Note: all scripture passages quoted here are from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible (bold emphasis mine).

Any discussion about tithing would be incomplete without considering the book of Malachi. This book gives us insight into understanding God’s heart and passion for his people, and it also shows that he wants to be honored, respected and treated like someone of high ranking should be. However, I believe the tithes mentioned in this book are not applicable to New Covenant Christians for two reasons: 1) tithing only consisted of food from the herds, flocks and crops produced on God’s holy land and 2) tithing was integral to the Mosaic Law, to which Christians are not obligated. Consider Chapter 3, verses 10-12, which is a favorite for tithe teachers:

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, how are we robbing you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – your whole nation – because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that their will not be room enough to store it.”

This passage is often preached without any explanation or historical context. And combined with the culturally pervasive idea that Christians should tithe, church members can easily be misled to believe that they are to pay at least 10 percent of their income. The problem here is that this passage, like any other tithing text in the Bible, is not talking about money. Although the people of the Old Testament had money, God required tithes to consist of only food and produce from his holy land. In addition, Christians are not expected to follow the directives of the Mosaic Law, which contained a myriad of other rules for tithes including who paid it, who received it and how offerings from it were to be made. Let’s go back a little bit to Chapter 1, verses 1-6, which supports the fact that Malachi is talking about food:

“A son honors his father and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? Says the LORD Almighty. It is you priests who show contempt for my name. But you ask, how have we shown contempt for your name? By offering defiled food on my alter. But you ask, how have we defiled you? By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you? Says the LORD Almighty. Now plead with God to be gracious with us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you? – Says the LORD Almighty. Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my alter!”

And to prove that this book is talking about matters of the Mosaic Law, consider what it says in Chapter 2, verses 7-9:

“For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi, says the LORD Almighty. So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.“

Contrast the above with Galatians 3:25 which says, “now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the Law.” This verse and many others like it in the New Testament prove that the Bible is very adamant that Christians are under no obligation to obey the Law. Based on this and the descriptions in Malachi, Christians are not required to pay 10 percent of their income to their church. There is simply no Biblical authority given or implied that would allow for the substitution of money.

While it is clear that Christians are not under the Law and its tithing requirement, the Apostle Paul’s frequent discussions about money reveal how important it is to the Christian life. For example, consider Second Corinthians 9:7 where he said, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” If you are a Christian, I hope you can see that you have the freedom and flexibility to make your own decisions regarding how much to give, and I hope you make room in your family budget to consistently and generously support your local church and its mission.