What Does the Bible Say About Christian Tithing? Should a Christian Tithe?
1) Direct answer
Yes. A Christian should tithe. The Bible shows that a tenth belongs to the Lord, and God uses it to support His ministry. It is not a bondage of the Law but an act of faith, honor, and obedience.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Before the Law: Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18–20). Jacob vowed a tenth to God (Genesis 28:22). So tithing isn’t just a Mosaic rule; it’s a faith response to God’s blessing.
- Under the prophets: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse” with a promise of open windows of heaven and the rebuke of the devourer (Malachi 3:8–10).
- Jesus affirmed it: “These ought ye to have done” (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). He rebuked hypocrisy, not tithing. He said don’t leave it undone while also keeping the weightier matters.
- In the New Testament order: The Scripture teaches that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:13–14). Those taught in the Word should share with the one who teaches (Galatians 6:6). Elders who labor in the Word are worthy of double honor—“the laborer is worthy of his hire” (1 Timothy 5:17–18). Hebrews 7 brings tithing right into the New Covenant by pointing to Melchizedek, a type of Christ’s priesthood.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- What is the tithe? A tenth of your increase. It belongs to the Lord. We don’t give it as charity; we return it as God’s portion.
- Where does it go? To the storehouse—the place that feeds your soul—the ministry that labors in the Word over you. God’s pattern is that the ministry is sustained by the tithe.
- What about offerings? Offerings are freewill and cheerful (2 Corinthians 9:6–8). Tithes and offerings are not the same. Tithe is God’s set portion; offerings are love-gifts above that for needs, missions, the poor, and other burdens God lays on your heart.
- Is this legalism? No. Tithing was before the Law, honored under the Law, confirmed by Jesus, and harmonizes with New Testament support for the ministry. We don’t tithe to be saved; we tithe because we’re saved and we honor God first. “Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase” (Proverbs 3:9).
- A simple challenge: Some say tithing ended at the cross. But Abraham tithed before Sinai, Jesus said “these ought ye to have done,” Hebrews points back to Melchizedek, and the New Testament commands support for those who preach. If the Word says the ministry must live by the gospel, by what consistent rule is that sustained if not by God’s own portion?
Short reinforcing statement
Put God first. Return His tenth to the storehouse where you are fed, give offerings as He leads, and expect God to keep His Word—open windows, rebuked devourers, and sufficiency for every good work.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Questions and Answers (God being misunderstood)
61-0723E §49
QUESTION: "Brother Branham, don't you feel that everyone who claims to be a Christian should pay tithes, pay their tithes into the storehouse of the Lord? Please give scripture to this question." All right, if you will... That is right, that the Bible said in Malachi, the fourth chapter, "Will a man rob God? And you say, 'Where have we robbed Thee?' In tithe and offerings. Bring all of your tithes and offerings into my storehouse, and prove me," saith the Lord, "if I will not open up the windows of heaven, and pour...
Questions and Answers (God being misunderstood)
61-0723E §19
QUESTION: "Can a Christian go to heaven if he or she does not pay tithe?" Now that's one that I could not answer scripturally. Now, this "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," if the minister is sincere, just let us know, you see, we'd be glad... Brother Neville and myself, or Brother Beeler, or Brother Collins, or any of these ministers here who are ordained to this ministry, and so forth, can do so. Now, but now, does a Christian not get to heaven because they do not pay tithe? I could not say "yes" or "no" to that. But...
Questions and Answers, Part 2
64-0823E §91
QUESTION: Should a person pay tithes to an individual, or should a Christian work? Sure he should. He's the one man that will work, is a Christian. "Pay tithes to an individual?" It depends on who the individual is, see. That's right. In Hebrews 7, the first time tithings was talked about in a stand that we... Wait a minute, I believe, number two question. No! Uh, uh. No! For Brother ... Said, "Two questions for Brother Branham." When... In Hebrews the 7th chapter, when Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the...
Hebrews, Chapter 7, part 1
57-0915E §64
Listen: And without any contradiction the less is blessed of the better. [Certainly! Watch who He is!] And here men that die receive tithes; [That's the priesthood of the order of priests and preachers and so forth; men that receive tithe, die. See?] but here he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. What would a man take tithings for, if he had any... If he never was born, and never will die, and was from beginning to end, and never had no father or mother or descent, and owned the whole heavens a...
Questions and Answers
61-1015M §85
QUESTION: "Would it be wrong to use tithes on church building funds?" Well, now, here's a touchy little thing for the church now. No, correctly, tithes is to go to the minister. That's right! In the Bible they had a box they'd set at the door in the Old Testament when the ... building. This box was a fund where the people put in there for the repairing... You've read it many times in the Old Testament. They kept up the buildings and things like that... All the repairs on the building was taken care out of that fund...