The Question is Often Asked

A question I often hear from tithers and tithing teachers is this; "Where has God told us to stop tithing?"

At first glance, that seems like a legitimate question, which of course, the person asking it will answer; "nowhere, so we must continue to tithe." 

As with all issues of the Bible, we must take a close look at the question and request clarification. We must ask for clarification because questions can be used to deceive and confuse.

Here are several important points to consider if you are asked "Where has God told us to stop tithing?"...

FIRST - Who is "us?" Who must continue to tithe? Who are you talking about when you say "us?" Not everyone in the Bible, or referred to in the Bible, fall under the same commands.  God told Noah to build an Ark; has he told "us" to do so also?  After all, nothing in the New Testament tells us not to build an Ark, so therefore I guess we should get busy building one.

God called, by divine command, the Nation of Israel to tithe under the Law of Moses, and the Levites to take the tithe; the Church is not the Nation of Israel under the Law of Moses and New Testament Christians have no instructions to "continue tithing" to anyone....

"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:" - Hebrews 7:5

Where are the Levites to tithe to?  Where did God take the tithes from the Levites and give it to any New Testament ministry?...

"But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance." - Numbers 18:21

The tithing requirement was on the Nation of Israel under the Law of Moses, and God never required Gentiles to tithe, neither has God required the New Testament church to tithe. So, again I ask; who is "us?"

Why would God tell "us" not to tithe when He never told "us" to tithe in the first place? The very fact that God doesn't include anything in the New Testament telling us not to tithe is because God never instructed us to tithe to begin with.

Additionally, we, the Church of Jesus Christ, are not under the Law of Moses where God's commands and instructions for tithing are found...

"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

(ref. Romans 6:14, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 2:21, Galatians 3:10, Romans 7:1-6, Ephesians 2:15, Acts 15:10, Acts 15:24)

God has given no command to tithe to any Gentile...

"He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto ISRAEL. He hath NOT dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord." - Psalm 147:19-20

IN FACT, we have no record of God commanding Abram or Jacob to tithe, and in the case of Jacob, who claimed he would tithe, scripture records no incident that Jacob ever tithed anything to anyone at anytime. NOT a very good example of tithing to be followed.

> Malachi 3:10, the flag ship scripture of tithing, was addressing the Nation of Israel, not the New Testament Church; Malachi 1:1, Malachi 1:6, Malachi 2:1, Malachi 4:4.

SECOND - So you claim "Nothing in the bible says we should stop tithing."

That is called "an argument from silence;" to say that you are mandated by something the Bible DOES NOT SAY is ridiculous and deceptive because there is NO END to what the Bible does not say. One could invent an endless list of things the Bible does not say and believe you can justify what you want to do, and what you want to teach, by such a list.

You cannot use what the Bible DOES NOT SAY as a basis for divine authority. To do so is sheer folly, and dangerous...

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. - Revelation 22:18

We have a faith ONCE AND FOR ALL delivered to the saints, it doesn't keep going and keep going, and it is NOT based on what the Bible DOES NOT SAY...

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." - Jude 1:3

Where does the Bible say to stop killing Philistines? I guess we should hunt them down today and continue killing them? After all, the Bible doesn't tell us to stop.

Fact; In the New Testament no Apostle ever instructed 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. In other words; SILENCE.

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, there are NO SUCH INSTRUCTIONS TO BE FOUND.

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. The New Testament KNOWS NOTHING OF ANY COMMAND FOR A BELIEVER TO TITHE.

CONCLUSION - Don't be fooled or intimidated by trick questions and tactics designed to manipulate and confuse you. The simple answer to the question of "Where has God told us to stop tithing?" is this; GOD HAS NOT TOLD US, THE CHURCH, TO TITHE IN THE FIRST PLACE; WHY WOULD HE TELL US TO STOP WHEN HE NEVER TOLD US TO BEGIN?

> Here's a question or two you can ask the tithing teacher...

"Where has God taken the tithe from the Levites? Where has God given you the tithe? Chapter and verse, please." ...They will not be able to produce one.

"Where has God continued tithing for Believers in the New Testament? Chapter and verse, please." ...They will not be able to produce one.

There simply is no such thing as New Testament tithing commanded by God. To claim so is a lie.

So, who is "us?" Us is the Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride of Christ, who's covenant is the New Covenant, the New Testament. In the New Testament no Apostle ever instructed 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. In other words; SILENCE.

Tithing for anyone was NOT continued into the New Testament.

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, there are NO SUCH INSTRUCTIONS TO BE FOUND.

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. The New Testament KNOWS NOTHING OF ANY COMMAND FOR A BELIEVER TO TITHE.
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