THE EXEGETICAL AND THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF TITHE AND OFFERING IN MALACHI 3:6-12 FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE CHURCH IN A DECLINING ECONOMY
Keywords:
Malachi 3:6-12, tithe, offering, giving, financial stewardship, covenantAbstract
This paper examines the practice of tithing—defined as the donation of one‑tenth of one’s income or produce for religious purposes—as a significant tradition within Judeo‑Christian heritage. The study using historical-grammatical method of exegesis with principlism as a method for interpreting Old Testament law addresses a lacuna in existing scholarship, which has tended to concentrate on the debate regarding the relevance of Old Testament tithing regulations for contemporary Christians, rather than on the practice’s potential role in poverty alleviation and in improving the circumstances of the poor and needy amid economic decline. The research focuses on Malachi 3:6-12 to examine the socio-welfare relevance of tithe and offering among contemporary Christians for the survival of the church in Nigeria's poverty-stricken society. The study is made particularly relevant by negative comments from anti-tithing scholars and preachers who have blatantly condemned tithing among Christians. The research finding shows that for the original audience of Malachi's message, the ancient Israelites, tithing was not a separate practice but one directly tied to the agricultural produce of the Promised Land. Failing to give the required tithes resulted in God withholding rain, which in turn led to failed harvests. Thus, both the command to tithe and the punishment for neglecting it were firmly rooted in the covenant between Yahweh and His people.References
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