1. Abraham (Abram at the time) submitted a one-time honorarium to Melchizedek that amounted to 10% of war spoils in exchange for bread & wine. He also gave the rest of those items away, claiming he would retain none of it. There's no biblical evidence that Abraham ever "tithed" again, that his submission was required by God, or that he offered any part of his pre-existing wealth, which was substantial. Jacob's subsequent conditional promise to tithe serves as evidence that compulsory tithing wasn't in place during that time, and there no biblical evidence he ever paid one. 2. The book of Hebrews is about a change in Priesthood, not a change in tithing ordinances, which were specific as to what was tithed (consumable items from within Israel) to whom they were tithed (the Levitical theocracy, the poor, and for consumption at the festivals) and how tithing was carried out (by farming and cattle raising Israelites annually, except for the 7th year). Nowhere in the Bible was tithing ever normalized to be received from earned wages by a religious organization. It's materially impossible to "tithe to Jesus" today. He isn't here and nowhere in scripture is there any record of Jesus paying a tithe, receiving a tithe, or leaving any instructions for anyone to tithe under the New Covenant. The reference "tithe to Jesus" is symbolic in that we acknowledge him as our High Priest Forever by seeking righteousness. 3. The narrative in the book of Malachi is confined to the nation of Israel (Malachi 1:1) and further narrowed towards the Levitical Priests in Malachi 1:6 and 2:1. The tithe indictment in Malachi can't be universally applied either historically or currently and it had nothing to do with paying money to a religious organization. So, no, no one today is biblically instructed to "test God" by paying money to today's version of a "church". It was the Levitical Priests who did not bring the whole of the tithe to the temple storehouse, likely keeping the best parts of it for themselves. We can learn from Malachi 3 but it's not instructional for anyone today. The "floodgates of heaven" is a reference to rain, not money. 4. 2nd Corinthians 9 says nothing about compulsory tithing. It doesn't even specifically mention money. Biblical sowing and reaping has nothing to do with money. It's about sowing spiritual "seeds" to reap spiritual fruit. Giving is another matter, and we are to do so cheerfully, not under compulsion. And giving to a church isn't the equivalent of "giving to God" unless that church is your God. Is tithing for today? Today's version of tithing from earned wages carries no biblical precedent so it can't be seen as an act of biblical obedience, but there's nothing wrong with choosing to tithe, money or otherwise, to a church or otherwise, as we are led and able. But God isn't a mob boss or a slot machine. We're free to give, not bound to pay.
Love that you guys touched on this topic… been thinking about it recently! Love yall and this ministry!❤
Amen thankyou I love this.
1. Abraham (Abram at the time) submitted a one-time honorarium to Melchizedek that amounted to 10% of war spoils in exchange for bread & wine. He also gave the rest of those items away, claiming he would retain none of it. There's no biblical evidence that Abraham ever "tithed" again, that his submission was required by God, or that he offered any part of his pre-existing wealth, which was substantial. Jacob's subsequent conditional promise to tithe serves as evidence that compulsory tithing wasn't in place during that time, and there no biblical evidence he ever paid one.
2. The book of Hebrews is about a change in Priesthood, not a change in tithing ordinances, which were specific as to what was tithed (consumable items from within Israel) to whom they were tithed (the Levitical theocracy, the poor, and for consumption at the festivals) and how tithing was carried out (by farming and cattle raising Israelites annually, except for the 7th year). Nowhere in the Bible was tithing ever normalized to be received from earned wages by a religious organization. It's materially impossible to "tithe to Jesus" today. He isn't here and nowhere in scripture is there any record of Jesus paying a tithe, receiving a tithe, or leaving any instructions for anyone to tithe under the New Covenant. The reference "tithe to Jesus" is symbolic in that we acknowledge him as our High Priest Forever by seeking righteousness.
3. The narrative in the book of Malachi is confined to the nation of Israel (Malachi 1:1) and further narrowed towards the Levitical Priests in Malachi 1:6 and 2:1. The tithe indictment in Malachi can't be universally applied either historically or currently and it had nothing to do with paying money to a religious organization. So, no, no one today is biblically instructed to "test God" by paying money to today's version of a "church". It was the Levitical Priests who did not bring the whole of the tithe to the temple storehouse, likely keeping the best parts of it for themselves. We can learn from Malachi 3 but it's not instructional for anyone today. The "floodgates of heaven" is a reference to rain, not money.
4. 2nd Corinthians 9 says nothing about compulsory tithing. It doesn't even specifically mention money. Biblical sowing and reaping has nothing to do with money. It's about sowing spiritual "seeds" to reap spiritual fruit. Giving is another matter, and we are to do so cheerfully, not under compulsion. And giving to a church isn't the equivalent of "giving to God" unless that church is your God.
Is tithing for today? Today's version of tithing from earned wages carries no biblical precedent so it can't be seen as an act of biblical obedience, but there's nothing wrong with choosing to tithe, money or otherwise, to a church or otherwise, as we are led and able. But God isn't a mob boss or a slot machine. We're free to give, not bound to pay.