A tithe is an Old Testament command where one-tenth or ten percent is given to God; this was a matter of law and therefore a requirement.
God, however, doesn’t appreciate tithes given out of obligation. He desires tithes and offerings to be given freely, as a result of love and gratitude towards him.
Today, some people maintain the rule of a tithe as presented in the Old Testament, whereas others feel this changed with Jesus, viewing a tithe more as a concept, than a command.
It’s often said a tithe should go to the local church, but a more correct understanding is that a tithe goes to God, be it through a local church or some other means.
Key verse about Tithe: Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’ (Numbers 18:27-29,NIV)
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
