New Testament Application Of Old Testament Tithing Laws
The application of Old Testament tithing laws in the New Testament is a complex topic, as the New Testament introduces a "new covenant" that supersedes the "old covenant of works" [3]. While the Old Testament established tithing as a proportion of property devoted to religious uses, with prominent instances including Abram's tithe to Melchizedek and Jacob's vow at Luz [2], the New Testament shifts the focus from prescribed legal requirements to principles of generous giving and support for ministry.
In the Old Testament, tithes were primarily for the sustenance of God's ministers, as seen in Malachi 3:10, and were considered partly moral and partly judicial in their divine institution [10]. Deuteronomy 26:12 specifies that a tithe of increase in the third year was to be given to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow [5]. Nehemiah 12:44 also mentions tithes gathered for priests and Levites [6]. However, the New Testament, while acknowledging the Old Testament's role as a "herald to the New" [8], emphasizes a different approach to giving.
The New Testament does not explicitly command tithing in the same way the Old Testament law did. Instead, it encourages believers to give cheerfully, generously, and proportionally, as God has prospered them (2 Corinthians 9:7). This is often understood as a principle of grace rather than a legal obligation. Charles Hodge, one theologian, notes that many judicial laws of the Old Testament, designed exclusively for the Hebrew theocracy, were abolished by the introduction of the new dispensation [14]. This includes laws like circumcision and specific feasts [14]. While some judicial laws, like those concerning marriage or capital punishment, were founded on permanent relations and intended to be perpetual [9], the ceremonial precepts, including those related to tithing, are generally understood to have been fulfilled in Christ [7, 12].
Augustine suggests that the Old Law is called "old" because the New Law is "new," and while the same law against coveting exists, the New Testament fulfills it differently [11]. Tertullian also discusses the abolition of the Old Law's precepts and ceremonies, indicating a shift from carnal to spiritual observances [12]. The Mosaic legislation did promote charity and prevent destitution through provisions for gleaning, sabbatical year produce, and the return of property in the year of jubilee [1]. The New Testament continues to emphasize almsgiving and care for the poor, though it is not found in the Old Testament as a specific term [4].
Rabbinic law, after the Jewish people's exile, considers the laws of teruma and tithes to apply by rabbinic law, not Torah law, indicating a historical shift in their application [13]. This further illustrates the understanding that the strict legal enforcement of tithing, as outlined in the Old Testament, underwent significant changes in subsequent religious thought and practice.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Poor — The Mosaic legislation regarding the poor is specially important. (1.) They had the right of gleaning the fields (Lev. 19:9, 10; Deut. 24:19, 21). (2.) In the sabbatical year they were to have their share of the produce of the fields and the vineyards (Ex. 23:11; Lev. 25:6). (3.) In the year of jubilee they recovered their property (Lev. 25:25-30). (4.) Usury was forbidden, and the pledged raiment was to be returned before the sun went down (Ex. 22:25-27; Deut. 24:10-13). The rich were to be generous to the poor (Deut. 15:7-11). (5.) In the sabbatical and jubi”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Tithe Or Tenth — the proportion of property devoted to religious uses from very early times. Instances of the use of tithes are found prior to the appointment of the Levitical tithes under the law. In biblical history the two prominent instances are-- + Abram presenting the tenth of all his property, or rather of the spoils of his victory, to Melchizedek. (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:2,6) + Jacob, after his vision at Luz, devoting a tenth of all his property to God in case he should return home in safety (Genesis 28:22) The first enactment of the law in respect of tithe ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: New Testament — (Luke 22:20), rather "New Covenant," in contrast to the old covenant of works, which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is called new; it succeeds to the old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent; and under the gospel it is dispensed in a more clear, spiritual, extensive, and powerful manner than of old" (Brown of Haddington). Hence is derived the name given to the latter portion of the Bible. (See [438]TESTAMENT.)”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Alms — Not found in the Old Testament, but repeatedly in the New. The Mosaic legislation (Lev. 25:35; Deut. 15:7) tended to promote a spirit of charity, and to prevent the occurrence of destitution among the people. Such passages as these, Ps. 41:1; 112:9; Prov. 14:31; Isa. 10:2; Amos 2:7; Jer. 5:28; Ezek. 22:29, would also naturally foster the same benevolent spirit. In the time of our Lord begging was common (Mark 10:46; Acts 3:2). The Pharisees were very ostentatious in their almsgivings (Matt. 6:2). The spirit by which the Christian ought to be actuated in this d”
- Deuteronomy “When you have made an end of tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within your gates, and be filled. -- Deuteronomy 26:12”
- Nehemiah “Nehemiah 12:44 (YLT) — And certain are appointed on that day over the chambers for treasures, for heave-offerings, for first-fruits, and for tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for priests, and for Levites, for the joy of Judah <FI>is<Fi> over the priests, and over the Levites, who are standing up.”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part (Prima Secundae), Of the Duration of the Ceremonial Precepts, Art. 2: Article: Whether, at the time of the Law, the ceremonies of the Old Law had any power of justification? I answer that, As stated above (Question [102], Article [5], ad 4), a twofold uncleanness was distinguished in the Old Law. One was spiritual and is the uncleanness of sin. The other was corporal, which rendered a man unfit for divine worship; thus a leper, or anyone that touched carrion, was said to be unclean: and thus uncleanness was nothing but a kind of irregula”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 4.--THAT PROOFS OF THE LAST JUDGMENT WILL BE ADDUCED, FIRST FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT, AND THEN FROM THE OLD.: The proofs, then, of this last judgment of God which I propose to adduce shall be drawn first from the New Testament, and then from the Old. For although the Old Testament is prior in point of time the New has the precedence in intrinsic value; for the Old acts the part of herald to the New. We shall therefore first cite passages from the New Testament, and confirm them by quotations from the Old Testament. The Old contains”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 39: Church without being impressed with the dreadful evils which have flowed from this mistake. On the other hand, there are some of the judicial laws of the Old Testament which were really 269 founded on the permanent relations of men, and therefore, were intended to be of perpetual obligation, which many have repudiated as peculiar to the old dispensation. Such are some of the laws relating to marriage, and to the infliction of capital punishment for the crime of murder. lf it be asked, How are we to determine whether any judicial law of th”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Tithes, Art. 1: Article: Whether men are bound to pay tithes under a necessity of precept? I answer that, In the Old Law tithes were paid for the sustenance of the ministers of God. Hence it is written (Malach. 3:10): "Bring all the tithes into My [Vulg.: 'the'] store-house that there may be meat in My house." Hence the precept about the paying of tithes was partly moral and instilled in the natural reason; and partly judicial, deriving its force from its divine institution. Because natural reason dictates that th”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 35 [XX.] --THE OLD LAW; THE NEW LAW.: The one was therefore old, because the other is new. But whence comes it that one is old and the other new, when the same law, which said in the Old Testament, "Thou shalt not 98 covet,"(1) is fulfilled by the New Testament? "Because," says the prophet, "they continued not in my covenant, I have also rejected them, saith the Lord."(2) It is then on account of the offence of the old man, which was by no means healed by the letter which commanded and threatened, that it is called the old covenant; whereas the ot”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. VI.--OF THE ABOLITION AND THE ABOLISHER OF THE OLD LAW. (part 1): Therefore, since it is manifest that a sabbath temporal was shown, and a sabbath eternal foretold; a circumcision carnal foretold, and a circumcision spiritual pre-indicated; a law temporal and a law eternal formally declared; sacrifices carnal and sacrifices spiritual foreshown; it follows that, after all these precepts had been given carnally, in time preceding, to the people Israel, there was to supervene a time whereat the precepts of the ancient Law and of the old ceremonies would cease, and th”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 44a.13: He said to him: Leave teruma in modern times, as it is in effect by rabbinic law. Once the Jewish people were exiled from their land, the halakhot of teruma and tithes apply by rabbinic law, not Torah law. This is the basis for the lenient ruling in the case of this mixture.”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 39: the obligation of any divine law, which He has imposed upon them. (2.) That with regard to the positive laws of the Old Testament, and such judicial enactments as were designed exclusively for the Hebrews living under the theocracy, they were all abolished by the introduction of the new dispensation. We are no longer under obligation to circumcise our children, to keep the Passover, or feast of tabernacles or to go up 270 three times in the year to Jerusalem, or to exact an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth. (3.) With regard to those”