Tithing in the Modern Church

(Hebrews 7:1-10 – Tithing in the Modern Church)

There is a major problem in the modern church with the practice of tithing. And the majority of the church has no idea that it is even a problem!

Part of the problem has to do with the interpretation of this scripture where Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. But there is even more of an issue than that, and I will briefly discuss the matter in this post. However, to do it justice needs much more than I can write. So, if you want to learn much more about tithing in the modern church, click the link and check out my free eBook titled, Should Christians Tithe.

In this post though, we will look at a number of the issues that tithing brings to the modern church, as well as how the church has got it so wrong today.

Today’s scripture on Tithing in the Modern Church

1 For this Melchiz’edek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever. 4 See how great he is! Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of the spoils. 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brethren, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who has not their genealogy received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 Here tithes are received by mortal men; there, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchiz’edek met him. (Hebrews 7:1-10)

The first problem for tithing in the modern church

The above scripture is often used to justify tithing in the modern church. The basis of it is that Abraham tithed before the law of the tithe was given by Moses and so tithing exists outside of the law.

As Christians we know that we have been set free from the law through the death of Jesus. But this example of tithing by Abraham falls outside the law, and so modern church leaders use his example to justify bringing tithing into the church.

But when we look at this example of the tithe given by Abraham to Melchizedek we find it does not fit with tithing in the modern church. Note these points:

• First we note that what Abraham tithed was not his own income, but rather the spoils of war. And he himself did not take any portion of those spoils for himself. Rather, he gave the spoils of the war to those kings who fought with him. So, Abraham did not tithe of his own income, as modern pastors teach, but rather he tithed from someone else’s spoils of the war.
• Second, we note that Abraham PAID tithes to Melchizedek. Abraham did not receive tithes, and we note that Melchizedek blessed Abraham. As it says, the greater (Melchizedek) blessed the inferior (Abraham). But the pastors today who receive tithes using this scripture as the basis for doing so, are effectively saying they are greater than Abraham who paid tithes, and are equal to Melchizedek who received the tithe. Abraham was the patriarch of the nation of Israel and Melchizedek was a spiritual being and the priest of the Most High God in the heavenly places. Can any minister today seriously claim to be their equal, which is what they do under the practice of tithing in the modern church.
• Third, we note that Abraham paid this tithe to Melchizedek just the one time. He did not pay amounts every week, month or year, but just once. Under the practice of tithing in the modern church, people are required to pay regularly.

So, just on these points alone, to use this scripture and example of Abraham and Melchizedek to justify tithing in the modern church is erroneous at best, and fraudulent at worst.

The aspects of the True tithe

The tithe that Abraham gave to Melchizedek was a portion of what God had given to Abraham. Abraham went to war and God gave him the victory over his enemies. So, Abraham gave back a portion of what God gave to him in this victory.

This is the true nature of the true tithe. When you read in the law about tithes and tithing, it is always a tenth portion of various agricultural products. The Israelites were required to tithe a tenth of their herds, flocks, grains, crops, and so on.

It was always agricultural products, never, ever was it money.

The true tithe was always meant to be a return of what God had given His people. God gave the people the produce of the land and flocks, and it was this that was given back as a tithe.

But as for money as a tithe, as is done under tithing in the modern church, this was never to be the form of the tithe. Jesus showed that money was not of God, it was the invention of man. And Jesus also showed that when paying God or man, we needed to pay the “currency” of either God or man.

14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin, and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at him. (Mark 12:14-17)

In these words Jesus shows us that money is the invention of the government, in this case Caesar. And it is no different today. Money is not of God. And Jesus shows that if you are paying something to God, you need to render to God the things that are given by God. In the case of tithing, the “currency” of God and therefore the currency of the tithe, are the agricultural products that God gave the people in the increase of crops and herds.

When pastors seek money as payment for tithing in the modern church, they are doing the opposite of what Jesus stated above. They are basically saying to, “Render to God the things that are Caesar’s.” This is a fraudulent misrepresentation of the laws of tithing.

Tithing in the Modern Church under the law

When the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land under Joshua, the land was divided among the people. All of the tribes of Israel received a portion of the land except for the tribe of Levi from whom the priests were appointed. God chose Levi as His portion, and because they still needed to live and eat, God instituted the laws of the tithe. Under the law tithes were always agricultural products as they were “rendering to God the things that came from God.” Also under the laws of tithing the Levites had the right to TAKE the tithe from the other tribes. It was not a gift, it was a tax. And the tithe was given to the tribe of Levi in perpetuity. That is, the tithe belonged to the Levites forever as payment for their service in the Temple.

But when Christ came and He died for our sins, He took away our sin and He also released us from the law. Tithing was part of that law and so since we are released from the law, we are also released from the laws of tithing.

Thus under the new covenant there is no law. We are not under or accountable to the laws of Moses as Jesus has released us from the law. Therefore, the law of the tithe and tithing in the modern church is not part of Christianity. Those ministers who resurrect the laws of the tithe are rejecting the freedom from law in Jesus Christ, and as we are told in Galatians:

3 I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:3-4)

In this example it refers to the laws of circumcision, but the principle is the same. If you accept and receive just one of the Mosaic laws, you are bound to keep ALL of the law. If you accept the laws of tithing, you are then no longer following the truth of Jesus Christ under the New Covenant, but you are living under the Old Covenant that is based upon law and convicts you as a sinner. As the scripture says, you are severed and cut off from Christ through following the law and you have fallen away from the grace of God.

Who can take the tithe?

You may have noted in the scripture today the references that the Levites had the right to take the tithe from the other tribes. Also you will have seen in the last section that the tithe was given to the Levites as a perpetual due. (See Numbers 18:21-24)

The only people who were permitted to take the tithe were the descendants of Levi because they had no inheritance in the land. If any other person who was not a descendant of Levi took a tithe, it was a sin.

The problem for the pastors today who promote tithing in the modern church, is that they cannot prove that they are descendants of Levi. And if they can’t prove they are Levites, they are taking tithes under false pretenses. They have no right to the tithe, apart from the fact that they are not taking what God required under the law in agricultural products.

Furthermore, I have heard one of the leading global church pastors preach that they are the “Levites of the modern church.” He could not and cannot prove a genealogy that links back to Levi, so to make such a claim is incorrect. But it has an even deeper consequence and problem for the modern church.

By claiming to be modern Levites, they are suggesting that they are priests under the priesthood of the Levites. The Levitical priesthood were the administrators of the law. So, basically these modern pastors, through taking tithes and claiming to be Levites, are saying they are priest of the law.

But as we see in the scripture today in Hebrews, Christ was not a priest of Levi. He became a priest under the order of Melchizedek, and under the priesthood of Melchizedek the laws of Moses were not in force. In fact, the scripture states that when there is a change in the priesthood, there is also a change in the law too.

12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. (Hebrews 7:12)

Under the New Covenant, which operates under the priesthood of Melchizedek, the Old Covenant law has been removed. The law no longer has any power under the New Covenant, and that includes the laws of the tithe. The law has changed because the priesthood has changed.

So, those ministers claiming to be priests of Levi so that they can take a tithe, have severed themselves from the New Covenant, and therefore are no longer servants of Christ.

Tithing in the Modern Church is built on lies

The way that tithing is taught in the modern church is built on a foundation of lies. As seen above, the nature of the modern tithe is not what was intended by God, the ministers who accept tithes today do so under false pretenses because they are not Levites, and by using this scripture in Hebrews 7 to justify the tithe, they are elevating themselves to the level of Melchizedek and above Abraham, who was the patriarch of Israel, and called “the friend of God.”

And this is just the start of it. The amount of the tithe that actually went into the Temple was just one percent, not ten percent. When all of the Levites had received the tithes from the rest of the tribes, they had to then take a tithe of the tithe, which was presented to the Temple. So, effectively the Temple received only one percent.

If the church was operating the tithe correctly under the law, they would not and should not take ten percent. They would only truthfully be entitled to one percent.

But the fact that the whole system of tithing in the modern church is seriously flawed at every turn, it probably makes little difference. Tithing in the modern church is really just a form of extortion using twisted scriptures to justify it.

And one more thing, the one major scripture these modern proponents of tithing in the modern church use to “guilt” people into tithing, are the words of Malachi.

6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How are we robbing thee?’ In your tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. (Malachi 3:6-10)

Pastors who promote tithing in the modern church use this scripture to make people feel guilty if they do not tithe. But they are twisting the scripture.

Note that it is speaking to the people of Israel, not those who come to Christ. It is speaking to those under the law, and we are no longer bound under the laws, including the law of the tithe. Furthermore, it asks for the produce of the tithe, not money, and it says that by not paying the CORRECT (agricultural) tithe from the CORRECT people (Israel) to the CORRECT priests and Levites, they are robbing God.

Today, we serve God under a different priesthood and a different set of rules for worship that are not based on the laws of Moses, but rather on faith and the grace of God. We are not under the laws of the tithe so we cannot be accused of robbing God by not paying a tithe.

In fact, because tithing in the modern church is based upon all manners of lies and twisted scripture, if anyone is “robbing” anyone, it is the pastors who are extorting money from the congregation under false pretenses. This is where the true error lies. This is also why tithing in the modern church is such a problem for the people in the church and the ministers of the church as well.

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