IS TITHING ONLY AN "OLD TESTAMENT" COMMANDMENT?

Tithing is not a "New Testament" commandment of God. And the early Jewish Christians did not tithe to their local congregations. Those Jewish Christians residing in the land of Israel did tithe. They gave of their produce to the Jerusalem temple (10%), Jerusalem city merchants (10% every first, second, fourth, and seventh year of a seven year cycle), and local charities (10% every third and sixth year of a seven year cycle). It was the law / Law. To not have done so would have been a sin.

Only after the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. did tithing stop, since the commandments in the Law regarding tithing are inexorably linked to the temple. Jews to this day do not tithe.

The issue, therefore, is not "New Testament" or "Old Testament." It is when and how to apply the Law's commandments. Gentiles (B.C. or A.D.) were never enjoined in the Law to tithe, i.e. give 20% to the temple, Jerusalem merchants, or charities within Israel. But Jews in Israel were.

In Jesus' and the Apostles' day, tithes were given from grains, wine, oil, fruits, and vegetables.. The Jewish person first separated from the yield of his field or garden a portion (a sixtieth, fiftieth, or fortieth at his / her discretion), known as TERUMAH ('elevation [offering]'). This was given to a local Levitical priest (they lived throughout Israel in various villages and towns) and was treated as sacred food in that it could not be eaten when the priest was in a state of ritual impurity (E.g. he had a nocturnal emission, or his wife had died and he touched or been in the same room as the corpse) or when the TERUMAH itself had suffered contamination (E.g. infested with rats, who peed on the produce). Nor could it be eaten by a non-priest.

There were three kinds of tithe. A tenth of the remainder of the Jewish person's yield, known as HA-MA'ASER HA-RISHON ('the first tithe) was separated and given to a local Levite (All priests were Levites; not all Levites were priests). The Levite, in turn, separated a tenth of his tithe and this, known as TERUMAT HA-MA'ASER (' the elevation of the tithe'), was given to a local priest to be treated with the same degree of sanctity as the original TERUMAH mentioned above, The portion retained by the Levite had no sanctity and could be eaten by an ordinary Israelite.

The Jewish person separated a tenth of the reminder of his yield, known as MA'ASER SHENI ('second tithe').This had to be taken to Jerusalem and consumed there in a spirit of sacred fun. I call it the "party tithe." If it were too difficult to take the second tithe of produce, say, the 100 or so miles from the Galilee region (where Jesus grew up) to Jerusalem [in ox carts or whatnot], it could be redeemed by substituting for it a commensurate sum of money which was then easily transported the long distance to Jerusalem, where food and drink [even strong alcoholic beverages] purchased with it were to be consumed in the city. People were to make sure that poor people and Levites came with them for this Law-mandated vacation.

However, every third and sixth year of the seven-year cycle culminating in the Sabbatical year, the second tithe was given to the local poor (or those in the community taking care of them) and is known as MA'ASER ONI ('poor person's tithe').

The Jewish Christians did not tithe to their local congregations. They did, however, continue the three tithes until the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. To not have done so would have been illegal, and a sin. Again, the issue is not "New Testament" or "Old Testament." It is when and how to apply the Law's commandments.

There is no tithe today. Sure, we can and should contribute financially to our local congregations, and they may call it a "tithe," but it's a misnomer. The early Christians did not tithe to their local congregations, but the early Jewish Christians living in the land of Israel tithed ... to the temple, Jerusalem merchants, and local poor, as prescribed in the Law. Once the temple was destroyed, Jews stopped tithing, although many gave and still give 10% of their income to charity. We can give 10% of our income to our local assembly or elsewhere for a worthy cause, but let's not call it a "tithe." It is not.

-Michael Millier