DO I HAVE TO TITHE?

By Edwin Christiaan

The Church falsely imposes the Old Testament “Law of Tithing” on the people.

“God wants you to be blessed,” they thunder from the pulpit! With the promise of God’s blessings upon your life, preachers and pastors have fooled churchgoers for decades into believing that this can only be achieved through tithing! But it doesn’t stop there. They are told that if they do not give the church ten percent of their monetary income each month, they will be robbing God Himself from what He is duly owed! 

Tithing is a universal scam! Pastors, ministers, and televangelists from denominations all over the world falsely tell you that according to the Bible, you are obligated to give at least 10% of your money income to their churches or ministries in order for God to bless you and to protect you against bad things happening to you.  

For decades, the Church has perpetuated this lie in order to control people and get hold of their money – and quite effectively so! Yet, in their desperation to “get their bills paid” (so they say), and/or in their greedy desire for riches and luxury, countless lives have been destroyed by pastors who are pressuring their congregants to pay their tithes or face being “cursed with a curse.” People end up giving money they don’t have, and in doing so causing great suffering upon themselves and their families. Instead of being blessed, they are living in outright poverty! Despite their obvious lack of funds, they are told to stay “current” with their tithes – making sure to pay double if they have skipped a month! This kind of pressure easily drives a wedge between spouses who disagree on how to manage their finances. Nevertheless, the tithing obligation overrules everything, because God requires His “First Fruits” no matter what! 

Don’t think you can escape the indoctrination coming from the pulpit either, as they meticulously brainwash you with repetitive quoting of scriptures from the Old Testament book of Malachi chapter 3.

Still, the incredible point about tithing has gone lost on the Church: Tithing was NEVER about money!

Let’s go over the tithers in the Bible one by one!

There were 3 people, or groups of people, in the Bible who tithed. All these people had money, and some lots of it, and yet they didn’t tithe one cent of it! 

NUMBER ONE: ABRAHAM

Let’s start with Abraham who only tithed ONCE in his entire life to a king. That one time, he did not tithe from his wealth or normal income, but from the spoils he took from his enemies. 

You often hear from the pastors in the Church that Abraham tithed before the Law of Moses came, and therefore, tithing MONEY is now a principle, an act of faith that we must do in order to receive the promises of God! 

Watch this!

“After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 

And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.”

Genesis 14:17-20 NLT

 - IT WAS NOT MONEY!

“This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek.” 

Hebrews 7:1-2 NLT 

- NOT MONEY!

“Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham.” 

Hebrews 7:4-5 NLT 

- NOT MONEY!

NUMBER TWO: THE ISRAELITES

Next would be the Israelites, living under the Old Testament law of Moses, who had agricultural products and livestock. These were farmers and ranchers, who were commanded to bring a tenth of their crops and livestock ONCE A YEAR to the Levites. 

“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.” 

Leviticus 27:30 NKJV 

- IT WAS NOT MONEY!

“You must set aside a tithe of your crops — one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.” 

Deuteronomy 14:22 NLT 

- IT WAS NEVER MONEY!

“Give it to the Levites, who have no inheritance among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all your work.” 

Deuteronomy 14:28-29 NLT 

– CAN YOU EAT MONEY?

“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” 

Malachi 3:8-12 NLT 

- IT WAS NEVER MONEY!

NUMBER THREE: THE PHARISEES

Then there were the Pharisees who were also living under the Old Testament law of Moses. Jesus rebuked them, saying,

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!” 

Matthew 23:23-24 NLT 

- HERB GARDENS ARE NOT MONEY!

As you can see, tithing was NEVER ABOUT MONEY, and never meant for the New Covenant Church to practice! 

FIRST FRUITS 

In Proverbs 3, we find another popular verse a lot of pastors love to use to pressure church members to give them their tithes. This scripture was meant for the Israelite farmers under the Old Testament law of Moses: 

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” 

Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV

Using a scripture like this in our time today, is not only ridiculously ignorant of the Bible, but also a blatant lie! The apostle Peter explained it this way,

“In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.” 

2. Peter 2:3 NLT

Know this: Pastors have no business knowing how much you make, or to tell you how much you should give. Their responsibility is to trust in God for whatever comes into the offering bucket. 

It clearly says in the Bible that pastors should care for the flock, not for what they can get out of it!

“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.” 

1. Peter 5:2-3 NLT

TITHING FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER IS DANGEROUS

Why would it be dangerous to tithe? Well, consider this: Whenever a pastor uses Malachi chapter 3 to tell you that you must tithe in order to please God and not rob Him and be cursed, he or she is in reality putting you under the CURSE of the Law of Moses. 

The Bible warns us clearly that, 

“Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse.

Galatians 3:10a CEV 

“No one can please God by obeying the Law. The Scriptures also say, “The people God accepts because of their faith will live.” 

Galatians 3:11 CEV 

The Old Testament Law of Tithing - which is again not money - was never meant for the New Testament Church, because when Jesus Christ died on the cross, He ended the system of law with its commandments and regulations (see Ephesians 2:15)!

That is why the apostle Paul, who knew everything about keeping the Law of Moses, including tithing, wrote this about himself,

“I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses. I was so eager that I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God. But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless.” 

Philippians 3:5-7 CEV

Now Paul encourages others with words like these,

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” 

Galatians 5:1 NLT 

So, the apostle Paul, who was completely set free from the bondage of the law, is NOT teaching the New Testament believer to pay tithes. Not once did Paul teach to give 10 percent of your money income to take care of the Church! Instead, he instructs believers as follows,

“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give in response to pressure.” 

2. Corinthians 9:7a 

- IT DOES NOT SAY TITHING!

“Give in proportion to what you have.”

2. Corinthians 8:11b NLT 

“Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” 

2. Corinthians 8: 12 NLT

And, 

“Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves.”   

2. Corinthians 8:13a NLT 

- IT DOES NOT SAY TITHING!

“On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned.”

1. Corinthians 16:2 NLT

- IT DOES NOT SAY TO TITHE!

God blesses those who cheerfully give whatever they are being led to give! 

“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

2. Corinthians 9:7b NLT

He generously provides for all their needs, and they will always have everything they need and plenty left over to share with others. 

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

2. Corinthians 9:8 NLT

- IT DOES NOT TELL YOU TO TITHE!

“Elders who do their work well should be paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, Those who work deserve their pay!” 

1. Timothy 5:17-18 NLT 

- IT DOES NOT SAY TO GIVE THEM YOUR TITHE!  

“Those who are taught the word of God should help their teachers by paying them. “

Galatians 6:6 NLT 

- IT DOES NOT SAY TO PAY THEM TITHES!

TEACHING TO THE RICH 

“Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.” 

1. Timothy 6:17-19 NLT 

- THE APOSTLE DID NOT TEACH THE RICH TO TITHE!

THE EXAMPLE OF THE FIRST CHURCH IN THE BOOK OF ACTS

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” 

Acts 2:42-47 NLT 

- THERE WAS NO TITHING INVOLVED IN THE CHURCH!

“All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 

The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.” 

Acts 4:32-35 NLT 

- NOBODY WAS TITHING! THEY WERE CARING AND SHARING!

THE BIBLE WARNS US AGAINST ERROR

“Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 

2. Peter 3:17-18 NLT

Therefore, don’t allow a pastor to tell you how much money you should give to his/her church, whether it is 10% of your gross income or any other amount.

Don’t let any pastor tell you that you are robbing God if you don’t tithe.

If a pastor tells you that 10% of your gross income belongs to God, do not listen to him!

Don’t allow any pastor to tell you that there is a bottom or minimum to where you can start giving your money to his/her church. That is nothing but a crafty way to tell you to consider your tithe to be “just the beginning” of your giving.

Don’t allow any pastor to tell you to disclose your finances.

Don’t let pastors to tell you that Jesus did not come to abolish the law, as a twisting of words to make you think the Old Testament laws are still to be kept today (see Matthew 5:17). The apostle Paul, who once himself lived under the Old Testament Law of Moses, clearly said,

“I do not treat the grace of God as meaning-less. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.”

Galatians 2:21 NLT

WHO TO GIVE YOUR MONEY TO

First and foremost we need to take care of our own family, making sure they have food, clothing, and shelter. 

If we don’t, according to the Bible, we are “worse than an unbeliever.”

“But those who won't care for their own relatives, especially those living in the same household, have denied what we believe. Such people are worse than unbelievers.” 

1. Timothy 5:8 NLT

As a believer, we each have a duty to support the church we join, which pays for the pastor, the elders, evangelists, teachers, and other ministry services.

“Elders who do their work well should be paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain." And in another place, "Those who work deserve their pay!" 

1. Timothy 5:17-18 NLT

“Those who are taught the word of God should help their teachers by paying them.”

Galatians 6:6 NLT

“How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn't have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. 

I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. But even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.”

Philippians 4:10-17 NLT

WE SHOULD SUPPORT MISSIONS FINANCIALLY

“But before I come, I must go down to Jerusalem to take a gift to the Christians there. For you see, the believers in Greece have eagerly taken up an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem, who are going through such hard times. They were very glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the wonderful spiritual blessings of the Good News from the Jewish Christians, they feel the least they can do in return is help them financially.” 

Romans 15:25-27 NLT

WE NEED TO BE WILLING TO HELP A BROTHER OR SISTER IN NEED

“Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well" — but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?”

James 2:15-16 NLT

TITHING IS A SERIOUS DECEPTION

The Law of Tithing is a serious deception in the Body of Christ, causing tremendous disillusionment and hurt among believers. Because of being deeply indoctrinated, it is very hard for those who are tithers to admit they are wrong and have been fooled. They are bound by guilt and fear of being cursed or punished if they don’t tithe! 

For this reason, we continue to hammer out this message,

STOP TITHING! You are being cursed and scammed! It’s a lie! Tithing is NOT MONEY, it never has been, and it was never meant for you, the New Testament believer!!! 

It’s a flat out false doctrine!