There was a tithing thread not long ago, I can't find it. There were pro's and con's.
The biggest argument against was that it is in the OT only.
One of the ministers I watch on occasion was discussing it today. He said:
It is in the NT....
Mathew 23:23.
It was a good thread so maybe those against tithing would like to reply to this added info?
Matthew 23:23 New International Version (NIV)
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
I have tried to pray and not just take one side or another about this.
One thing I consider is Jesus did mean the Pharisees should tithe, but that was while the Law was still established, before Jesus brought in the New Covenant with all so better. So, yes they should have, under the Law, but we are not under the Law.
But does this mean we are not required to tithe?
Deuteronomy 12:17-19 to me shows that the tither at times could eat of the tithe which was of grain and wine and animals. It was eaten where the LORD had Israel gather before Him.
Deuteronomy 24:28-29 to me means the tithe includes food of harvest which is stored so ones without land inheritance can have food > the Levites,
"the stranger", widows, and
"the fatherless". And they were welcome to have enough food so they ate and were
"satisfied", which I understand means they were not controlled to get less than what they needed
and would enjoy eating.
And the Malachi scripture says to bring the tithe to the
"storehouse". There is where the Levite and others could freely get plenty of food. So, to me this means how ones practicing tithing provide plenty of food for ministerial people, widows, fatherless, and strangers. But in my case, I have seen tithed money used otherwise, with churches announcing that the "tithes" are for building expenses, and where there has been no announcement that I have heard, about fatherless and widows and foreign visitors being freely welcome to enough food so they are satisfied. So, what if the church in a certain area does not practice tithing into storage for needy people whom God's word means to freely get enough food, including enough to be satisfied? I see how God can personally guide people to personally share with the needy they know, plus donate to organized food giving. I can do what I can, according to praying and trusting God to personally guide me in detail.
I now think of how certain scripture of Paul seems to me to say the church took care of widows who had no one to watch out for them > 1 Timothy 3:5-8. And so, now I can see that when that widow put in all her livelihood, Israel was obligated to fully support her; but . . . perhaps . . . she said goodbye to that and joined Jesus who had the purse which could support her while she specialized in prayer, like Paul says a true Christian widow does, in 1 Timothy 3:5-8. And there were followers who could have taken her in, I suppose.
In any case, my advice is that the Bible says it is God's basic New Covenant guarantee that He pleases to personally guide His children in His own peace, as it is written . . . as His commandment >
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)
So, my advice about tithing, then, is always submit exactly to how God personally guides you in His peace, and you will find out what He has you doing.
And, by the way, I now recall that the Jews donated items they got from Egypt, using them for making ministerial structures and items. They did not use tithes of their crops and livestock, but they used jewels and metals and animal skins and wood. Those were freewill offerings, not tithes from livestock and their harvests. So, yes I would say God wants us to help to support location expenses for having gatherings.
But the priority building to support is God's people who are His temple. So, my advice is we pray and simply obey how God personally guides us in sharing as His family. And do not threaten people with curses or call them thieves if they do not give money for building expenses; because, it appears to me, building expense tithing is not what Malachi and Jesus mean. And God's word says for us to bless those who curse us; so bless anyone who claims some curse on you, but do what He has us doing.
And Paul says how ones giving truly
"first gave themselves to the Lord," in 2 Corinthians 8:5. I see that this is connected with personally submitting to how our Father rules us in His peace > Colossians 3:15 > we give ourselves to Jesus so now we are constantly seeking to submit to how He personally rules each of us in His own peace >
"My peace I give to you," He says in John 14:27. We need to be given to, sacrificed to, how Jesus constantly rules us in His own peace - - - which He Himself experiences, since this is His peace
And such sharing with Christ brings the giving which He really means; so I advise this.