"These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others." - Matthew 23:23
In our last post, we confronted the sobering truth: to withhold God's tithe is not mere negligence—it is theft from the Almighty. But today we must address a question that echoes across the modern church, especially in online debates: "Wasn't tithing part of the Law? If we are under grace, hasn't the tithe been abolished?"
It sounds persuasive. It feels liberating. But it distorts the truth. For tithing did not begin with the Law. It predates Sinai by centuries, began as an act of faith, was affirmed by Jesus Himself, and across 2,000 years of church history has never ceased.
The Root of the Tithe: Abraham's Faith
The origin of the tithe is not stone tablets but Abraham's heart. Five centuries before the Law was given at Sinai, Abraham—after God granted him a stunning military victory—recovered the plunder that had been stolen from Sodom. On his way home, he encountered a mysterious figure: Melchizedek, king of Salem.
Melchizedek brought bread and wine and blessed Abraham. And in response, Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had recovered.
No law commanded it. No priest demanded it. No guilt compelled it. Abraham's tithe was not obligation but voluntary worship—a faith-offering to the King who gave him victory.
"Melchizedek was king of righteousness and king of peace—a type of our eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ." - Hebrews 7:2
The writer of Hebrews makes an astonishing observation: even Levi himself—the ancestor of all Israel's priests—tithed through Abraham while still in his ancestor's body (Hebrews 7:9-10). This proves that the tithe's origin outruns the Law in both authority and time.
The Tithe as Spoils of Spiritual Warfare
To truly grasp the tithe, we must recognize the world's spiritual reality. Satan deceived Adam and plundered earth's dominion. When a believer gains wealth through honest labor, it is more than a paycheck or a successful enterprise. It is the recovery of what was stolen—a victory over the world-system under Satan, won by the power of Almighty God.
Thus the tithe is not a tax—"my money, of which I reluctantly give a portion." It is tribute to the Supreme Commander who granted victory—the proof of triumph and the firstfruit of the spoils of war.
In tithing we confess: "All I have is not my strength, but the fruit of God's victory." Many struggle with tithing because they still think of it as "a portion of my money," not a sacred token of Christ's conquest over the powers of darkness.
A Covenant Greater Than the Law
This covenant tithe began with Abraham's faith and was later incorporated into Israel's Law for a time. But we are justified not by Law but by faith, as Abraham was. New Covenant believers are Abraham's spiritual descendants, not legal heirs of Moses.
To dismiss tithing as "only Law" is to miss the mighty river of faith while staring at a temporary irrigation channel. Abraham's eternal covenant cannot be nullified by a later, temporary code.
When Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for hypocritical tithing, He did not say, "Abandon the tithe." He said something far more piercing:
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. 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." - Matthew 23:23
Jesus did not abolish the tithe. He called for a wholehearted tithe—inner life and outward practice aligned. Justice, mercy, faithfulness—and the tithe. Not one without the other.
Duty of a Servant—or Joy of a Son?
Paul teaches that those who devote themselves to the gospel are to be supported by the Church:
"Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? ... The Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel." - 1 Corinthians 9:7, 14
Yet the New Covenant spirit differs from the Old. Under the Law, tithing could feel like a servant's forced duty. Under grace, it becomes a son's delight:
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." - 2 Corinthians 9:7
This is not permission to stop giving. It is a command to give with joy. Grace does not cancel the Law; it fulfills it with a greater love. Thus the tithe becomes not a burden but a thank-offering of a son brought into the Father's house.
The Testimony of History
Across church history, the giants of the faith speak with one voice on this matter:
The Didache (c. AD 100), one of the earliest Christian manuals, instructed believers to bring the firstfruits of their increase to the gospel workers, saying, "For they are your high priests." The spirit of the tithe was foundational in the earliest Christian community.
Irenaeus (AD 135-202) wrote that while Jews under Law gave the tithe, Christians set all things at the Lord's disposal and give even more freely—underscoring that the tithe is a floor, not a ceiling.
John Chrysostom (AD 349-407) said bluntly: "Those who do not give the tithe are worse than the Jews who were under the Law." Having received the greater grace of the gospel, believers owe the Lord richer devotion.
Augustine (AD 354-430) called the tithe "a debt owed to God," warning that withholding it is "robbing the poor of what is theirs."
Martin Luther (1483-1546) declared: "Those who speak against the tithe are thieves."
John Calvin (1509-1564) affirmed: "The tithe is part of the worship believers owe to God in faith."
From the Didache to the Reformers, from the early Fathers to the modern church, the testimony is unanimous: tithing is not a relic of law, but a living confession that all belongs to God.
The Full Tithe and the Grace of Restoration
Tithing is not complicated: set apart one-tenth of your increase unto the Lord. In the Old Testament, they did not calculate after expenses but gave a tenth of the whole harvest—a confession that seed, soil, sun, rain, and strength were God's gifts.
Many suffer lack today because they do not know—or worse, ignore—this simple principle, coming under God's discipline. But when the Lord exposes the root and grants a chance to repent, it is grace, not mere rebuke. God disciplines those He loves, and He opens a path to restore what was stolen.
The grace of repentance begins where the full tithe is returned and obedience reopens the channel of blessing. The Lord Himself extends the invitation—and the promise:
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." - Malachi 3:10
This is the only place in all of Scripture where God says, "Test me." He is so confident in His faithfulness that He invites us to try Him. Have you taken that test?
The Question That Remains
The modern debate over tithing often reveals more about the debater's heart than about theology. Those who search for reasons not to tithe are usually searching for permission to keep what belongs to God. But those who have tasted God's faithfulness through obedient giving rarely argue about percentages—they are too busy testifying about overflowing blessing.
So the question is not whether the tithe is still valid. Church history, Scripture, and the testimony of the saints answer that question with a resounding yes.
The real question is this: Will you obey? Will you trust God enough to test Him at His word? Will you bring the whole tithe into the storehouse and watch what He does? The floodgates of heaven are waiting. The only thing holding them shut is your disobedience. Repent, return the full tithe, and see if God does not prove Himself faithful.
- Truth Rock Ministry
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