The Tithe, Law, New Testament and Grace

Often people only view the law in Old Testament when trying to validate the tithe or invalidate it. It is clear that the Law teaches tithing for Israel. There is usually NO arguments or discussions about this fact save for the 3 tithe issue. The discussions get heated however when the topic of New Testament practice begin.

As we have previously noted, Jesus makes mention of the tithe in His conversation with the Pharisees. In a future post we will look at the teachings of the Apostle Paul and some key things that must be noted and applied when accurately developing a case for or against the tithe from his teachings and life.

What seldom is noted in current discussions is the fact that the tithe appears PRE - LAW in the Old Testament. Abraham and Jacob both voluntarily embraced the tithe (the giving of a tenth). It is in this study that we discover the Biblical Heart of the tithe. For the arguments against the tithe due to legalism, this study sheds light on the misuse of Legalism in the discussion and the truth that the Biblical Tithe has always been voluntarily done out of love for the Lord God.

The Law codified the tithe for the nation of Israel. The standard of the tenth was kept from pre - law to the law. If you will continue to trace the journey of the tithe, you will discover that unlike the FOOD issues, the tithe is never repealed. The tithe is embraced just as Abraham, Jacob, and the law embraced it. Jesus told the Pharisees that they should have given the tithe while also doing other things. Not once did he say "stop giving the tithe!" Why? What about GRACE?

I actually love the discussion of GRACE in light of the tithe. The norm and error by many as seen in our current culture inside the church, is to argue that we are under GRACE thus the tithe is no longer valid. The acceptance of less than 10% is thusly justified when one takes this approach. While another major error is made in the acceptance that 10% is enough. GRACE changes the discussion. Neither are accurate.

And we will continue here later in the week...

SWBTS Homemaking Degree - Needed?

As we wound down the Christmas celebrations at our home and sat back for some football and R and R I decided to do a little blog reading. Probably NOT a good thing but...! And sure enough our friend Wade Burleson was making his usual attack at Dr's Patterson - he sure loves them! Burleson was actually trying to make a case against the Homemaking Degree at Southwestern and the celebration for it's growth.

It got me to thinking - and that is a good thing.

For the past 21 years I have performed many marriage ceremonies. One fact that is undeniable is that fewer couples getting married these days know how to do the basic things of the home - much less live a blessed married life. Of all the issues that cause problems in marriage, finances are in the top of the leading friction starters. And this is where Burleson is missing something huge in our society. In fact, I think that CB Scott is actually picking up on this issue the more I read his comments over at Burleson Place.

With the breakdown of the home and the increase of both parents working, children, male and female, are growing up NOT knowing how to cook or sew. One of the greatest expenses among young families with children is the Eating Out line item. One of the greatest negative effects to health is the Fast Food consumption of American children. Both of these issues are a direct reflection that men and women today do not know how to cook and plan out meals nor do they understand the health issues of certain foods. And this does NOT even begin to mention the clothing situation. When one looks at the financial cost of NOT knowing these types of things, one realizes that maybe there is a genius to this degree plan.

Today, both of our boys assisted with Christmas Dinner, as they do with most meals. They also do laundry, theirs and mine and Heidi's. Why? Very few young ladies will know how to properly do these things. Heidi and I want our boys to know how to care for themselves and feed themselves. And we are NOT talking about Microwave stuff either.

Ask around your church and see how many young women cook? Have you noticed who provides meals for families that are grieving? Not many young ones do unless they run to the store and purchase it. Once again adding to the financial burden. In our church we have one class that does not provide meals for this very reason. Other, older classes are taking up the slack for them. I have often wondered what many churches will do in the next 10 years as a generation passes? And if the Pastors wife does NOT know these things - well, you see the point.

I also agree with CB that Child rearing classes should be added to REQUIRED CLASSES at Seminaries. How could anyone NOT see this need?

All one needs to do is look at the whole of society and the economic hardship that many are facing, to see that the idea of a Homemaking Degree is NOT out of the norm. It is what many Missionaries do in other countries and it is needed here in America. Maybe the Church is the only hope for America in many ways!

Kudos to SWBTS for being a trend setter in this area. And remember, it is NOT required but obviously needed as shown by the number enrolling.

Our dinner tonight was incredible and very inexpensive! The whole family cooked it together. The boys and I shopped for the meat (Ribeye Roast). Heidi got the corn on the cob, lettuce and such for a salad, and the potatoes. We spent less than $30 on a meal that will feed us at least 4 times. One meal out would have cost over $50 for the same and we would have had NO leftovers. We also did a special breakfast this morning together. Same effect. The roast in the extra biscuits make for a great snack!

There is NO doubt that many Pastors wives will be able to minister as a result of this degree program. For any one to try and make this thing look poorly is a sure sign that one is missing the whole picture of ministry and has NOT taken the time to really look at the benefits. Maybe one does have a special mission or something? Surely something is blinding him to the benefits of this program.

As for me, I can see clearly the benefit of this program - it is needed!

A Gift from God

As I reflect on gifts this Christmas season I cannot help but focus on a gift my youngest son Nathan received this year that keeps on giving and keeps me humbled before God in awe of Who He IS!



One night while Heidi and I were watching TV Nathan came down stairs and announced that he wanted to play drums. I immediately thought that the peace of our home was about to change. I then began to think about the money required to accomplish this desire. So I asked him why. I was hoping that maybe this was a fad and that maybe he was just exploring some new thing in his mind as many 12 about to be 13 year olds do.



He shared that it was something that he had been praying about. SAY WHAT? Yes that was my response. We discussed further and decided that we would check into getting a small set of drums for his room and see how it would go. This did not take long.



God had a plan and I was about to experience something incredible. A man in our church provided a full set of GREAT drums. The first two weeks in our home were HORRIBLE! The noise coming from upstairs was just that noise. Ear plugs would not work. It was loud and BAD!



Then something took place. Nathan stopped playing at home as much but had decided to play in a new Youth Band we were starting at church. I was shocked. I thought that my Worship Leader had lost her mind. Or that maybe it would be a long time before they actually played in front of people. No way was Nathan even close to playing at any level.

Not long after this our church found ourselves without a drummer. When I heard of this I asked as to the plan. Our Live@Nine service had to have a drummer. I did not know of another one in the church and figured that we were frantically looking around for one. My Worship Leader informed me that Nathan would be handling the situation to my utter shock. I just knew she had flipped.

It was the following Sunday morning that discovered that Nathan had a gift. He not only played that Sunday but has played every Sunday since. He played for our Christmas musical, our musical guests, Live @ Nine, and our Youth service. He is ROCKING GOOD! No lessons! Not much practice. Just a gift from God. I am still shocked!

God gave Nathan a gift and He is developing that gift and using that gift through Nathan more and more each week. It is just like God to do such! He knows gifts and He knows when we need them. There is no doubt that Nathan will be used by God for years to come in this gift. I remind him often of what God has done. I pray that Nathan will never forget this gift and the giver of it.

God knows Gifts!

Tithing today!

The current debates relating to the tithe are focused on whether or not the tithe is part of the New Covenant or is it applicable today? Those who desire that the tithe be eliminated today always use the fact that it was limited to Old Law.

What many miss is the fact that no where was the tithe ever done away by Jesus himself nor is it fully understood as to how GRACE applies, thus fits within the total scriptural teaching of the tithe and stewardship. For those who have wondered when I would get around to scriptural application, we are here. This is actually my favorite part of the study. We will explore the New Testament model and see what is often omitted from the discussions of today.

We begin with the New Testament church as seen in the New Testament. We see Paul. A man sent out to share the Gospel. In fact repeatedly we read that Paul was supported, financially and prayerfully, by the churches. How was he supported by these churches if tithing/giving to the church was not taught and lived? In the letters that Paul wrote, he commended the churches for their giving (2 Cor 9:2 and 1 Cor 16: 1-4). The conclusion is thus simple, they collectively gave and the church then gave. In fact the church in Jerusalem was one of the benefactors of many churches giving.

How did the people give to the individual churches?

It is clear in the New Testament that GRACE raised "the bar" when it came to giving as a whole. It stands to reason that a person who was a recipient of the GRACE of God would out of love, devotion, and thanksgiving give far more than the tithe required under the law. It is here that the tithe is seen in the New Testament as a standard that acts as the starting point in our giving.

Giving to our churches is easily seen and cannot be ignored in the New Testament. The needs of people, poor and hungry, the spreading of the Gospel, the care of the servants, all are there. As mentioned in previous posts, the huge disagreements that are often mentioned relating to giving to local churches today are weak at best. Yes there are churches that are poorly handling the money that God's people give. Yes there are issues that each church must deal with. Those issues DO NOT lay the basis for one neglecting the giving to one's church. To do so is violate the whole of scripture.

The giving today of God's people should be far above the requirements of the tithe. The Bible is also very clear that churches who were in poverty gave out of their poverty and the blessings of God were seen. The joy and thanksgiving in our hearts should permeate our giving. And this giving should be done based on our first fruits.

And we will continue...

Defining the TITHE

As discussion grows in modern times concerning the tithe, the definition of what actually was and is the tithe moves to the front of the arguments. There are those who would specify that the Old Testament tithe was restricted to items grown and raised. Some will say that it was "asset only" driven and that regardless of the mentions in the New Testament, it ended with the cross.

It is this position that reveals what a few call the New Covenant application. In this approach the tithe is out because the Law is out in the New Testament. After the cross, according to this thought, GRACE is the deal and thus giving the tithe is replaced with giving what ones decides due to our being under grace. Also out in this thought is giving to the church. The reasoning here is that the tithe, according to this thought, was specific for the law and the temple and the government and ... and does not thus apply to the New Testament Church.

As I have raised some questions previously, I feel it is important for us to understand the abuses that DO take place from many who teach the tithe is applicable today. It is these abuses that often cloud the issues and actually rally the cries for adopting a GRACE Giving approach (which I will define Biblically in another post).

The tithe is abused when:

• Churches beat the people over the head
• Churches spend money frivolously
• Churches ignore the Biblical model for teaching and encouraging
• Churches teach that one will prosper from giving the tithe
• Churches make it a requirement of membership
• Churches fail to do ministry and missions
• The full teaching of Stewardship is ignored
• Grace Giving is seldom emphasised and taught

These are just a few. Yet how does one answer the questions and challenge the issues? Defining the tithe must start with the Bible and it must stay with the Bible. Prosperity preachers and those who want to diminish the tithe will always bring the above into their defense of NOT tithing while ignoring that though abuses do occur, the Biblical model is NEVER subject to change due to culture or abuse.

And we will continue on with our study Monday...!

Common Arguments Against the Tithe

As our discussion moves forward we must pause and look at some of the current reasons being given for NOT tithing. Most of the justification for this stand against the tithe is rooted in human secular materialism and spiritualization of will full manipulation of scripture. Maybe that is a strong statement but when the reasons are viewed I can think of nothing better to describe.

I will not spend too much time on these but I will share some of the "best of the worst":

1. The tithe was "cold Law" and thus no one outside of Israel and definitely no one from the point of the cross forward should be tithing. We are under grace. We are free from the law!

2. The tithes discussed in the Old Testament are not applicable today.

3. The churches mentioned in the New Testament were never commanded to tithe or teach tithing.

4. With all the growth of Mega and Super Churches and the high salaries of their Pastoral Staff, the people who give a tithe to the those churches are wasting the money.

5. A person should place their money where they think it would serve best.

6. The Free Will offering is the offering of today.

7. Pastors and churches who teach tithing (storehouse) are abusing their people.

8. And the list goes on and on...

The problem with these are that some interesting forms of hermeneutics are used as "theological" justification. One may hear terms like "New Covenant" and "Dispensational" that lead many to believe that the one advocating the change in understanding related to tithing is actually valid.

And the "poor" are actually being used while NO definition of poor is ever given. The approach is that Pastors and church leaders DO NOT care about people.

This subject is obviously one that goes far beyond Bible Interpretation and Theology. The fuss and confusion actually prove that man can create a mess of what God has been clear about only because man does not always like what God says.

And the fun will continue...

Some Questions of Attacks on Tithing

No doubt that a subject like Stewardship would bring about questions and even some heated debate. One of the things that I hope this series does is to bring about a discussion when often in the past discussion was tough. The reality of the tie that Stewardship has with basic Bible doctrine has always intrigued me. Vigorous debates always flow from this discussion with Doctrinal issues spreading quickly into multiple areas.

Here are some questions that I think will highlight the challenge with this subject:

1. Was the tithe only for Israel?

2. Though much is said in the New Testament about giving and even some mentions of tithing, is it true that after the cross the tithe was to cease?

3. Does "grace giving" mean that NO standard of tithing exists?

4. How is it that there is so much confusion over the subject of tithing?

5. Why do things like adultery get certain treatment in the OT that tithing does not get?

6. Is there a Biblical Standard for those of us alive today in regards to tithing and giving?


The danger with a subject like tithing is that often people approach it from a position that they hold or would like to hold and thus they set out to prove their case. Some may even suggest that I could be approaching the subject from a "I believe it" position and thus that I am setting out to do the same. Before anyone jumps to conclusions I simply ask that you follow along and watch and read and pray! You just might be surprised in the whole of the series.