Disciple Bob
FLEECING
THE FLOCK
The Truth About Giving vs. Tithing
The idea that every believer is obligated to tithe (give ten per cent of their income to the work of God) is widespread in the churches today. Most Christians receive teaching on tithing early in their spiritual lives. Some churches believe so strongly in tithing that their members regularly recite the Tither's Creed -- "The tithe is the Lord's. In truth we learned it. In faith we believe it. In joy we give it. The tithe!" Other preachers have claimed that anyone who does not give a tithe to the work of God is robbing God and under a curse according to Malachi 3:8-10. In this article, we will examine the Biblical teaching on the subject of the tithe with a view to understanding what relevance it has to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ living under the New Covenant. We will do so by examining what the Bible has to say about tithing 1) before the Law was given; 2) under the Mosaic Law; and 3) in the New Testament Scriptures.
Only Twice Before The Law Was A Tithe Given
There are only two Biblical passages which speak of a tithe being given before the Law was instituted at Sinai. They involve two of the Jewish patriarchs, Abraham and Jacob.
Genesis 14:17-20 “And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”
In this passage we are told that Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek, presumably as an expression of gratitude to God for enabling him to rescue his nephew Lot who had been taken captive. Those who believe that tithing is binding upon New Testament believers argue that since tithing was practiced before the Mosaic Law was given, it must also be practiced after the Mosaic Law (which has been made obsolete by the establishment of the New Covenant by the sacrifice of Christ) (Hebrews 8:13). Before we come to any hard and fast conclusions, however, let's take a closer look at the text and make some pointed observations.
There is no evidence in this text that tithing was commanded by God. In fact, everything in the text leads us to believe that giving this tithe was completely Abraham's decision and choice. As such, it was completely voluntary. As we will see a little later in our study, tithing under the Law was not voluntary at all, but mandatory upon all God's people. Furthermore, this is the only tithe mentioned in Scripture that Abraham ever gave. We have no evidence that this was his general practice. In addition, this tithe came from the spoils of victory that Abraham acquired by military might. As we shall note later in our study, the tithe required under the Mosaic Law was the increase of crops, fruit, and herds to be given on an annual basis -- not the spoils of a military victory!
Genesis 28:20-22 “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.”
Jacob, in this passage, is making a vow in response to a visitation of God to him in a dream. In the dream, Jacob saw a ladder reaching to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending on it. In the dream, God stood above the ladder and said to Jacob, "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (vs. 13-15). God promised Jacob that He would be with him, and keep him wherever he would go and bring him back to this land. In response, Jacob vowed that if God kept his promise, he in turn, would give God a tenth.
Again, we must observe exactly what the text does and does not say. Nowhere are we told that God commanded Jacob to give Him a tithe. Again, along with Abraham's example, it appears that the giving of this tithe was voluntary on Jacob's part. Also, there is no evidence in the text to suggest that tithing was the general practice of Jacob's life. If he did, in fact, begin to tithe after God fulfilled His promises to him, Jacob still delayed tithing for 20 years!
These two examples are the only examples of tithing to be found in the Old Testament before the Law was given. Both were examples of voluntary giving, and neither was required by God. In neither personage do we see an example of tithing as a general practice of life. In fact, in Abraham's life, it appears that we have a tithe of the spoils of military victory given to God's priest on a one time only basis. If our only evidence to obligate believers under the New Covenant to tithe rests on these two passages in Genesis, we are resting on very shaky ground!
Did Adam Tithe?
All should realize that in the Bible, a tithe was never commanded by God for Adam and Eve or anyone until the Mosaic Law came.
Tithing Was Required Only Under The Mosaic Law
What does the Bible teach about tithing under the Mosaic Law? In this section of our study, we will examine all the significant passages of Scripture which describe the tithe under the Law.
Leviticus 27:30-33 “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. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
Notice that in this passage the tithe is described as the product of the land, the seed of the land, fruit of the tree, herd or flock. The tithe was not the giving of money. Nowhere in all of the Scriptures will you find that tithing was the giving of money to God. Furthermore, this tithe was probably given on an annual basis. Every year after the land had been harvested, the people would bring to the priests the tithe of their harvest and increase in herds and flocks. Thus, I think that we can readily see that our weekly giving of ten percent of our income is a far cry from the Biblical practice of tithing.
Numbers 18:21-24 “And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.”
Notice in this text that the tithe was designated for the support of the Levites. Because the Levites had no inheritance in the land of Canaan like the other tribes, God provided for their support through the tithes of the rest of Israel. In fact in Numbers 18:31 we are told, "And you may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your compensation in return for your service in the tent of meeting." The tithe was the compensation God provided for the Levites in turn for their priestly service. This is similar to the support government workers receive today in America through the taxes of the common working man.
Deuteronomy 14:22-27 “Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.”
This text speaks of a tithe being used to provide for the religious feasts and festivals of Israel. Numbers 18:21 tells us that God gave all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance to the Levites. If all the tithe was given to the Levites, how then, can this tithe be said to be used for the religious feasts and festivals of Israel? The answer must be that this is a second tithe. The first tithe was used to support the Levites. The second tithe was used to sponsor the religious festivals and has come to be referred to as the Festival Tithe. The people of Israel were to use this tithe to eat in the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem (the place where He chose to establish His name). If it was too burdensome for them to bring their tithe all the way to Jerusalem, they were permitted to sell their tithe and bring the money to Jerusalem where they could purchase goods for the festivals. God expressly encourages them to spend their money on "whatever their heart desires," including strong drink! The purpose was so that the people of Israel would learn to fear the Lord their God and rejoice before Him. Note that having a sense of the fear of the Lord and rejoicing before Him are not mutually exclusive, but were actually complementary to accompany one another! This tithe made it possible for the people of Israel to obtain all the food and drink necessary to enjoy the religious feasts of Israel and worship before Him.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 “At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.”
Here we are told of a third tithe that is collected every third year. This tithe is actually a third separate tithe. The Jewish historian Josephus supports the view that this was a third separate tithe. Other ancient Jewish commentators have also written in support of this view. The Jewish people were commanded by God to give 23 1/3 percent of their harvests and flocks. This particular third tithe could well be called the Poor Tithe. It was not to be gathered in Jerusalem, but in their own town. The people of the town were to bring a tithe of their crops and herds and gather them together to take care of the poor of their towns including the alien, orphan and widow.
In many respects, it appears that the tithe required under the Law is similar to our governmental taxation today. Israel was ruled by a theocracy. Under a theocracy, the people were responsible to support the government workers (priests), holidays (festivals), and poor (aliens, widows, and orphans).
Nehemiah 12:44 “And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.”
Notice that the text says tithes were required by the law. This giving was not voluntary as it was in Abraham and Jacob's lives. Similarly, we read:
Hebrews 7:5"And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham."
Tithing was never voluntary under Mosaic Law. Notice here that in Nehemiah's day men were appointed to gather the offerings and tithes into chambers designated for that particular purpose. These chambers were for the stores and later became known as the "storehouses." This will become important as we look at our next text in Malachi 3.
Malachi 3:8-12 “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. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.”
In order to glean some important truths from this passage, let's examine it verse by verse.
Malachi 3:8 Here we are told that by withholding tithes a man is actually robbing God. That is to say, he is withholding something which is not his own, but is the property of God. Under the Old Covenant, tithing was compulsory. To withhold it was to become a thief. Notice also that God says the people were robbing him in "tithes." It does not say "the tithe", but in "tithes" (plural). These "tithes" must refer to the different tithes required of God's people (Levite Tithe, Festival Tithe, Poor Tithe). Additionally, observe that it was not only withheld tithes that God objected to, but also offerings. These offerings refer, no doubt, to the offerings specified in Leviticus 1-5, such as the burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, and guilt offering. These offerings were constituted primarily of animal sacrifices. The Levites' food supply was provided in large part through these animal sacrifices, of which they were permitted to partake in certain instances. Now, an important question surfaces at this point. Why is it that we recognize animal sacrifices to be obsolete under the New Covenant, but that tithing is not? If we are obligated to pay tithes today, then certainly we are still obligated to offer animal sacrifices. God lumps them both together and says that His people were robbing Him by withholding both of them. We can't decide to pick and choose which of the two we will offer to God today. Either we must offer both tithes and animal sacrifices (offerings) or both these gifts have been abolished by the abrogation of the Mosaic Law.
Malachi 3:9 Here we are told that if Israel withheld the tithes and offerings, she was cursed with a curse. Notice that the verse doesn't say, "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole race of mankind." Rather it says, "the whole nation of you." If tithing is an eternal moral command for all people of all time, then the whole race of mankind would be under a curse. But our text says it is only the whole nation of Israel who were under the curse. Now, what is interesting about this "curse" is that inDeuteronomy 28we are told that if Israel disobeyed God's commands under the Mosaic Law she would be cursed. Notice the following texts: "Cursed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock... And the heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron... The Lord will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. You shall bring out much seed to the field but you shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it. You shall plant and cultivate vineyards, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall devour them. You shall have olive trees throughout your territory but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives shall drop off. So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you" (Deuteronomy 28:18, 23-24, 38-40, 45). In these verses God warns that if His people disobey His commandments and statutes, their crops would fail, the rains would not come, the harvests would be small, the locusts would consume the food, and the fruit of the trees would fail.
Malachi 3:10 In this passage God speaks of the "storehouse." FromNehemiah 12:44we know that this refers to chambers in the temple set apart and designated to hold the tithes of the people for the support of the priests. There is not a shred of Biblical evidence that we should identify these "storehouses" with church buildings that believers under the New Covenant are to bring their monies into. Furthermore, the reason Israel was to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, was so that there would be food in God's house. God was concerned that the Levites had food to eat. That was the purpose of these tithes which were brought to God's temple. We are also told that if God's people were faithful in bringing their tithes into the storehouse, God would open up the windows of heaven and pour out for them a blessing until it overflowed. This no doubt refers to God's promise to bring abundant rains to produce the blessing of an overflowing harvest of crops.
Malachi 3:11 God further promises in this text to rebuke the devourer for them, so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground. Undoubtedly, the "devourer" refers to locusts which God warns will come upon their crops if they fail to bring the tithe (Deuteronomy 28:38).
Malachi 3:12 In this text God graciously promises that if Israel is obedient in the giving of tithes and offerings, all the nations will call her blessed. It is interesting that God not only warned Israel of being cursed for disobedience to the Mosaic Law, but also promised that she would be blessed if she obeyed the Mosaic Law. Notice these texts, "Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the Lord your God... Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock... The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you... And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow" (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 4, 8, 11-12). Here God promises to bless Israel materially if she is obedient. The promises include abundant crops, copious rains, and large increases in herds and flocks.
Therefore, it is clear that the blessings and cursings spoken of in Malachi 3:8-12 refer to the material blessings God promised to Israel if she would obey His commandments and statutes. Tithing was one such commandment.
What can we conclude, therefore, about tithing under the Mosaic Law? I think we can safely conclude that tithing had nothing to do with the regular giving of money on a weekly or monthly basis, but rather had to do with the ordained worship of God in the Old Covenant age. The command to tithe, like the command not to eat shrimp or oysters, has been made obsolete and set aside by the inauguration of the New Covenant in the death of Christ. The tithe was God's ordained tax under the Old Testament theocratic system.
If someone truly wants to tithe according to Scripture, he/she would have to do the following:
1) Quit their job and buy a farm so that they can raise herds and grow crops;
2) Find some Levitical priests to support;
3) Use their crops to observe the Old Testament religious festivals like Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and Tabernacles;
4) Begin by giving 23 1/3 percent of all their crops and herds to God; and
5) Expect God to curse them with material deprivation if they were unfaithful or bless them with material abundance if they were obedient.
I think all of us would conclude that this is utterly absurd! We all recognize that Christ has done away with the Levitical priesthood, animal sacrifices, and Old Covenant religious festivals in Christ. Well, if that is true, why are we trying to hold on to the Old Covenant tithe, which was part and parcel of all of these Old Testament ordinances?
Tithing In The New Testament
The interesting thing about the concept of tithing under the New Testament is its almost virtual absence. There are four different passages which mention the "tithe" in the New Testament.
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.”
This passage in Matthew is also repeated in similar fashion in Luke 11:42. In both cases, it is important to notice that the tithe had to do with garden herbs (the product of the field) rather than with money. Additionally, Jesus spoke these words to very religious, law-keeping Pharisees while the Mosaic Law was still in force. To say that since Jesus told these Pharisees it was right for them to tithe, and thus it is right for us to tithe as well, misses the fact that these Pharisees lived under a different covenant with different laws than the New Testament believer does. By Christ's death, He inaugurated the New Covenant, thereby bringing about a change in the law (Luke 22:20; Hebrew 7:12). Finally, notice that the tithe mentioned here was not voluntary in any sense of the word. Jesus tells them that they "ought" to have tithed. It was obligatory on all Jews and thus binding.
Luke 18:12 "I Fast Twice A Week;
I Pay Tithes Of All That I Get."
Jesus, in this passage, is telling the parable about the Pharisee and the tax-collector. Christ comment on the words of the self-righteous Pharisee, "I pay tithes of all that I get." Here Christ is emphasizing that the self-righteous man trusts in something he does to be acceptable before God, but nevertheless is not justified before God. Again, Christ is speaking about a Pharisee who tithes while living under the Mosaic Law, not of a Christian tithing under the New Covenant.
Hebrews 7:1-10 “For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.”
In this lengthy passage, the design of the author is to show the superiority of Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God over the Levitical priesthood, thereby exhorting his readers not to go back to their former Jewish form of worship, replete with its priesthood, temple, and sacrifices. The author mentions the account of Abraham paying tithes to Melchizedek to show that since Levi was in the loins of the patriarch Abraham, actually Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek and was blessed by him. Since it is obvious that the lesser is always blessed by the greater, Melchizedek and his priesthood are greater than the Levites and their priesthood. Here, the author of Hebrews is simply restating the fact that Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek; a fact that we have already noted. This passage is not exhorting believers to give like Abraham did. Rather, it is instructing believers to perceive the excellence of the greatest of all high priests our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who ministers as a priest far superior to the Levites. Therefore, this passage cannot be used to enforce the tithe on Christians. It is simply not written to address that issue. It has nothing to do with Christian giving, but rather everything to do with the superiority of Christ.
Well, there you have the totality of the New Testament teaching on tithing. There is not one word in all the New Testament to command or even suggest that New Covenant believers are supposed to tithe. While the New Testament is silent on the duty of Christians to tithe, it is not silent on the subject of giving, but rather quite vocal.
The New Testament never gives a certain percentage point as an obligatory and required standard for our giving. Instead, the Scriptures declare, "Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). The Old Testament tithe was required by law. The Jews were under compulsion to give it. The New Testament teaching on giving focuses on its voluntary character. "For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord" (2 Corinthians 8:3). This voluntary giving is exactly what Abraham and Jacob were doing before the institution of the Law, and is what all Christians are to be doing today. Believers today are free to give the amount they choose to give. If they want to give ten percent as Abraham and Jacob did, they are perfectly free to do so. However, if they decide to give 9 percent or 11 percent, or 20 percent or 50 percent, then they may do that as well. Their standard of giving is not a fixed percentage point, but the example of their wonderful Savior -- "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Our standard of giving is Christ Himself, who did not give 10 percent or 20 percent or even 50 percent, but 100 percent! He gave everything He had, including His very life in order to redeem sinful men and women like you and me!
Sometimes those who are wealthy feel that if they just pay their ten percent, God is pleased. However, for a wealthy man to give ten percent of his income may actually be displeasing to God if he is living a life of extravagant luxury while giving a mere pittance to the work of God and the needs of others. The will of God for this man may be for him to be giving 50-80 percent of his income instead of ten percent. Each individual must seek God as to how He would have him to give.
May the effect of this study be to free us from the shackles of the traditions of men which can not be substantiated by the Word of God (Mark 7:1-13). Look to Christ as the standard and example for your giving. Seek God diligently, and be generous and ready to share.
New Testament Giving
If it is true that tithing was part of the Old Covenant worship of Israel, and has no practical bearing upon New Covenant Christians, the question naturally surfaces, "what does the New Testament actually teach about giving?" Surely the place for New Covenant believers to begin in their quest to understand God's revealed will regarding giving is in the New Testament Scriptures. That is exactly where I would like to take you as together we examine God's will for Christian giving.
The Amount Of Our Giving
Since we have determined that the tithe is not the standard for New Covenant believers, then how do we determine how much Christians should give? Let's examine three different texts to glean some insight into this important issue.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”
In our text, the Apostle Paul directs the church of Corinth in their collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem to give proportionately to how they have prospered. Though there is no mention of the saints in Corinth giving a tithe, they are instructed to give proportionately to their prosperity. The point is simple -- those who have more to give should give more.
Acts 11:27-30 “And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”
Notice in the narrative that the brethren in Antioch gave to the suffering brethren in Judea proportionate to their means. In other words, they gave according to their ability. Those with more money gave more. Those with less money gave less. It was that simple.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
Here Paul directs the church to give what they have purposed in their heart. Notice that the Apostle does not tell them how much to give, or give them a fixed percentage as a standard. He simply tells them that whatever they have decided to give they should go ahead and give. Many times when we see a need we determine to give a certain amount, but are tempted to go back on it later when the time to give rolls around. Paul teaches us that we should be faithful to make good on what we have purposed in our heart. But notice as well that the apostle Paul leaves the amount up to the Corinthians. We are not to allow others to manipulate or intimidate us so that we give out of guilt or pressure. There is to be no compulsion in our giving; the amount must be our own decision.
These New Testament texts teach us that God leaves the amount of our giving up to us. We should give proportionate to our means and how God has prospered us, but in the end, we are free to give whatever we want to give. How freeing this is when we consider the manipulative money-making tactics that most Churches use all too often today.
The Purpose Of Our Giving
What kinds of needs should we use our money to meet? Does the New Testament give us any light on this important subject? I believe the Scriptures are very clear in this area. The New Testament teaches that there are three purposes for our giving.
1. To Meet The Needs Of The Saints: This theme runs like a thread through the Scriptures. Let's consider several texts.
Acts 2:44-45 “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”
The spirit of love and generosity was so great in the early church that the believers willingly and joyfully surrendered their own property and possessions in order to minister to the needs of other saints. They went so far as to sell land and houses to take care of one another (Acts 4:34).
1 John 3:17 “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
Galatians 6:9-10 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
In addition to these clear texts, we also read inMatthew 25:31-40that when Christ comes He will separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep are described as those that fed Christ when He was hungry, gave Him drink when He was thirsty and clothed Him when He was naked. When the sheep reply, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, thirsty, and naked?" Christ responds, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." Here Jesus tells us very clearly that when we use our money to clothe and feed the brothers of Christ (believers according toMatthew 12:50), we are ministering to Him. Furthermore, 1 Timothy 5:16gives directions on how the Church is to support dependent widows. Additionally, we have seen in the texts quoted already, the many exhortations of the Apostle Paul to give to the poor saints in Jerusalem. Therefore, it is quite clear that one of the priorities of giving in the New Testament is to meet the needs of the saints.
2. To Meet The Needs Of Christian Workers: In addition to using our money to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ, the Scriptures direct us to use our money to support Christian workers. Consider the following passages:
1 Timothy 5:17-18 “ Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.”
In this text, "honor" must mean more than esteem and respect, for in verse 3 of the same chapter, Paul tells Timothy to "honor widows who are widows indeed." To honor these widows is to provide for them (vs. 8) and to assist them (vs. 16). Therefore, when Paul mentions "honoring" the elders who work hard at preaching and teaching directly after he has mentioned honoring the widows, he must have the same thing in mind -- providing for and assisting the elders financially so that they can give themselves to the work of laboring in the Word. A teaching elder is like an ox who should be able to eat while he is threshing. In other words, he should be supported and taken care of while he is working. He is also like a laborer who is worthy of his wages. The uniform New Testament apostolic practice was to appoint elders to oversee the churches which the apostles planted. Paul is simply directing the churches to financially provide and assist these elders so that they can give their time to the task of ministering to the flock.
1 Corinthians 9:6-14 “Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”
In this passage, Paul is claiming that the apostles had every right to refrain from secular work and receive the material support of those they served. In fact, he asserts that the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
Philippians 4:15-18 “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.”
In this text, the apostle expressly states that the gift that the Philippians sent him was a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, and was well-pleasing to God. God Himself has given us His approval of using our money to support faithful Christian workers. Therefore, it is important that God's people utilize their financial resources to support other Christian workers, whether they be elders of a local church, or itinerant evangelists, or missionaries.
3. To Meet The Needs Of The Poor: In addition to using our money to meet the needs of the saints and Christian workers, the Scriptures direct us to use our money in meeting the needs of the poor. Consider the following texts:
Luke 12:33-34 “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Ephesians 4:28 “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Here the individual who has need is not identified as a believer, but presumably could be anyone in need.”
James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
To visit orphans and widows in their distress, must mean more than paying them a social call. Implicit in this statement is the idea of helping these orphans and widows, which would no doubt require sacrificial giving.
As we have seen, we can summarize the New Testament teaching on the purpose of giving this way -- to meet the needs of the saints, to meet the needs of Christian workers, and to meet the needs of the poor. Notice that the New Testament giving is always to meet the needs of people. It is interesting that the one thing which the church in America spends the majority of its money on, after staff salaries, is not mentioned at all -- church buildings! The Bible simply doesn't speak about churches going into debt to buy expensive buildings, for the simple reason that the early church did not meet in special buildings. They met in homes. Thus, there was no overhead expense to drain the energy and finances of the church. In this way, all of the giving of God's people could go directly to meeting the needs of people.
Incidentally, there is nothing in Scripture that would require that all of our giving to the Lord's work must be given first to the church leaders and then disbursed by them. In fact, clearly, some of our giving is intended to be done directly from person to person in order to preserve anonymity (Matthew 6:1-4). It is reasonable, therefore, to set aside part of your total giving at home or in some special bank account so that when a special need or emergency arises, you have some financial resources to draw upon to meet that need.
The Manner Of Our Giving
In addition to giving us light on the amount and purpose of our giving, the Scriptures teach us several things about how we should give.
1. We Should Give Anonymously: In Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus teaches us that we should give in secret in order that He who sees in secret will repay us. This kind of giving is preferable as it protects the giver from spiritual pride. When giving directly to someone, look for ways to meet a need without the beneficiary ever knowing who gave the money.
2. We Should Give Voluntarily: 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 says, “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”
Here we are told that the churches of Macedonia gave of their own accord. Nobody was manipulating them or twisting their arm. In 2 Corinthians 9:7 Paul says, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
If we are not to give grudgingly or under compulsion, then we are to give voluntarily. God wants our giving to come from our heart. He wants us to give because we want to.
3. We Should Give Expectantly: As we give, we should expect God to bless us now in this present life. Consider the teaching of the apostle Paul.
2 Corinthians 9:6 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
When someone sows by scattering seed with an open hand, it looks like he is just throwing away the good grain. If he were to grip the seed in his fist, or only cast a seed or two, there would be a very small harvest. So it is with Christian giving. If we give either nothing or very little, we can expect a very little blessing. But if we give with an open, generous hand, we can expect to reap bountifully. John Bunyan once said, "There was a saint, some called him mad, the more he gave the more he had." Many have twisted this passage to teach that God wants us to give in order to get. This kind of teaching appeals to the flesh and fosters a spirit of greed and covetousness in believers. Rather, Paul in this passage is teaching that we should give, to get, to give. Look at how he puts it in verse 8-11: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.”
Notice in this passage that Paul is asserting that God will bless the generous giver by making all grace abound to him in order that he will have an abundance for every good deed. Furthermore, God promises to multiply the giver's seed for sowing and increase the harvest of his righteousness. These passages point unmistakably to the fact that God blesses those who give so that they can give more. Because God is the greatest giver of all, we ought to strive to be like Him. The only way we will be able to be greater givers in the future is to begin giving generously now! Interestingly enough, this is exactly what the Proverbs of Solomon teach us, although they were penned hundreds of years earlier.
Proverbs 19:17 "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”
Proverbs 11:24-25 “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."
Furthermore, we should also expect God to bless us in the life to come. If there is one thing that is made very clear in the Bible, it is that when we give, we are storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Notice the emphasis on future heavenly treasure in the following passages:
Matthew 6:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Matthew 19:21 "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."
Luke 12:33 "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth."
1 Timothy 6:18-19 "That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”
In all of these passages, whether spoken to the disciples, the rich young ruler, or wealthy believers in Ephesus, the message is the same -- generous giving will be rewarded by heavenly treasure. Would you rather have your treasure on earth where it will perish or in heaven where you will enjoy it eternally? Your answer to that question will have much to do with how you view and use your wealth.
4. We Should Give Cheerfully: In 2 Corinthians 9:7we learn the spirit in which we should give. "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." If every believer knew what a shower of blessing he would enjoy through giving, he would be like the Macedonian Christians who begged Paul for the opportunity of giving (2 Corinthians 8:3-4)! Giving ought to be seen as a great privilege, not as a heavy burden or joyless duty. God doesn't want His people to give out of a sense of compulsion, but rather from an attitude of joy and cheerfulness. The one definitive passage in the New Testament which declares the attitude with which we are to give describes it as "cheerfulness." May God help us to give in a spirit which honors Him!
5. We Should Give Sacrificially: In the Scriptures, we have several examples where God looks with approval on sacrificial giving:
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.”
Notice in this passage that the Macedonian believers had little to begin with. They are described as those enduring a great deal of affliction and experiencing deep poverty. Yet, they are also said to have given beyond their ability! What a wonderful example of sacrificial giving! May God enable us to imitate them in our own lives!
Mark 12:41-44 “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."
In this example, Jesus singled out this woman as a wonderful example of giving for his disciples. When Christ saw her sacrificial spirit, He called His disciples over to learn a lesson from her life. May we also learn to go and do likewise!
Can you say that your own giving is characterized by a sacrificial spirit? Does your giving really cost you anything? It's not really how much we give that is so important, but how much we keep for ourselves after we've given. May our great and glorious God enable us to practice a joyful, sacrificial lifestyle of giving!
Conclusion
The New Covenant Scriptures do not teach that the tithe is incumbent upon New Testament believers. However, scripture does teach that New Covenant Christians are to be generous, sacrificial, expectant and cheerful givers! Most Preachers are teaching that you are robbing God if you do not tithe but, in fact, the truth is that many Preachers are robbing and fleecing the flock by teaching the lie that tithing is required of New Covenant Believers.
disciplebob@live.com