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THE SCRIPTURAL TITHES

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, December 2, 1884

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 61, No. 48

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THE SCRIPTURAL TITHES.

WHAT IS THE TITHE?

The following article from the Christian Statesman of Nov. 20, is offered, not only as presenting some excellent thoughts upon the subject of tithing, and as showing the attention this subject is receiving from other denominations, but also on account of the excellent things that are said about the law:—
“It is a plan for systematic beneficence such as our times necessitate, and the will of God requires. Some plan, to be ‘decently and in order’ practiced by all pastors and their people, is an unchallenged necessity, and were it met manfully, the result in good fruits would be simply amazing.
“More specifically, the tithe is the one-tenth of all increase from one’s capital and labor. A pastor cites this scripture: ‘Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first-fruits of all thine increase’ (Prov. 3: 9); viz., with capital righteously employed, and increase tithed. I honor the Lord with my substance when I employ all that I have for his honor and glory. And I do so with the first-fruits of all my increase by paying one-tenth of it into the Lord’s treasury. If a farmer owns a farm with all that is on it, and does not employ any help or borrow capital, then the products that are sold off the farm, together with his personal expenses, are increase from labor and capital, and are tithable. If labor is hired, or capital, the cost thereof is subtracted from gross receipts and the remainder is tithable.

“THE DIFFICULTIES TO BE OVERCOME.

“These will be indicated in stating objections which are commonly raised against this system.
“Objection 1st. ‘That the tithe system is an Old Testament ordinance, and is, therefore, abrogated.’ It was certainly observed in Old Testament times, and so was the Sabbath, and precisely thus do the Campbellites object to the Sabbath. But does the mere fact that any matter was observed in Old Testament days abrogate it in New Testament times? Surely no United Presbyterian will take such a stand in the face of the 2d question in the Shorter Catechism! This objection proves too much, and would sweep the whole decalogue from under our feet, and the authority for all ordinary acts of worship, save as definitely directed in the New Testament. It must be decided upon some other basis than upon this fact merely. We must distinguish a little here, or we will get into much trouble. Was the tithe ceremonial, and so fulfilled in and by Christ like the sin offerings? Or was it, per natura, a matter which belonged to those times and in no way suitable to the New Testament dispensation, like those great Jewish feasts? Or is there evidence in the New Testament that tithe offerings, like temple offerings, are abrogated? If these questions are successfully affirmed, it will be news; and if not, then is the objection not well taken.
“Similar to this is the objection ‘that it was a Levitical, and so not a Christian, order.’ It was, indeed, introduced into that code, and arrangements were made to suit their worldly engagements and ceremonial rites, which arrangements do certainly go with the necessity that brought them into existence. But the tithe itself (as the Sabbath itself, and many other things) continues for all that. It existed before the Levitical code (see Abraham’s vow to Melchizedec, and Jacob’s vow to tithe), and so it may be observed after that is done away. The mere assertion, though it be a fact that it was directed in the Levitical code, does neither prove nor disprove that it is the Christian’s duty to practice it. Let no one be distressed by it, then, or excuse himself from paying handsomely to fill the depleted treasury in the Lord’s house, because of it.
“Along this line is the objection ‘that the tithe was for the priests and not for the Lord.’ This objection is a matter of ‘how the tithe is to be expended,’ rather than ‘how secured.’ Still no stretch of imagination is needed in studying ‘the things written aforetime for our learning,’ to see that the priests were God’s representatives with the people; and that paying tithes to them was paying it to him; nor yet to apply the matter now, that to tithe, and pay a due portion of it to ministers who are ambassadors for Jesus, would still be paying it to God.
“Objection 2d. ‘That this tithing makes us give from constraint, which is against the word,’ ‘Not grudgingly or of necessity,’ ‘but as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give.’ It will not do to apply these passages in this way; for that is on the principle of doing away with all law and to work only by love. Never let it be forgotten that Bible love is lawful and law-loving and law-obeying love. It is possible to have and obey this tithe order from God and still to ‘be cheerful givers,’ ‘to purpose it in our hearts,’ ‘to give as prospered,’ and to be fully persuaded in our own minds that nothing less than one-tenth of our increase will suffice the end of the law of Christ unto obedience from love. Let it be noted that this objection is equally strong against all orders of the word restraining from sin and constraining to duty. All law is of this nature and is for sinners. If there were no sinners, if professors of religion did not tend to covetousness and worldliness, and were not actually robbing God of his dues, then might there be some reason in the objection; but so long as we are transgressors, so long is the constraint of law and its due penalty necessary. It is the very thing for us. Yet it is still true that so soon as we obey the law we feel its constraint no longer, but rejoice in it. It is a simple fact of experience that men who tithe give more cheerfully than they did before they began the practice of paying tithes, which fact alone wholly obliterates this objection. Let those who urge this point meditate on the truth that we rise to activity in working for God from the higher motives, by obedience, not by transgression of God’s law. Let us not set those Scriptures which describe the spirit of obedience against those which tell us what to do. There is harmony in all these things.”