There is one Bible verse that many churches twist—especially when it comes to finances. Churches often use this verse to claim that God commands you to give a certain amount of money to the church. Some even promise that God will bless you financially if you do this, while others warn that God will curse you if you don’t.
In a moment, I’m going to tell you what this verse is, how churches twist it, and what it actually means. But first, have you ever noticed how often churches talk about money? Many churches teach that God commands you to give 10% of your income—a tithe—to the church. We’re going to look at whether that is actually biblical.
But before we do, think about what many churches use that money for. Often, we see large buildings, bloated and unnecessary staff, and flashy, expensive equipment—things the early church never had.
The heart of Christian giving is to help those in need, both inside and outside the church. Unfortunately, many churches twist Scripture in ways that pressure even struggling people to give money to them.
I want to be clear: I believe in supporting the local church. If it’s a healthy, gospel-centered church that uses its finances wisely to serve others, then supporting that church is a good thing. But there are many churches today that distort Scripture to extract money from the congregation in unbiblical ways.
Now let’s look at the verse in question.
Malachi 3:10 — “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
Most churches teach that this verse commands Christians to tithe 10% of their income to the church, and that doing so guarantees financial blessing. Some even cite the previous verse to claim that God will curse those who don’t tithe:
Malachi 3:9 — “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.”
But here are five reasons why these verses do not apply to Christians as a requirement to give 10% today:
1. Malachi is speaking to Israel under the Mosaic Covenant.
Tithing was part of the Levitical system, designed to support the priests, Levites, and temple. Under the New Covenant, the Levitical priesthood has been fulfilled and replaced in Christ.
2. The tithe in Malachi was not money.
It was agricultural produce—grain, wine, oil, livestock—because Israel was an agrarian society. The tithe was food, not income or cash.
3. The storehouse was a literal storage room in the Jerusalem temple.
“Bring the tithe into the storehouse” refers to bringing literal food into the temple’s storage chambers, not money into a church offering plate. Applying this to modern church buildings is a category error.
4. The New Testament never commands Christians to tithe 10%.
Instead, it teaches generosity, cheerfulness, and proportional giving—not a fixed percentage. Giving is meant to be from the heart, not a legal requirement.
5. The curse in Malachi does not apply to Christians.
Malachi talks about a curse for breaking the Mosaic Law. But Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”
Believers are no longer under the blessing-and-curse covenant system of the Old Testament.
What can we conclude:
So if someone uses Malachi 3 to claim that God commands Christians to give 10% to their church, you can be confident that this is not what the passage teaches. Malachi is addressing Israel under the Law—not the church today.
The principle of generous giving still applies, and I believe in supporting churches that faithfully preach the gospel and steward their resources well. But we are not required to give 10% as many preachers claim.
