Tithing: (What The Bible Actually Says)

Tithing is one of the most misunderstood topics in the church today.

Some pastors teach that if you give 10% God will make you wealthy.

Others claim tithing was only for Israel and Christians should ignore it completely.

Both positions usually leave out huge portions of Scripture.

So let’s walk through the full biblical picture.

 

First, the word tithe literally means “a tenth.”

In Hebrew the word is ma'aser, which simply means a tenth portion set apart.

But the important question is not what the word means.

The real question is how the Bible actually used it.

Tithing appears in Scripture before the Law, but it was not a commanded system yet.

Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek after rescuing Lot.

Genesis 14:20 says, “And he gave him tithes of all.”

But this was a voluntary act. It was not commanded,

and Scripture never records Abraham practicing a lifelong mandatory ten percent system. 

Later Jacob made a vow. 

Genesis 28:22 “Of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

Again, this was voluntary. It was not a command for all people.

 

The tithe becomes an official system under the Mosaic Law, when Israel becomes a covenant nation.

At this point the tithe functioned almost like a national support system.

It supported the priesthood, funded worship festivals, and provided for the poor.

And here is something many people do not realize.

Israel did not just have one tithe.  They had multiple tithes.

Numbers 18 explains the tithe given to the Levites, because the tribe of Levi did not receive land like the other tribes.

Deuteronomy 14 describes another tithe used for the national worship festivals in Jerusalem.

Then every third year another tithe was stored locally to care for widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor.

When you add them all together, Israel was not giving ten percent.

Many scholars estimate it was closer to twenty to twenty-three percent.

It functioned very much like a national taxation system for Israel's covenant nation.

 

Now fast forward to the passage most often quoted in churches.

Malachi 3.  “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me… in tithes and offerings.”

This verse is constantly used to pressure Christians. But look at the context. 

God is speaking to Israel under the Law, rebuking priests and the nation for breaking the covenant.

The promise of blessing tied to that tithe was connected to Israel’s covenant relationship with the land.

It was never given as a universal promise that if you give money God will make you rich.

That idea is the foundation of the prosperity gospel, and it twists Scripture.

 

Jesus did mention tithing, but notice the context again.

Matthew 23:23 “You tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.”

Jesus was speaking to Pharisees who were still living under the Law.

His issue was not the tithe.  His issue was their hypocrisy.

They carefully counted their herbs but ignored justice, mercy, and faith.

 

Then the cross happens.

And something changes.

The New Testament never commands Christians to tithe.

Instead, it teaches something deeper. Generous giving.  

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Notice the difference. Not pressure, manipulation, or religious tax, but a willing heart.

 

The New Testament still teaches that ministry should be supported.

Galatians 6:6 says the one who is taught the Word should share with the one who teaches.

1 Timothy 5:18 say's “The labourer deserves his wages.”

And believers are also called to care for the poor.

In Acts 4 we read that the early church shared so freely that there were no needy people among them.

In fact, New Testament generosity often went beyond ten percent, because it flowed from love instead of obligation.

 

This is where the prosperity gospel completely misses the point.

Some teachers say, “Sow your seed and God will multiply your money.”

But Scripture warns about people who treat godliness as a way to get rich.

1 Timothy 6:5 warns about those who think faith is a means of financial gain.

That is not the heart of biblical giving.

Giving is worship.  Giving is gratitude.

Giving is recognizing that everything we have already belongs to God.

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”

So the real question for Christians today is not,

“How little am I required to give?”

The real question is, “How can I honour God with what He has entrusted to me?”

Tithing was part of Israel’s covenant system.

Christian giving is something deeper.

It is generosity flowing from grace.

And when giving flows from a heart that truly understands the Gospel,

it stops being about percentages and starts being about worship.