The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum The Tithe

The problem I have with your first statement is that what Jesus "toughened" was in regard to the Moral Law; not the Ceremonial nor Civil Law, of which Tithing was part of. Factually, Jesus didn't "toughen" any of God's laws but rather He revealed their true depth and application. Nothing in the Moral Law changed between the Old and New Covenants. Thus, tithing being part of the Civil/Ceremonial Law was abrogated with the passing of the Israelic theocracy and is no longer binding nor even a consideration as a "standard" to which a believer's conscious is to be bound. If, however, a believer in the new covenant desires to set for himself an amount of 10%+, then this is perfectly legitimate. Doing so is, however, a personal matter between the believer and the Lord and cannot be pressed upon another, especially by the church, since it is strictly a matter of conscience.

On your second point, I agree that "giving may be more of less than 10%", but again, the 10% figure is not to be deemed "the" or even "a" standard by which one should regulate cheerful giving. For those whose income provides more than the necessities of life, giving 10% or more may be no sacrifice. But again, 10% cannot be used as the standard by which one is to determine what sacrificial means. On the other hand, those who are barely making ends meet, having to give 10% would be a hardship indeed. A sacrifice is the giving of that which takes away from what is a necessity and/or something greatly desired. And so, the amount given will undoubtedly vary greatly with individuals/families.

In His grace,