Chances are if you are on this site, you go to church. I cannot speak for everyone however, every service at church they collect tithe and offering. What is tithe? What has been preached at my church is that tithe is God asking you to trust Him with your finances, by giving Him 10 percent. Is this accurate? Are we required to do this? Let us find out.
Cooper Daniel Barham
I think ‘Required’ is a weighted term. Do I believe Christians should tithe? Yes I do. But if you’re tithing because it’s required of you, or because it’s your duty as a follower of Christ, then you’ve missed the point of the action. God gave us the command to tithe not only so we could support his Kingdom or to understand that all things come from Him, but so we can free ourselves from the idea that we need our money. Tithing helps you, individually, to shrug off the worldly misconception that you must keep all the money you work for, as if it were a safety net. While Jesus talked many times about being wise with your finances and how you keep or distribute your earnings, He never said anything about relying on that money for protection above Him. Tithing is a sign of trust. Considering this, I don’t think all tithes must go exclusively to a church, either. I’ll do that sometimes, or give money to somebody who needs it, but most of my tithe money goes out in the form of my Compassion International commitment, supporting children overseas. I don’t think it really matters, as long as I remember where my blessings come from, and share those blessing with others as the Lord has asked and provided.
Josh Mors
I believe tithing is required because if you look in the Bible, tithing was a concept in the Old Testament. The Israelites had to tithe because it was the requirement from the Law. They have to give 10 percent of the crops they grew and the livestock they raised to the tabernacle/temple (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:16; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5). The Old Testament Law actually required multiple tithes for the Israelites. One for the Levites, one for the use of temple and feasts, and one for the poor of the land. Which if you added up the total it would be around 23.3 percent. Some people understand that the Old Testament tithing system was a method of taxation to provide for the needs of the priests and Levites in the system they were in.
What about the New Testament? It doesn’t really say anything about Christians submitting to a legalistic tithing system. A lot of Christian churches do adopt the 10 percent from the Old Testament as the “required minimum” for Christians to give when they tithe. The New Testament does talk about how it important and good it is to give. We are to give as we are able to. It sometimes means we can give more than 10 percent or less. It all depends on the Christian and the needs of his/her church. That is my opinion on this subject. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Steve Schoen
Is tithing required? In a word: No.
Now, before you break out your bible and your pitchfork & torch, relax a bit and let me give you another spoonful. Put simply, we have free will. We are free to either worship God or to not worship God, and we bear the consequences of that choice. So, why should the concept of tithing be considered any differently? For it is written:
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7
In other words, you must tithe will a right heart, and in a worthy manner, and not:
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Out of a sense of obligation.
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With the notion that you’re buying your way into heaven.
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Because you want to keep up with the Joneses at your church.
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In a mindset that you could have used the money for something else.
We can compare the above passage to 1 Corinthians 11:27, which states:
“So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”
We can wrap it all up tightly with another statement from 1 Corinthians 10:31, where Paul writes: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
So, we see that in all that we do as Christians–not the least of which being tithing and taking communion–must be done in a worthy manner, for doing anything, no matter how goodly it seems, is not glorifying to God if done in an unworthy manner. Now, is giving in an unworthy manner as grievous a sin as taking the bread & cup in an unworthy manner? That I cannot say for certain, but I would lean toward no. However, I would say that it is at the very least unrighteous.
So, in closing, if you say that tithing is a requirement, then you are, in essence, saying that Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 9:7 is unsound scripture. If you consider Paul’s writings in the New Testament to be the living, infallible word of God, then you cannot believe this to be the case, at least not without putting every last page of the Holy Bible under the same scrutiny.
David Austin Black
Malachi 3:8-12 says “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse for you are robbing me, the whole nation because of you. 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. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”
These verses pretty much sum up my thoughts on tithing. I believe that not tithing is indeed stealing from God, and that you are passing over a blessing that God has promised those that do tithe. It was initially quite an exercise of faith to believe that 90% with God’s blessing will do more for me than 100% without, but I have “put [Him] to the test” and never come away wanting.
A small anecdote: when I was younger, I had three (minor) at-fault car wrecks within the span of about a year. Car insurance companies tend to not like that kind of stuff, and I would have been blacklisted (meaning dropped by the company I was with and forced to go with an insurance company that specializes in high-risk clients), so I left the insurance company I was currently with and began searching for another. The quotes I was getting were insane. $3000 for six months was on the low end of the estimates I received. I prayed and prayed, because I really needed God to come through for me on this. Finally, I found a guy in my church’s business directory that worked as an insurance agent (for a credible company, the name of which you would all know if I wrote it here). I called him, and he got back to me with a quote lower than what I was paying before the wrecks and with a higher amount of coverage. They knew about all the wrecks (I made certain of that), but somehow were able to give me an insanely low premium. I am absolutely certain that was God’s way of pouring “down for [me] a blessing until there is no more need.”
Casey Covel
Let’s turn to the Bible for some answers, shall we?
Leviticus 27:30 – And all the tithe of the land, [whether] of the seed of the land, [or] of the fruit of the tree, [is] the LORD’S: [it is] holy unto the LORD.
In verse 32 of the same chapter, it says, “…the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.”
Based on these verses alone, we see that God asks us to give him ten percent of what we earn—because it is “holy unto the Lord.” In fact, the Bible goes so far as to say that when we don’t tithe, we are robbing God. Check out Malachi 3:8-10:
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].
These verses not only say that we “rob God” when we don’t give him our tithe, it also says that God promises to bless us if we give what is rightfully His. Remember that all we possess is a gift from God. He asks very little of what He gives us (when rightfully, He should have all of it).
That being said, there are also verses in the Bible that discuss improper tithing.
Matthew 23:23 – Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
In this verse, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees because they use tithing as a means to improve their self-image and religious standing with God and those around them. The Pharisees were giving tithes, but only as a religious gesture. In fact, Jesus says that they were omitting the most important things: judgment, mercy, and faith.
There’s another really solid verse in 2 Corinthians 9:17 that goes like this: Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
This verse makes it sound as though it’s better to not give at all if you plan to give grudgingly or because it’s the “religious” thing to do. I think, even more important than giving, is giving with the right attitude.
Thomas Martin
I see tithing as important for two different reasons.
First, it is financial discipline as well as financial thanks. By routinely giving up a set amount (typically 10%) per paycheck, you learn to make better use of the money that you have left. It is also a thanks to God for providing you with a means to make the money.
Second, it provides for those who work for the church. A pastor who is financially supported by the congregation can commit themselves full-time to ministry. Tithing supports missionaries who travel to nations far away.
Fun fact: The very first time I tithed, I received a substantial raise at work later that day. I have been tithing ever since.
Luke 11:42 This is what Jesus says about tithing “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”
I think a lot of good points have been made here. I’ve always been taught to look at tithing from a slightly different perspective. Yes, tithing is commanded by the law for various reasons but we see in Matt 23:23 that it isn’t meant to be done legalistically. The story of the poor widow is interesting, (Luke 21) Jesus said she gave all that she had to live on so you have to wonder what made her do that? What is she going to live on now? Jesus always commended people for their great faith and I think it’s no different in this case. The widow depended on God to provide for her and I think that’s why she was able to do what she did.
Also, what does it really mean to be a Christian and follow Jesus? Jesus said in Luke 14 that the cost of discipleship is everything you have, including your life. Do we really even own anything that we think we own anyway? Isn’t even our life a gift from God? Maybe the question isn’t should we be tithe or how much we should tithe? Maybe we should be asking ourselves what do I have that’s actually mine and how much of the stuff that I’ve been given should I keep.
Ge 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was The priest of the most high God.
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all
Tithing predates the Law (actually, it was first practiced by Cain and Abel), and is of faith / obediance, it is a heavenly precept, established by the angelic high priest of Heaven, Melchizedek, whose office was given to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Heb 7:14 For it is clear that our Lord is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.
15 And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,
16 who has become a priest not by a legal regulation about physical descent but by the power of an indestructible life.
17 For here is the testimony about him: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
18 On the one hand a former command is set aside because it is weak and useless,
19 for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God
In fact, read the start of Heb 7 also,
1 Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him.
2 To him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything. His name first means king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace.
3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time.
4 But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder.
5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descendants of Abraham.
6 But Melchizedek who does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise.
7 Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior,
8 and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive.
9 And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham.
10 For he was still in his ancestor Abraham’s loins when Melchizedek met him
It can be said, Jesus has done it all, we don’t have to give a tithe because we are under grace not Law, but we still do it, as it points towards what Jesus has done. God doesn’t need our money, the creation cannot give the Creator anything He does not already have, but tithing in fact blesses us. God commands it because it keeps the devourer away, and helps us prioritise our finances and hence our hearts. Your treasure is where your heart is!
“Tithe” literally means “a tenth” in both the Hebrew and Greek. If it’s required, which I believe we’ve established, I don’t know why we’d think that we should give a different amount.
As far as a different substance other than money, that gets a little weird, but I could understand that. In most cases if you were maybe a farmer and wanted to give tithe I’d say that it wouldn’t be a good idea for you to drop off truckloads of corn at the church as your support for the ministry. Most times monetary contributions are the way to help out the church because that’s easily used for multiple purposes. There may be circumstances where tithing with things other than money may be applicable, but those would be few.
Let’s go back to Casey’s quote of Mt 23:23, especially the part, “these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Quite simply, this is our Lord saying all commandments – to be lawful, compassionate and faithful, and also to tithe – are equally important. The Pharisees were neglecting the former, while practicing only the latter. Jesus’ words in no way negate tithing, but that we should obey all His commands. Simply put, is tithing required? Well, is obedience required? If you love me, you will obey me (Jn 14:15)!
I don’t think an exact tithe is necessary. It’s a good benchmark and easy to calculate, but as some pointed out, all the money in the world given with the wrong attitude would displeasing to God. And making huge contributions only to boast about it to your friends makes you a jerk.
I’ll admit I’m not very disciplined with financial giving, and I want to work on that. But while I don’t always give money, I am generous with my time. Whatever the Church needs, I’m available. I work hard to be a good role model for the kids and I cherish my relationships with my elders. My church is my home and I know I will always have a place there.
My church doesn’t push tithing- it pushes generosity. The plates aren’t passed across the aisles- they’re left in in the back of the sanctuary so all may give as they are moved. We also have a paypal system. Every year during our stewardship campaign, we are encouraged to increase our percentage of giving, but we’re never made to feel ashamed or unwelcome if we don’t.
Tithe was a part of the OT sacrificial system. It was done for two reasons. 1 because priests which made the sacrifices all day long couldn’t own land, had no inheritance and needed to be cared for. 2 to take care of the poor. Today, we don’t have priests that can’t own land, unless you are Catholic. We DO have plenty of poor people. I wouldn’t count the percentage I give, but I would designate my giving solely to poor people. I wouldn’t call paying for a church building fund tithing, or paying the staff their salary or other programs as tithing, but paying for services you receive or paying dues for a club. That being said, if we were to tithe biblically today, I hope your pastor likes veggies, breads, and good wine, because the Bible said not to bring money at all, but those things instead. If you had money from a long way off you were supposed to buy something to bring, but never money.
In the New Testament church we give as people have need. We take care of each other’s burdens. rather I care for a struggling family instead of pay a building fund.
Let us not confuse tithes (brought to the storehouse) with alms (gifts to the poor) or freewill offerings. If you’re going to talk about the OT laws and regulations, then look into them in detail. Otherwise, keep it simple. Active ministries need money to run so, even though our contemporary priests might own land and even have jobs or other forms of income, there is still very good reason to give toward the running of the facilities and staff. I know the full-time workers in our ministry are voluntary, because they would rather the money go toward the maintaining of the facilities and the missionaries and other compassionate works we have abroad so, despite many freewill gifts given them by members of our Church, they still have to work jobs or find other income when the needs of their family are great – to the detriment of the work of God, for which there are never enough workers.
Very simple principle from Pr 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.”
Paul says, in 1Co 9, “7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
Also in 1Ti 5, “17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” ”
Now if you can find a passage in Scripture which suggests any other way to honor someone other than through the sacrificial giving of gifts / money, I’ll take my hat off to you! If they help impart the Word of God into your lives, then are they not due a measly 10% ? Or, do you love God and yet not your brother, who is created in His image (1Jn 4:20)?
Looking at the Mosaic Law for the rules on tithing raises some problems, though. For example, if the Mosaic Law on tithing binds us to the 10% rule, then what sets us free from the “unclean” meats, or strict Sabbath observance? The fact is, if we pay attention, the 10% tithe (fun fact, tithe literally means “a tenth”) was happening in some form prior to the Law. Abraham gave 10% of his spoils to Melchizedek, and I believe it was Joseph who promised to give God a tenth of his income at one point (I’m trying to go solely on memory here, so forgive me if I’m wrong about it being Joseph… may have been Isaac, but I’m fairly certain it was Joseph). My point is, there is biblical precedence for the establishment of the tithe before it was officially commanded in the Law. Also, my pastor pointed this out to me… don’t want to make it sound like something I discovered on my own.
As for me, yes, I tithe, although after reading through these thoughts I think I need to check my heart. I started tithing more-or-less out of obedience. I’d rather give my 10% and it not be required or expected of me than to not give it and it be required or expected. It’s become pretty standard for me to go to the ATM on pay day (or the next day) and withdraw my tithe, now. If I miss the ATM on payday and need to make a purchase, I will put it on my credit card to pay off later, instead of touching the money in my checking account. Here’s an interesting point of discussion, though:
Should the tithe come from your pay pre- or post- tax? My pastor’s thoughts are that if you tithe on the amount pre-tax, then you don’t tithe off of your tax return, but if you tithe on the amount post-tax, then you should tithe on your tax return.
I’m interested to hear what my fellow writers have to say. I also need to get my wife’s income and my own income consolidated into once deposit place so that tithing on our whole income will be easier. I don’t miss a tithe from my check, but I can’t say the same for hers, and while I’d like to chalk it up to an attitude of “she’s responsible for herself”, the fact is we’re one unit now, and I’m supposed to be the spiritual head (a role I’m failing miserably at), so I’d imagine this would fall back on me moreso than her. It helps, I suppose, that tithing was a discipline I developed prior to my marriage.
Don’t see any way to edit my comment, so let me just correct myself in a reply: that should say Jacob, not Joseph. Realized that as I was downstairs doing some cleaning….
As the first Christian in my family, I only started tithing at age 24, shortly after I came to Christ and started full-time Bible College. While reading through the Bible for the first time (took me 1 year reading 3 chapters a day), Leviticus 27:31 spoke clearly to me that the tithes I had missed still needed to be paid, and at 20% interest. This was of course thousands of dollars, since I had always had a job since middle school, and I wanted to roughly estimate the value of all gifts given to me as well. I did this partly through lump sums I was able to give at the time, and through further generous freewill offerings on top of ongoing tithes that were to be paid, to cover the shortfall.
In no way am I suggesting others do this as well, but it was something I believe God personally put on my heart, similar in a way to Lk 18:22 for that young ruler. Prayerfully read the Scripture for yourself (do a search for “fifth” in Leviticus and other books for similar verses) and see what you believe God is saying to you about it, if anything. For me, tithe and offering have become a part of my budget and, as I use online banking, I always transfer the money to my local Church / missionary organisation as soon as I receive anything (i tithe both my gross income, and also tax returns, etc) before I have a chance to spend it. This is giving God my first-fruits, which sanctifies the whole. I don’t find that I have holes in my pockets as I used to before I started tithing, since He “rebukes the devourer.”
Not that it is an accomplishment I would brag about, but because I did not resist God leading me to do this, I have always experienced His blessing. I have never been hungry for long, and never wanted for any other true need. We may not always get everything we want – which, in this consumer culture we live in, with so much advertising, “keeping up with the Joneses” and all that, is probably a good thing – but God does often prosper us in ways we could not have imagined. I especially found this during my 3.5 year teaching mission in Vanuatu, we had our every need provided for, often in miraculous ways. I’ll tell you this, the one time I decided that my weekly pay cheque was not enough to cover our food, rent and other expenses, and just gave 100% of it all back to God, we were better provided for during that week than any other before!