Gwen Frangs / Templemore / 6 March 2024
If the Apostle Paul had been alive today there would be another letter in the New Testament, addressing the issue of tithing in the modern church.
Many churches incorrectly teach that tithing is scriptural in the New Testament. However, just as circumcision was a law in the Old Testament; which Paul, in his letter to the Galatian church, makes clear is no longer applicable; tithing is equally a law from the Old Testament, that is also no longer applicable.
The reason why it is no longer applicable is because we now have the indwelling Holy Spirit. A Christian is supposed to be learning to be led by the Holy Spirit and not by a law, in regard to every aspect of their lives.
Therefore, a Christian should be listening to the Holy Spirit with regard to what they should be contributing to the church on a monthly basis, and not following a law each month. A person’s finances are a very significant part of their life; therefore, If they are not learning to be led by the Spirit of God in this area of their life, it is a problem.
The false tithing doctrine may be holding back the growth of the modern church. It is possible that the Holy Spirit may want the wealthier members of a church to contribute more financially than only 10%. However, this will not happen if there is a cap of 10%.
Alternatively, there may be poorer members of a church, who are unable to contribute 10% of their income, and they are placed under an extreme burden by the 10% rule. Unfortunately, just as the idea of having to get circumcised as an adult man, must have put people in Galatia off, from becoming Christians, the false tithing doctrine is putting people off from becoming Christians and making Christians leave the church, because they can’t afford to pay the required 10%.
Pastors teaching people that they must be led by a law from the Old Testament, rather than teaching them that they must be led by the Holy Spirit regarding how to handle their finances, is in total contradiction to the spirit of the New Testament. There is a freedom or liberty in the New Testament because the Holy Spirit is indwelling the believer:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17
Those churches that are teaching the 10% tithing law are actively encouraging their members to return to an Old Testament mindset, where people, who did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, had to depend on laws to fulfill the will of God for their lives. Those pastors who are teaching the 10% tithing law are demonstrating a lack of understanding regarding what the New Covenant is really all about – namely, the indwelling Holy Spirit and developing a personal relationship with Him.
If pastors fear that they will not get sufficient funds in order to cover their own salary, then the best way to go would be to establish a separate offering specifically to cover the pastor’s salary, and a second offering, to cover the other church overheads and the church projects; and then to teach the people to be led by the Holy Spirit regarding what they should put into these offerings each month.
Tithing is not mentioned anywhere in the New Testament. Whoever, had the idea of taking an Old Testament law and transplanting it into the New Testament was responsible for introducing a false doctrine into the New Testament Church; in exactly the same way that the people who told the Galatian church that they had to be circumcised in order to be followers of Christ, were introducing a false doctrine into the early church.
I am not suggesting that God is not working in churches where New Testament tithing is being taught; because He is working in these churches. I attended one of these churches myself for many years – I even attended the Bible College – and I grew as a Christian and I learnt a great deal while I was there. God is working in these churches, because He is loving and merciful and He does not withdraw from His people because one area of teaching in a church is incorrect. However, it would definitely benefit these churches, and the modern day church as a whole, if this false doctrine was thrown out.