Stuart Murray is editor of Anabaptism Today and Chair of the Anabaptist network – and when he wrote Beyond Tithing he was the Oasis Director of Church Planting and Evangelism at Spurgeon’s College. All of these concerns are evident in this excellent book. The author approaches his topic with the care of an experienced exegete, the concern of a missional pastor and the anti-constantinianism of a professed Anabaptist

The book starts with an overview of the problems with tithing as well as some of the arguments for it. It then moves on to examine the New Testament and Old Testament teaching and the practice of the early church. Then, in a development that may move outside of the regular reader’s interests, Stuart Murray takes us further on the historical tour by examining the development of tithing under Christendom, dissenters to the enforced tithe and the demise and recent recovery of tithing.

This approach initially struck me as strange. I wanted to get into the nuts and bolts of whether or not tithing was biblical and required of Christians. Instead, I found myself indulging in the strange pleasure of learning about the place of tithing in the economy of medieval agrarian Europe![1] However, the truth is that doctrine, whether it’s tithing or the trinity, does not fall from heaven or jump directly from the pages of the Bible.

All orthodox (and unorthodox!) belief and behaviour emerges and develops within a particular context. To fully grasp the purpose and place of tithing, it’s necessary to recognise its Old Testament context as part of the wider Jewish economic and cultic system and its Constantinian context as part of a drive to fund the growing Holy Empire… Regarding the Old Testament’s teaching on tithing, Murray writes: It is unclear why anything taught about tithing in the Old Testament should be thought to apply to Christians today, who live under a new covenant and within a very different culture. It is even less clear why tithing, as one component of a complex and integrated socio-economic system, should alone be extracted from this context and applied to a different context.[2]

We are reminded that tithing was not unique to Israel and was practiced in other Near Eastern and Mediterranean societies[3]  and was adopted by Israel to form a part of its complex worship and societal organisation. However, it is not immediately clear how the tithe functioned in Israel. It is possible that the Israelites were required to tithe twice (20%) every year and an extra 10% every three years![4] I think that Murray is right to conclude that tithing ‘seems to have operated in different ways at different times, and it may have involved different percentages.’[5]

Nowhere are followers of Jesus encouraged to tithe, nor is the Old Testament practice even used as an example to encourage a similar practice in the church.’[6] Not only is tithing not explicitly carried over into the New Testament,[7] it is questionable whether it is appropriate or even possible for believers today to practice the biblical tithe. Thus, we find little evidence of tithing in the early church. This is not because followers of Christ were not encouraged or inclined to give, but because the tithe was not radical enough.

The radical nature of Christian giving is the reason that ‘most pre-Christendom churches showed little interest in the tithe.’[8] The New Testament emphasis is on voluntary, sacrificial giving according to ability. In response to the grace of God,[9] they held loosely to possessions and property and instead prioritised care of the needy.[10] This is reflected in the Didache, which states: Do not turn away the needy, but share everything with your brother, and do not say that it is your own.[11]

 Murray then demonstrates how the development of Tithing in the late fourth century was a natural consequence of the emergence of a state church, necessary to fund the expansion of Christendom.[12] He also notes the irony that many of the church movements that today emphasise tithing as a vital aspect of radical discipleship developed from groups that vigorously opposed the tithe as oppressive and unchristian.

My only complaint is that the book doesn’t spend more time looking at practical alternatives to tithing. Two of the alternatives which are proposed – and seen at work in the early church – are Jubilee and Koinonia. Murray suggests that the ‘if we are searching for the distinctive mark of the covenant people of God in the sphere of economics, jubilee [when debts were cancelled, slaves were freed and the land was redistributed and left fallow] appears a much stronger candidate than tithing.’[13] However, it might have been helpful to provide concrete examples of how a church might practically go from depending upon tithes to enjoying the grace, freedom and generosity of jubilee.

At the end of the day, I don’t know of a single work that adequately responds to the arguments laid out in this book. So, let’s leave tithing behind, and get on with giving!

[URL=http://ajrymvtc.com]tguqrwel[/URL] blncvylh http://florsadu.com prttwfpf zbjfebvy uycvhjea
--pglnlnwy ( ahsqrxpn at wvzfptlo dot com ) on 3/27/2007; 2:27:35 PM

I would encourage you to know how the Anabaptist's theology developed. A good book to start with would be “A Contemporary Anabaptist Theology". The author is Thomas N. Finger and the publisher is Intervarsity Press, 2004.
During the Reformation the Anabaptist agreed with the general principles as Luther and Zwingli stated them, however, they insisted to return completely to the faith and practices of the Apostles. The Anabaptist refused to pay tithes. The Anabaptists were called "the company of the committed" they desired a pure and true Christianity and founded a Church free from the State. They were the radicals of their day and eventually suffered persecution from the Lutherans, Zwinglians, Calvinists and the Catholics. What were the Apostles teaching regarding tithing that led to not paying tithes? Tithing didn't become a wide spread practice among Christians until the 8th century. Trace tithing from the Apostles to throughout history.
Most Christians do not know the Old Testament tithing consisted of 20š year and another 10žvery third year. Broken down it would come to about 23.3žvery year and if this is the case, how do they come up with 10YIt is all there for us as Christians who have the Holy Spirit to study. We need to be like the Berea Christians who "searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."
Today, a few Christians know about the Reformation and that we broke away from the Catholic Church. What they don't know was apart of Luther's intent at least in word was to restore the priesthood of all believers. However, it was never accomplished; and they traded the priest for the pastor, got rid of a few doctrines and rituals, and remained the same. Today's Christians sit in pews or chairs listening to sermons, instead of functioning as priests. We have developed our Evangelical theology from the time of the Reformation and read this view back into the New Testament. Many Evangelicals from all denominations primarily do church the same way they developed it in the Reformation period, and never recovered the Apostles way of doing church.

Study it out. Blessings,
In His Love
--Jeff ( radforjc1 at charter dot net ) on 12/18/2006; 8:49:53 PM

Thanks for your comment, Robin.

Clearly, we interpret the historical evidence differently. I find that the Dictionary of Evangelical Theology reads the notion of tithing into what is simply regular setting aside of one's money for the community.

'I submit that the early Christians gave 100¨f all they owned...'

So they didn't tithe?

I actually applaud your alternative suggestion (though, I suspect your tongue is partially placed in your cheek). At the very least, it would be nice to see Christians moving beyond the tithe and questioning how God's Lordship impacts all of their wealth (not just 10¨f their income), their property, their time and so on.
--graham ( graham at anabaptist dot co dot uk ) on 9/7/2005; 5:13:18 PM

I find your comment about tithing in the early church to be innacurate. I refer you to the Dictionary of Evangelical Theology, which on tithing comments that not only was it practiced in the early church but that practice continued for hundreds of years.

To be fair, the tithe was the minimum. For those who argue against the idea of Christians tithing, I submit that the early Christians gave 100¨f all they owned...which I offer as an alternative to anyone opposed to tithing.
--Robin ( rtoupin at shaw dot ca ) on 8/4/2005; 1:43:22 PM