My original views on tithing

Author's note: What follows below is what I wrote about tithing in 1996 while I was a missionary in Romania. I am now in the process of calling into question this traditional teaching, not because I think it is a bad thing to tithe, but because I believe that some of it could be based on bad exegesis of Scripture from a New Covenant perspective. I have to say that something is wrong if we don't feel the Lord's leading to do at least as much as the Old Testament believers were to do, because we have received so much more grace. So please don't take these comments as a reason to be financially uncommitted to the wellbeing of the church God has put you in. You are instructed in the book of Galatians to share all good things with the one who teaches you, so if that is your local church pastor, please take note. Further, there is still in my view a strong case that Hebrews 7 teaches incidentally that Jesus still receives tithes in heaven. So there is still a great power in offering 10% to God in this way.

The teaching of tithing has been made fundamental to the maintenance of the present religious system in the pentecostal / charismatic world. It didn't seem to be a concern of the apostle Paul in any of his letters, with the possible exception of the book of Hebrews (if indeed Paul wrote that). But the central argument concerning tithing in the Book of Hebrews was to do with the superiority of the Melchizedek priesthood over the Levitical priesthood, and nowhere does it specify that the tithes are to be controlled by people in the office of pastor, although it never denies it. What would it be like if for every teaching on tithing we had a teaching on giving to the poor and needy, widows and orphans or even to world missions instead? The latter are clearly taught in the words of Jesus, but not clearly taught in most churches. It is tithing into the local church as directed by the pastor which is taught. Leaders may say you are giving to God and not to them, but if you give it to the least of the brethren, they won't accept that you are giving it to God. The idea is built into the present teaching on tithing that YOU don't know how God wants you to pay the tithe, that it doesn't count unless the local church leadership, usually the pastor, is controlling it.

Here was my teaching of 1996

Tithing means giving a tenth of all our income to the Lord. So if we earn or receive $200, we should give a tenth part, or $20, to the Lord. If we receive $10000, we should give $1000 to the Lord, and so on.

As far as we know, tithing began with Abraham, the father of faith. After Abraham with God's help had defeated many kings and taken much booty, the story continues as follows:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all." (Genesis 14:18-20).

Tithing is not a thing only of the Old Covenant or of the Law of Moses. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek before he received the sign of circumcision. The law of Moses had not yet been given. The New Testament teaches us that Abraham is a spiritual father to those who "walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised." (Romans 4:12). Clearly tithing was one of those steps.

The Book of Hebrews teaches us that Jesus Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:15-17). Melchizedek is a type of Jesus Christ. Abraham is the type of the believer not under the law. What was their relationship? Firstly, Melchizedek brought out bread and wine. This is a new covenant symbol of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. What happens here is of New Covenant significance. Secondly, Melchizedek blesses Abram. And thirdly, Abraham gives a tithe of all to Melchizedek.

Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek that receives tithes today. The Scripture plainly says, "Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives." (Hebrews 7:8). Even though our tithe is still received by mortal men today, it is also true that Jesus Christ receives them in heaven. Therefore under the New Covenant the tithe of all that we receive must be given to God. And all the Biblical examples of tithing show that when a person tithes they no longer control the tithe themselves. It is not that ten percent belongs to God and the rest to us. No, all belongs to God - but at least ten percent of our income

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