Page 88 - Ecclesiology Textbook Masters

Testament tithe. There are other practices, such as circumcision and Sabbath-keeping which pre-date
the Law, and yet in the New Testament are not binding on the church today.

If you examine the references to Abraham’s and Jacob’s tithing, you will see that God did not command
them to tithe, and there is no indication that this was their regular practice. On one occasion after the
victory in battle to rescue Lot, Abraham tithed 10% of the spoils from the battle, but nothing is said
regarding his other possessions or his regular income or giving (Genesis 14:20). To follow Jacob’s
example would be incorrect because he was making a conditional vow before God, promising that if God
would keep him safe from the wrath of Esau, then he would give God a tenth (Genesis 28:20-22). And
there is no record in Scripture that he actually did! That’s hardly a good example to follow in giving
today!

As we have seen, the only mention of tithing in the New Testament is four verses which
reference the Old Testament practice of tithing. If tithing is to be practiced by the Christian
church, it seems strange that Paul did not mention tithing in one single book he penned in the
New Testament. He wrote predominately to Gentile churches which would not be familiar
with the Old Testament, so if he believed they should tithe as commanded in the Old
Testament, should he not have mentioned it to them?

The tithe that is being suggested by many pastors is really a version of the Mosaic Law of the
Tithe presented in the eleven Old Testament passages. It is pastors telling their church that
God’s giving plan has not changed since the New Covenant was ushered into the Church age. The
Church, they say, is still under the Law of the Levitical Tithe. The Apostle Paul would strongly disagree!

Paul addressed this very problem to the church in Rome and the churches in Corinth and Galatia. Here
are Paul’s teaching about the law and whether believers in the church age are subject to it:

To the church in Rome, he wrote:
1. The law reveals sin but cannot fix it. (Romans 3:20)
2. If the law worked then faith would be irrelevant. (Romans 4:14)
3. The law brings wrath upon those who follow it. (Romans 4:15)
4. The purpose of the law was to increase sin. (Romans 5:20)
5. Christians are not under the law. (Romans 6:14)
6. Christians have been delivered from the law. (Romans 7:1-6)
7. The law is good, perfect and holy but cannot help you be good, perfect or holy. (Romans 7:7-12)
8. The law which promises life only brings death through sin. (Romans 7:10)
9. The law makes you sinful beyond measure. (Romans 7:13)
10. The law is weak. (Romans 8:2-3)

To the church in Corinth, he wrote:
11. The strength of sin is the law (1 Corinthians 15:56)
12. The law is a ministry of death. (2 Corinthians 3:7)
13. The law is a ministry of condemnation. (2 Corinthians 3:9)
14. The law has no glory at all in comparison with the New Covenant. (2 Corinthians 3:10)
15. The law is fading away. (2 Corinthians 3:11)
16. Anywhere the law is preached it produces a mind-hardening and a heart-hardening veil. (2
Corinthians 3:14-15)

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