The last time I wrote about this subject I received strong 'rebukes' from people who don't support God's work in a consistent biblical manner. My brother Alan shared this most informative article with me and I am posting it here. Prayerful people who read this will immediately agree and obey.. please feel free to copy and repost...
5 REASONS WHY I BELIEVE TITHING IS A NEW TESTAMENT PRACTICE
1. JESUS SAID TO TITHE.
While rebuking the Pharisees, who tithed meticulously, our Lord said that tithing should be done, providing that more important matters like justice, mercy, faith and the love of God were also observed.
MATTHEW 23:23
"Woe to you scribes and pharisees hypocrites!
For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.
These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."
LUKE 11:42
"But woe to you Pharisees!
For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs,
and pass by justice and the love of God.
These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."
These rebuked Pharisees were being corrected by the Lord Jesus for using tithing as a substitute for true devotion to God and His people.
Therefore He rebuked them for what amounted to being a religious cover-up, yet still He reiterated tithing's importance.
2. JESUS SAID TO MAKE DISCIPLES AND TO TEACH THEM TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING HE COMMANDED.
MATTHEW 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;.... '
This certainly would include everything He had said earlier about tithing.
In the following New Testament passage, the writer refers to a story recorded in
HEBREWS 7:1-4
"For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God,
who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all,
first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem,
meaning "king of peace," without father, without mother, without genealogy,
having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God,
remains a priest continually.
4) Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils."
This passage is drawing a comparison between the person, priesthood and kingship of Melchizedek and Jesus Christ; who is also our Priest of the Most High God; continually having "neither beginning of days nor end of life."
From these verses alone, we do not know - for sure - if Melchizedek was an angel or the Lord Jesus Himself; manifested as what some theologians might call a "theophany". However, what we do understand is that he personified a king and priest like the Lord Jesus would be.
Melchizadek's name meant "king of righteousness" and he was king of a place called Salem, which means peace; thus making him even more like Jesus, also a king of righteousness and peace.
Notice that this comparison is being made with someone living before the Law.
This New Testament chapter goes on to say, "Here mortal men receive tithes but there he receives them to whom it is witnessed that he lives." HEBREWS 7:8
4. TITHING PRE-EXISTED THE LAW AS DID OTHER THINGS THE LAW INCLUDED, WHICH JESUS LATER FULFILLED, BUT IT IS ONE OF A FEW THINGS THAT HE DID NOT FULFILL.
The list below shows some things that pre-existed the Law of Moses which were included in it.
EIGHT PRE-EXISTING THINGS THAT THE LAW INCLUDED
Sabbath Gen. 2:2
Animal sacrifices Gen. 3:21
Praying Gen. 4:26
Tithing Gen. 14:20
Faith Gen. 15:6
Circumcision Gen. 17:12
Passover Ex. 12:21
Singing Ex. 15:1
The next list shows some of those things that Jesus fulfilled
FOUR THINGS IN THE LAW THATJESUS FULFILLED
Sabbath Matt. 11:28
Animal sacrifices Heb. 9:12
Circumcision Col.2:11-12 .
Passover 1 Cor. 5:7
From the second list's first Scripture reference above - MATTHEW 11:28 - one can see how Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath by offering us rest that only He can give, available to those in close relationship to Him.
The second Scripture reference, HEBREWS 9:12 says that Jesus offered His blood once for all, so that we could have eternal redemption, (something animal sacrifices could never do).
Thirdly, COLOSSIANS 2:11-12 speaks of the circumcision of Christ that is done in our lives without human hands. .
And fourthly, 1 CORINTHIANS 5:7 says that Christ is our Passover who was sacrificed for us. Deeper study reveals that Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of this Jewish feast.
This leaves us with four things from the above list of eight, that I believe are relevant as New Testament practices for today.
- Praying
- Tithing
- Faith
- Singing
There are some other things - like repentance and parenting - that were a part of pre-law Old Testament Godly living which were not fulfilled by Jesus and are still to be a part of New Testament life.
5. THE GIVING OF THE EARLY CHURCH EXCEEDED TITHING.
ACTS 2:44-45
Now all who believed were together,
and divided them among all,
Nor was there anyone among them
who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands
NOTICE: not one of them" lacked".
The issue of giving and honesty, during this season when the early church gave everything, while living communally, was so important that two people died for lying about their giving. (ACTS 5).
CONCLUSION
While Bible believing readers may not all agree with everything said here, my hope is that these words will at least help put an end to the belief that tithing is absolutely nowhere in the New Testament.
TESTIMONY
Having served the Lord’s purposes with the same congregation for the last 20 years, I can testify that we have offering boxes and no longer do we pass offering baskets unless it is for something special; like for supporting ministries beyond our own congregational needs.
This is made possible by the Lord’s provision through committed believers who believe in tithing and therefore do not have to be asked for money; or bribed with blessings nor threatened with curses.
By the way, not one in our congregation lives in poverty, so we are able to give thousands of dollars away every year, both locally and internationally, to help the poor and to spread the Gospel.
Blessings,
Alan Latta
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