Tithing

Dr. Couch, is tithing for the NT believers today? ANSWER:  Tithing was commanded for the Jewish people. The tithe was to be taken to the "storehouse" which was located in the Temple grounds. There was a series of "tithes" so that actually, the Jews gave more than a simple ten percent of their income. The tithe was given for food for the house of the Lord. Much of the tithe was used to feed the priests. To not give the tithe was "robbing the whole nation" of Israel (Mal. 3:9).    If the tithe was given from the right heart attitude the giver was blessed. It was a distinct element in Israel's faith and a continual reminder that the Israelites were the Lord's people and that they belonged to Him as their Creator and Redeemer. This is of course true of us today but the body of Christ is distinct from the nation of Israel. And, the Lord looks at us in a more personal way than how He responded to Israel.    The tithe was part of the Mosaic Law and binding, this is not the case of the NT saints. The NT saints are not under the Law of Moses, nor is the local church the counterpart of "the storehouse." Unger points out that in this church age, giving is not done by Law but through grace, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The believer today is to give "as the Lord has prospered," and that could be more than a 10%, or under dire cases, it may be less than a 10%.    A tithe, or 10%, may be a good guideline for giving today, such giving is not under the guidance of the principle of the tithe. For example, I could brag if I gave only a tithe, and I could feel that I had done my duty and did not need to do more. I could argue about how spiritual I was because I had given a tithe! To get all of this straight you need to study 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:15. This gives for us today the principle for NT giving.    Since most believers today do not understand the dispensational nature of the Word of God, they remain confused about this issue. They mix OT and NT together and come up with misleading directives concerning tithing.     Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Feb., 10)