Is Tithing a Binding Command for Christians Today?
1) Direct answer
Yes. The tithe—a tenth of our increase—still belongs to the Lord and is binding on believers today. It is not a man‑made tax; it is God’s portion, holy to Him. Offerings are freewill and beyond the tithe.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Before the Law: Abraham gave tithes of all to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20). This shows tithing is a faith practice that predates Moses.
- God’s claim: “All the tithe… is the Lord’s; it is holy unto the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30).
- Jesus affirmed it: He rebuked the Pharisees for hypocrisy but said, “These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23). He did not cancel tithing; He set it in its right place with justice, mercy, and faith.
- New Covenant priesthood: Hebrews 7 ties tithing to Christ’s Melchizedek order and says, “Here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth” (Hebrews 7:8). That shows an ongoing recognition of the tithe under our living High Priest.
- God’s unchanging promise: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse… and prove Me… if I will not open you the windows of heaven” (Malachi 3:8-10). The same chapter says, “I am the Lord, I change not” (v. 6).
- Support of the ministry: “They which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:13-14). The tithe is God’s way of providing for His ministry; offerings meet other needs.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- If tithing was only “Law,” why did Abraham tithe hundreds of years before the Law? Because faith recognized God’s claim.
- Did Jesus ever say, “Stop tithing”? No. He said don’t neglect the weightier matters—but also “don’t leave the other undone.”
- Hebrews does not push tithing away; it lifts it higher by linking it to Christ’s ongoing priesthood.
- “Each as he purposes in his heart” (2 Corinthians 9:7) speaks of offerings for special needs, not of the tithe which God already named as His.
- The “storehouse” is where you are fed by the Word—your local assembly. Tithes go there to sustain the God‑ordained ministry. Gifts to the poor, missions, and other causes are offerings beyond the tithe.
4) Reinforcing statement
Honor the Lord first with His tenth and then give offerings as He leads. Do it by faith, not grudgingly. The tithe is God’s, the firstfruits of our increase; and the Bible promises He will rebuke the devourer and pour out a blessing.