Financial giving in the new covenant

This thread is not about whether Christians ought to consider donating to their Church so to keep the doors open, or if Christians ought to feed the homeless or do other good deeds.

This thread is about how some Churches teach the concept of financial giving, especially considering that we are now under the new covenant.


It is often said
"a tithe means a tenth (10%)".
This is true, however a tithe is not just a tenth. There is more to a tithe than it being a tenth.



A tithe is defined as:
1. a tenth of animals, grain, herbs (Lev 27:32)
2. tithing is an obligation (2 Chron 31:5)
3. tithing applies to Israelites, who tithe to the Levitical Priesthood (Num 18:26)



Any kind of financial giving must tick all of those points in order for it to be classified as a tithe.

Therefore, should somebody decide, for example, to donate one tenth of their income to a Church, even though the first point is ticked (one tenth), the second two points are not ticked unless it is given through obligation, and given by an Israelite to the Levitical Priesthood.

If they're giving any amount other than 10%, it's not a tithe because the first point is not ticked.

A tithe is also not defined as anything other than animals, grain, herbs, etc.
So if you hear anybody say things like
"I tithe my time"
then they're not tithing.



An offering on the other hand is defined as:
1. no defined amount or currency, the Bible asks for us to give according to our heart (2 Cor 9:7)
2. a gift freely given, i.e. choice not obligation (2 Cor 9:7)
3. it applies to everybody that follows God (Rom 12:1)



Somebody who follows God who gives any amount (even if it happens to be one tenth of their income), given freely, is making an offering and not a tithe.

There are various examples that are often quoted and asserted as 'evidence' that God commanded Christians to tithe (give 10% through obligation).
These 'examples' of 'tithing' tend to be either:
1. Not tithes, but offerings
2. Narrative as oppose to doctrine


Such examples include:

1. Malachi
The wider context of this story was that through the gift of interpreting dreams, the Israelites had been instructed by God to bring a tenth of their grain and animals into a storehouse, which helped to organise resources in times of good and bad.
The three constituent parts of the definition of a tithe appear in the wider context, as described above.
Malachi does not apply to Christians today, it applied to Israelites who were obliged to tithe a tenth.

2. In genesis, Abram gave one tenth of his spoils of war to Melchizedek.
He did this voluntarily, with no obligation having been explicitly stated.


Tithing (note not offering) is defined under Mosaic law.


Christians are not under the law:

“Christians are not under the law” – Romans 6:14
“Christians have been delivered from the law” – Romans 7:1-6
“Christians are dead to the law” – Galatians 2:19
“The law was a curse that Christ redeemed us from” – Galatians 3:13


In addition, Christians ought to actively avoid abiding by mosaic law:


1. The law adds nothing to faith.

“The law frustrates grace” – Galatians 2:21
“The law has nothing to do with faith” – Galatians 3:11-12
“The law has no glory at all in comparison to the new covenant” – 2 Corinthians 3:10
“The law justifies nobody” – Galatians 2:16


2. The law is a curse, and cursed are those who practice some parts of the law (e.g. tithing) and fail to practice the rest of the law too

“The law curses all who practice it and fail to do it perfectly” – Galatians 3:10
“The law brings wrath upon those who follow it” – Romans 4:15
“The purpose of the law was to increase sin” – Romans 5:20
“To go back to the law after embracing faith is stupid” – Galatians 3:1

Nah............u b years too late with such as this.........


U honestly believe u b da first to come up with all dis dribble?

Please do tell me if and why my understanding is wrong

Not every church embraced the New covenant of grace when it comes to Christian living.

Thus, for these churches, they may think that there is "some value" in urging people to give out of obligation or fear, aka using Malachi 3.

There are plenty of churches teach that we as Christians, under the New Covenant, are commanded to give a minimum of 10% of our income to our church. Others teach that preachers of these churches are turning the 10% tithe in the Old Testament into a monetary, legalistic prescription for Christians under the New Covenant.

I even heard a Pastor make a challenge to his congregation to give 10% of their income for 90 days and if God does not bless them then he will give them their money back.

In 2 Corinthians 9:5-7 we read: Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

I don't see a "specific percentage" given anywhere for Christians "under the New Covenant," but I certainly believe in giving and not just to our church. I also believe that everything we own belongs to God.

Malachi 3:8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. The whole nation of Israel. Malachi is written to Jews under the Old Covenant. Malachi 1:1 - The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.

That same Pastor I mentioned earlier in this post legalistically uses the 10% tithe to brow-beat people in that church with guilt. He even handed out pledge cards for people to fill out so they can pledge to give extra money on a monthly basis over a three year period above and beyond the 10% tithe directly to the "moving forward" project to build a new mega church. More than a few people have left that church because all that Pastor mainly talks about is money (primarily the 10% tithe) and building that new mega church.

During one sermon, that Pastor even mentioned that a member of that church came into his office one day somewhat irate and said that he is leaving that church because he is tired of hearing about money all the time and needs to find a church where he can go "deeper" in the Word. The Pastor mentioned that the word "deeper" is a code word for "I'm not tithing 10%." The Pastor went on to say that he checked the records and sure enough that member of the church was not giving 10% and some months gave nothing at all and then acted like good riddance to him! I was not impressed. Whatever amount of money that you wish to give is between you and God, but we should not turn giving into a legalistic prescription.

Tithing it appears was by the law an obligation, while offerings are supposed to be by what one has in their heart.

Yes I am aware that there are churches who guilt trip people into giving money, whether it is tithe, building fund etc. Well, its up to Christians in that church to decide for themselves whether they want to remain.

But its also true that trusting God with your finances is the "least use of your faith", and even in my church, New Creation Church, where the well known grace preacher Joseph Prince is from, we have this practice that, if you want to serve on stage as a musician or singer, we call that the "platform ministry", one requirement is that you have to be faithful with your giving. This is based on what Jesus taught in the Parable of the Unjust Steward.

And often, its true that, if you are trying to trust God for healing, if you have not been faithful with giving, its foolish to think that you have the faith to trust him for healing, following the lessons in Luke 16

9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous[d]mammon, that when [e]you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is yourown?

Oy vey! Didnt you already make a thread (or two!) about tithing?

Look bro if you dont wanna tithe, DONT!

God loves a CHEERFUL giver! Not a skin of yer teeth giver.

Again, we don't have to, we GET to.

And yet you have not even touched on the New Testament teaching on Christian giving in your OP.

I thought the lev 27:32 was about what verse two says, a special vow involving the value of persons???

1. 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When someone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the value of persons

2. Seems the widow offering was done not out of obligation but the Love for God, surely was the most honorable of all that jangling dropped in the treasury.

3. isn’t all who believe welcomed?

Reading the whole of lev 27 gee that was a lot of work, add a fifth here or there depending on if it’s redeemable. or if the person was between twenty and sixty or one month to five years old a whole set of new rules applied. the priest came to your house to value it if that was offered or a field and seed it took.

What does it mean when it says if a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he must add a fifth to its value. what is redeeming part of the tithe?

Then you haven't read my post, or the verses associated and referenced.

Actually I have and all you have talked about is the tithe. Which means you have no idea about Christian giving as taught in the New Testament. All you are doing is whining about the tithe.

The tithe and the offering.

That's what this thread is about.

And those are still under the Old Covenant.

I'm praying for you.
Have a great day brother.

I agree, but there are Churches out there that take advantage of this.

Okay, I admit....I didn’t read all the posts, I did scan through them ....... and thought I’d share my “tithing experience”....

As a baby Christian, my flesh would reason....”If God already owns all the gold, silver and cattle, then He already owns all of the money in my pocket so, why do I need to give Him what He already owns?”

Well, sure enough, God would just come whenever He wanted and take some ... like sudden car repairs, etc. It appeared to me God had put a hole in my money bag. Lol!

I’ve come to the realization that I don’t want to live on my own in this crazy world. I want to live in My Father’s House and be under His rules and care. So, with every financial increase I earn I give cheerfully 10% to the Kingdom of God in the Earth as “rent” to Him.

Guess what!!! My money bag doesn’t have a hole anymore and I think I may need to get a bigger bag because I seem to be increasing! Lol!

I definitely recommend tithing 10%! It totally freaks out the flesh, but is amazing fun for the spirit!! Go for it! I dare ya!