Good Question
What Does the Bible Teach About Tithing?
Rev. Paul Murphy - July 12, 2005
The Question…
I have looked in vain for a sound biblical teaching on giving. My local church teaches tithing as God’s way, although it is rarely explained why. Scriptures used to support the practice of tithing are all taken from the OT and it worries me that this teaching is not (explicitly?) taught in the NT. The NT has a lot to say about giving but is curiously silent about tithing. I would be interested to know what the Rev. SS believes the Scriptures teach (especially the NT) concerning tithing.
The Answer…
(as answered by Rev. Paul Murphy, Messiah’s Reformed Fellowship)
Allow me a short answer and attached is a paper by a minister friend.
The principle by which we should interpret the Scripture is that what is found in the OT continues into the NT unless there is an indication that it is discontinued (an example of this would be temple sacrifice is discontinued as taught in the book of Hebrews).
That would apply to tithing as well.
However we need not look far to see that tithing is continued in the NT. In Matthew 23 Jesus is reproving the Pharisees and in v. 23,24:
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter , without neglecting the former.” 24 “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”
NB that Jesus here explicitly endorses the tithe. I am including a link to something I found helpful many years ago.
http://www.godrules.net/library/pink/266pink1.htm
Send them to questions@messiah.nyc
