Do Jews Tithes Today? Should Christians?

[GoldenEagle]

Just to add to the article in the posted link for Judaism.

 

The article is 100% correct that Jewish people do not tithe as the tithe was paid to the Levites at the Temple.

 

While some in some synagogues, Jewish people pay for seats, with the better seats costing more, in other synagogues, a membership dues is collected. The membership dues are on sliding scale, based on ability to pay. This alternate method was so that the rich would not always have the preferred seats and the poor in the least desirable seats.

 

Judaism teaches that charity is an obligation for Jewish people. The Jewish people are, as a group, some of the largest donors to charities per capita. Giving charity is considered a 'good deed'/mitzvah. So while synagogues are supported by dues, and additional needs such as construction is by specific donations, most of the giving is to charities. 

 

Just some added comments. On the Sabbath, the law says to do not work, and carrying is considered a work. Orthodox Jews do not carry money on the Sabbath, so there are no baskets passed for donations. All donations or dues are done on other days. Other branches of Judaism, which do not strictly follow the law also do not collect money on the Sabbath. And also for clarification. There is no law in the Mosaic law which requires gathering together for weekly services. Synagogues are not part of the law and were a post-Babylonian exhile addition to Judaism. So, there is no law concerning services on the Sabbath. In Judaism, it is not a sin to fail to attend services. Attending services is considered a good deed, but failure to attend is not a sin. Actually, the traditional service is a series of prayers, which can be done at home. More people attend services for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Some synagogues are so packed that seats are hard to come by. Many synagogues will charge a fee for non-members for any extra seat on these high holy days (except for college students who are not attending college close enough to home to attend their families synagogue).    

This has been a very interesting thread. Q would you agree with this? Interested from a Jewish perspective.

 

2. Is the tithe given as a command in the New Testament and is the tithe the standard for giving to Christians today? Nope. The tithe was the standard for Israelites and directly related to the law. There were in fact 3 tithes in the Bible: One for the Levites and Temple paid yearly, a second for the feasts Israel celebrated paid yearly, and a third for the poor, widow, orphan, and foreigner to be paid every three years. This would result on average for a 23.3% tithe of the seed and flocks from one’s annual produce from the land. Notice this would only apply to land owners.

See Deut. 14:22-27, Lev. 18:19-21, Deut. 16:16, Deut. 12:6-8, and Deut. 14:28-29

 

4. Is the new standard for Christians generous and sacrificial giving? Absolutely! The Bible talks about giving sacrificially on more than one occasion in both the New and Old Testament. One of the primary passages in the New Testament is 2 Cor. 8:1-9:15. There are others listed as examples below.

See Exodus 36:5, 1 Kings 17:13-15, Luke 21:4, Acts 2:45, Acts 4:34, Hebrews 13:16, 2 Cor. 8:2-4, 1 Tim 6:18)

God bless,

GE

[GoldenEagle]

 

What is not to understand?  They read the passage in Malachi and see it as an eternal truth.  Some refer to how Abraham tithed before the law was given.  I would say that many Christians believe it is a command.  I am personally undecided on it.  I do think there are some who don't believe it is really a command, but teach this in order to be able to keep money coming in to the church treasury.  If nobody gives, how can they operate?  I am not sure if it is a commandment, but it is a good idea to tithe, and I do believe God will bless those who do. 

 

 

 

Interestingly enough Abraham tithed once from the spoils of war. He didn't do it before that one instance and he never did again that Scripture records...

I think you hit the nail on the head Butero though... People teach this concept of the Christian tithing to keep money coming into the church treasury. Yet it has failed miserably in the church. Particularly in Evangelical churches in the West. In the U.S. less than 3% of Evangelical Christians tithe. The issue is that people teach a tithe (10% is God's the rest is mine) instead of teaching about stewardship (100% belongs to God). I would say the tithe is a lazy, sloppy teaching by many pastors/ministers.

 

God bless,

GE

[GoldenEagle]

Hi firestormx,

 

Tithing is a tenet of the Law. The Law is a covenant between God and the nation of Israel. Christians relate to God under a New Covenant – of grace not law. That means there is no explicit list of rules and requirements for Christians to adhere to – since we have the Holy Spirit to guide into righteousness. Note that the fruit of the Spirit (i.e. outcomes of the Spirit’s influence) are not explicit laws (Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:9).

 

Tithing is a difficult issue because, even though it is an explicit obligation under Law (to which Christians are dead to - Romans 7:6, Galatians 2:19), there is no law against tithing. Nevertheless, if one tithes as to law (as though obligated), then they are “debtor to keep the whole law” (Galatians 5:3, see also Galatians 3:10, James 2:10).

 

Romans 10:3-4

³ For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

 

So it is perfectly fine for a Christian to choose to give a freewill offering to God of a tenth of their income (as did Abraham before the Law – Genesis 14:18-20). But if a Christian sees tithing as making them more committed, more mature, more deserving of God’s favour, more righteous, or in some sense more approved before God than those who don’t tithe, then that Christian is treating tithing as a Law – and in so doing, undermining the cross of Christ.

 

Galatians 2:21

²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

 

Galatians 5:1-3

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. ² Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ³ And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

 

:thumbsup: well said!

God bless,

GE