mother responds, “Because that’s the way my mom did it.  Go ask Grandma.”

So, the little girl goes and asks Grandma the same question. 

Grandma’s response was, “Because that’s the way my mom did it.  Go ask Great Grandma.”

So, she walks over to Great Grandma, who is rocking in her rocker, and asks the question once again.

Great Grandma leans over and says, “I don’t know why these people do it, but my ham didn’t fit in my roaster.” 

So as you can see, we do a lot without asking the simplest question, “Why?” 

I pray that you find peace in knowing what God expects of us through His word.  Man, and his greed, have tainted everything that we know.  We need to test everything that we're taught with scripture.

We're to obey God, not man.

"We must obey God rather than any human authority." Acts 5:29 (NRSV)