Tithing x Giving

The idea that every believer is obligated to tithe—to give 10% of their income to the Lord's work—is widespread in evangelical churches today. From a very early stage in their spiritual lives, virtually every believer is taught that they must tithe. Some churches believe so strongly in tithing that their members regularly recite the Lord's Prayer. TITHER'S CREED: “"The tithe belongs to the Lord. In truth, we learn it. In faith, we believe it. In joy, we give it. The tithe!"”.
Other (many) preachers have claimed that any believer who does not tithe for the Lord's work is robbing God and is under a curse, according to Malachi 3:8-10.

In this study, we will examine what the Bible itself teaches about the subject of tithing, our purpose being to understand—only through the Bible!—the true relevance of tithing for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, living under the New Covenant.
We will do this by examining what the Scriptures have to say about tithing:

Before the Law: voluntary acts, not commandments.

There is two Bible passages which speak of tithing being given before the Law was instituted at Sinai. The passages involve Abraham and Jacob, two of the patriarchs of Israel.

In this passage, we are told that Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek, presumably as an expression of gratitude to God for enabling him and granting him the power to rescue his nephew Lot, who had been taken captive.
Those who believe that tithing is obligatory for New Testament believers argue that, since tithing was practiced before the Mosaic Law was given, it must necessarily also be practiced after the Mosaic Law, which, according to Hebrews 8:13, it became obsolete with the establishment of the New Covenant¹, through the sacrifice of Christ.
However, before we make any harsh and hasty decisions, let's take a closer look at the text (above) and make some pertinent observations.

In this passage there is nothing There is no evidence that tithing was commanded by God..
In fact, everything in the text leads us to believe that giving tithes was a decision of complete free choice by Abraham, and as such, entirely voluntary. As we will see shortly, tithing in the Law was by no means voluntary, but rather obligatory for all of God's people.

Furthermore, This is the only tithe that the Scriptures mention Abraham giving in his entire life. And we have no evidence that decimation was their general, habitual, and constant practice.
Furthermore, This tithe came from the spoils of victory that Abraham acquired through military might.As we will note later in our study, the tithe required under the Mosaic Law was based on the profits from the harvest, the fruits, and the flocks, and was to be given on an annual basis—not the spoils of a military victory!

In this passage, Jacob is making a vow in response to a visitation he received from God in a dream. In this dream, Jacob saw a ladder reaching to heaven, with God's angels ascending and descending on it.

In response, Jacob vowed that if God kept His promise, he, in turn, would give God a tithe.
Again, similar to the example of Abraham, it seems that this tithe was voluntary on Jacob's part, and if he did in fact begin tithing—something the Bible doesn't record—after God fulfilled the promise He made to him, Jacob still delayed tithing for 20 years, until after returning to Canaan!

These two are the only examples of tithing that can be found in the Old Testament before the Law was given: both are examples of something voluntary, and neither was requested by God.
In neither of the characters — Abraham and Jacob, who gave these two tithes — do we see an example of tithing as a general, habitual, or constant practice in their lives.
In fact, in Abraham's life, it seems that we have this tithe as something he only gave once in his life, and it was only ONE TITHE, offered from the spoils of a military victory and given to a priest of God.².

If our only evidence for compelling believers under the New Covenant to tithe rests on these two passages from Genesis… it seems to me that we are relying on an extremely shaky foundation!

Tithing in the Law of Moses: form, purpose, and limits.

What does the Bible teach about tithing under the Mosaic Law?
In this part of our study, we will examine all the significant passages in the Scriptures that describe tithing under the Law.

Note that tithing, in ordinary practice, was linked to the produce of the land (seed, fruit, cattle, and flocks). Even so, the Law itself provides, in Deuteronomy 14:24–26, The monetization of tithes when the distance was great: the Israelite could convert the tithe into silver, travel, and repurchase in Jerusalem what was needed for worship.
In other words, the core business was in kind, but the use of money was foreseen as a logistical means.

Furthermore, the tithe was probably given on an annual basis: each year, after the land had been harvested, the people brought to the priests the tenths of their harvests and of the increase in their livestock and flocks.³.
Therefore, I think we can immediately see that our weekly (or monthly) contribution of ten percent of our monetary income differs greatly from the practice of tithing that we find in the Bible.

Tithe for the Levites: support of the ministry in the Old Covenant

Note, in this text, that the tithe was intended to support the Levites.
Since these people had no inheritance—land for agricultural and pastoral activities—in the Promised Land, as the other tribes did, God provided for their sustenance through the tithes of the other families of Israel.

The tithe was the payment/reward.⁴ that God provided for the Levites for their priestly services. This is similar to the support that government officials receive today in our country through taxes and fees paid by the average worker.

Tithing for the festival: worship, joy, and learning about reverence.

This text discusses tithes being used to provide for the religious feasts and festivals of Israel.
We've already seen, in Numbers 18:21 above, that God gave all the tithes in Israel to be the inheritance for the Levites: if all the tithes were given to the Levites, then how is it that this tithe of Deuteronomy 14 Is it ordained to be used for the religious feasts and festivals of Israel?

The only possible answer is that this is a second titheThe first was used to support the Levites, and the second to provide for the religious festivals, so much so that it came to be referred to as "The Tithe for the Festival".

The people of Israel were to use this tithe to eat in the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, the place He chose to establish His name. If it was too inconvenient for people from afar to bring their tithes all the way to Jerusalem, they were allowed to sell it and bring the proceeds to Jerusalem, where they could buy what they needed for the festivals.
God explicitly encourages people to spend their money on “whatever your soul desires,” including strong drink.⁵!

The purpose was for the people of Israel to learn both things: to fear the Lord and to rejoice before Him. Note that having a feeling of fear of the Lord and rejoicing before Him are not mutually exclusive, but in reality, they are complementary and should accompany each other!
This "Tithe for the Festival" made it possible for the people of Israel to have all the food and drink necessary so that they could joyfully enjoy the religious festivals of Israel and worship before the Lord.

Third-year tithe: for the poor, foreigners, orphans, and widows.

Here, we are taught about a third tithe which is collected every third year.
Biblical commentators are divided as to whether this is truly a separate third tithe, or simply the second tithe used in a different way in the third year: the Jewish historian Josephus supports the view that this was a separate third tithe, while other early Jewish commentators have written in support of the idea that it is merely the second tithe that, every three years, was collected and used for a different purpose.

It is impossible to determine with absolute certainty who is right.
In any case, the Jewish people had been commanded to give at least (10 + 10 =) 20 percent of their crops and livestock, and perhaps as much as (10 + 10 + 10/3) = 23.3 percent!

This particular tithe might well be called "The Tithe for the Poor": it was not to be collected in Jerusalem, but in the villages; the people of each village were to bring a tenth of their crops and flocks to gather it all together and provide for the poor of the village, including foreigners, orphans, and widows.
In many respects, it seems that the tithe required under the Law is similar today to the taxation that the government imposes on us: Israel was governed by a theocracy, and under it, the people were responsible for providing for government workers (priests and Levites in general), for holy days (festivals of joy to the Lord), and for the poor (foreigners, widows, and orphans).

Treasure House: What it was and what it isn't

Note that the text says that Tithes were requirements of the Law.“.
These tithes were not voluntary as they were in the lives of Abraham and Jacob. Similarly, we read:

Undoubtedly Tithing was never voluntary under the Law of Moses..
Note here that, in Nehemiah's day, men were appointed to collect the offerings and tithes in chambers designated for that particular purpose: these chambers were for stored goods, and later became known as "treasury houses".
This will become important when we look at our next text:

Let us examine this passage verse by verse, so that we may extract some important truths from it.

3:8

This verse tells us that when a man withholds his tithes, he is actually robbing God. This is because he is withholding something that does not belong to him, but rather is God's property.⁶.

Under the Old Covenant, tithing was mandatory, and therefore withholding it meant becoming a thief.
Note also that God says the people were robbing Him in tithes.SHe didn't say "tithe" in the singular, but rather "in the tithes."S”"— in the plural! — and these refer to the different tithes required of God's people: the tithe for the Levite, the tithe for the Feasts to the Lord, and the tithe for the poor.".

Additionally, note that God is not condemning only the withholding of tithes, but also of offerings, and these undoubtedly refer to the offerings specified in Leviticus 1-5, such as the burnt offering (holocaust), the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering.

All of these offerings consisted mainly of animal sacrifices.
The Levites' food and provisions were largely supplied through these animal sacrifices, in which the Levites were permitted to participate, eating the animals in certain cases.
An important question arises at this point: why do we acknowledge that animal sacrifice is not part of the New Covenant, but say that tithing is?

If we were obligated to pay tithes today, then surely we would still be obligated to offer animal sacrifices, for God bound one to the other and said that His people were robbing Him by withholding both!
We cannot simply "pick and choose" which of the two we will offer to God today. It's one of two things:

1. We are under obligation to offer both tithes and animal offerings (sacrifices), or
2. Both tithing and sacrifice have been abolished by the abrogation of the Mosaic Law.

3:9

Here, we are told that because the people of Israel were withholding tithes and offerings, they were consequently cursed with a curse.
Note that the back doesn't say:
“"You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, yes, all of humanity.”
On the contrary, it says:
“You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, yes, all this nation.”

If tithing were a moral and eternal commandment for all peoples of all times, then all of them would be under a curse, but our text only says that it was the entire nation of Israel that was under the curse.
It is interesting to know that, in Deuteronomy 28, We are told that if Israel, under Jewish Law, disobeyed God's commandments, then the nation would be cursed, among other catastrophes, in the following way:

In these verses, God warns that if His people disobey His commandments and statutes, then their harvests would fail, the rains would not come, the crops would be meager, the locust—which is a type of cricket or grasshopper—would consume the food, and the fruit of the trees would fail!

3:10

In this passage, God speaks of the "treasury house".
Based on Nehemiah 12:44 From the above text, we know that this refers to the chambers in the Temple, set apart and designated to hold the tithes given by the people for the support of the priests and all the other Levites: there is not even a shred of evidence that we should associate these "treasury houses" with the buildings of ecclesiastical businesses to which New Covenant believers have brought their money!

Furthermore, the reason why Israel had to bring all the tithes into the treasury was so that there would be sufficient food in the house of God: the Lord was interested in the Levites having food to eat, and this was the purpose of those tithes that were brought to the Temple of God.
We are also told that if God's people were faithful in bringing their tithes into the storehouse, God would open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing upon them until it overflowed, and this undoubtedly refers to God's promise to bring abundant rains to produce the blessing of an overflowing harvest.

3:11

In this verse, God promises that if Israel brings the tithes (and offerings), He will rebuke the devourer so that it does not destroy the fruit of the land. Undoubtedly, the "devourer" is a reference to the locusts that God warns will come upon the fields of Israel if the people fail to bring the tithe.Deuteronomy 28:38; (see above).

3:12

In this verse, God graciously promises that if Israel is obedient in giving its tithes...S and offerS, All nations will call her blessed.
It is interesting that God not only warned Israel that it would be cursed if it disobeyed the Mosaic Law, but also promised that it would be blessed if it obeyed it.

Here we see God promising to materially bless Israel, the nation, if it were obedient. The promise includes abundant harvests, copious rains, and great increases in herds and flocks.
Therefore, it becomes evident that the blessings and curses recorded in Malachi 3:8-12 These refer to the material blessings that God promised to Israel, the nation, if it obeyed his commandments and statutes: tithing was one of these commandments.

What was the tithe and what... it is not for the Church

So, what can we conclude about tithing under Mosaic Law?
We can safely say that tithing had nothing to do with giving money regularly, on a weekly or monthly basis, but rather with the worship of God as ordained in the time of the Old Covenant.
The commandment to tithe, like the commandments not to eat shrimp or oysters, became obsolete and was set aside with the inauguration of the New Covenant at the death of Christ.

Tithing was the system of taxes and fees ordained by God under the theocratic system of the Old Testament, and if someone wishes to tithe truly and literally according to the Scriptures, they would have to do the following:

1. To quit his job and buy some land so that he could raise his livestock and plant and harvest (grains, vegetables and fruits);
2. Find a descendant of Levi to support him… and this one to a descendant of the Levite Aaron (who is actually a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem);
3. Using your harvests to observe the religious festivals of the Old Testament, such as: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Tabernacles (when, how and where God commanded. Literally);
4. Begin by bringing at least 20 percent of all your crops and livestock to God; and
5. To expect, with absolute certainty, that God will curse his entire nation—and not just the believer himself—with great material hardship if it is unfaithful, or, if it is faithful, bless it with great material abundance.

I believe it's not difficult for anyone to conclude that this is completely absurd!
We all recognize that Christ, in himself, abolished the Levitical priesthood, animal sacrifices, and religious festivals.
Well… if this is true, why are we trying to “hold back” the tithe, which was only a part and parcel of all those Old Testament ordinances?

In the New Testament: moral firstfruits, not legal percentages.

The most interesting thing about the concept of tithing, under the New Testament, is that it is almost virtually absent.
In the New Testament, there are only four different passages that make any mention of tithing. Let's look at them:

This passage in Matthew is also repeated in a similar form in Luke 11:42.
In both cases, it is important to note that the tithe had to do with herbs used as condiments and grown in the backyard — the "product of the field" — and had nothing to do with money.

Additionally, Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, who were religious professionals and—by virtue of their Israelite ancestry—keepers of the Law that would still be in effect until the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom at the time of his own death: to say that, since Jesus told these Pharisees that they should tithe, this forces us to tithe as well, ignores the fact that those Pharisees lived under different covenants and laws than those of a saved person in the New Testament.
Christ, through his death, inaugurated the New Covenant, thus effecting a change in the Law:

Finally, let us note that the tithe mentioned here was not voluntary in any sense of the word. Jesus tells them that they “should” (have a duty to) tithe: the tithe was a commandment, an order for all Jews and, therefore, was obligatory.

In this passage, Jesus is teaching the parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector.
Christ puts these words in the mouth of the Pharisee who saw himself as righteous: “I give tithes of all that I possess!” and is emphasizing not the duty of the New Testament believer to pay the Mosaic tithe to the Levites, but that man sees himself as righteous, trusts in his works to be acceptable before God, yet, despite the best he does, he is not justified in the eyes of God.

We repeat: Christ is speaking about a Pharisee who tithes, at the time when he lived under the Mosaic Law, not about a believer — of Church Cycle — or some supposed tithe under the New Covenant.

In this lengthy passage, the author's aim is to demonstrate the superiority of Christ's priesthood over the Levitical priesthood and, therefore, to urge his readers not to return to their Jewish forms of worship, replete with their priesthood, Temple, and sacrifices.

The author mentions the account of Abraham paying tithes to Melchizedek, only to show that—since Levi was in the loins of the patriarch Abraham—Levi actually paid tithes to Melchizedek and was blessed by him: since it is obvious that the lesser is always blessed by the greater, Melchizedek and his priesthood are greater than the Levites and their priesthood!

Here, the author of Hebrews is merely reaffirming the fact that Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, a fact we have already analyzed above: this passage is not exhorting New Testament believers to tithe as Abraham did (even if only from the spoils of war and only once in a lifetime), but, on the contrary, is instructing believers to perceive the excellence of Christ, who ministers as a priest far superior to the Levites.

Therefore, this passage cannot be used to force tithing on Christians because it simply wasn't written to address this issue and has nothing to do with Christians giving from their income to God and His work.
On the contrary, it has everything to do with the superiority of Christ!

From Law to Grace: a duty of generosity, not of imposing a tariff.

Well, here is the entirety of the New Testament teaching on tithing, and there is not a single word—not a single word in the entire New Testament!—that commands or even suggests that believers within the New Covenant are expected to tithe.
But while it remains completely silent on the duty of Christians to tithe, the New Testament speaks extensively—and very loudly—on the subject of giving.

The New Testament never stipulates a specific percentage value. as a mandatory and required standard for our contributions.
On the contrary, the Scriptures declare:

The tithe in the Old Testament was a legal requirement, and the Jews were obligated to give it.
The New Testament teaching on giving emphasizes its voluntary nature:

This voluntary contribution is exactly what Abraham and Jacob were practicing before the institution of the Law, and it is what all Christians should be practicing today.
Believers today have the freedom to give as much as they decide: if they want to give ten percent as Abraham and Jacob did (we have already seen the occasion and through whom they did it), they are perfectly free to do so.
However, if they decide to give 9, 11, 20, or 50 percent, then they may very well do so! — the standard of their contributions is not a fixed percentage, but the example of a wonderful Savior:

Our ideal example of giving is Christ himself, who gave not 10, nor 20, nor even 50 percent, but gave everything he had, including his own life, to redeem sinful men and women like you and me!

Sometimes those who are rich feel that by paying only their ten percent, God will be pleased with them, but a rich person who gives only ten percent of their income may actually be displeasing God, particularly if they are living a life of extravagant luxury while—sometimes even unwillingly—giving only a “starvation ration” to God’s work and the needs of others… God’s will for this person may be that they give 50 to 80 percent of their income instead of 10 percent.
Each person should seek God's guidance on how much and how to give.

Furthermore, those who are poor should not feel guilty if they are unable to give ten percent of their income.
It is true that God will honor the man who gives sacrificially, but if a person encounters obstacles to giving ten percent of their income and still meeting the most basic needs—theirs and their family's—that freedom is permitted to them without judgment, for nowhere has God communicated to Christians that it is their duty to give any fixed percentage!

May the effect of this study be to free us from the shackles of human traditions that cannot be substantiated by the Word of God.

Let us look to Jesus as the standard and example for our contributions.
Let us diligently seek God, be generous and ready to share, so that we may treasure up for ourselves a good foundation for the future, so that we may attain that which is true life!

Christian gift: how much, why, and how

Knowing that tithing was part of Israel's worship in the Old Testament and that it has no practical injunction for New Testament believers, the question naturally arises:
“"What does the New Testament really teach about giving a portion of our income to God?"”

Surely, the starting point for believers of the New Covenant to begin to understand what God's revealed will is for their gift-giving is in the New Testament Scriptures, and that is exactly where we are going, to examine together God's will for the gift-giving of true Christians.

How much to give: proportionality and purpose

Now that we have established that tithing is not the standard for believers in the New Covenant, how do we determine how much (true) Christians should contribute? Let us examine three different texts to carefully and diligently gain some (real and profound) understanding of this important subject.

In this passage, the apostle Paul gives instructions to the church in Corinth: in the collection for the saints in Jerusalem—who were in great poverty and going through enormous afflictions—they should give in proportion to how much each one has prospered.
Although there is no mention of the saints in Corinth giving a tithe or any other imposed percentage, they are instructed to give in proportion to their prosperity.
The key point is simple: those with more money should give more, while those with less money can give less.
Nothing could be clearer or simpler.

Note, in the narrative of Acts 11:27-30, ...which was proportional to their means, the brothers in Antioch gave to the brothers who were suffering in Judea.
In other words, they gave according to their abilities: those with more money gave more, those with less money gave less.
Nothing could be clearer or simpler.

These are Paul's instructions to the church: that they should give what they have purposed in their hearts.
Note that the apostle does not tell them how much to give, nor does he impose a fixed percentage as a standard: he simply tells them that, whatever amount they have decided to give, they should go ahead and carry out the action.

Often, the moment we see a need, we resolve to give a certain amount, but then, when the time to give arrives, we are tempted to back down… or even fall short: Paul teaches that we should be faithful in doing good according to what we have already proposed in our hearts.

But note also that the apostle Paul leaves the value to the discretion of the Corinthians.
We must not allow other people to unfairly manipulate or intimidate us psychologically or in any other way, leading us to give out of guilt or pressure: there should be no external compulsion in our giving; the value must be our own decision.

These New Testament texts teach us that God leaves it up to us to decide the value of our contributions, and yes, we should give in proportion to our means and how God has prospered us… but, in the end, we are free to give what we desire to give.
How liberating this is!
Especially when we consider the manipulative tactics of extorting money that many churches today so frequently use.

I have been to churches where leaders are encouraged to take out loans of one or two thousand dollars—22 to 44 Brazilian minimum wages per leader—to give extra offerings to the church during certain campaigns.
It has been said that if they do not give what is stipulated, “the work of God will fail”…
So congregation members are pressured to write and phone relatives, asking for money, and there are even campaigns pressuring them to make promises—signing payment books, promissory notes, and other moral and legal documents—and to contribute to the building fund, with large, colorful charts.
As time goes by, everyone is pressured to give more and more.

In reality, all of this goes against the Apostle's teachings in 2ⁿᵈ Corinthians 9:7, As transcribed above: God's will is that when we see a need, we pray fervently for guidance on how we can meet that need and then, based on our financial situation, give with a contented and joyful heart.

To whom do we give: saints, workers, and the poor.

What types of needs should we use our money to satisfy?
Does the New Testament shed any light on this important subject?
In fact, the Scriptures are very clear on this point, and the New Testament teaches that there are three purposes for our giving:

SATISFYING THE NEEDS OF THE SAINTS

This theme is like a thread running through all of Scripture. Let's consider some texts:

The spirit of love and generosity was so great in the early church that believers willingly and joyfully renounced their own property and possessions to minister to the needs of other saints, even going so far as to—as recorded in Acts 4:34 — sell their land and houses to take care of each other!

Although "let us do good" is not clearly defined, it would surely include giving to meet the needs of those who—without any inference to the restricted clubs formed within ecclesiastical enterprises—are members of the household of faith.

In addition to these clear texts, we also read, in Matthew 25:31-40, ...who, when Christ returns, will separate the sheep from the goats: the sheep are described as those who fed Christ when he was hungry, gave him drink when he was thirsty, and clothed him when he was naked.

When sheep reply “Lord, when did we… and feed you? … and give you drink? … and shelter you? … and clothe you? … and come to see you?”, Christ answers “"Truly I tell you, when you did it to one..." from these my little brothers, "You did it to me."”.
Here, Jesus tells us clearly that when we use our money to clothe and feed our brothers and sisters in Christ—Christians according to His will—we are doing so. Matthew 12:50: “…whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” We are ministering to Him.

Furthermore, 1ˢᵗ Timothy 5:16 — “…so that those who are truly widows may be supported” — gives instructions on how the church should support destitute widows.
Finally, as we have seen in the texts already cited, the apostle Paul makes many exhortations to give to the poor saints in Jerusalem; therefore, it becomes quite clear that one of the priorities of giving in the New Testament is to meet the needs of the saints.

To satisfy the needs of Christian workers.

In addition to using our money to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ, the Scriptures also lead us to use our money to support those who labor in the Lord's work.
Let's consider the following passages:

In this text, "honor" must mean more than mere esteem and respect, because, in verse 3 of the same chapter, Paul commands Timothy “"Honor widows who are truly widows."”Honoring these widows means providing for them (verse 8) and assisting them (verse 16).
Therefore, when Paul mentions “honoring the elders” who work hard in preaching and teaching the Word and, immediately afterward, mentions “honoring the widows,” Paul must have the same thing in mind: providing for and assisting the elders financially, so that they can dedicate themselves to the work of laboring in the Word.

An elder who teaches is like an ox that must be allowed to eat while it is threshing, and in other words, must be supported and cared for while it is working with all its might.
He is also like a worker, deserving of his wages: the uniform apostolic practice of the New Testament was to appoint elders to oversee the churches that the apostles planted, and Paul is simply directing the churches to provide for and financially support these elders so that they can devote their time to the task of ministering to the flock.

In this passage, Paul is claiming that the apostles had every right to abstain from secular work and every right to receive material support from those they served.
Indeed, Paul asserts that the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to earn their living from the gospel.

In this text, the apostle explicitly states that the gift the Philippians had sent him was a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, and pleasing to God.
God himself has given us his approval to use our money to support faithful Christian workers; therefore, it is important that God's people use their financial resources to support Christian workers, whether they are church elders, itinerant evangelists, or missionaries.

SATISFYING THE NEEDS OF THE POOR

Here, the person experiencing need is not identified as a believer, but presumably could be anyone suffering from deprivation.

Visiting orphans and widows in their need must mean more than just paying them a social visit: this statement implies the idea of helping these orphans and widows, which would undoubtedly require sacrificial giving.

As we have seen, we can summarize the New Testament teaching on the purpose of giving in this way:

1. To meet the needs of the saints;
2. To meet the needs of Christian workers; and
3. To meet the needs of the poor.

Note that giving, in the New Testament, is always to meet people's needs.
It's interesting that the thing on which ecclesiastical businesses in America spend most of their money—after paying their professionals' salaries—is not mentioned at all in the New Testament: "church" buildings!

The Bible simply doesn't mention any church going into debt to buy or build expensive buildings because the early church simply didn't meet in special buildings: the original Church met in homes!
Therefore, there were no expenses "not strictly and directly related to the gospel and to people" because such expenses would only drain the church's energy and finances!
In this way, all the gifts of God's people could go directly to meet the needs of the people.

Similarly, there is nothing in Scripture stating that all our offerings to the Lord must first be given to leaders so that they can then distribute them according to their preferences.
In fact, I believe that some of our gifts should be given directly from person to person, in order to — according to Matthew 6:1-4 — to preserve anonymity.
It is reasonable, therefore, to set aside—at home or in a separate, special bank account—part of your total gift, so that when a special need or emergency arises, you have some financial resources you can draw upon to meet that need.

How to give: discreet when necessary, transparent when it builds up.

In addition to enlightening us about the full value and purpose of our giving, the Scriptures teach us several things about how we should give.

We should give anonymously.

Jesus teaches us to give in secret, so that the one who sees in secret may reward us.
This type of giving is preferable because it protects the giver from spiritual pride: whenever you want to give a gift to someone, look for ways to satisfy the need you perceived, without the recipient, if possible, ever knowing who gave the money.⁷.

We should give voluntarily (of our own free will, with love).

We are taught here that the churches of Macedonia gave of their own free will. No one was manipulating them emotionally or psychologically, nor twisting their arm (forcing them).

If we should not give with sadness or under external compulsion, then we should give willingly—with a ready mind, with pleasure and joy: God wants our giving to come from our hearts and for us to give because we have every desire to do so.

We should give expectantly.

When we give, we should expect God to bless us in this present life. Let us consider the teachings of the apostle Paul.

When someone sows by swinging their arm, scattering the seeds abundantly with an open hand, it seems as if they are merely throwing away good grain, but if they did not let any escape by holding them firmly in their hand, or if they only threw one or two seeds, they would have a very small harvest.
Similarly, the giving of a believer is like that: if we give nothing or very little, we can only expect very few blessings… but if we give with an open and generous hand, we can expect to reap abundantly.

Many have been cheering. 2ⁿᵈ Corinthians 9:9 It's as if it teaches that God wants us to give while having, within ourselves, the goal of receiving: this type of teaching appeals to the flesh and only fosters a spirit of greed and covetousness in believers!
But, contrary to this, Paul in this passage is teaching that we should give with the goal of receiving more so that we can give (even) more!
Let's see how Paul actually expresses this:

Let us note, in this passage, that Paul is asserting that God will bless the one who generously offers gifts, making all grace abound upon him, so that, consequently, he may have an abundance for every good work.
Moreover, God promises to multiply the seed of the giver to sow and increase the harvest of his righteousness.
These passages undoubtedly point to the fact that God blesses those who give, so that they may give even more.

Since God is the greatest giver of all, we should strive to be like Him, and the only way we can be greater givers in the future is to start giving generously now!
It is very interesting that this is exactly what the Proverbs of Solomon teach us, even though they were written hundreds of years earlier.

In addition, we should also expect God to bless us in the afterlife.
If there's one thing the Bible makes very clear, it's that when we give, we are storing up treasures in heaven for ourselves. Note the emphasis on heavenly, future treasures in the following passages:

In all these passages—whether addressed to the disciples, the wealthy young landowner, or the opulent believers of Ephesus—the message is the same: the generous giver will be rewarded with heavenly treasures.
Would you rather have your treasure on earth, where it will perish, or in heaven, where you will enjoy it eternally?
Your answer to this question will have a lot to do with how you view and use your wealth.

We should give enthusiastically (with enthusiasm, joy).

This passage reflects the sentiment we should have when giving!
If every believer knew how great a shower of blessings we would enjoy through giving, we would be like the believers in Macedonia, who—according to 2ⁿᵈ Corinthians 8:3-4 They implored Paul for the opportunity to give, an act that should always be seen as a great privilege, not as a heavy burden or a painful duty.

God does not want his people to give driven by a feeling of compulsion, as if pushed against their will and by force, but rather moved by an attitude of joy and enthusiasm.
The supreme and definitive passage in the New Testament that declares the attitude with which we should give describes it as "with joy".
May God help us to give in a spirit that honors Him!

We must give sacrificially.

In the Scriptures we have several examples where God looks with approval upon our sacrificial giving:

The first piece of information to highlight is that the Macedonian believers had very little money and possessions, and were described as enduring much affliction and experiencing profound poverty.
And yet, despite all this, it is also said that they had given beyond their means!
May God enable us to imitate them in our own lives!

Jesus chose this woman to serve as a wonderful example of giving to his disciples: by identifying in her the sacrificial spirit (loving and of free and good will), he called his disciples to approach, observe, and learn a lesson through her life.
May we also learn, go out, and do the same!

Can you say that your giving is characterized by a spirit of sacrifice (with happiness)?
Does your giving really come at a cost in your life?
Does it really represent a sacrifice?
In reality, it's not how much we give that's so important, but rather how much remains and is kept for ourselves after giving.
May our great and glorious God enable us to practice joyful and sacrificial giving!

Why give: Christ as the measure

Now that we have seen what the Scriptures teach us regarding the totality, purpose, and manner of giving, let us examine what the Bible teaches us about what the motivation for our giving should be.

The Example of Christ

Right in the middle of the most extensive exposition on giving in the New Testament, the apostle Paul uses the example of Jesus Christ to establish what our greatest motivation should be:

Christ was infinitely rich in his pre-incarnation existence in heaven.
Being God, He exercised omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipotence; together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, He reigned over the entire universe they had created and was incessantly worshipped by a great host of angelic beings.

However, Christ, of his own free will, chose to become poor: he threw aside his right to the independent exercise of his attributes.
He was born in a stable and raised by very poor parents, living an obscure and simple life, depending on God the Father for all his survival.
He never accumulated possessions throughout his life; in fact, it seemed that the only possessions he could call his own were the clothes on his back.
In the end, and of His own free will, He gave up the only thing He had left: His own life.
By laying down his life, Jesus was giving absolutely everything... to free us from our sins.
Although he was rich, he became poor.

And what was the purpose of this great act of sacrifice?
It was through their poverty that we became rich.
We who believe in Him have inherited great riches: forgiveness, adoption, justification, God the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, peace with God, access to God, sanctification, and the eternal glory that is soon to come!
Note that Christ did not give us only ten percent of His resources when He bought and gifted us such great treasures: He gave us 100%!

A disciple naturally desires to be like his master, therefore let us strive to imitate our Lord!
Let us not be content with giving only a small fraction of our income, but let us pray that God will enable us to give more and more, helping those who suffer and expanding God's kingdom throughout the world!

THE ORDER OF CHRIST

We not only have Christ's example to motivate us, but we also have his command very clearly recorded:

In this passage, Jesus is commanding his followers to love one another in the same way that He loved them, namely, by being totally devoted to them: this kind of devotion, by its very nature, must include the willingness to give of our resources to help one another.
Jesus gave everything, including his own life, for us, and this is how we are commanded to love one another.

We will know if we truly love our brothers and sisters when we are willing to—through our wallets or, in 2021, digital resources—meet their real needs.
May God enable us to follow His Son in obedience!

Conclusion: freedom that is proven through generosity.

The Scriptures do not teach that tithing is mandatory for believers during the New Testament dispensation.
The same Scriptures, however, decidedly teach that believers should be generous, sacrificial, expectant, and joyfully cheerful givers!
Does this describe you?

Warning needed.Christian freedom does not allow for closed pockets. Whoever sees their brother in need and closes their heart demonstrates a lack of love.James 2:15–17; 1ˢᵗ John 3:17).
Authentic grace produces concrete generosity.

It is my sincere prayer that the Holy Spirit will use this writing to challenge you both to rethink your giving patterns and to examine whether they are in accordance with God's will as expressed in the New Testament.
If they are not, go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him for the power and grace to obey Him fully in all things.

Editorial note and text history

This study was originally written in English by Brian Anderson; translated into Portuguese by Hélio de Menezes Silva and, in October 2005, republished on my old (and lost) domain.
At the time it caused a great impact, bringing about reactions from angry people and even personal threats regarding Teóphilo Noturno: I am extremely grateful to God for this, because since then it has been replicated — in whole or in part — by various websites and has helped to open the eyes of many people to the deception to which they were subjected… some even for their entire lives.

Thank you for reading this far, and I truly need any help you can offer: comments, shares, and reactions help spread this content, which was produced with the intention of contributing to the edification of the Body of Christ in the world.
A shortened and easy-to-remember link to this post is:

https://cutt.ly/dizimos

1. Translator's Note No one can fail to be impressed by the total similarity between the arguments of the greatest defenders (and rebutters) of extending the obligation of seventh-day observance to believers in the church dispensation—as literally as if we were under the Law—and the arguments of the greatest defenders (and rebutters) of the obligation of the 10% for believers in the church dispensation—as literally as if we were under the Law!
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2. Translator's Note Melchizedek was very special, and no other priest can be compared to him: he appears to have been a Christophany, that is, a manifestation of the Word before His incarnation.
   Already In the New Testament, all believers are priests..
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3. Translator's Note The perspective wouldn't be quite this: if, in today's technological and economic context, we were the same people—Israelites—under the same dispensation—of the Law—in which David lived, then the same principle that prevailed when almost everyone lived off agriculture, with annual income, would extend to us, when almost everyone has income in periods shorter than annual and not derived from practicing agriculture…
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4. REVIEWER'S NOTE – Now that's a mathematically brilliant procedure!
   → 11 out of the 12 tribes received an inheritance of land: they worked it and, from their 100% harvest, they paid tithes and subsisted on 90%;
   → The only tribe without an inheritance devoted its time entirely to the service of the Lord and, therefore, received 10% from the total of each of the other eleven tribes, thus subsisting on 110%!
   Here is a clear reason for the priests never having accepted the end of the Law!
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5. Translator's Note Let's remember that:
   a) We, the believers of this dispensation, are priests and kings;
   b) They were not allowed to drink any alcohol;
   c) God—perhaps ironically, or with displeasure, or to test us—sometimes, for a time, expressed His TOLERANCE towards certain errors (this is His PERMISSIVE will), but afterwards, He COMMANDED us His PERFECT will. Compare with divorce, polygamy, etc.
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6. Translator's Note Let's be repetitive so that no one misses any aspect of the truth, because the Old Testament speaks of various types of tithes:
   → All Israelites gave a tithe of their annual income to the Levites (Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers 18:21-24; 2ⁿᵈ Chronicles 31:4-12; Nehemiah 10:37; 12:44; 13:5; Malachi 3:8-12), for their food and sustenance (and not for the Temple!);
   They gave themselves another tithe of their annual income, delighting in eating and resting and rejoicing, in joyful "camping/vacation/feast/worship," which could only be in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 12:6-7,11-21; 14:22-27);
   And every three years they gave the poor another tenth of their income, so that they might enjoy eating, resting, and being merry wherever they lived.Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:12).
   → The Levites gave to the priests—who were Levites descended from Aaron—a tithe of the tithe they had received (Numbers 18:26-29; Nehemiah 10:38-39; 12:44; 13:5,12; Malachi 3:8-12).
   → Haggai 2:9-11 It has nothing to do with any of these types of tithes, but rather with offerings for the reconstruction of the Temple.
   Although there is an analogy between each New Testament believer and the Temple, There is no analogy between the Temple and the buildings of an ECCLESIASTICAL COMPANY or local church..
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7. Translator's Note – What's most important is that nobody else knows! To help a brother in need:
   1) Putting an anonymous envelope with money under his door (0 people will glorify you) is better than;
   2) Giving it to him personally, asking him to keep it a secret (one person will glorify you) is better than;
   3) Asking a brother (from another church?) to take your offering to him, without revealing the source (one person will glorify you), is better than;
   4) Asking your pastor or an official to take your offering to him, without revealing the source (one person will glorify you), is better than;
   5) Asking the entire body of officers to bring their offering to him, without revealing the source (8 people will glorify you), is better than;
   6) Give it to him before the whole church, having him announce it through the microphone (1000 people will glorify you — How awful! Even some unbelievers will give anonymously!)
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