Planner's pulpit
The Forgotten Tithes, Part 1
by Rev. John F. Harrison, CFP®
Question: In the New Testament church, tithing (or giving a "tenth") is:
Those who selected choice #1 in the above quiz usually think something like this: "Tithing is the only financial plan God ever inaugurated. Abraham tithed, Jacob tithed, and tithing was explicitly commanded under the Law of Moses. Furthermore, Jesus endorsed it in the New Testament. Those who do not tithe are robbing God. Think you can't afford to tithe? You can't afford not to. Financial freedom starts with this revelation. Got debt? Debt is really just an acronym for Doing Everything But Tithing! If you're not blessed, it's because you don't tithe; simple as that." And so on.
Those who selected choice #2 in our quiz usually think something like this: "Tithing is bad doctrine, a relic of Mosaic Law that is perpetuated by people who cannot or will not read scripture in context. It's never once commended under the New Covenant. It's a burden to the poor and struggling, a form of bondage from which the church needs to be delivered. Tithing is little more than a get-rich-quick scheme for smarmy televangelists, a tradition that does violence to the cardinal New Testament doctrines of grace and Christian liberty. It's legalism, pure and simple." And so on.
Not a lot of middle ground between those positions, is there? Both camps tend to dig in their heels and talk past each other, sometimes quite loudly. Amidst all the doctrinal disagreement and superheated rhetoric about whether or not tithing is mandatory today, some key principles have been lost. There are several important concepts that the Old Testament tithes were designed to convey. Rediscovering these lost concepts would facilitate an attitude adjustment for people on both sides of the debate. More importantly, embracing the spirit embodied in the Old Testament tithes could actually make the world a better, more enjoyable place for a lot of people, regardless of which side you take in the standard tithe debate.
You will notice that I just referred to the Old Testament tithes, plural. That's because there wasn't just one. There were three different tithes in the Law of Moses, with three different purposes. When your church discusses tithing, odds are it only talks about one of the three. The concepts I have alluded to are embodied in the tithes that most churches never mention. In Part 2, we'll look at those forgotten tithes and the principles they teach.
The Forgotten Tithes, Part 1
by Rev. John F. Harrison, CFP®
Question: In the New Testament church, tithing (or giving a "tenth") is:
- A scriptural financial practice that God requires of all believers.
- A legalistic tradition that puts people in bondage and has no place in New Testament preaching.
Those who selected choice #1 in the above quiz usually think something like this: "Tithing is the only financial plan God ever inaugurated. Abraham tithed, Jacob tithed, and tithing was explicitly commanded under the Law of Moses. Furthermore, Jesus endorsed it in the New Testament. Those who do not tithe are robbing God. Think you can't afford to tithe? You can't afford not to. Financial freedom starts with this revelation. Got debt? Debt is really just an acronym for Doing Everything But Tithing! If you're not blessed, it's because you don't tithe; simple as that." And so on.
Those who selected choice #2 in our quiz usually think something like this: "Tithing is bad doctrine, a relic of Mosaic Law that is perpetuated by people who cannot or will not read scripture in context. It's never once commended under the New Covenant. It's a burden to the poor and struggling, a form of bondage from which the church needs to be delivered. Tithing is little more than a get-rich-quick scheme for smarmy televangelists, a tradition that does violence to the cardinal New Testament doctrines of grace and Christian liberty. It's legalism, pure and simple." And so on.
Not a lot of middle ground between those positions, is there? Both camps tend to dig in their heels and talk past each other, sometimes quite loudly. Amidst all the doctrinal disagreement and superheated rhetoric about whether or not tithing is mandatory today, some key principles have been lost. There are several important concepts that the Old Testament tithes were designed to convey. Rediscovering these lost concepts would facilitate an attitude adjustment for people on both sides of the debate. More importantly, embracing the spirit embodied in the Old Testament tithes could actually make the world a better, more enjoyable place for a lot of people, regardless of which side you take in the standard tithe debate.
You will notice that I just referred to the Old Testament tithes, plural. That's because there wasn't just one. There were three different tithes in the Law of Moses, with three different purposes. When your church discusses tithing, odds are it only talks about one of the three. The concepts I have alluded to are embodied in the tithes that most churches never mention. In Part 2, we'll look at those forgotten tithes and the principles they teach.
The Forgotten Tithes:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Planner's Pulpit Archive
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Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Planner's Pulpit Archive
Is there a topic you'd like us to talk about? Email your suggestions or questions to us.
