Why Tithe

After church one Sunday morning, a mother commented:  “The choir was awful this morning.”  The father commented:  “The sermon was too long.”  Their seven-year-old daughter added:  “You’ve got to admit, it was a pretty good show for a dime.”

Some people question whether tithing is taught in the New Testament.  In his book, “It’s a God Thing”, noted ministry evangelist Dr. Charles Roesel, tells us that tithing is reaffirmed in Matthew 23:23. 

“‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin.  But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.  You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.’

In other words, you should tithe, but don’t think that by tithing you can pay God off.  How you live is just as important as how you give.  Some Christians point out that this scripture is the only place where the Lord endorsed tithing, along with the parallel passage in Luke 11:42.  This suggests to them that the New Testament presents a weak case for tithing.

My question is, ‘How many times does Jesus have to say something before we believe it?’  There is another passage mentioned by Jesus only one time.  Jesus said in John 3:7, “You must be born again.”  Obviously, this is an important truth!  John 3:7 is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We preach it and teach it.  In regard to tithing, Jesus affirms it only once in God’s Word.  It is no less a weighty truth.  Our Lord made no idle comments.”