“You are robbing God if you don’t tithe” (Malachi 3:8-10).
“Abraham gave a tenth before the law, so it must still apply.”
“Jesus endorsed tithing in Matthew 23 and Luke 11.”
“The storehouse is your local church - bring the full ten percent there first.”
“Give ten percent and God will rebuke the devourer and pour out blessings.”

These points are repeated in many pulpits because they feel practical and motivational. But each one rests on taking God’s word out of its original context.

Why These Claims Do Not Stand Today

The tithe was never a universal command for all people at all times. God’s word shows it was part of the Mosaic law given specifically to Israel to support the Levites, the feasts, and the poor in the land.
When Christ died and rose, He fulfilled every requirement of that law. The temple system ended. The church - His body made up of believers - replaced the old tabernacle and temple.

Look at Malachi 3:9-10. The “storehouse” was a literal grain room in the temple in Jerusalem, not a church building four hundred years later. The curse and blessing language was spoken to the nation of Israel under the old covenant. Applying it directly to New Testament believers ignores the context and the finished work of the cross.

Abraham gave a tenth once, after a battle, to Melchizedek the priest. It was voluntary and one time, not a recurring ten percent of income given to a church. Jacob’s vow in Genesis 28 was also a personal promise, not a law for everyone else. God’s word never says, “Because Abraham did it, you must keep doing it.”

When Jesus spoke of tithing (Matthew 23:23), He was addressing Pharisees who were still living under the old law. He told them they should have done both justice and the tithe, because the law was still in force until the cross. After the cross, the early church never imposed a percentage on believers. The Jerusalem council in Acts 15 decided what laws Gentiles must keep, and tithing was not among them.

The New Testament simply does not command or even recommend a fixed ten percent. Instead, it points us to a different way of giving.

Giving That Reflects the Heart

God’s word shifts the focus from a percentage to the heart. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

That single verse removes any sense of law or pressure. Giving is personal, Spirit-led, and joyful. Paul praised the Macedonian believers because they gave “beyond their power” after first giving themselves to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Their hearts overflowed, so their gifts followed.
Jesus Himself pointed to a poor widow who dropped two small coins into the treasury. She gave everything she had—far more than the rich who gave out of their abundance (Luke 21:1-4). Her gift reflected total trust and love for God.
Nowhere does God’s word say the local church building is the only place these gifts must go. Believers are free to support the preaching of the gospel, help those in need, send missionaries, or meet practical burdens wherever the Spirit directs. The early church shared freely with one another and with distant saints (Acts 2:44-45; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Philippians 4:15-19). The emphasis was always meeting real needs with generous, willing hearts, not filling a quota.
Even our own lives are to be an offering. Paul urged believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Money follows a heart that already belongs to Christ.

In short: The ten-percent tithe belonged to the old covenant and passed away with it. What God asks of us now is far richer—cheerful, generous, heart-driven giving that shows where our treasure truly is. There is no fixed rule, no curse for falling short, and no single “storehouse” that must receive every gift. Instead, we give as those who have been given everything in Christ, and we do it with joy.

Walking It Out Pray, look at your own heart, and ask the Lord what He wants you to release. Sometimes that will be more than ten percent. Sometimes it may be less, depending on season and need. The amount matters far less than the attitude. When giving flows from gratitude rather than guilt, it becomes worship, and God delights in that.