Success is finding satisfaction in giving a little more than you take.
- Christopher Reeve
Tithing is often presented as the rule of thumb for Christian giving. Yet this raises the question to what degree is Old Testament tithing a New Testament command, particularly to the Gentile Church?
For a foundation in regards to integrating both Old and New Testaments into a cohesive whole we recommend first reading our article entitled Old vs New Testament.
Understanding the topic of tithing is an excellent example of the need for Biblical rules of interpretation such as usage and historical background, context and emphasis. Doing so reveals that contrary to popular belief, tithing is not a requirement of New Testament Christians. In the King James Version the word tithe is used 32 times. There are 25 Old Testament and 7 New Testament occurrences. Of these, the word tithe is used 3 times in the gospels and 3 times in the Book of Hebrews. All these passages are contextually addressing the Jews in regards to Old Testament religious and temple observances. There is not a single directive regarding tithing to New Testament Christians, much less Gentile believers.
On the flip side, the same version uses the word “give” 358 times in the New Testament. Most of these observances reference a variety of types of giving. Nevertheless, the New Testament clearly emphasizes giving rather than tithing:
- “The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need. Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.” Acts 4:32-37 MSG
- “Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed]. Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift]. And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 AMP
- “James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.” Galatians 2:9-10 NIV
- “You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I’ll never forget it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take of this work except you. You were the only one. Even while I was in Thessalonica, you helped out—and not only once, but twice. Not that I’m looking for handouts, but I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity.” Philippians 4:15-17 MSG
- “Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?” James 2:14-17 MSG
- “This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.” 1 John 3:16-17 MSG
New Testament
Interestingly, there are no New Testament passages regarding financial support for buildings and inter-church programs. Also tellingly, verses regarding support of the clergy are far fewer in number than those directly and indirectly referencing giving to the poor. Paul’s instructions to Timothy should suffice:
- “Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18 AMP
While many of today’s ministers are caring persons often with servants hearts, this can hardly excuses gross doctrinal and lifestyle errors ubiquitous within Churchianity . By definition, paid leadership is greatly responsible for the deplorable condition of Churchianity highlighted by issues including but hardly limited to Biblical illiteracy and prayerlessness, entitlement and worldliness, immorality and abortion, assumed salvation and cheep grace, inadequate fellowship and inappropriate worship, presumption and even profanity.
Charles Finney, arguably the most spiritually powerful and insightful man to walk the earth since the apostles, played a key role in America’s “Second Great Awakening.” So seriously did he view the sacred charge entrusted to the clergy that he laid responsibility for both the church and society at their feet: “If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in Christianity, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.” If Finney is this indignant regarding conditions in the 1800’s (romper room sinners by todays standards) one can easily imagine his stinging rebuke of the pulpit for the state of the 21st!
The New Testament commands believers to learn to judge and discern rightly. Thus in regards to current patterns of monetary support, might millions if not billions of dollars given by an almost equal number of believers be better spent? Foreseeing this eventuality, many if not all New Testament authors warn of our current condition:
- “But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.” John 10:12 AMP
- “These are the things I want you to teach and preach. If you have leaders there who teach otherwise, who refuse the solid words of our Master Jesus and this godly instruction, tag them for what they are: ignorant windbags who infect the air with germs of envy, controversy, bad-mouthing, suspicious rumors. Eventually there’s an epidemic of backstabbing, and truth is but a distant memory. They think religion is a way to make a fast buck. A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough. But if it’s only money these leaders are after, they’ll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.” 1 Timothy 6:2-10 MSG
- “But there were also lying prophets among the people then, just as there will be lying religious teachers among you. They’ll smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other—biting the hand of the One who gave them a chance to have their lives back! They’ve put themselves on a fast downhill slide to destruction, but not before they recruit a crowd of mixed-up followers who can’t tell right from wrong. They give the way of truth a bad name. They’re only out for themselves. They’ll say anything, anything, that sounds good to exploit you.” 2 Peter 2:1-2 MSG
- “I’m fed up with them! They’ve gone down Cain’s road; they’ve been sucked into Balaam’s error by greed; they’re canceled out in Korah’s rebellion. These people are warts on your love feasts as you worship and eat together. They’re giving you a black eye—carousing shamelessly, grabbing anything that isn’t nailed down.” Jude 11-13 MSG
- “Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, “The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!” Luke 21:1-4 MSG
Of course in Christ’s day, paying a tithe and/or temple tax was both one’s Old Testament religious and civic duty. With only “one game in town” there were few if any options. Modern Christians have a dizzying array of choices in regards to the amount and regularity, purpose and organizations of their support. Thus in the area of finance, as well as all others, it behoves believers to do their homework, making sure that their gifts are appropriate and recipients worthy. No small task given the myriad of mutations across the board throughout Churchianity. With temptation and deception at all time highs, attending or writing a check, volunteering and/or rehearsing the party line is far from adequate if one hopes to genuinely follow Christ along the rigorous path of salvation.
In light of the pandemic of worldliness and sin inherent in modern life, it’s both reasonable and apparent that believers are daily crossing forbidden lines taking little or no notice. If true, we 21st century Christians face far greater condemnation than when Jesus judged our 1st century counterparts. Such a desperate dilemma, inside and outside of modern Christianity is deserving of our greatest attention and bests efforts, which unfortunately far too few seem willing and able to give.
What is needed is a large scale divestment from worldly pursuits and reinvestment in the authentic Kingdom of God to meet the growing global insensitivity to and grieving of the Holy Spirit in all matters of life. Far from obeying Paul’s directive to study to show ourselves approved learning to judge all things, the average church attender is Biblically illiterate (unable to quote 5-10 verses in a row much less correctly interpret and apply them) and prayerless (daily stopping less than 10 minutes a day for serious prayer).
Sadly tithing and/or regular forms of financial support, most often to facets of questionable forms of Churchianity, has gone a long way in supplanting the more costly demands of the New Testament. Such financial propping up of so many misinformed pulpits allows deceived denominations to spread their influence while the consciences of their constituents are assuaged, even in the face of a gathering storm of judgment in both time and eternity.
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