The New Testament never commands Christians to give a tenth of their income[1], yet Malachi 3:8 asks whether anyone would rob God, specifically “in tithes and offerings”. The resolution depends on understanding what changed between covenants.
The Old Testament Context
In Israel’s theocratic system, tithes were designated as the Levites’ inheritance in exchange for their temple service (Num 18:21–24). This wasn’t primarily a spiritual principle—it was a structural support system. The tithe functioned as a national income tax under the Mosaic Covenant, which is why withholding it constituted “robbing” God; there was no separation of church and state in Israel’s theocratic arrangement[2].
The New Testament Shift
Malachi’s rebuke addresses Israel’s theocracy regarding tithes prescribed in the Mosaic law to sustain the Old Testament religious system—but the church is not the Old Testament theocracy of Israel[1]. When Matthew and Luke mention tithing, those references apply to people still living under the Mosaic Covenant; the question becomes: on what grounds do we claim the tithing law binds New Covenant believers while other Mosaic laws don’t[2]?
What Replaces It
Rather than a fixed percentage, Paul instructs believers to give what they’ve decided in their hearts, neither reluctantly nor under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:6–7). Paul does argue that those spending their lives in ministry deserve financial support from other believers, though whether this means precisely 10% is less certain[2].
The principle endures—supporting God’s work and caring for the needy—but the mechanism shifted from legal obligation to voluntary generosity.
[2] Sam Storms, Biblical Studies: Meditations on 2 Corinthians (Edmond, OK: Sam Storms, 2016). [See here, here, here, here.]
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