TenPercent - Jesus does not want your tithe

On Sunday at Redeemer I gave the second of 2 talks on being a generous people. The first talk looked at 2 Corinthians chapter 8, where Paul, frustrated at the sidetracking Corinthians uses an example of an extraordinary generous church to demonstrate what being a people of grace looks like. He roots generosity firmly in the extravagant generosity that has already been displayed to us in Jesus Christ, who for our sake, even though we were still sinners, became poor, so that we might become rich. You can ready the article I wrote based on that talk here. In the second talk we looked at why Jesus doesn't want your tithe. I am going to try and capture the basics of that talk here, the audio should be online shortly.

Note: These are expanded preaching notes and have not been written as an article.

Tithing is the Old Testament principle that is part of the Law, stipulating that the people of Israel were to give a certain amount (10%) of their money away to God.  Well thats what we are normally taught, but in reality that has got more to do with tradition than the bible.  I am always nervous when traditions take precedent over what scripture actually teaches so the following gives a brief overview of the 3 key passages from the Law regarding tithing.

What the OT Says about tithing

There are basically 3 kinds of tithes that the Israelites were meant to participate in, each to a different person, for a different reason, here they are;

To the Levites  - Lev 27:30-33/Num 18:21

This was a tithe of 10% given directly to the Levites to keep them employed, to do the job that they were supposed to do.  Which was, to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people, mediating between man and God.  Im always interested when people tithe that they only ever put money in the collection.  Presumably if we tithe biblically we should include veg from our gardens and herbs from our window boxes!

To the festival - 10% - Deaut 14:22-27

The second tithe was a kind of a bring and share, tear and share, potluck lunch.  One person brings the sandwiches, the other a selection of hot and cold continental snacks and meats, someone else the pringles and the dips.  This was also a tithe of 10%

The poor and needy - 3.3% -Deaut 14:28-29

The third tithe was part of the festival tithe but happened every third year and was to include those ‘have nots’ of society.  This tithe worked out at around 3.3%

So If you want to tithe according to the Old Testament you have got to be looking at something in the region of 23.3% including a lot more than just your salary.

I guarantee that there are very few people who actually tithe - I am yet to find a bunch of grapes or a sheep in the offering at Redeemer! So if you want to tithe properly its got to be 20.33% and include pretty much everything.

So what does the New Testament say about tithing?  Well Jesus talks about it in his ‘going for the hypocrites’ preach in Matt Ch.23 v.23.  And sure he tells them to carry on tithing, but not to forget the weightier things of the law, like loving people and stuff!  Those who believe tithing is a biblical principle for now use this passage to support their position from a NT perspective.  But even a basic reading of this verse and the context shows that tithing is not the point of what Jesus is saying.  What he is saying is that the Pharisees were being hypocrites and that they should tithe, because after all they were Jews, and the law said to tithe. But to try and justify themselves by tithing their spice racks while ignoring the weightier things of the law was not what the law was about!

Luke Ch.18.9 is a passage also used to justify a NT perspective in tithing, again this is not a passage about tithing, but is rather about Justification.

Other arguments pro tithing say that the OT sets out a principle and then the rest of the bible doesn’t say anything to the contrary.  I would argue that you notice a shift in emphasis in the NT from legal tithing to extraordinary generosity - See 2 Corinthians 8. 

The hinge

But for me there is a more compelling reason why tithing is no longer a requirement for us as Christians.  Matthew Ch.5 v.17 says that Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, or more accurately, to fill it up like a container (think about the wedding in Cana).

In the OT you would give to the Levites so they could do their job of providing a temporary means of peace between you and God through sacrifice.  However in the NT God gave his one and only son who gave everything, even to the point of death so you could have everlasting peace and reconciliation with him, through the forgiveness of sins, abolishing the need for priests to reconcile man to God because God had provided a great high priest -  Making us all part of the priesthood of believers

Do you see? The OT tithe is linked to the temple and the sacrificial laws not as some say, just to the moral Law (although categorizing the laws has its own problems) this makes a huge difference.  This for me is the hinge in this entire discussion.  The point is this; We no longer need a priest or a sacrifice, a once and for all sacrifice has been made.  The Levites no longer need a wage!  Someone else has put them out of a job!  Jesus has paid the price for our sins in full.

So what am I saying? That we no longer need to tithe? Yes.  What I am not saying is that we should stop giving to God, both financially and in other areas.  After all everything that we have comes form Him anyway and the NT talks about the kind of givers we are supposed to be.

What the NT Says about giving

1 - Systematic - Give on a regular basis, that is, weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, etc.
1 Cor 16:1
2 - Proportional - Give as you have been prospered; according to your ability
1 Cor 16:2; 2 Cor 8:2–3
3 - Sacrificial, Generous - Give generously, even sacrificially, but not to the point of personal affliction
2 Cor 8:2–3; Phil 4:17–18
4 - Intentional - Give deliberately in order to meet a genuine need, not out of guilt merely to soothe a pressing request
2 Cor 8:4; Phil 4:16
5 - Motivation - Our motivation for giving should be grace, love for others.
a. Love
As Jesus died for the sins of others, believers should give of themselves out of love
2 Cor 8:9
b. Equality
Believers are to give so that all needs are met
1 Cor 9:14–15; 2 Cor 8:12–14; cf. Gal 6:6
c. Blessing
Give in order to receive more from God so that you can continue to bless others generously
2 Cor 9:6
6 - Cheerful - God loves a cheerful giver 2 Cor 9:7
7 - Voluntary - Giving ought to be done out of one’s free volition
2 Cor 8:2–3, 8; 9:7; Phil 4:18

None of which say anything about a specific amount !!!

The problem with tithing

I don’t think that there is anything particularly wrong with tithing, I just don’t see how it is biblical.  I do think that it has the potential to throw up some problems though;

Pride - I’ve given my 10% I am done for the month and have my 90% which is mine.

Pragmatism - Grace is not pragmatic. Tithing gives with the head - generosity comes from the heart!
Why 10% ? why not 50% why not 5% - there is no divine calculator that we have been given by which we can calculate Gods expectation of our giving - Instead he revealed to us his lavish generosity.

Legalism - We think we have ticked the box like the Pharisees.

Traditionalism - We are scripture rooted! Has it been what you have always done? It can be mechanical. Our giving should never be mechanical.

Wrong motives - We can ask ourselves should I tithe so we can work out how little we can get away with giving rather than how little can I survive on.

Someone who earns very little giving 10% is giving hugely generously - Someone earning loads giving 10% is not giving very sacrificially.

Conclusion

We are recipients of an amazingly generous gift of grace and mercy.  Jesus became poor so that we might become rich.  He paid a phenomenally expensive, humanly incalculable price to purchase us.  The basis for our giving is not an amount, thriftily calculated with the accuracy of an accountant, but is rather a response to that which has already been given to us.  There is nothing calculated about the grace of God! He gave, and when we fully understand what that means we in turn are propelled into sacrificial, cheerful, joyful, generosity.

 

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