Will a Man Rob God?

​Have you ever been told by a pastor or other Christians that you need to tithe 10% of your income? Have you been told that you rob God if you do not tithe? If you have spent time in the institutional church, you have probably been instructed to tithe. Malachi 3:8-10 seems to be a favorite bible "proof text" used by many religious leaders when giving is at low tide. I encourage every Christian to put on their new covenant reading glasses and turn to Malachi 3. In Malachi, we see a command given to Israel to bring a tithe of grains to put in the storehouse. I see the promise of a blessing for being obedient to the law. As I read further, I know the threat of a curse upon Israel if this law is not obeyed. Does this text apply to NT Christians? Have you ever heard a sermon where the pastor uses the threat of a curse from God for not tithing? I have not, and I would be surprised to hear that anyone has. The standard sermon using this "proof text" generally only includes the command to tithe and a promised blessing or reward for obedience. Interesting.

There is no command or examples in scripture that have anything to do with tithing money. There is no command or example in scripture of anyone "tithing" (giving 10% of all monetary income) the way modern pastors teach it. Would it shock you that NO ONE in the bible tithed the way it is taught in our institutions today? Tithing does appear in the Bible. Yes, tithing is biblical; it is just not Christian. There are three examples of tithing in the Bible.

1. ​Abraham - ​a one-time tithe of the spoils of war to the high priest Melchizedek. This was voluntary, not compulsory. It is the only recorded (one-time) tithe out of his 175 years of life.
2. Israel - the only commands in scripture regarding tithing were for Israelite farmers/ranchers to tithe agriculture/livestock under the law of Moses.
3. Pharisees - the Pharisees gave a tenth of their spices - mint, dill, and cumin. We read about Jesus rebuking the Pharisees in Matthew 23.

These are all examples of tithing in the whole of scripture. Jesus did not teach it to His disciples. The Apostles did not practice or teach tithing. The first-century Christians did not observe it. If we are to believe that we should fuse OT law (tithing to the Levitical priesthood) with NT Christianity, then I suppose that we should tithe to one another since we are all believer priests.

Have you ever been scolded for not being a tither? It is not uncommon; it has happened to me and possibly to you. My response to law enforcers regarding tithing is that "I will gladly tithe the way that anyone in the Bible tithed." I was inspired to write this blog in defense of those (myself included) that have been duped by the con man's tactics regarding tithing. We have been taught that God is like a divine slot machine. We should pour in our quarters, pull down on the handle and wait for the blessings to pour out. The sad reality is that some people never hit the promised jackpot. I hope that this blog will shine some light on the subject of OT tithing so that we as believers can celebrate our freedom from the law and we can engage in cheerful NT free will giving from the heart. Amen! at odds with biblical chur

"Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit" - PAUL OF TARSUS​