4. In the Gospels, Jesus commended the Pharisees for tithing on their income. T /
The Gospel references were to people under the Old Covenant, still under Law. So did they tithe? Yes! But what did they tithe on?
Not on their income – on their garden plants! There is not one example throughout the Bible of people tithing money! Take another look at this well-known verse:
42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. (Luke 11:42; see also Matt 23:23)
And you couldn’t really say that Jesus commended the Pharisees for tithing, either. He was actually chiding them for their hypocrisy! They would scrupulously tithe of the tiniest of their garden plants (the only part of their possessions/income they probably had to tithe on), but ignored the much more important matters of justice, mercy and the love of God.
These heart issues are much more important to God than the exact amount of our giving.