When Will the Church EVER Learn Its Freedom in Christ in ALL Areas?

The theme of Galatians is "Freedom In Christ." Christians like to claim that freedom when it is convenient for them. At other times, they prefer the legalism of the Old Covenant. Nowhere is that more evident than in the area of giving. Many churches and preachers insist on being bound by the Old Covenant concept of tithing.

Is it curious that at no point in Paul's writings is the tithe put forward as a guideline for giving (refute that if you can)? In fact, no New Testament writer either encourages "tithing" under the New Covenant or presents it as the normative or even occasional practice of the church. Yet many of our churches assume that this is the accepted New Testament standard. Those churches either do not believe in the New Covenant (who is Christ) or are too fearful to accept its teaching.

Under Mosaic Law, Israel was commanded to give a tenth of its crops, herds, flocks and the fruit of its trees to support the Levites, who had no inheritance of their own (Leviticus 27:30-32; Numbers 18:21-24). The tithe was to compensate the Levites for the work that they did while serving at the tabernacle.

Abraham gave a tithe, and he was "pre-Law." But he was not required to tithe. He was, however, a part of the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant has been rendered obsolete (either that or Hebrews 8:13 is untrue - in which case we will have to decide which parts of the Bible ARE true).

(Side Note: For this post the term "Old Covenant" is used to collectively refer to the Edamic Covenant; the Adamic Covenant; the Abrahamic Covenant; the Noahic Covenant; the Mosaic Covenant; the Palestinian Covenant and the Davidic Covenant.)

Jesus refers to the Pharisees' custom of tithing even herbs of the land (such as mint, anise and cumin) while neglecting the weightier matters of justice and love of God (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). He was talking to Jews, not His followers.

The guidelines for giving that Paul puts forward are in accord with a Covenant of the Spirit not with a Covenant of the Letter (2 Cor 3:6). The standard proffered by the New Covenant is a higher one than a tithe. It is 100%, not 10%. Paul instructs the Corinthians that they are to set aside a sum of money each week "in keeping with" their income (literally, "however one has prospered").

Jesus had high praise for the widow who contributed two small copper coins to the temple treasury. She gave that which provided for her daily necessities: "all she had to live on," (Luke 21:4), while the rich contributed out of their surplus. And while the Pharisees may have given 10 percent, proportionately, the widow put in more than all of them combined (Luke 21:3).

In the final analysis, the key to giving lies in the attitude of the heart. In 2 Corinthians 8:12 and 9:7, Paul characterizes the attitude that God finds acceptable.

It must be a willing gift: if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable (2 Corinthians 8:12). It is not the amount that counts with God. If a readiness to give is present, then the gift is gladly received, whether it be large or small.

The gift must also not be offered "reluctantly" or "under compulsion" - literally, "with pain" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

The offering that God finds acceptable is one that has been cheerfully given (9:7; hilarosour English term "hilarious"). The cheerful giver is one who is happy to give and gives gladly and gives as much as is possible.

In the Body of Christ, those who possess a surplus who are in a position to meet existing economic needs. This is clear from 2 Corinthians 8:14, where Paul envisions the Jerusalem church's surplus providing for the Corinthians' lack at a future point.

In the wilderness of Exodus it was God who ensured the needs of the people. Under the New Covenant, God has given the responsibility to each believer.

When will we learn?

Probably never.

Real Giving

Any Christian who would let a Jew under the Law give more than the Christian under grace is a disgrace to grace (a paraphrase of a statement by the late Dr. Adrian Rogers).

The Law required three tithes, or up to 30% of one’s income. Under grace, Christ demands 100%.

The poor widow was not commended for giving 10% of what she had; she was commended for giving ALL she had (that’s 100%, by the way).

The rich young ruler was not told by Jesus to go sell 10% of what he had, give it to the poor and to follow Jesus. That would not have bothered any Jew. He was told to sell ALL that he had, give it to the poor and follow Jesus (that’s 100%, by the way).

Every single one of the New Testament references to giving puts it in the context of giving what God has laid on one’s heart. That’s because the New Covenant (as revealed in the New Testament) is 100% a matter of the heart.

Why would any preacher ask a Christian to cut back to giving only 10% (or 30%, as the case might be)? Why would any church be so short-sighted as to teach giving 10% instead of 100%? Why would a church require anyone in leadership to cut back to giving only 10%? How spiritually ignorant is that?

If every person tithing would remove the financial burdens of a church, how much more would every person giving as the New Covenant instructs yield?

“Well, what about Malachi?” I hear you ask. First of all, Malachi is under the Old Covenant(s). Secondly, the grain silos in Malachi are not analogous to the church (where on earth did THAT idea ever come from? There is nothing anywhere in Scripture that even HINTS of that.). Thirdly, Malachi is about Israel, not about Christianity.

The Christians of the New Covenant (as recorded in the New Testament) pooled all of their available resources to make absolutely certain that anybody who had need was provided for. (For those of you tempted to equate that with Communism, remember, giving was voluntary, not required; and it had nothing to do with the government).

It is so sad that so many have been told so long that Christians should tithe because the Bible says we should, that they have come to believe it. The Bible absolutely, positively does NOT teach that Christians should tithe. It just does not. It teaches that Jews under the Old Covenant(s) should tithe, but not Christians.

Christians are directly instructed to give what God lays on their hearts to give, cheerfully and enthusiastically, up to and including 100% of everything they are, do and have.

Parenthetically, there are those who think they are Christians who are so shallow that they think the New Testament “builds” on the Old Testament. IT DOES NOT. The New Testament is the revelation of the New Covenant, which is built on and lived out on a totally different basis from the Old Covenant(s). The New Testament is the record of the coming of Messiah, who fulfilled every aspect of the Old Covenant(s') Law.

Christians should not give ‘till it hurts. They should give until it feels real good!