In the book of Acts chapter 15 issues arose that challenged the believers in Christ as to whether they are to live under a new ‘law’ or under the Law of Moses. The Bible records that ‘Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” (v.1) The issue actually went beyond only circumcision. In verse 5 we are told: “Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” So the insistence by this group of Jewish believers in Christ was that (1) gentile believers must be circumcised and (2) they must be required to obey the law of Moses. Included in the law of Moses is of course the issue of tithing amongst other things – firstfruits offering, etc.

How did the Holy Spirit resolve the issue for the church? Is that position given by the Holy Spirit still relevant for today or has it been set aside? These are key questions to answer so that the church today does not behave as if God has left us in the dark as to how he wants us to face the issue of the Christian and the requirements of the law of Moses.

A lengthy discussion ensued in what has been generally referred to as the Council in Jerusalem. The apostles and elders met to consider the issue. Among the recorded statements are those of Peter who said: “Brothers … … Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Others such as Barnabas and Paul also spoke. James thereafter summed things up. At the end of the day the council decided to write a declaration on the matter which was to be circulated to the believers. In the letter we find the following: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell (vv. 28-29)
Can anything be clearer than the above? Has the Holy Spirit therefore resolved the issue for the church? Or do we have the liberty to say that it was only a temporary solution for that time alone? I think the answers to these questions are clear for any objective believer. God the Holy Spirit had given his final word on whether the Christian is to continue to observe ANY practice required by the law of Moses. Apart from the matters specified for the Christians to adhere to no other thing was required of the believer – including tithing, firstfruits offering, etc. No matter under whatever name or guise it is presented, NO BURDEN is to be laid on the Christian as Apostle James pointed out in the portion referred to above.

The Christian is to stand firm in the freedom that Christ has set us free into and not let himself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). In the case of the issue of tithing the position of God is given as seen in the part of scripture referred to in Acts 15. The issue for the Christian therefore is this: “Whose report will you believe?” Is it the position of the infallible word of God or the teaching of men? If the word of God says ‘no burden’, whether of tithes or firstfruits, etc and man says ‘You must pay tithes, firstfruits, etc’ which one do you want to choose no matter the eloquence in presentation or glowing testimonies of results of following man’s methods? The issue is that of either freedom in Christ or a yoke of slavery by men.

In Christ, a Christian can decide ON HIS OWN to give a fixed amount regularly: But it must be a personal decision. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, NOT RELUCTANTLY or UNDER COMPULSION, for God loves a cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7. No Christian is to be coerced into giving ANYTHING – whether a fixed percentage regularly or a one-off giving. It must be a personal decision of the individual otherwise it is no longer given by grace and will amount to nothing before God. We are saved by grace and we are to live out our lives by grace. See also Peter’s remark to Ananias in Acts 5:3-4.

In reality then, the New Testament had resolved the issue of tithing or any other prescription of the law of Moses for the Christian. There is no single directive or command for the Christian to pay tithe or firstfruits or any other requirement of the Mosaic Law. On the other hand any significant thing required of the Christian will be found in the New Testament epistles which constitute the blueprint for living the Christian life. The prescription for the way of life for believers in other dispensations is unquestionably not the same for Christians under the dispensation of the church age. The same God, yes. Certain similar principles, yes. But quite a different system for living and administering the spiritual life. That a practice is in the Bible does not necessarily recommend it to be used or practiced by the Christian. The Christian must rightly divide whether such a practice is for him or not under the new Covenant. For example, the Bible, in the Old Testament has requirements for animal sacrifices and so on. Would anyone therefore justify animal sacrifice today simply on the basis that it is in the Bible?

Peter’s words again: “Brothers … … Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved (and will get to heaven, and not through any practice such as tithing, firstfruits, etc – emphasis mine), just as they are.”

Thanks for this post, it's so glaringly obvious from scriptures that Christians are not meant too tithe but the spirit of greed in the promoters of this false doctrine would not allow them tell their congregation the truth.