Jesus was exempt from paying tithes. Jesus was a skilled carpenter who earned wages from his trade. The tithe command didn’t apply to Hebrews who earned a living from skilled trades. The Mosaic Law required Hebrew Israelites to give ten percent of crops and livestock to the tribe of Levi. Based on the Mosaic Law, Jesus didn’t pay tithes.
PROPOSITION: BASED ON the tithe commandments of the Mosaic Law, Jesus would not have paid tithes.
Objective: To show Christians that if tithing was not required of Jesus, then it is not required of them.
Table of Contents
- Tithers in the Bible
- Point 1 – God didn’t want tithes paid in the form of money
- Point 2 – God only required three groups of people to pay tithes
- Point 3 – Jesus was exempt from paying tithes
- Let’s Recap
- FAQs About Jesus Paying Tithes
- Outsmart the False Teachers
Tithers in the Bible
One of the misconceptions about the biblical tithe is that God required everyone to pay tithes. However, this is not the case. The Bible is very specific regarding who was commanded to pay tithes. There were only three groups of people commanded to pay tithes. And when we rightly divide the word of truth, we discover that Jesus was not included in any of these groups. Therefore, Jesus did not pay tithes.
Point 1 – God didn’t want tithes paid in the form of money
- The biblical tithe consisted of crops.
- The biblical tithe consisted of livestock.
Deuteronomy. 14:23 (KJV)
23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.
Leviticus 25:32 (KJV)
32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.
Point 2 – God only required three groups of people to pay tithes
- Farmers
- Herdsmen
- Levites
Leviticus 27:30-32
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord‘s: it is holy unto the Lord.
31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.
Numbers 18:25-29 (KJV)
25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.
27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lord‘S heave offering to Aaron the priest.
29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
Point 3 – Jesus was exempt from paying tithes
- He was a carpenter (Mark 6:3)
- He earned wages
- He was of the tribe of Judah (1 Samuel 16:12-13)
Mark 6:3 (KJV)
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
1 Samuel 16:12-13 (KJV)
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
Let’s Recap
In the Old Testament (specifically, the Mosaic Law), God is specific regarding who is commanded to tithe. Although Jesus was a follower of the Mosaic Law, he was not required to pay tithes.
According to the Mosaic Law, God only wanted tithes from farmers, herdsmen, and the Levites. And since Jesus did not fall into any categories, he did not tithe. Jesus was not the only one exempt from paying tithes.
Any ancient Hebrew Israelites who earned a living as skilled tradesmen, such as tent maker, artisan, fisherman, etc., was not required to tithe. For example, Jesus’ disciples, such as Peter, a fisherman, did not pay tithes.
Knowing this, it should appear to Christian believers that they are not required to pay tithes. Christians are not under the Law. If Jesus was under the Law and didn’t pay tithes, It stands to reason that Christians who are not under the Law are exempt from paying tithes.
FAQs About Jesus Paying Tithes
Did Jesus Receive Tithes?
There is no record in the New Testament of Jesus Christ receiving tithes. Tithing was established in the Old Testament to support the Levitical priesthood and the Temple’s upkeep. Jesus, as a teacher and healer during His earthly ministry, did not serve in the capacity of a Levite or priest in the Temple, and thus, He did not receive tithes.
However, He did talk about tithing in the context of the Pharisees’ practices, as seen in Luke 18:12 (KJV): “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” This was a part of a parable Jesus told to illustrate self-righteousness versus humility.
Did Jesus Pay Temple Tax?
Yes, Jesus did pay the temple tax, but not tithes. The Gospel of Matthew recounts an incident where Jesus instructs Peter to catch a fish, which will have a coin in its mouth sufficient to pay the Temple tax for both of them (Matthew 17:24-27, KJV). This account demonstrates Jesus’ respect for the established religious practices of the time, even though He challenged the religious leaders and their interpretations of the Law.
However, it’s important to note that paying the temple tax is different from tithing. The tithe involved the Israelites giving one-tenth of their crops and cattle to the Temple or the Levites. The Temple tax was a specific annual tax for the Temple’s upkeep.
Did Jesus Ask for Tithes?
No, Jesus did not ask for tithes. In the Gospels, Jesus talks about tithing in the context of criticizing the religious leaders of His time. In Matthew 23:23 (KJV), He says, “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.”
Jesus emphasizes that while the religious leaders were meticulous about tithing even the most minor crops, they neglected more critical aspects of the Law like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. He is pointing out their hypocrisy and the imbalance in their religious practices, not asking for tithes Himself.
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