Why Christians Should Not Tithe: A History of Tithing and a Biblical Paradigm for Christian Giving
"Tithing" is a biblical issue that can arouse strong emotions. Why then the provocative title? I wanted readers curious about tithing to discover a book that could answer all their questions. As a young Christian I could never understand the seeming "alchemy" by which an Old Testament practice never mentioned from Acts through Revelation was promoted as the standard of giving for the New Testament church. As I studied church history I found that tithing was an on-again off-again practice used more for supporting church hierarchy than gospel ministries. Years of study in the Mosaic Law, the New Testament, and church history convinced me that Jesus expects mature Christians to become biblically informed and make their own decisions about giving. Hence the book is a Bible study and a history of tithing from the time of Moses, to Christ, to the apostles, to the present, by exploring biblical texts, church history, and church creeds. The result of those discussions is the development of twenty-one principles that guide giving in our New Testament age, and some thoughts on how to apply those principles. Every book I write is a Bible study intended to inform the believer as to his or her obligations toward Jesus, his church, fellow believers, and toward him or herself. Jesus expects his saved people to become mature in the Word, and make informed decisions according to principle, circumstances, and conscience. I wrote "Why Christians Should Not Tithe" to help the reader achieve those goals.