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For over twenty years, I’ve preached and taught that tithing is not a Christian practice. When I first made a vocal stand against this principle, some people left the church because they believed that I had suddenly become a heretic. Some stayed but assumed my stance meant they no longer needed to give at all. This reaction was disheartening, revealing a deep-seated adherence to dogma rather than an openness to biblical truth. I felt more so because some of these men and women, who I believed had trusted my teachings for so long – and should have known my heart – ignored the wealth of evidence supporting my new position.
Jesus never espoused the doctrine of tithing. Paul, despite dedicating two chapters (II Corinthians. 8,9) to the subject of giving in the church, never mentioned tithing – which you could say would have been a surer way of getting money from the believers. None of the apostles promoted it.
In Acts 5, when Ananias and Sapphira lied about their giving, they were struck dead. This incident underscores God’s demand for full accountability, not just for 10%, but for 100% of what we have.
A Christian must be accountable for all their wealth, whether it is spent for education, medical expenses, housing, helping the poor, or supporting their church/minister. The New Testament provides no basis for the modern practice of tithing. Instead, it emphasizes freewill offerings.
This giving that has become a hot topic in Christianity is clearly driven by greed and survival instincts. Only the seminaries founded by these prosperity teachers offer ‘Giving’ as a course. It is not taught in any of the conventional Bible Colleges as a course. It was only when I decided to drop the inherited dogma about giving that I learned from my father’s denomination that I began to see clearly those issues I had not asked questions about. It was then I understood what the tithing system in the Old Testament was all about. It was then I learned what the true biblical stance on Christian giving ought to be.
Tithing in the New Testament
The New Testament does not command Christians to tithe. The few mentions of tithing are historical references, often critical of the practice:
Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their tithing practices (Matthew 23:23).
A Pharisee bragged about his tithing in Luke 18:9-14.
Hebrews 7:5-10 mentions Abraham’s one-time tithe to Melchizedek, a freewill act from the spoils of war, not a recurring practice.
It is curious how the New Testament, largely written by practicing Jews who were familiar with Old Covenant laws, never commands tithing for Christians. If tithing were necessary, surely it would have been mentioned when discussing giving, especially in II Corinthians 8,9. But it was was not!
Old Testament Tithing
Old Testament tithing was a tax system for Israel, a theocratic nation. Jews paid three taxes/tithes:
1. The Levites’ Tithe: An annual 10% tax on all they produced. It was used to support the Levites, who had no land inheritance and so no other source of income (Leviticus 27:30-33, Deuteronomy 14:22-29).
2. Festival Tithe: An annual tax to fund religious festivals (Deuteronomy 14:22-27).
3. Poor Tithe: A tax/tithe that was paid every three years to support the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).
These taxes/tithes totaled about 23.33% annually, plus additional taxes like the temple tax and requirements to leave fields unharvested for the poor to glean (Leviticus 19:9). Non-Jewish believers were never subjected to these tithes. The Jerusalem Council that deliberated what aspects to require from Gentile Christians said “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities.…” They then only required the Gentile Christians (that is, us) to abstain from certain practices such as abstaining from foods sacrificed to idols, from blood, from strangled animals, and from sexual immorality (Acts 15:28-29).
New Testament Giving
The New Testament pattern of giving aligns with the Old Testament practice of freewill offerings. Unlike taxes, freewill offerings are voluntary and motivated by grace and love. In II Corinthians 8-9, Paul commended the Macedonian church, which gave generously despite their severe poverty.
In this passage, the believers are instructed (in 9:7) that each person should give as they have decided in their heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. This directive emphasizes internal motivation over external obligation. Giving is a matter of the heart, not the wallet. If God has our hearts, He will have our wallets (Matthew 6:21).
But a preacher who wants to control your wallet will not let you think about the biblical basis for the position in this writeup.
Conclusion
Freedom from Old Testament tithing is not freedom to give less. It is freedom to give in ways that reflect our love for God and the gratitude in our hearts. Our giving should mirror the sacrificial love God showed by sending His Son. We are free to make love offerings, not just pay a religious tax.
If this knowledge makes you give less, then you were never motivated by grace but fear or greed. I say this because many Christians give so that God will protect what they have left while others give so that God can multiply what they have left! Both positions are funny and unbiblical. We give because God has already blessed us!
I will publish Part 2 soon. Selah
Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Fred Abua, and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.
