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Tithing: Difference between revisions
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Ten percent of the gross income of God’s people funded the Levites (Num. 18:20–32). The Levites were scattered all over the country and were not just in Jerusalem at the temple. The Levites also included everyone in the tribe of Levi that worked in the temple - the priest, the song leaders and musicians, even the doormen and the janitors. In Nu 13:21–32 it is laid down that the tithe must be paid to the Levites, not just to the priests. | Ten percent of the gross income of God’s people funded the Levites (Num. 18:20–32). The Levites were scattered all over the country and were not just in Jerusalem at the temple. The Levites also included everyone in the tribe of Levi that worked in the temple - the priest, the song leaders and musicians, even the doormen and the janitors. In Nu 13:21–32 it is laid down that the tithe must be paid to the Levites, not just to the priests. | ||
===The priests only got ten percent of the tithe=== | ===The priests only got '''ten percent of the tithe'''=== | ||
According to Numbers 18:26-28, the Levites paid '''ten percent of the first tithe''' to the priests (who were also part of the tribe of Levi). It should be noted that according to Heb 7:5, ‘they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood.… take tithes of the people.’ The explanation for this is that the priests, who received from the Levites a tithe of the tithe, thus symbolically received the whole tithe.<ref>Paul Levertoff, “Tithe,” ed. James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Volumes 1–5 (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 2987.</ref> | According to Numbers 18:26-28, the Levites paid '''ten percent of the first tithe''' to the priests (who were also part of the tribe of Levi). It should be noted that according to Heb 7:5, ‘they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood.… take tithes of the people.’ The explanation for this is that the priests, who received from the Levites a tithe of the tithe, thus symbolically received the whole tithe.<ref>Paul Levertoff, “Tithe,” ed. James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Volumes 1–5 (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 2987.</ref> | ||
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So why do Christian ministers teach about the first tithe only, and forget about the party tithe? You could say it is because Jesus cast out the money-changers, and those that sold animals in the temple. But what Jesus was doing was cleansing the temple from those who were in it for the money. | So why do Christian ministers teach about the first tithe only, and forget about the party tithe? You could say it is because Jesus cast out the money-changers, and those that sold animals in the temple. But what Jesus was doing was cleansing the temple from those who were in it for the money. | ||
The | ==The poor tithe (or third tithe)== | ||
'''Ten percent every third year''' went to help the poor (Deut. 14:28, 26:12-15). That’s 3.33 percent. In addition, there were gleanings for the poor and the alien. | |||
3 | |||
If your pastor preaches that tithing is mandatory for New Testament Christians, does this include tithing to strangers, or only to preachers? | If your pastor preaches that tithing is mandatory for New Testament Christians, does this include tithing to strangers, or only to preachers? | ||
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What James experienced in the New Testament is believers who gave everything, and shared it with those in need. It was a religion of love for others from the heart. The law, after all, was just a schoolmaster leading to true faith. | What James experienced in the New Testament is believers who gave everything, and shared it with those in need. It was a religion of love for others from the heart. The law, after all, was just a schoolmaster leading to true faith. | ||
== | ==Other offerings== | ||
In addition, there were occasional tithes and offerings as a specific need would come up, i.e., the rebuilding of the wall in Ezra, Nehemiah, or with the creation of the tabernacle in Exodus. If you add that up, the total mandatory tithe was about twenty-five percent of your gross income. | |||
On top of that, there were specific sacrifices and gifts that you were expected to give just out of joy, as particular needs arose. What that means is, no matter how you look at it, the tithe was well above twenty percent, depending upon the year, of your gross income going to your tithe. And then, your taxes, and then you live on whatever is left.<ref>Mark Driscoll, Mark Driscoll Sermon Archive 2000-2004 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2000).</ref> | On top of that, there were specific sacrifices and gifts that you were expected to give just out of joy, as particular needs arose. What that means is, no matter how you look at it, the tithe was well above twenty percent, depending upon the year, of your gross income going to your tithe. And then, your taxes, and then you live on whatever is left.<ref>Mark Driscoll, Mark Driscoll Sermon Archive 2000-2004 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2000).</ref> | ||