False Teaching About Tithing (Part Three)

First, Cain did not tithe but gave an “offering” unto the Lord of the fruit of the ground and a faithless one at that (Gen 4:3, Heb 11:4)

 
Second, Abram (Abraham) gave a tenth of the spoils of the war one time as was the custom at that time (Gen 14; He 7). Abram did so voluntarily, as a tribute to the high priest and king of Salem. There is no mention in the Bible that Abram tithed anywhere else in the scriptures.


If there was an omission in the Bible that Abram continued to give tenth, it does not mean that we are to assume he did. We are not to add to or take away from God’s word, it is written “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar” (Prov 30:5-6). This warning is also found in Rev 22:18-20.

And this is exactly what many of our spiritual leaders are doing by teaching their churches that although it is not mentioned in the Bible that Abram continued to tithe, we have to assume he did. I think this falls under “adding to the word of God”.

Third, Jacob made a conditional vow to (voluntarily) give God a tenth, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth” (Gen 28:20-22). This tenth was not a requirement of any of his descendants up until the “law” was given.

Lastly, Jesus was trying to make a point here and it was not about tithing. He wanted to point out that although they (the teachers of the law and Pharisees) were giving a tenth of their spices under the law (because they were still under the law), they failed to practice the most important thing “justice, mercy and faithfulness.” What they did, they did not do for the love of God but for themselves to show-off and brag (Matt 23:23; Luke 11:42). They were justified by works (the law) not by faith (grace).
Jesus was still under the law when He spoke to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Once Jesus died on the cross, the law was fulfilled (Gal 4:4-5). Once He fulfilled the Law, the debt was paid for and no longer due by God’s children. He became sin, a curse for us, and He freed us from sin and the “curse of the law”.

Now there is one law that will combine all the laws and commandments of God and Galatians 5:13-14 expresses it “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only to use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. In other words, if you have love, you would be keeping all of God’s commandments.

Heated debates have risen between those who tithe and those who do not tithe, and the ones who do not tithe have been accused of taking only certain parts of the Bible and throwing away the rest. If that is the case, the opposite is true as well. Some are conveniently taking parts of the Old Testament laws of tithing and discarding the other 612 laws to go with it.