About Post Author

Nick Batzig is the senior pastor of Church Creek PCA in Charleston, SC and an associate editor for Ligonier Ministries. Prior to serving at Church Creek, Nick was a pastor at Wayside PCA on Signal Mountain, TN. Formerly, Nick served as the founding pastor of New Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Richmond Hill, GA and as the editor of Reformation21 and the Christward Collective--sites of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He frequently writes for Tabletalk Magazine, Reformation 21, He Reads Truth, and the Christward Collective. Nick was also the host of East of Eden, a podcast devoted to the Biblical and Systematic Theology of Jonathan Edwards. You can friend him on Facebook here and follow him on Twitter @nick_batzig

6 Responses

  3. Nicholas T. Batzig
    Reply

    Mark,

    I do differ on the small point that it is a tenth of the “net income” that I believe God requires His people to give. But, as Dr. Sproul points out, in the New Covenant we should want to give more than 10 percent. If anyone argues with the idea of not having a tithe in the New Covenant they have obviously never pastored a church. The tithe is for the upkeep of the house of God, which begins with caring for the shepherds of the flock. People that argue against the idea of the tithe in the New Covenant are generally those who do not even give 10 percent of their net income. It is easy to criticize something you see as too legal when you are not even doing the minimum of what you say God used to but no longer requires. It is a difficult issue on the other hand, as the ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic law are abrogated. If someone views the tithe as exclusively from the Mosaic era (rather than as a creational principle, as manifested in the life of the patriarchs) then you could certainly argue this. It is also a failure to recognize the differences in tithe and offering as taught in the Old and New Covenant. In 1 Cor. 16 Paul commands to NT church to “lay up as each of you have prospered.” In 2 Cor. 8 and 9 he encourages joyful and generous giving “not of commandment or of necessity.” The only way to explain these two portions of Scripture is that one is teaching the continuing principle of tithing and the other free will offerings. The one is commanded, the other is encouraged. Both are to come from hearts of gratitude to God, but to say there is no requirement is to miss the point.

  4. Tymon
    Reply

    “People that argue against the idea of the tithe in the New Covenant are generally those who do not even give 10 percent of their net income.”
    ____

    That is the real issue with anti-tithing arguments, and there is more than enough stats to show that many believers especially in America give far less than a tenth of their income – whether gross or net!
    ——-
    Although R. C. Sproul’s article makes good sense overall, I’m not so sure if the curse in Malachi 3 applies under the new covenant. There are promises in the OT which certainly apply in the NT (eg., compare Paul’s use of Exo. 20:12 in Eph. 6:2), but I wonder if there’s any serious exegesis on the Malachi 3 text that unravels this mystery beyond anti-tithing theologians merely asserting their own disaffection on it.

  5. Jeff Cambeis
    Reply

    I think this is bunk, and the statistics to back this up is bunk.
    First, anyone that gives, gives according to the grace that they received. It is no ones business on how much anyone gives. I doubt anyone answered the survey properly, because it is not their business. Building an argument on faulty statistics or surveys, shows the weakness of the argument.

    Second, the House of God is the believer, not a building. The tithe went to the priests, pastors are not priests, believers are. The purpose of the tithe was to care for the Levitical tribe , and the poor. Being that the Leviticus tribe was 1/12 of the population in other words there was a Levite for every 11 Israelis, the tithe was necessary.

    Because we are taxed at a much higher rate than 10%, which most of that goes to take care of the poor, and Churches are not taxed at all I would venture to say most believers and non believers subsidize the church at much more than 10%.

    All the promises of God are yea and amen, in Christ. Not in the tithe. If I give God 10% and he does not return to me according to this promise “Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Is God robbing me?
    No because God is speaking to a nation, not individuals. The Church did not replace Israel

    Because some one is going to want to make this personal, my family gives closer to 40% of income, not including taxes. Most of what I make is given away.

    1. Enyang
      Reply

      God less you Jeff o am of the same view as you and its.Christ has paid it all , He obeyed all that the law required i am under obligation and its not true that those who argue against tithing don’t give. go see to whom they pour out their resources, to the poor and needy and not only church

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