Questions about Tithing

Three weeks ago, I wrote that the tithe was not just an Old Testament law but a modern day principle applicable to all Christians. In this post, I'll answer some practical questions about tithing and how the principle is applied today.

Does my whole tithe have to go to the local church?

In Malachi 3:10 we are told to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.  Using Old Testament principles to establish the meaning of the modern storehouse, the storehouse today should do the following: 1) provide for the pastors and staff of the church, 2) support missionaries and evangelists, 3) feed the needy people in the church, and 4) feed the needy outside the church.  (In the Old Testament, a special "extra tithe" was taken every third year to accomplish goal #4.)  As long as the church accepts the responsibility of being a storehouse, the whole tithe should go to it.

Should I tithe on my gross or net income? 

Proverbs 3:9-10 says "honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."  In my opinion, these verses make it abundantly clear that the tithe should be on the gross income (firstfruits) for an individual.  For a Christian business, the tithe should be on the net income as the business' net income is the gross income for the individual who owns it.  Remember, the tithe is a symbol of our thanks to Christ and our allegiance to Him before everything else.  As such, our tithe should go to Him before all else as well.

But my tithe isn't very much.  Does it really make a difference? 

"For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." (2 Corinthians 8:12).  You have to remember that the tithe is not your contribution to God's income, but a symbol of your love for Him.  He doesn't need the money -- He owns the whole world (Psalm 24:1-2).  What he does want is a heart-attitude that shows love towards Him and recognition of His lordship in our lives.  This is best demonstrated in Mark 12:43-44 (also in Luke 21:3-4) where the poor widow gave all she had to God.  Christ said about her, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."  That's the correct attitude -- the amount does not matter.

Should I give more than my tithe?

There are plenty of scriptural references to offerings.  Offerings are the amounts we give above our tithes for special needs of others, to support a church project or outside ministry, or just to give to whatever needs exist, maybe even unknown to us, through the guidance and urging of the Holy Spirit.  I believe Psalm 50:14-15 says it best: "Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

Are you saved if you do not tithe?

This is a tough one as no person knows when another person is saved, but I will address it with the best understanding the Lord has given me.  The tithe, and finances in general, are not measures of salvation, spirituality, or favor with God.  Finances (including the tithe) are an outside indicator of what is spiritually going on inside of a person.  If a person has not surrendered their finances to God and cannot trust Him with their money, then how can they sacrifice their lives for Him and trust Him with their eternal salvation?  The way a person handles their finances does reflect what they believe about Christ and how committed they are to Him and His teachings.

As far as salvation, I believe you can be saved and not tithe.  When a person accepts Christ, he does so by faith and receives immediate salvation.  He does not yet tithe (he probably doesn't know what it is), has not been baptized, and is unfamiliar with prayer -- nevertheless, he is saved.  He will learn about these things later as the Holy Spirit leads him closer to the likeness of Christ.  Therefore, I believe you can be saved and not tithe.

However, I have two qualifications.  First, if you have been a Christian for a period of time (say a year or longer), and do not tithe, I would say this is an indication that your walk with Christ is not all it should/can be.  Remember, your finances are an outside indicator of your inside spiritual condition.  I suggest you ask the Holy Spirit to confirm this in your life.  Second, just because you do tithe does not mean that you are saved.  Many "Christians" hold on to legalistic habits, including tithing, as a way to "earn" their salvation.  These people are not saved as we are only saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Comments

[Amy]

EXCELLENT post.

[mbhunter]

Thank you FMF.

[Terri W.]

Financial Rounds had an interesting post not too long ago about insurance companies starting to target the "religious market" -- they apparently have crunched the numbers and decided that religious people are good risks.

Anyhow, he notes that one of the most popular features of their policies is their promise to continue your tithe for you if you are disabled in an accident.

[Huh. Apparently I can't post an html link in your comments -- the post is at http://financialrounds.blogspot.com/2006/01/insurers-find-religion-from-wsj.html ]

[pao2310]

I cant tithe and at the same time save for retirement and an "emergency fund". Should I tithe before I put money into my savings?

[tsumami]

First of all tithing was an ordinance created by God for the 11 tribes of Israel to take care of the Levite Tribe. The Levite Tribe had the responsibility to do service in the temple and they could not have any kind of a business. This is why the other 11 tribes had to support the Levites. At that time in the Old Testament, there was a storehouse. The 11 tribes gave 10% of everything they had. Today, the church is not that storehouse. There is no carry over of this ordinance because the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has done away with the temple worship and the New Testament points the believer towards the idea of giving offerings which are to be done by a free will. Ordinances were under the law and the age of grace does away with ordinances. The tithe was given to the Nation of Israel and not to the church(the Body of Christ). Very few believers teach this concept because many of the leaders do not rightly divide the word of God for the people. Many leaders find it very economically sound to push the tithe on the people for the love of you know what(money). Go to the the book and everything I have said is there. Be truthful to the people and the Lord will be pleased.

[FMF]

So, are you saying that people should only give as they feel led? What standard is that? Should New Testament Christians give more or less than the tithe? What about Jesus' thoughts in Mt. 23:23? Lots of unanswered questions here.

As I've said in other posts/comments, if someone says that tithing is not for New Testament believers but advocates that Christians should use the tithe (10%) as their starting point for giving, I'm ok with that as well. The reasoning is that the tithe (in effect) does still end up being paid.

What I'm not ok with is Christians who use the "freedom" of the New testament to give LESS than 10%. They are simply beeing stingy and robbing God. The New Testament calls us to a HIGHER calling (see Mt. 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-48) than the Old. As such, tithing should be a starting place for Christians.

[Jose]

We must tithe no less than the 10% then we have to give offerings from the 90%. Tithe is a covenant sign an belongs to God. Offerings is for abundance (generosity)what we sow we'll reap

[tarits]

i agree with tsunami:
"Christians should use the tithe (10%) as their starting point for giving"
i allot more than 10% of my income to giving for God's/kingdom work...so it's not really a tithe anymore. note that I did not specify church. while my home church does get the bulk of my offerings, I belive that giving support to missionaries, campus ministries, etc. is a way of tithing too.

[Andy]

I think it worth noting that in Malachi 3:8 it points out that not paying tithing or offerings is akin to robbing God. And one of the 10 Commandments is "Thou shalt not steal." God is our financial partner in life and all He has asked of us is 10% of what He helped us earn. And when you treat God fairly and give Him His 10%, He blesses us further. You will never find a business partner that will offer you such a great deal!

One person here asked if they should pay their tithing instead of saving for retirement and putting money into an emergency fund. I would say "No!" Pay your tithing AND put money in retirement and your emergency fund. Only 90% of your income is yours to keep. 10% is God's. Don't spend God's money - spend yours. Pay your tithing, pay yourself and then pay your bills and expenses and watch how God will bless you for your faithfulness. Just remember that tithing isn't paid with money ... it's paid with faith.

One thing that I love about my church is that each year we meet with our Bishop for tithing settlement where we get to declare whether or not we are a "full-tithe payer." In Matthew 5:48, Jesus tells us to be perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect. I am inperfect in a lot of ways. But each year I have the opportunity to say that I am perfect in one way - I am a full-tithe payer.

Lastly, don't forget the offerings. Sometimes we serve as God's angels to others and the paying of offerings to help the needy is one way that happens. Give what you can give when you can give it. Sometimes it is money. Sometimes it is labor. Sometimes it is simply love and understanding.

[Joshua]

Im curious, how do you guys feel about tithing to a non-Christian organization which does the work of the Lord by helping others. I gave half of my yearly tithe to my church back home (currently deployed military) which will be used in a Sudan relief effort via UMCOR. I would like to give the other half to International Medical Corps, which is a non-Christian aid organization which provides emergency health care around the world. I am satisfied that they will use the money as efficiently as possible and they have some endorsments to back that up. I cant say that about a lot of churches I have attended. I am often afraid my money will go to purchasing a new espresso machine or a jungle gym for the kids. Any thoughts?

[FMF]

Joshua --

That's an EXCELLENT question -- one I've been meaning to write about (it's on my list.)

If I were you, I'd try and find a parachurch Christian organization like Samaritan's Purse, World Vision, or Compassion which does what you want (helps those in need efficiently) but also does it in the name of Christ (something I sense you're looking for as well.)

[Joshua]

Wow, quick response! I went ahead and got on UMCOR's web site and learned that 100% of donations go to the program listed since administrative costs are obtained through a separate channel, and that they also provide medical relief similar to IMC. I went ahead and made my donation to the administrative channel because I think its great that they can make the 100% guarantee for first time givers, or people not quite sure where there money is going. For someone like myself who has a little better understanding of the organization, I have no problem funding administrative costs. Also, any spillover from this fund goes to the programs with the highest need. It feels great to give, especially since I am giving for the whole year all at once. The bigger amount makes it more fun! Thanks for the advice.

[Stefenie]

I am happy to tithe. I even am excited to tithe, it makes me feel good. But, I just have one question...I know that you give 10% of your earnings to God...first...and then He will bless the other 90% but do you think it counts if on Friday you get paid and you write your check for your tithe and don't go to church until sunday to place it in the offering bucket but in the meantime you need to pay your bills or go grocery shopping or something like that? I am confused...

[FMF]

Stefenie --

Yes, I think that's fine.

[John]

I have one question: If you are not apart of a local congregation or are not saved, does God still accept you tithing and should churches accept you tithing?

[FMF]

John --

That's actually more than one question. :-)

I'm not sure what you mean. Can you clarify your questions?

[Michelle]

I'm curious to know if I should give a tithe from my income tax return or just an offering? It isn't earned so I wasn't sure about that.

[FMF]

Michelle --

Since you've already tithed on this money (the gross salary you earned, then paid taxes from it), you don't need to tithe on a tax return, IMO.

[aliceajoannalake]

what about Deuteronomy 16:13-15?Is that included in the tithe in the book of Malachi ?And what about the tithe of Deuteronomy 14:22-27?Is this tithe included in the tithe Malachi teaches?And of course what about the Levi ? And what about Deuteronomy14:27-29?Do these tithes apply to believers in YESHUA?And are all these tithes the tithes that the prophet Malachi is teaching ? Is that why the prophet uses the plural tithes instead of tithe?Peace be to your house.