TITHING IN THE TIME OF JESUS AND PAUL
Introduction
Tithing (giving a tenth of one's produce, and sometimes
livestock) predates the Mosaic Torah. The patriarchal practice got subsumed
into the Mosaic Torah and was expanded, thus becoming wedded to the Levitical
system and the Jerusalem temple.
One reason why Paul never mentioned tithing in any of his
letters is that his predominantly Gentile Christian audiences were under no
obligation whatsoever to support the temple and its ministers, whereas the
Jewish Christians who would read, or hear being read Paul's letters already
knew what the Torah teaches about tithing.
The common assumption that tithing is not a New Covenant
practice is incorrect. Tithing is a Torah practice and Torah is a core
component of the New Covenant (Jer 31:33; Cf Deu 30:6-10; Eze 36:27,28; etc).
Gentile Christians then and today need not tithe, although Paul took up
voluntary tribute offerings from Gentile believers to bring to the saints in
Jerusalem. Not tithes.
On the other hand, Jewish Christians back then who lived
in the land of Israel would have tithed. Jewish Christians today *cannot*
tithe, since the Jerusalem temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and the Levitical
priests, along with the regular Levites may not receive tithes (1) because the
temple is destroyed and (2) because the KOHANIM (priests) remain in an ongoing
state of ritual uncleanness until the temple is rebuilt and the ashes of the
red heifer are properly administered.
So how did Jews tithe back in Jesus and Paul's day?
