The topic of tithing has generated a lot of debate in recent years. Tithing is a contentious topic in Christendom, and there are many diverse perspectives on it. Tithing preaching and instruction have changed in contemporary congregations. Some preach that people who consistently tithe will get a divine reward in the form of material rewards and spiritual blessings, while others teach that those who default will receive both spiritual and material punishments from God. Some people give to receive God’s blessings, while others give to stay alive. A typical Christian is left to ponder whether they ought to tithe and why.
Some people see no ambiguity in the situation and have committed to always tithe from their income, while others have made the choice not to tithe. Some argue that since tithing was an Old Testament (and hence, old covenant) practice, it shouldn’t be mandated of the people under the new covenant. There may be a group in the Christian community that is interested in learning the truth about tithing. The Good Newspaper addresses all Christians this month, regardless of whether they tithe or not or are confused or not.
What is Tithe?
We derive the meaning of tithe from the original languages of the Bible. In Hebrew (which is the original text of most of the Old Testament), the major term translated as ‘Tithe’ is Ma’aser (transliteration) and it means a ‘tenth’. In the New Testament where the original text is in the Greek language the term translated as ‘Tithe’ is ‘Dekate’ (transliteration) which in meaning does not change the Hebrew obvious impression to mean the ‘tenth part’.
The meaning of Tithe, therefore, is 10%. The tithe ideology is a mathematical one and it means a principle percentage of the amount one has acquired concerning social responsibility. A tithe is a 10% offer to the structure one recognizes in line with their productivity. I will explain this later.
The History of Tithe
Early records, both canonical and non-canonical, indicate that tithing was a principle followed by early civilizations. History demonstrates that the practice was known in Mesopotamia, Syria-Palestine, Greece, and as far to the west as the Phoenician city of Carthage. The Ancient people considered themselves under an authority tithed to both Kings and Temples. Tithing, therefore, was a sort of patriotic tax given in the context of the Suzerain/Vassal Covenant settings.
The Suzerain/Vassal kind of Covenant communities are the Mesopotamian kind of communities in which there is an agreement between two unequal parties (the master and the servants/ the lord and Son). The Suzerain/Vassal covenant type is the format upon which both Old Testament and New Testament Biblical Covenant are patterned after. Tithing has this as its core connotation wherever it is practised. The inferior recognition of the providence of its superior Lord is the principle exhibited in the practice of tithing.
In the Bible for instance; Abraham tithed to the King of Peace known as Melchizedek in recognition of the King’s participation in the War Abraham had just succeeded in (Genesis 14:20). God promised covenant blessings to Jacob at Bethel, he (Jacob) pledged to give a tenth (tithe) of everything granted him (Genesis 28:22). Jerusalem (Melchizedek King of Salem) for Abraham and Bethel for Jacob become significant sites to Judaism since in these two places the Patriarchs tithed to God as their King and Lord.
Bethel as a worship centre becomes a place where tithes are sent as we are told in Prophet Amos’ book (Amos 4:4). Since the tithe was directed to the Royal King and the Priest when the Prophet warns the Israelites against replacing God with a king, he reminded them that that human King would be taking what belongs to God and that is the tithe (1Samuel 8:15, 8:17).
Abuse of Tithe
Christendom has been divided on the issue in recent years. While some claim that Christians should not tithe, others disagree. The argument in favour of tithing is that it is a biblical principle, while the argument against it is that it is an Old Testament Law that has no bearing on individuals who are under the New Testament covenant of grace.
The most recent pastor to do so is Creflo Dollar, who has already apologized for his earlier tithe teaching and now rejects it as not being a part of the New Testament’s grace community. Pastors like Dollar, in my opinion, are just belching. The second debate about tithing is on how it is taught in the tithing-supporting community and the motivation behind it.
The majority of tithe teachers have emphasized tithing as a means of prosperity and default as a path to failure and judgment. One Nigerian pastor claimed that people who do not tithe will not enter paradise, and another labelled those who do not tithe as criminals. Due to the accountability issue, some believers are sceptical of the discipline of tithing. While some Christians are dishonest in their tithing practices, church authorities are also dishonest in how they apply the tithe. The majority buy all the opulent material goods for their luxurious lifestyle via church contributions.
Therefore, there are two main ways in which the tithing principle has been misused: first, in the way it has been taught (via motives and attitudes), and second, in the way that institutions and individuals have used it.
Biblical Teaching on Tithe
The distinction between tithing and giving, according to a proper Bible study, is a fixed percentage of 10% of one’s income and arbitrary percentages of whoever gives a portion of their income. Tithing and giving are, therefore, both fundamental modes of giving. The covenantal link between the inferior (us) and the Superior is the primary Christian justification for our giving or tithing (God). Our giving practices are merely a form of worship we offer to our creator, provider, and redeemer. To acknowledge God’s involvement both directly and indirectly in the process of acquiring our wealth, we continuously give back 10% of our income.
This is why the Israelites are reminded in Deuteronomy 8:18:
“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Even in the modern era, the idea that God bestows upon us the ability to acquire wealth has not changed. What transforms tithing from a legalistic endeavour to a divine principle of worship is this perspective of the practice. Our pastors and churches serve as centres for representing God today, and we give to them and tithe to them.
The standing of God and man has not changed as a result of the New Covenant; he is still the provider and we are still the worshipers. The Old Testament believers paid tithes for three main reasons, which led to the three tithes:
- The Levitical, or sacred tithe (Numbers 18: 21, 24).
- The tithe of the feasts (Deuteronomy 14:22-27).
- The tithe for the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28, 29).
The first tithe was given to the Temple, the second was given to celebrate social and religious festivals, and the third was given to assist the less fortunate in the community. The Levites and Priests are the modern pastors, clergy, and church workers, the poor and widows were present in ancient times, as they are today, and the Temple is the location of the modern church. The fundamental principle of tithing is that Christians should always be accountable for church business and helping those in need in their community, as Apostle Paul reminds his congregation when he exhorts them to be generous (1Corithians 9:8-14).
In theory, Christians have been called to give from the period of the Old Testament through the time of the New Testament. That giving might be demonstrated through tithing (a consistent percentage giving) or other generous means (random percentages). To be clear, though, tithing and giving are Christian life principles that guide how we live as God’s worshippers rather than responsibilities with consequences and rewards (2Corinthians 9:5-12). We must interpret Jesus’ mention of the tithe in the New Testament in this sense (Mathew 23:23, Luke 18:12).
Tithing is a matter of the heart, just as giving is, and is not a matter of duty or the law; rather, it is a guiding principle of our relationship with God. The Pauline order of giving on the first day of the week is similar to contesting the 10% giving (1Corithians 16:1-2). Tithing is contributing in response to how we have already been blessed rather than giving to receive blessings, as evidenced by the simple fact that it represents one-tenth of one’s income. Therefore, it is incorrect to advocate giving or tithing as a way to obtain blessings rather than as evidence that we already enjoy them.
And this divine blessing may not necessarily refer to our financial wealth, but rather to God’s treatment of us in general, regardless of our possessions or lack thereof (2Corithians 8:1-5). Just as we are asked to Give, we are also called to Tithe.
This article is shared with permission from the Good Newspaper a publication of Faith and Science.
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