I spent the last two weeks writing about subjects that some people tend to view as controversial, (Tattoos, and Drinking) so why not continue down that road again and talk about giving.
In all reality, the concept of giving should not be anything controversial at all, because what a person gives should be between them and God and nobody else should know.
Matthew 6:3-4
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
So then why is it a controversial subject? One of the main reasons boils down to greed. When I say greed, I’m talking about all parties involved. Churches tend to want people’s money and people don’t often want to give it up. That is obviously over simplifying the subject, but the reality is, churches need finances to stay open. Building maintenance is not cheap, church programs are not cheap, and you start to add in utilities, insurance, not to mention pastor salaries, (or any other staff), it adds up quick. With all of those expenses, it’s clear that there needs to be some form of income.
It only seems logical that the income from the church is to come from members, and sometimes churches make demands of financial support from their members. I have personally been involved in one church that demanded that I give 10% of all income to the church, and another that attempted to shame people into giving by publishing a yearly ledger of what everybody in the church gave.
The real question is, what does Scripture say?
Everybody is familiar with the concept of a tithe, so we assume that Scripture says that we should give 10% of our income to the church, but is that what it actually says? Not really. The Old Testament law actually requires 3 separate tithes.
- The Levitical Tithe.
Numbers 18:21
21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,
As you study it out, it boils down to 10% of all agricultural produce and livestock. It was used to support the Levites, because they didn’t have their own land.
- The Festival Tithe.
Deuteronomy 14:22-27
22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. 23 And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. 24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, 25 then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses 26 and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. 27 And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.
This tithe was used to celebrate, you were supposed to use it to feast, and while it wasn’t completely dedicated to the Levites like the first tithe was, you weren’t supposed to neglect them either. Basically, include them in your feasting.
- The Poor Tithe, every three years
Deuteronomy 14:28-29
28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.
This is a tithe taken every three years, and laid out for the poor of the land.
So, if we are to follow the Old Testament Law, our actual tithe should be 23.33%.
However, if we were still under the law, we would have more concerns than how much we give. Fortunately, we are no longer under the law, we are under grace.
What does the New Testament say? The concept of tithing is mentioned 4 times in the New Testament. Matthew 23:23, and it’s corresponding passage in Luke 11:42
Matthew 23:23
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Jesus is speaking to people who are still under the law, and are the very people who enforce the law. He commends them for following the law, but calls them hypocrites because they neglect what is much more important. Some will say that Jesus endorses a tithe here, so therefore it applies to us, but he endorses a tithe to people who are under the law. We aren’t any longer.
Luke 18:12 just mentions a tithe in a parable of a self-righteous pharisee bragging about how pious he is. That hardly seems like an endorsement.
The fourth passage is Hebrews 7:2, it shares that Abraham voluntarily gave a tenth of everything to Melchizedek, and he was commended for it, but it was his choice, it was not a command.
That is all that is mentioned about tithing in the New Testament. While 10% is an Old Testament model and likely a good place to start, there does not seem to be a strong endorsement of a tithe in the New Testament from what I’m seeing. That does not mean that the New Testament does not address giving.
Jesus clearly encouraged us to give, as we have already seen in Matthew 6:1-4. He also praised what the poor widow did by giving out of her poverty in Mark 12:41-44. And he told the rich young man to go and sell all that he has and give to the poor in Mark 10:21. Jesus makes His thoughts on giving clear in Matthew 6:20-24
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
So obviously the idea of giving is something of importance.
Paul’s defining passage on the subject is…
2 Corinthians 9:6-8
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Verse 7 clarifies that we should give cheerfully, not be manipulated into it. We need to purpose in our heart how much we should give, not be forced to give a specific amount.
Personally, I believe that 10% is a great place to start, and something demonstrated in Scripture, however, if you can’t do that cheerfully it is not honoring to God.
There is so much more that could be said on this subject, but these blogs weren’t meant to take up a lot of time, so I will close with this.
What you give is a personal decision between you and God, it is not for anybody else to dictate. I truly believe that the closer you draw to Jesus, the more you will desire to give, and you will understand that you will never outgive God, but ultimately it still boils down to that relationship.
Thank you for reading this, as always, I would encourage you to spend time in His Word, in prayer and in the fellowship of other believers. And if you haven’t visited already, I would encourage you to come visit our little church on the hill, it’s worth the drive.
I am a 2 Corinthians giver. Once when I was a very arrogant young person, I made a bet with God. “I bet I can give my resources away faster than you can bless me” . That was over twenty years ago and I am losing badly. I have found that I can’t outgive God. I don’t see it as anything outstanding or praiseworthy. It’s only obedience. I also feel that what I give is nothing as compared to people like you, Pastor. I give money which I can earn more of. I am no poor widow, I give out of the abundance that God has blessed me with. You give time, which is a very limited resource. You give what is priceless, you and your family both. I (and I’m sure many people in you church) have been outrageously blessed by your wisdom. Thank you so much for all that you do.
In my opinion, you are making it more complicated and legalistic than it needs to be. Everything we have is 100% Gods….it doesn’t belong to us, give what your heart guides from FIRST fruits, not leftovers. And once you give, consider it a return on blessings knowing God will use it for his Kingdom. If we are looking to rules and laws on what and how to give, we’ve missed the boat. Have a blessed Christmas season.
I wouldn’t disagree with any of your view Karen. Just not sure how saying “what you give is a personal decision” is legalistic. I was just attempting to explain how lots of people view it, and I agree, people do often make it very legalistic. Enjoy your Christmas, we miss you all at Shiloh. 🙂
Thank you Dororthy for the kind words. I love what I do, so I don’t really see it as sacrifice, I am blessed to be able to server what I view as an amazing church family and hope to be able to continue to do so for many years. And you are right, you can’t outgive God. Again, thank you.