It’s common to hear teachers and preachers in churches support the practice of tithing. Why? Because, they claim, there’s tithing in the Bible.
But as we’ll see, while they’re correct that tithing is in the Bible, they mistakenly believe it’s a practice for a church today. This mistake mainly happens because the Scriptures aren’t handled correctly.
The Scriptures weren’t meant to be a reference manual where you look up “what God thinks” about a topic by pulling out a bunch of verses from their context, pasting them all together, and then drawing your own conclusions from all of those references.
This approach has led to countless false and incomplete doctrines and practices.
The Bible is much more complicated and beautiful than that. It’s meant to be treated as a story.
Yes, tithing is in the story and God’s people practiced it at one time because He instructed them to do so. But that’s only in a certain part of the story that happened a long, long time ago in a land far, far away.
But there’s a time where everything changed.
What covenants are
Throughout the story, God relates to man in different ways. In the beginning, He desires to relate to Adam and Eve by them partaking of the Tree of Life and partnering with Him to rule the earth and cultivate the flourishing of life. This was God’s ultimate intention in creation. But the first humans reject it.
The rest of the story is God unfolding a redemption plan while working with humans in different ways to do it. The different ways God partners with humans are called “covenants.” There are many of them throughout the biblical story, and they build on one another.
The instruction from God to tithe was in what is called the “Old Covenant,” which was given to Moses at Mt. Sinai. Under this covenant, God related to His people through external regulations. If they obeyed the laws, they would be blessed. If they didn’t, they would bring curses on themselves.
What the New Covenant is
Fast forward to the New Covenant and that’s where everything changes. This covenant starts with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Instead of relating to God through obeying laws, those that believe on the finished redemption work of Jesus Christ become new types of human beings.
Their spiritual DNA is changed. They have a new nature. It’s the nature of Jesus Christ.
Within this new type of relationship, the new humans relate to God just like Adam and Eve were originally commissioned to – by partaking of the Tree of Life that indwells them. They are united with Christ in His death and resurrection. They are born as children of God. They are one with Him.
Within this oneness as His child, there is a 100% relational commitment. Everything that God has is theirs, and everything they have is God’s. They are God’s children.
How do they please God? Not by working to obey laws, but by living out of their new nature as His children.
How tithing fits into the New Covenant
The practice of tithing is not a part of this New Covenant. In fact, it detracts a Christian from living out of their new nature.
Some people will say that some of the Old Covenant laws are for Christians today (we like to pick and choose what we want). But Paul is very clear in his writings that this is dangerous, especially in the book of Galatians where he writes…
For all who are of works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law, to do them.” Now, that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “the righteous one will live by faith.” (Gal 3:10-14)
Later in that same letter, he is very straightforward with the relationship between the Old Covenant and New Covenant…
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. (Gal. 5:18)
Essentially, living by the Law (even one of them) nullifies living by the Spirit. It’s called “legalism.”
Where giving comes from
Giving is natural to a Christian. It’s a part of God’s nature. We are His children infused with His Life. Therefore, it’s a part of a Christian’s nature.
So when it comes to giving (as well as every other thing), the Christian does it according to how the Spirit of God is personally calling them in any moment and season.
Is it unhealthy for a Christian to give exactly 10% of their income away? If that giving is law, then yes. If that giving is the leading of the Spirit of God, then no.
When discerning the Spirit’s leading, remember that He rarely works mechanically. What this means is…it’s rare that He asks a person to do something the same way indefinitely. He typically works in situations and seasons.
So while it’s possible that He would ask someone to give an exact amount for an exact purpose for a long time, it’s unlikely. We are responsible individually and corporately to discern the Spirit’s leading as we live within a one-hundred percent commitment of everything we are and have to Him.
Michael Fleming
Mike Fleming is the creator of Finding Healthy Church. Over 20 years ago, he was sparked by the frustration of failing to experience what the biblical story claimed a healthy church was like. He caught a vision and passion for seeing local churches be what they were designed by God to be. He shares what he's learning along the way so the health of local churches around the world are improved. He’s currently working on an eye-opening book that will help better understand what it means for a church to be healthy.