According To The Scriptures:
 
 NEW TESTAMENT TITHING
 
 
What method of supporting the Lord's work is taught in the New Testament? Some say that tithing was only under the Law, but tithing was the method of giving long before the Law was given.
"For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace....Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils....And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth" (Heb. 7:1-8).
When the Scriptures teach that "there he receiveth them, of which it is witnessed that he liveth", it is speaking of the resurrected Christ.
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time" (I Cor. 15:4-8).
Under the Law, God's people tithed because it was the Law. Today God's people tithe because of love.
"I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love" (II Cor. 8:8).

If Jesus was on earth today, would He teach tithing? Yes!

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone" (Matt. 23:23).
Judgment, mercy, and faith are to be first, but don't leave the other (tithe) undone! This is teaching tithing.
 
Did the early churches teach tithing? Yes!
"For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality..." (II Cor. 8:13-14).
There can only be an equality if all men of all means can give the same. Tithing makes this possible. If one person receives a million dollars and another receives just one dollar, a tenth makes them equal in God's system of support.
"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come" (I Cor. 16:2).
Believers are to support the church "as God hath prospered him" (I Cor. 16:2). All tithes and offerings should go in the name of the church. Never should a person's name be posted in a bulletin or religeous newspaper telling who gave and what was given.
"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward" (Matt. 6:2).
All Christian giving should be in the name of the New Testament church of which they are a member.
"Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Eph. 3:21).
Are you a hypocrite or are you giving God glory? The tithe is not "giving to God"; the tithe is that we are not taking from God. That is, God gives us everything we have and we can use 90% for ourselves, but the other 10% is God's and should be returned to Him (the tithe). If we only "tithe", we haven't given God anything. The tithe already belongs to Him.
"And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD" (Lev. 27:30).
To refuse to tithe is to rob God.
8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.  9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.  10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  (Mal. 3:8-10)
We are misusing God's tithe if we refuse to return the tithe to God.
 
The tithe was never to be used for material things like buildings, buses, sports equipment, gymnasiums, kitchens, etc. But you ask, "How could we build if we didn't use the tithe?" After the tithe is returned to God "that there may be meat in mine house" (Mal. 3:10), offerings can be given to take care of the material needs of the churches. If the tithe is rightly used, the churches could have so many soul winners in the field on salary, so many souls saved, that the church would not have to rob God to build a building. God asks us to "...prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal. 3:10).
 
After the churches are gone, the Man of Sin will enjoy using those nice buildings that were built by robbing God!
 
Prove God -- call on Him and ask Him to save you and, as you call, believe. Then enjoy the results. I know that works. I called and He answered. He will do the same for you (Rom. 10:13).
 
 
 
 
 For a deeper study on this or any other Bible subject contact:
 
 E. L. Johns