Jesus' Words in Mathew 23:23

If Jesus instructed the New Testament Church to tithe based on Mathew 23:23 then the Church has a big problem, and here is why...

"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." - Mathew 23:23

1. To men with a lot of personal wealth, a lot of money, the Pharisees, Jesus confirmed that tithes were to be surrender as fruits, vegetables...(and in the case of herdsmen, clean livestock); "ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin..." Jesus did NOT instruct them to stop paying tithes from "mint and anise and cummin" and begin paying tithes in monetary form (money).

Those Pharisees could have easily paid tithes in the form of money, but they and Jesus knew that tithes were ordered by the Law to be paid in fruits, vegetables, etc., NEVER money.

2. Jesus clearly defined ALL TITHING that God had established as a "matter of the Law;" that is to say; God's one and only tithing system was commanded, established, organized, defined and regulated IN THE LAW, and in NO WHERE ELSE except for scripture referring to the Law... Jesus said "and have omitted the weightier matters of the law," tithing was described firmly by Jesus as "matters of the Law." ...NOT a matter of Abraham tithing, or even Jacob promising to tithe, which Jacob never did, Jacob never tithed.


Tithing being a matter of the law (The Law of Moses) is also confirmed in Hebrews 7:5 - "And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:" 
NOTE: "according to the law,"

3. According to Jesus in Mathew 23:23, not only were those He was talking to required to tithe as the Law commands, the "weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith" were to be obeyed also. That is to say the person tithing under the Law (God's ONLY system of tithing) was required to do ALL that the Law commanded them... " these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." That "OTHER" is the whole Law.

As James wrote in Scripture...

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend on one point, he is guilty of all." - James 2:10

> Also, Deuteronomy tells us...

"Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen." - Deuteronomy 27:26

> And, Paul wrote in scripture...

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." - Galatians 3:10

The conclusion is obvious; if you tithe GOD'S WAY, you must do so based on the Law, God has called no one to tithe because either Abraham or Jacob did, therefore you, by tithing under the Law, are cursed.

Fortunately, we are NOT under the Law, and we are NOT instructed by God to tithe...

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." - Romans 10:4

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." - Romans 6:14

Romans 7:6 - "But now we are DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." - Galatians 3:24-25

Jesus was talking to Jews, Pharisees, who were at that time, under the Law (there was NO New Testament at that time, Jesus had not gone to the Cross yet), and He was calling out their hypocritical tithing practices, Jesus was NOT instructing Christian to tithe. To conclude that He was is taking scripture out of context and is blatant foolishness.

The bottom line is this; under the New Testament we are to be free will givers giving from what God has freely given us, and as GOD directs us to give...

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." - Luke 6:38

Further comments...

In Matt. 23:23 (also Luke 11:42-49)...

A. Jesus was talking to Jews who were still under the Law at that time (Jesus had NOT gone to the cross, there was NO New Testament, the Law was still enforce), we are not under the Law.

B. The tithe they paid were in spices (fruits and vegetables; i.e., mint and dill and cummin), not money.

C. The tithing Jesus referred to was "matters of the Law;" i.e., tithing was based on the Law, we are not under the Law where God's system of tithing is established. "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." - Galatians 5:18

D. Jesus was not teaching Christians to tithe; he was addressing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in that they paid tithes but neglected the more important points of the Law such as faith, mercy, good judgement and Luke adds love. Jesus told them that "these things they ought to have done, and not neglect the other also."

E. The "other" was the rest of the Law, which they were neglecting. So if we are to tithe because Jesus referred to tithing in Matt. 23:23, we would have to obey ALL of the Law.

F. There is no indication in Matt. 23:23 (Luke 11:42-49) that Jesus was calling for the future Church, Christians, to tithe.

G. If we are to tithe based on Matt. 23:23 (Luke 11:42-49), we would also be obligated to obey all of the Law (James 2:10 - "For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend on ONE POINT, he is guilty of all.").

If tithing was required and taught in the New Testament for Christians, it would have to be clearly detailed and outlined in the terms and conditions of the New Testament like all promises and commands of the New Testament are.

Tithing instructions would be clearly included in the New Testament. No such terms, conditions or details are outlined anywhere in the New Testament. Tithing was never, is not now, and will never be part of the New Testament.

No Apostle ever taught tithing, asked for a tithe, rebuked any person or church for not tithing, or received a tithe. Not one of them. The early church (i.e. Book of Acts) NEVER tithed. We have NO record of them doing so.


And, God NEVER authorized a monetary tithe (the tithing of money).

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