Should we tithe today?

Introduction

In many Christian churches (denominations, sects, confessions), as a rule, their pastors and leaders today preach in their ministry the collection of Tithes from their parishioners or flock, while relying on the Old Testament and the Law of Moses.
Is this right, is it necessary to do this in the era of the New Testament, and how should we manage the material wealth that God gives to you and me? Let's look at these questions in our article and see how we should deal with money in the church of God?

History of the Tithe

A tithe is a tenth of something. The word is most commonly used to refer to the practice of collecting a tenth of a member's income for the benefit of the religious community in Judaism, Christianity, and other religious traditions.

Tithing dates back to the time of Abraham and was later formalized into religious canon in the Torah (the first five Books of the Old Testament). As we understand it, a tithe is one tenth (10%) of the whole (100%).

According to the Tanakh (Old Testament), tithes were known to the Jews long before the time of Moses and go back to Abraham, who gave the high priest Melchizedek a tenth of all the spoils he received from the four defeated kings.

Thus, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek (the king and priest of God) [Genesis 14:20; Heb 7:1-6], and Jacob, his grandson, also promised to give a tenth of his property to God [Gen 28:20-22]. And all this happened from their free will.

20 And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. [Abram] gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:20).
1 For Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, the one who met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from the defeat of the kings, 2 to whom Abraham divided tithes from all, first, according to the sign [name] king of righteousness, and then the king of Salem, that is, the king of the world, 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither the beginning of days nor the end of life, being like the Son of God, remains a priest forever. 4 You see how great is he to whom Abraham the patriarch gave tithes of his best spoils. 5 Those who receive the priesthood from the sons of Levi have a commandment to take tithes according to the law from the people, that is, from their brothers, although these also came from the loins of Abraham. 6 But this one, who was not descended from their lineage, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. (Hebrews 7:1-6).
20 And Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me and keep me on this journey that I am going on, and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and I will return in peace to my father’s house, and the Lord will be my God. , - 22 then this stone, which I have set up as a monument, will be the house of God; and of all that You [God] give me, I will give You a tenth. (Genesis 28:20-22).

The Law of Moses required the people of Israel to pay tithes on all crops and livestock [Lev 27:30-34; Deuteronomy 14:22-26]. These tithes were needed to support the tribe of Levi (Levites), to whom God did not give an inheritance (land) in the land of Israel.

And also to help the poor and needy in the land of Israel, so that strangers, strangers, orphans and widows can eat and live from them (from tithes) [Numbers 18:21-24; Deuteronomy 14:27-29; 26:12-15].

30 And every tithe of the earth, of the seed of the earth, and of the fruit of the tree, belongeth unto the LORD: it is holy unto the LORD; 31 If anyone wants to redeem his tithe, he must add a fifth of it to [the price]. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, of all that passes under the rod, the tenth, shall be dedicated to the Lord; 33 should not determine whether something is good or bad, and should not replace it; if someone replaces it, then both it and its replacement will be holy and cannot be redeemed. 34 These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai. (Lev 27:30-34).
27 And do not leave the Levite who is in your gates, for he has no part or inheritance with you. 28 And when three years have passed, thou shalt separate all the tithes of thy produce that year, and put them in thy gates; 29 And let the Levite, for he has no portion or inheritance with you, come, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow who [are] in your gates, and let them eat and be satisfied, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. yours, which you will do. (Deuteronomy 14:27-29).

Sometimes it happened that some forgot their obligation to pay tithes, and then they were severely condemned by God [Neh 13:10-12; Mal 3:7-12]. Others, on the contrary, paid every penny, but their hearts were cruel and arrogant [Amos 4:4-5; Matthew 23:23].

7 Since the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them; turn to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. You will say, “how should we turn?” 8 Is it possible for a person to rob God? And you are robbing Me. You will say: “How are we robbing You?” Tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, because you - all the people - rob Me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me in this, says the Lord of hosts: Will I not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon you until there is abundance? 11 For your sake I will rebuke the devourers from destroying the fruits of the earth from you, and the vines in your field will not lose their fruit, says the Lord of hosts. 12 And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a desirable land, says the Lord of hosts. (Mal 3:7-12).
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you tithe mint, anise and cumin, and have neglected the most important things in the law: judgment, mercy and faith; this had to be done, and this should not be abandoned. (Matthew 23:23).

Tithe today

As we saw above, the command to tithe was part of the “law of Moses” [Heb 7:5]. It was part of the Levitical priesthood, within the framework of which the people received the law [Heb 7:11].

The priesthood changed, and with it the law changed [Hebrews 7:12]. Since the tithe was part of the priesthood and the law, which was changed, it follows that the commandment to tithe was nullified [Heb. 7:18-19].

5 Those who receive the priesthood from the sons of Levi have a commandment to take tithes according to the law from the people, that is, from their brothers, although these also came from the loins of Abraham. 6 But this one, who was not descended from their lineage, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 Without any contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 And here mortal men take tithes, and there he who has a testimony about himself that he lives. 9 And, so to speak, Levi himself, who receives tithes, in [the person of] Abraham gave tithes: 10 for he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. 11 So, if perfection were achieved through the Levitical priesthood - for the law of the people is connected with it - then what further need would there be for another priest to rise up in the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12 Because with the change of the priesthood there must be a change of the law. 13 For He of whom this is spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one came to the altar. 14 For it is known that our Lord arose from the tribe of Judah, about which Moses said nothing regarding the priesthood. 15 And this is even more clearly seen [from the fact] that in the likeness of Melchizedek another priest arises, 16 who is such not according to the law of the carnal commandment, but according to the power of unceasing life. 17 For it is testified: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. 18 But the cancellation of a former commandment occurs because of its weakness and uselessness, 19 for the law did not bring anything to perfection; but a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:5-19).

A person who chooses to keep any part of the law of Moses becomes “obligated to keep the whole law” [Gal 5:3]. Tithing is “a part of that law, the law of Moses” [Heb 7:5], so those who choose to tithe today must also keep the Sabbath, sacrifices, circumcision, etc. regulations of the law.

On the other hand, to do this means again to be “slaves of the Old Law,” but Christ has set us free [Gal 5:1]. To such people Paul said and says: “Christ is of no use to you” [Gal 5:2], and adds: you “were separated from Christ, you have fallen from grace” [Gal 5:4].

1 Stand therefore in the freedom which Christ has given us, and do not be subjected again to the yoke of slavery. 2 Behold, I, Paul, say to you, if you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 Again I testify to every man who is circumcised, that he must fulfill the whole law. 4 You, who justify yourselves by the law, are left without Christ, you have fallen from grace, 5 but we in spirit wait and hope for the righteousness of faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has power, but faith working through love. (Gal 5:1-6).

Today, Christians are commanded by God to give as much as they are able to give or sacrifice [1 Cor 16:1-2]. Christians should “provide sufficient material resources, without regret, not out of necessity, but out of good will” [2 Cor 9:6-7].

It is up to us to determine how much we can give in offerings for the needs of the church (congregation) [2 Cor 9:7]. The love of our heart will help us act according to the truth, the laws of God and His will [2 Cor 8:1-15; Wed Acts 20:35]. By doing this, we will not go wrong.

1 And when you make the collections for the saints, do as I commanded in the churches of Galatia. 2 On the first day of the week, let each of you set aside and save for himself as much as his fortune allows, so as not to have to make preparations when I come. (1 Cor 16:1-2).
5 Therefore, I considered it necessary to ask the brothers to go to you in advance and take care in advance, so that your blessing, already announced, would be ready as a blessing, and not as a tax. 6 Moreover I will say: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each one [give] according to the purpose of his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion; For God loves a cheerful giver. 8 Now God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work, 9 as it is written, “He was wasted, he gave to the poor.” his truth endures forever. 10 But he who gives seed to the sower and bread for food will provide abundance for what you sow and will multiply the fruits of your righteousness, 11 so that you will be rich in everything in all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God. 12 For the work of this ministry not only fills the poverty of the saints, but also produces abundant thanksgiving to God in many. (2 Cor 9:5-12).
1 We make you aware, brethren, of the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in the midst of great trial and tribulation they abound with joy; and their deep poverty abounds in the wealth of their hospitality. 3 For they are willing according to their strength and beyond their strength - I am a witness: 4 they very earnestly asked us to accept the gift and participation of [their] in the service of the saints; 5 and not only what we hoped for, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, [then] to us according to the will of God; 6 Therefore we asked Titus that he, just as he began, would also complete this good work with you. 7 And as you abound in everything: in faith, in word, in knowledge, in all zeal, and in your love for us, so abound in this virtue. 8 I say this not as a command, but through the diligence of others I test the sincerity of your love. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that through His poverty you might become rich. 10 I give advice on this: for it is profitable for you, who not only began to do this, but have also desired it since the past year. 11 Now do the work itself, so that what you have earnestly desired may be fulfilled in abundance. 12 For if there is zeal, it is accepted according to who has what, and not according to what he does not have. 13 It is not required that there should be relief for others and heaviness for you, but that there should be evenness. 14 Now your abundance is to [make up for] their lack; and afterward their abundance to [make up for] your lack, so that there is equality, 15 as it is written: He who gathered much had nothing to spare; and whoever had little had no lack. (2 Cor 8:1-15).

From the state of the heart...

Tithing in the Russian Orthodox Church

Ancient documents confirm that tithes were also given in Rus' for the needs of the Church. It was primarily the princes and nobility who set examples for the people, so Prince Vladimir built the Tithe Church with 10 of all his income, while regularly allocating funds for its maintenance (where the name came from).

A person giving in a temple gives alms to the whole people

For some time, donations from income were brought to the temple only by princes and their entourage; with their funds, churches were built and maintained, monasteries were founded and icons were painted. The common people donated mainly natural products, and the nobility donated finances.

In the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church there was even a special position - a ten-man or ten-priest (after the Council of the Hundred Heads), whose main task was to collect donations. In the 18th century, these positions were abolished, but donations remained a necessity. Today, in states that were part of the USSR, there is no such thing as a church tax, although many European countries have one.

Important! All donations given to the temple are strictly voluntary, although the priests encourage donations.

Thanks to these funds, priests can support parishes - finances are given to the construction of churches, the production of candles and church utensils, caring for the poor and orphans, helping the sick and old. The person who donates in the temple helps to carry out alms to the whole people.

Interpretation of this concept

Tithe is a Russian unit of measurement in ancient times regarding land area, which was equated to 2,400 square fathoms (about 1.09 hectares) and was used in Rus' before the introduction of a special metric system.

It is also worth defining the term “sazhen” - a Russian measure of length, which is determined by the average size of the human body. So, for example, a small fathom is from the shoulder to the floor, and an oblique one is from the inside of the foot of the left foot to the top point of the fingers of the raised right hand.

Conscription in the West

Tithe in western Europe was originally a simple voluntary contribution of a tenth of income to the church;
but little by little the church made tithing mandatory: the Council of Tours in 567 invited the faithful to pay tithes, the Council of Macon in 585 already ordered the payment of tithes, under threat of excommunication. Charlemagne in 779 turned it into a duty, which was imposed on everyone by virtue of state law, under pain of criminal penalties (among the Saxons - outright the death penalty). At the same time, Charlemagne ordered that the tithe be divided into three parts: 1) for the construction and decoration of churches; 2) for the poor, wanderers and pilgrims and 3) for the maintenance of the clergy. The clergy increasingly increased the burden of this tax, which initially fell only on income from agriculture: tithes began to be demanded from all generally profitable activities, even immoral ones (especially from the 12th century, under Pope Alexander III).

At the same time, the church increasingly shied away from giving the tithe its proper purpose. Needing protection and seeking it in the feudal estate, bishops and abbots often gave fief tithes (infeodal, from where dime infeodee) to neighboring lords, which is one of the curious aspects of feudalism in the church. With the strengthening of the power of kings, the clergy had to share tithes with the latter. Finally, the popes also began to demand part of the tithe in their favor.

Due to the fact that the tithe represented a very large income for the church, which placed a heavy burden on secular society, and that part of this clergy income was claimed by the papacy, royal power and feudal lords, the tithe was often the subject of very sharp clashes between individual elements of medieval society [1 ].

During the era of the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church lost in most of the Protestant countries all its worldly possessions and income, which became the property of secular power and the nobility (see Secularization), which dealt a blow to church tithes.

In England, however, the tithe was preserved, and the attempt to abolish it, made during the first revolution of the 17th century, was not crowned with success, because in the English church the tithe went to support the clergy, and, abolishing it, it was necessary to find another source of income instead.

In Catholic states, tithes continued to exist as before, and, for example, in France, before the revolution, the clergy often received about 125 million livres of tithes, which mostly remained in the hands of the higher clergy.

In 1789, the era of the abolition of tithes began, an example of which was set by France, where the revolution abolished tithes free of charge, accepting the maintenance of the clergy at the expense of the state, as a result of which the value of all land property in France, freed from this church tax, rose by one tenth. In Switzerland and some German states, the tithe, as in France, was abolished without any compensation for those institutions for whose benefit it was levied, but most German states (Nassau, Bavaria, both Hesses, Baden, Württemberg, Hanover, Saxony, Austria, Prussia etc.) resorted to a ransom system.

In the 19th century the tithe was retained in England, where in 1836, under the Tith Commutation Act, significant changes were made in the distribution and methods of collecting this tax. In rural tithes (prediales), payment in kind was replaced by a certain amount called tithe rent-charge. The quantity of bread, barley and oats was established once and for all (an average of 7 years was accepted as the norm), and its value, officially determined annually at market prices, was paid in money. In addition, tithes from fishing, mining, etc. were abolished.

Typology of Old Russian land measure

During the period of the late XVIII - early XX centuries. tithe was also used, the area of which was represented by such varieties as:

Oblique - 80 by 40 fathoms (3200 squares).
Round - 60 by 60 fathoms (3600 squares).
Hundred - 100 by 100 fathoms (10,000 squares).
Bakhchevaya - 80 by 10 fathoms (800 squares), etc.

Then, at the end of the October Revolution, due to the transition to the metric system, according to the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, dated September 14, 1918, the tithe measure was limited in use, and from September 1, 1927 it was prohibited altogether.

Together with it, other units of measurement common at that time remained in the past:

inch (0.045 m);
arshin (0.71 m);
verst (1.06 km);
fathom (2.13 m).

It is worth recalling once again that a tithe of land was equal in terms of our units of measurement to 1.09 hectares.

Church and taxes

In recent years, the media have been talking about secular people who never go to church about the riches of the Church. They spread false information about unprecedented benefits from the state, the absence of taxes and deductions. That the Church is a business and nothing more. Is it really? Does the Church pay taxes?

Donations from parishioners are the main source of income for the Church.

Origin of the term in question

It is worth recalling once again that tithes in Ancient Rus' were the tribute that the Russians paid to the horde during the era of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The management system in those days was represented by such positions as foreman, centurion, thousander, prince. And in this form it existed for hundreds of years. As has already become clear, this system contains a cognate word - foreman. This is no coincidence.

This word means an elective position, that is, one candidate is selected from ten who are well known to each other, for example, peasants. This person was busy resolving various kinds of issues within a given community and represented its interests within the village, hundreds, etc. He was helped by the rest of the community members - the peasants.

This support was both physical in nature - working out additional time on the foreman's farm, and a kind of material - transferring part of one's harvest. Thus, 1 tithe was equal to 10% of either working time or harvest. This was the so-called contribution, which was made by each member of the community, except the foreman himself, into the common cause.