First Fruit Giving is not required today

Biblical context of First Fruits

A growing number of Christian pastors in recent decades have been implementing first fruit giving from their congregants. Compelling Truth reveals that in the Old Testament, the first fruits offering was required by our Creator of the children of Israel. Here are scripture references.

Exodus 23:19a-: "The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God."

Leviticus 23:10-"'Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest."

Proverbs 3:9-10-Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."

Deuteronomy 26 explains in detail that the purpose of the first fruits was to acknowledge how our Heavenly Father led the Israelites into Egypt, multiplied them, delivered them from bondage, and gave them the land of Canaan as their inheritance.

A regulation for the Israelites

The children of Israel were required to give a first fruits offering as thanks for God giving them cities they did not build, houses full of things that they did not fill, and wells full of water that they did not dig. The Israelites also ended up with vineyards and olive trees that they did not plant.

They inherited all of this from the Canaanites, whom the Lord had them remove from the land. The first offering was brought to the temple, where it was displayed before the Creator and then given to the priests. This was how the priests received their sustenance. (Numbers 18:11-12 and Proverbs 3:9-10).

Many theologians believe that this was a specific promise to the chosen people only. This offering was a thank you to the Lord for bringing them out of Egypt so the priests would be taken care of as they did the work of the Lord.

Please note that the first fruits were not money but bread, and other food items. which included barley, figs, wheat, olive oil, grapes, pomegranate, honey and date, wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates.

First Fruits in the New Testament

In Romans 12:13-16 Paul speaks of the first fruits metaphorically related to the first Jewish Christians. In Romans 8:23, the Apostle says ''Not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit…"

Paul is using this as a metaphor for the first appearance of the Holy Spirit, the "helper" whom Jesus promised. The very first followers of Christ were also the first to experience the blessing of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and received the "first fruits" of the work of His Spirit in the lives of believers.

In I Corinthians 15:20-24, Christ is referred to as the "first fruits" of all who will be raised from the dead. Jesus is the firstborn, the only begotten Son of the Father. Resurrection is the first promise that all who accept Him will also be raised from the dead. He is a guarantee of our salvation and future blessings in eternity.

In James 1:18 and 2 Thessalonians 2:13, New Testament believers are referred to as "first fruits." because they were the first to follow the risen Christ. The Christians in the early church were the "first fruits" and the promise that creation itself will be restored.

Revelation 14:4 tells of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses as first fruits who will spread the Gospel during the Tribulation. The term "first fruits" in the New Testament is not about giving money to the church.

Abusing First fruits

Today, first fruits is used by some spiritual leaders to encourage their church congregants to give above and beyond tithes and offerings. In the Old Testament, the Levitical priests did not have a source of income, and the firstfruits offering was food, not money. Consider the following.

1. Modern-day American preachers are not descendants of the Levites,

2. There is no New Testament scripture that says to change the first fruits into money.

3. If a pastor receives a love offering or salary, his church is already taking care of him or her financially. If that pastor has a secular job, he already has a source of income, and first fruits are not necessary. Old Testament promises are being guaranteed to New Covenant believers.

How First Fruit Giving Works

One church I attended asked people to give the entirety of a paycheck where they received a raise as the First Fruit offering. If the increase was $100, that's what you gave as the first fruit. Anytime you received additional income, you were supposed to give it to the pastor who represented the Levitical priests.

There is only one scripture written to New Covenant believers after the Resurrection. Second Corinthians 9:7 says each of us should give what they have purposed in their own hearts, not out of compulsion.

If a church decides to follow the first fruit principle as a way to pay the pastor or pay the bills, there is nothing wrong with using that model. The problem comes in when modern-day American preachers call themselves the priests of the church and ask for the money to be given to them when they have another source of income.s

There are no modern-day American priests

Biblical priests were from the tribe of Levi, and any descendants today would be Jewish. Furthermore, scripture says New Covenant church leaders are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Teachers, Bishops, and Pastors. The Compelling Truth article said that there is nowhere in scripture that indicates the doctrine of transference, where the role of Levitical priests is transferred to Twenty-First Century Pastors not in the bloodline. This makes First Fruit giving an option, not mandatory.