Are Christians required to tithe?: Difference between revisions

|Actws 10:31

Gal 2:10Gal 6:6

Second, some Christians hold to the obligation of tithing because of traditionalism. The argument is usually stated in terms of the way things have always been done in their church. Some in this category believe that the word “tithe” means “a religious monetary gift,” with no specific amount attached to the word. While one group asserts that ten percent is the minimum one should give, others (while still using “tithing terminology”) do not conceive of tithing in terms of giving a certain percentage of one’s income. Some ministers in this category are fearful of what would happen should they tell their members that they are not obligated to tithe. They claim that their church may suffer financially. They fear that monetary giving would severely decrease. They are also concerned regarding what should be the message to their congregation on how, and how much, to give. Since they do not see a viable alternative, they continue to teach tithing (and in many cases, tithing as a ten-percent-minimum requirement). What could be the harm, they argue, of teaching what is, after all, a biblical requirement?

The main problem with this view is that, iIn keeping with a principle that evangelicals have held dear at least since the Reformation, unless a requirement can be established from Scripture, it should not be imposed upon believers. Another misunderstanding is that, unless tithing were taught, believers would be left in a vacuum as far as giving is concerned, and the church’s financial standing would therefore suffer. To the contrary, there are in fact many principles on giving that Christians can be taught to observe apart from a tithing requirement. <ref>Andreas Köstenberger, “Reconstructing a Biblical Model for Giving: A Discussion of Relevant Systematic Issues and New Testament Principles,” Bulletin for Biblical Research, Vol. 16, 2006, 242–243.</ref>

Nowhere are Christians commanded to tithe in the NT. This fact alone should raise concerns for those who believe the issue is black and white, and believers ought to tithe today. The issue of multiple tithes (that the Israelites actually gave at least 20 percent per year) likewise has yet to meet a satisfactory answer. To call for the cessation of two of the three tithes while leaving one intact would seem to require some major theological nuancing. Though the NT discusses giving at many junctures, no passage ever cites a specific percentage. The references to giving in passages such as Gal 6:6, 1 Tim 5:17, and 2 Cor 8–9 lead one to believe that the issue of giving was a vital one in many churches. Paul could have simply addressed this issue by appealing to the OT teaching of tithing. However, he never resorted to this type of approach.

The case for tithing ultimately rests not on the exegesis of biblical passages on tithing but on arguments from a theological system or tradition. We have attempted to show that the text of Scripture contains no exegetical basis for tithing. What is more, arguments from theological systems or traditions have been shown to be unpersuasive as well. As Verhoef concludes,

An important consideration is whether the demands and the promises of Malachi 3 are also applicable in the NT dispensation, as they were under the OT dispensation. Our answer must be “Yes” and “No.” Yes, because there is continuity in connection with both our obligation to fulfill our stewardship and the promises of God’s blessing in our lives. This cannot be denied. At the same time our answer must be “No,” because we also have a discontinuity pertaining to the specific relationship between the OT and the NT and the relative dispensations. The discontinuity consists especially in the outward scheme of things, regarding both the obligations and the promises.