Didn’t Jesus say we should tithe?
Question:
I'd advise you to change your stance toward tithing. I think there is a passage in the New Testament where Jesus says, you tithe your mint, rue, and spices but you don't practice justice. You should as you do the latter and you shouldn't forget the former.
Be blessed, man of God, and if you truly believe in God's almighty power remember He never changes.
Answer:
You are referring to:
"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" (Matthew 23:23).
The context is the religious hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.
"Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do"" (Matthew 23:1-3).
The remainder of the chapter illustrates the ways they failed to keep the law of Moses. This does not mean we are to keep Moses' law. That law came to an end. See "Why We Don't Follow the Old Testament." The point of the chapter is so that we learn not to make the same mistakes the Pharisees did, such as someone committing fornication while congratulating himself that he is going to worship services and giving a tenth of his income.
You are correct that God does not change, so why do you ignore the simple fact that God said the Old Testament law was temporary?
"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah - not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Question:
But whoever gives sparingly will also reap sparingly. I look up to you a lot, but I guess you have really let me down once you told me that you do not tithe. This Old Testament / New Testament business is your own definition for not giving God what is His. Everything on Earth is of the Lord, and remember that those who follow the Spirit are not under law. If He tells me to tithe, as I hear Him tell me, now trust me, I will tithe till the day I die. I have seen the powerful effect of it.
I am not a perfect Christian. I am a sinner. That is why I need Jesus, and I love him so much. That's why I still tithe. See that you excel in everything but most of all in your grace of giving. It's an indescribable gift.
Thanks for everything, but I don't agree with you, and I don't want us to argue. I pray that one day God will give you the insight.
Good day and God bless you.
Answer:
How little you understand. I definitely give to the Lord and the amount is greater than 10% of my profit. The Law of Moses, given to the Israelites, required a fixed amount to be given to the Lord. The Law of Christ, given to Christians, requires a non-fixed amount.
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come" (I Corinthians 16:1-2)."Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (II Corinthians 9:5-7).
Since the amount is not fixed at 10%, it cannot be called a "tithe."
And sorry, but the Old Testament versus the New Testament is God's business, not yours or mine.
"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says:
"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away" (Hebrews 8:6-13).
Question:
I would like to apologize for being harsh over tithing. I read your verses over and over again and the Spirit made them truth to me. You know what? There is no tithing system. If you come to think of it, we should give more than 10%, and the money we have isn't ours, it's the Lord who gives us the ability to create wealth. So how do you give? Should I calculate my giving by percentage? I know God loves a cheerful giver at the end of the day.
How come churches are preaching this like religion? Do you want to tell me that pastors don't know about this issue? How come great mighty men of God speak of it like it is the sovereign truth? Strange, huh? Anyway, I don't know, but surely Jesus will reveal who is in the truth in the end by inviting us to the Kingdom. I'd like to obey my Lord.
Answer:
I suspect that the reason tithing is taught is that the denominations get more money in this fashion. If you tell people they have to give a fixed amount, then you will find most complying (though many will grumble). But if you tell people to give voluntarily, you will find that less is given because greed raises its ugly head. It certainly becomes a point of distinction between the true followers of God and those who follow only reluctantly.
In regards to how much to give, that must be your decision, not mine. Here are some other questions on that topic:
