The Church of God and the Korean Church claim each other as heretical, but when it comes to tithing, they have a common opinion that tithing is a teaching of God. They cleverly use the words of Jesus and the actions of the apostles to argue for the legitimacy of tithing. Their arguments are summarized below.

1.Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.

[ Matthew 22:15~21] Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words....(17) Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

The Pharisees, who were trying to kill Jesus, asked him if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. They planned to charge him with treason if he told them not to pay taxes to Caesar.They set a snare for Jesus, but he showed them a coin and told them to give to Caesar what was Caesar's and to give to God what was God's. What is Caesar's is the tax to be paid to Caesar, and what is God's is the tithe to be given to God. The Church of Korea and the Church of God claim that this is Jesus' teaching on tithing, but this is not true. When Jesus said to tithe, he was speaking to a Pharisee, or Jew, not a Christian. Under Old Testament law, Jews were required to tithe. Tithing was not optional, but a mandatory tax paid to support the Levites who performed the sacrifices. But in the New Covenant, believers who have received the Holy Spirit are God's temple, and because they have become priests who care for the temple, they do not need to receive or pay tithes.

2. paid tithes of mint and fennel, but forsook justice, mercy, and faithfulness, which are more important than the law.

[Matthew 23:23] "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

The Church of Korea and the Church of God claim that the above is Jesus' teaching on tithing. However, their claim is not true. There are two distinct parts to the above: one is who Jesus said to tithe to, and the other is his emphasis on the importance of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The target audience for tithing was the Old Testament law-abiding Pharisees and scribes, and Jesus' point was not about tithing, but about the supreme justice, mercy, and faithfulness of the law. As we've seen, Old Testament law-abiding Jews are required by law to tithe, but New Covenant Christians are not required to tithe.

3. Funds to help the saints in Jerusalem

[2 Corinthians 9:1~7] There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. ...(4)For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to say anything about you--would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

The Church of Korea and the Church of God claim that the above is about tithing and offering as practiced by the members of the early church, but this is not true. The above was a special collection to help the saints in Judea, or Jerusalem, who were being persecuted by the Jews. Since tithing was an Old Testament institution, there is nothing in the New Testament about tithing and offerings. As a result, the money-blind use parts of the New Testament to argue for the legitimacy of tithing, but their arguments are all wrong.