Is tithing compulsory for Christians? No, tithing is not binding upon Christians. The tithe command is ONLY binding to the people who entered into the Old Covenant agreement with the Lord. And these people were the ancient Israelites. Nowhere in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, does God ever command Christians to tithe.
One of our viewers wants to know: Is tithing binding upon all Christians today as some churches claim and practice it?
When answering this question, we must understand three concepts:
1. Covenant
2. Binding
3. Command
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The Covenant
What’s a covenant? A covenant is an agreement or contract between two or more parties. The next question we must ask is this: Who were the parties involved with the Old Covenant? According to the Bible, it was God and ancient Israel.
Exodus 6:7 (KJV)
7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exodus 19: 3-6 (KJV)
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
This is important because tithing only binds the parties involved in the covenant. So, let’s take a closer look at the meaning of binding and what it means to be bound by law.
Bound By the Law of Moses
The word binding means “to put under an obligation.” For example, the phrase “bound by law” means a person or group must follow the law that applies to them. The Law of Moses bound ancient Israel, also called the Old Covenant. They were bound by Law to follow the tithe command and the other 612 commandments of the Law.
The Tithe Command
A command is an order or instruction a person(s) must follow. Someone of higher authority typically gives the command. In this case, God is the higher authority who commanded the ancient Israelites to tithe. Nowhere in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, will you find a verse that says God commanded Christians to tithe.
RECAP
Is tithing compulsory for Christians? No. Tithing is not binding upon Christians. The tithe command is ONLY binding to the people who entered into the Old Covenant agreement with the Lord – the ancient Israelites.
Find Out More
Discover the hidden truth about tithes the church doesn’t want you to know. Click here. All verses listed are from the King James Version of the Bible unless stated otherwise.