TITHING IS NOT REQUIRED IN THE NEW COVENANT
During the 1000s of years before Moses, tithing was only mentioned twice:
Abraham gave a tithe once. He was not commanded.
Jacob promised to give tithes. He was not commanded.
The tithe was only a law for ancient Israel, but even then most Israelites did not have to pay tithes. Only those with farm animals or crops were told to tithe. Tithes were for feeding the Levites.
“But Jesus said we need to tithe!”
No, he didn’t. Not us. Jesus said in Luke 11:42,
“Woe to you PHARISEES, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”
That’s the only time tithing is recommended in the New Testament; the New Covenant had not begun yet at that point. They were still under the Law.
In Acts 15, church leaders announced a few things from the Law of Moses that Gentiles should do to help relations with the Jewish Christians. Nothing was said then about tithing.
I know some wonderful, godly people will disagree, but I’m motivated to say these things again because of what I learned yesterday: Some good friends of mine have neighbors and acquaintances who will not even consider getting saved or going to the church in their small community, because the word has spread that “that church forces members to give 10%.” In the Philippines, millions of people are far too poor to give 10%. Yet so many preachers—most with good intentions—tell their churches they are “robbing God” if they don’t tithe.
Now that I’ve said all that, most prosperous people should give MORE than 10% to the Lord. In the New Covenant, we must give according to our ability. Not a fixed amount for everyone.
John Allcott