6 Reasons "Tithe is not Money, Tithing only for farmers and crops!" is Indefensible

Opponents of tithing often make the claim that "tithe was never money" or that "tithe was only from crops and agricultural items." A survey literature on tithing over the past several hundred years shows that this objection is somewhat recent, emerging mainly in the 1980s or 1990s. 

The core issue is one of definition. People who raise this objection are trying to create a super strict, ultra rigid definition that the practice of tithing never allowed for money. There are at least six reasons why this does not hold up:

#1 Abraham's Tithe on Spoils of War
Abraham returned tithe on spoils of war which would have included large quantities of gold or silver (Genesis 14).  This account poses a significant problem for those who oppose tithing, as Abraham paid tithe hundreds of years before the Mosaic Law. For more details about the spoils aspect, see this article. 

#2 Jacob's Broad Definition of Tithe
Another problem for this objection is that Jacob defined tithing as all that God would give him. Notice the language in Genesis 28:22, "and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” Jacob did not define tithing as only spoils of war or just animals or crops but all that God would give him over an indefinite period of time. Furthermore, it’s important to note that Jacob defined the tithe as being given to God Himself, using emphatic language that includes the preposition and second-person singular suffix--"I will surely give a tenth to You," or literally, in the Hebrew "tithing I will tithe to You." Jacob's language is very clear: the tithe was personally directed to Jehovah Himself.  

#3 Redemption with Money in Leviticus 27
Mosaic law in Leviticus 27 explicitly permitted the redemption of items by adding one-fifth by the value of money. For example, in verses 14-15 concerning houses, you can redeem them for one-fifth of the money (Hebrew כסף, Strong's 3701 ) This word translated money is the exact same Hebrew word for silver because the word for money is synonymous with silver. Sometimes it’s translated as silver and other times money but it’s the same word and it is used seven times in just this one chapter. Again, in Leviticus 27:19 if you want to redeem fields again “add one-fifth of the money of your valuation.” Leviticus 27 repeatedly talks about redemption, repeatedly states the redemption fee is one-fifth, and repeatedly makes explicit reference to money.

This is important because Leviticus 27:30 says that tithe can also be redeemed by adding one-fifth. For example, if a grape farmer had 100 bushels of grapes he would owe 10 bushels as tithe but if he wants to keep the grapes and pay with money instead he can do that if he adds one-fifth of the value. Tithe could be returned in the form of money. 

#4 The Levites Themselves Paid Tithe With Money
Numbers 18:26-28 states even after the Levites received tithe they were required to pay a tithe on what they received. Since they received tithe in the form of money (as shown in point 3) they would have paid tithe on this money. In Numbers chapter 18:21 the Lord says He has given the tithes from the children of Israel to the Levites as their inheritance. The Hebrew word for inheritance (נחלת Strong's 5159), means possession and property. Verse 26 “When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, a tenth of the tithe.” Again verse 28 “Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the Lord from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the Lord’s heave offering from it to Aaron the priest.” So not only did the Israelites pay tithe but the Levites themselves paid tithe on all that they received to the high priest. Since they received money they would have paid tithe in the form of money. 

#5 Hebrews 7:9 Proves that Tithe can be Money
One of the strongest passages to refute this objection is Hebrews 7:9 which says even the Levites, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham. Opponents of tithing like to repeatedly claim that tithe under Mosaic law was limited only to agricultural items and never money but here the word of God states that, symbolically, even the Levites paid tithe through Abraham. This proves that tithe cannot be limited only to agricultural items because, if it did, then this argument (of Hebrews 7:9) would collapse.  People who oppose tithing try so hard to try to create a difference between Abraham’s tithe and the Levitical tithe as though they are apples and oranges but if that’s true then the Holy Spirit's argument would collapse because how could it be said that the Levites paid apples through Abraham’s oranges? That would be absurd. This is a huge problem that the anti-tithers have never been able to answer. Hebrews 7:9 also proves that the holy nature of the tithe did not change with the changing of the priesthood. If it was holy to the Lord then how can it be said that something holy could be given to the priesthood of Melchizedek unless it was also holy to the Lord in Abraham’s time? 

#6 Tithing Commanded for the Support of the Gospel
The apostle Paul, writing to the New Testament Christians, cited the model of tithes and offerings as a command for Christians. 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 states, “Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.” Paul, speaking of the right of ministers to be supported specifically appeals to the Old Testament model of tithes and offerings and says "even so" or in some versions "in the same way," in the same manner the gospel is to be supported in the New Testament and furthermore that this is commanded by the Lord. Throughout the New Testament, the biblical authors make it a point to speak against sacrifices and circumcision but never tithing. Christians were instructed that sacrifices and circumcision were done away with but not so with minimum standard for giving, Paul appeals to the tithing model which presented 10% as a minimum and said "in the same way" it should be used to support preaching the gospel. This presents a problem for the opponents of tithing because the gospel is for all people, everywhere in the world, not just for farmers. If you are a student or businessman who lives in a metropolis like downtown Shanghai, China, the gospel is for you. The gospel is not just for farmers, it is for everyone. Wherever the gospel is preached people are to return one tenth to support the gospel work. (note: the most thorough exploration of 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 was published in Dr. Barndollar's 1959 ThD dissertation here) 

Finally, even if you completely removed the word tithe, the Bible says that Christians are compelled by love (2 Cor 5:14) and should excel in the grace of giving (2 Cor 8:7), which includes money, and that they are commanded to support the work of spreading the gospel (1 Cor 9:13-14). If as followers of Jesus we have to not only give but excel in the grace of giving and if we are motivated to do so by the very love of God then how is it possible for the love of Christ to lead us to give less than the minimum of our spiritual ancestors? The Old Testament Jews gave a minimum 10 % to support the work of pointing forward to the Messiah so if we are compelled by the love of Christ why would the Holy Spirit lead us to give less to the exact same work of pointing people to the Messiah?

For example, in 1953 Costen Harrel asked  “Can anyone suppose that love that went to the Cross demands from us a smaller gift than the people who knew not Christ brought to the altars of ancient Israel?” "Can a follower of Christ justify himself in giving less than a tithe for a cause infinitely greater than Moses ever dreamed of?”

In 1935 John Alber asked  “Is it right for a Christian to be more selfish than a Jew? Should a Christian do less under the law of love than the Jew under a loveless law? Does cold duty call forth greater sacrifice under the law, than gratitude under the gospel? Is Sinai stronger than Calvary?”

Speaking of the well-known archaeological fact that even many ancient pagan nations returned a tenth to their gods, in 1912 Robert Speer wrote “Unless the motives of the Gospel are able to lead men to give more generously than the Old Testament Jews and pagans gave, the motives of the Gospel must be inferior to those of Judaism and paganism.”

And way back in 1856 William Arthur wrote “Suppose that a Christian may spend on self-interests more than nine-tenths of his income; then it follows that it is lawful for a Christian to be more selfish than was lawful for a Jew. This conclusion may not be agreeable; but it is clear.”

If the Jew gave a minimum of 10% when compelled by the law, but we compelled by love, are free to give less, then by definition, the death of Jesus on the cross has lowered the standard of giving. If the law produces better givers than love then the law is a better motivator than love. Michael Speer correctly observed "Jesus didn't die on the cross so that man could do less instead of more."

There are additional arguments that have been used to establish that tithe was not limited to money but the above six, in my observation, provide the greatest difficulty for anti-tithers. 

References:
Alber, John G. The Golden Wedge. 2nd ed. 1935, 15.

Arthur, William. Addresses Delivered in New-York. 1856, 51.

Harrell, Costen Jordan. Stewardship and the Tithe. 1953, 47, 57.

Speer, Michael. A Complete Guide to the Christian's Budget. 1975, 84.

Speer, Robert E. Christian Tithing: A Privilege. 1912, 3.