Is Tithing To Be Discarded As Part of "The Law"?
Another question about tithing might be: Isn’t teaching tithing teaching the “law” and doesn’t the Bible say (like in Galatians) that as Christians we are free from the law?
Yes, it is absolutely true that Christians are saved by grace, not works. And tithing should not be presented in a “law” oriented way. But I’m pretty sure Paul’s concern in Galatians was that Christians were looking to items in the law as a matter of salvation, which was wrong. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to teach people to follow the law. It’s important that Christians value the law, but are not enslaved to the law. As Christians we are free from the curse of the law, and yet also learn from the moral principles of the law. For instance, keeping the Ten Commandments no longer saves a person, but keeping them is still the wisest, most moral way to live.
In the same way, tithing is not to be an absolute requirement (and certainly not a matter of salvation!!) and non-tithing should not be equated with sin (in fact, people can tithe and thereby sin, if their tithe is not done in faith (Romans 14:23). But thoughtful Christians should ask the question: What is the moral principle behind the OT tithing requirement?” God’s commands, whether in the OT or the NT, were not arbitrary. They were both opportunities for obedience and lessons in moral/personal development. We continue to apply social or moral principals of the Law not as matters of salvation but as matters of wisdom.
What is the wisdom principle behind OT tithing? That we tend to trust in ourselves rather than the Lord, so the tithes and first fruits offering are a method of putting God first and living our financial lives by faith, not by sight. Again, Christians should not tithe out of duty or pride (the OT says God hates such sacrifices) but they still should live by faith in their financial lives. And the best way to do this? To tithe (or more than tithe).
God’s laws were meant to not just produce obedience but also to train in righteousness. This is why Paul said that that law is our “tutor” or “instructor.”
The purpose of the law, therefore, was both to point out the impossibility of following the law perfectly (see Galatians), but also the advisability of following the moral principles of the law (see James, especially James 1:25.)