Blogotional

Thanks to Between Two Worlds for the link to this article, A Biblical Theology of Poverty and Almsgiving by T. David Gordon. Contained within it is a very interesting section on tithing.

The one reality of the Sinai administration that does not properly inform our present circumstances (despite the fact that Christians commonly, albeit erroneously, think otherwise) is the Levitical tithe. The tithe was not instituted as a means of general support for the covenant community; because in the case of the Israelites, the covenant community was a nation, with all the rights of taxation or tribute thereby implied. Rather, the tithe was instituted for the Levitical priesthood, to provide the various animals and grains that were to be sacrificed by the Levites. "To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel" (Num. 18:21, emphasis mine). Note that "every" tithe is Levitical; there are no non-Levitical tithes. Indeed, the tithe was necessary in order for the other eleven tribes to participate in the sacrificial system. Only Levites were permitted to serve as sacrificing priests; but the substance that they offered on the altar came from the other eleven tribes, and was therefore their sacrifice also.

The tithe was also instituted in a manner that was sensitive to the plight of the impoverished or destitute, and adjusted itself to that plight in several ways. If an Israelite could not afford a particular sacrifice, he could substitute a less expensive one: "But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering" (Lev. 5:11). The tithe adjusted itself to destitution in another way. Only the "tenth" sheep that passed under the shepherd?s staff was to be sacrificed (Lev. 27:32). Thus, an Israelite who had only six or seven sheep was not obliged to give any sheep to the Levites. Therefore, we see that, even when the tithe was instituted as the means of providing the substance of the Tabernacle/Temple sacrifices, that very ordinance was sensitive to the reality of poverty and destitution, in a way that the so-called Christian monetary tithe is not.

The Levitical tithe, however, has no legitimate place in Christian thinking, liturgy, or church life. It passed away when the sacrificial system itself passed away. Happily, well-thinking Christians have recognized this. In 1854, the Presbyterian General Assembly repudiated the tithe, and embraced instead the principle articulated by Paul in 1 Cor. 16:2: "each as he has prospered." They received, and distributed as their own mind on the matter, the paper originally authored by Thomas E. Peck and Stuart Robinson for the Baltimore Presbytery, and the highest court had this to say about the wrong and right principle of Christian benevolence:

So, under the gospel, the point upon which our "free will" is to be exercised is, not as to the giving, but as to the amount. God has not said, "Give me a tenth, or a twentieth, or a hundredth, or a millionth"; and it is presumption for any man to say to another, or for a church court to say to the members under its care, "You must give such and such a proportion." It is a matter between God and the man?s own conscience. He must "give as God hath prospered him," and of the measure of his prosperity another man has no right to judge, as he cannot know the condition of his affairs, nor how much has already been given, or is habitually given, under the solemn injunction that "the left hand shall not know what the right hand doeth."

Sadly enough, few Presbyterians today know their own history, nor the judgment of their General Assembly in the matter. But the anti-tithe argument is profoundly persuasive, not only because the Old Testament texts associate it exclusively with the Levitical priesthood that passes away after the death and resurrection of Christ; but also because in the many places where Christians are exhorted by Paul to support the church, its ministry, or impoverished Christians, not once is the tithe mentioned. To the contrary, when Paul argued that the Christian ministry should be financially supported by believers, he reached virtually anywhere else in the Old Testament, citing in one instance the cryptic passage in Deuteronomy, "Do not muzzle the ox when it is treading out grain" (1 Tim. 5:18, citing Deut. 25:4). It would have been much easier for him to settle the matter by citing the latter prophets argument that Israel "robbed" God by not tithing (Mal. 3:8). But Paul did not cite such texts, because Paul did not believe the Levitical tithe belongs in the New Covenant experience.

Some background is necessary here. The Prebyterian Church has been using the Levitical tithe to justify "taxing" local congregations to support the higher bodies for years. I think much of this arguement is a shot at that practice.

I do think it is wrong for pastors to tell their congregation that tithing - a literal 10% donation is somehow mandatory. I agree with the basic argument made here that the tithe was for the provision of the poor in a governmental sense.

But having said that, I think there are two important questions worth considering. The first is the importance of routne and regular sacrifice to the work of God through His church. I think it vitally important to have a discipline of giving. I don't think there is any magic in 10% and I don't think 10% should be presented in a coercive manner, but I think all Christians should give a percentage, based on their prosperity, routinely and regularly.

The other issue is the issue of providing for the poor, Essentially the arguement here is that we don't have to tithe to the church because our government is doing much of what the tithe was intended to do. But, having said that, I would much rather given 10% or more to a local congregation to provide for the needy in my area than pay the taxes for two very important reasons. The first reason is that the money will be more effective if managed locally. The second reason is a local congregation can provide a human touch to that aid simply impossible on a governmental level - the church can render compassion instead of simply bureacracy.

From my perspective when it comes to tithing the issue is not 10% -- it is sacrifice and compassion, that is what we are called to. Anything else is legalism.