Is tithing required for Christians?

Inferred

No single verse settles it; the conclusion is assembled across texts and leans one way.

The specific ten-percent tithe is not directly commanded for followers of Jesus in the New Testament; the evidence leans toward generous, voluntary giving rather than a mandatory percentage, though the underlying principle of supporting those who serve God is affirmed.

No Tier 1 or Tier 2 text directly commands followers of Jesus to tithe a tenth; the OT tithe commands are Tier 1 but addressed to Israel under the Levitical system, and the NT giving texts (Tier 4) explicitly frame giving as voluntary and from the heart, not compulsory.

What scripture leaves unaddressed: The text does not directly settle whether the Tier 1 tithe commands, addressed to Israel under the Sinai covenant, automatically bind Gentile followers of Jesus who were never under that covenant, or whether they bind Jewish followers of Jesus after the change of priesthood described in Hebrews 7.

Key texts:

Leviticus 27:30Tier 1 · God

““‘All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Yahweh’s. It is holy to Yahweh.”

Leviticus 27:32Tier 1 · God

“All the tithe of the herds or the flocks, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to Yahweh.”

Numbers 18:21Tier 1 · God

““To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting.”

…and 20 more verses weighed in the full analysis.

This is a summary.

See SAM's complete analysis, every verse it weighs, ranked by who is speaking (God, Jesus, the apostles), with the full step-by-step reasoning and word-for-word verified citations. New accounts get two free questions.

See the full analysis in SAM →

Original-language words behind this answer:

eidōlóthyton (Greek G1494)thysiastḗrion (Greek G2379)porneía (Greek G4202)parérchomai (Greek G3928)bâchan (Hebrew H974)plḗn (Greek G4133)prássō (Greek G4238)epitíthēmi (Greek G2007)dikaióō (Greek G1344)ergázomai (Greek G2038)

SAM answers from primary-source texts only, weighing each verse by its authority tier. Every quotation is verified word-for-word. How the method works →

← Browse all answers