How To Tithe?

[Tea]

We are encouraged to tithe 10% of our gross income to the church, and in most cases it’s left up to leadership where that money goes. Most pastors will often say, “God owns all that you have, so give 10% back to Him.” Well, I certainly agree that God owns all that I have, but shouldn’t it be up to the individual as to how we give it back?

It is definitely a good thing when a church donates to foreign missionaries around the world. But would it be wrong for the individual to donate 5% to the church and the other 5% directly to a missionary of his or her choosing instead of the church acting on our behalf? What about giving 4% to the church, 3% to a missionary, and 3% to a brother or sister in need?

 

[Ascetic X]

I donate to Moody Media as an endurance partner with Erwin Lutzer’s Running To Win ministry, to Chip Ingram’s Living On the Edge ministry, to whatever church I attend, and sometimes to local Christian charities. My giving does not all go to a church.

 

[Scarlett O.]

"The Lord loves a cheerful giver."

I tithe because I want to. If others don't, that's no skin off my nose. As for my church, the leadership does not decide where money is spent. We have a once-a-month business meeting where all are involved. And a once-year meeting where various groups and committees make recomendations where the money goes.

Wherever a Christian gives their offerings, to the church, to charities, to missionaries, or to homeless shelters,.....

The MAIN thing is to have a heart for God in the giving, pray over the money that God will use it, be eager and happy to do it. If given in resentment, you might as well burn it.

 

[Ben1445]

We are encouraged to tithe 10% of our gross income to the church, and in most cases it’s left up to leadership where that money goes. Most pastors will often say, “God owns all that you have, so give 10% back to Him.” Well, I certainly agree that God owns all that I have, but shouldn’t it be up to the individual as to how we give it back?

It is definitely a good thing when a church donates to foreign missionaries around the world. But would it be wrong for the individual to donate 5% to the church and the other 5% directly to a missionary of his or her choosing instead of the church acting on our behalf? What about giving 4% to the church, 3% to a missionary, and 3% to a brother or sister in need?

Galatians 6:6
Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

When you know what this means, it helps put everything in perspective.

 

[Kai]

I do not believe that New Testament Christians are bound to a legalistic system that requires a fixed percentage for our giving, as was the practice in the Old Testament. However, if one wants to go by the 10% tithe as an instruction in righteousness, I don't see a problem with that; it can be a good starting benchmark if one isn't sure how much to give.

I think that if one has decided to give back 10% of their income back to God, then there are different ways to do that. Of course, we should be supporting our local ministry and its leaders financially, but I would be somewhat suspicious about the motivations of a pastor who might say that your 10% absolutely must to be donated directly to the local church every week—no exceptions.

 

[Salty]

I agree with the K-man! I do not tithe.
Though I think 10% is a good benchmark.
For some - 10% may be way too little.

How about this.
lets say a single parent (gets no child support) depends
completely on govt assistance - say, SSDI, Food, stamps, welfare
Should that parent be giving a portion to their church - as 100% came from the govt.

 

[Kai]

How about this.
lets say a single parent (gets no child support) depends
completely on govt assistance - say, SSDI, Food, stamps, welfare
Should that parent be giving a portion to their church - as 100% came from the govt.

That's an interesting question.

You might view the tithe in the Old Testament's Levitical Priesthood system as a form of taxation for the nation of Israel. Once collected, these funds enabled the community to support struggling Israelites—essentially functioning as a social safety net. Since Scripture doesn't explicitly require impoverished Israelites to tithe from the assistance they received, I don't think one can make a case for it, nor should that be the expectation.

That said, I will add this: If someone on welfare finds themselves with extra money at month's end—funds they'd otherwise spend on luxuries rather than necessities—choosing to donate that surplus to their local church instead could be a meaningful choice.

 

[Ben1445]

I would say that honoring the Lord with the first fruits of our increase is the right approach and will never be overlooked.
Is welfare an increase of the individual’s goods? I think it reasonable to return to God what He has given to us. It is not because He needs it. WE need it. We need to remind ourselves that God has given us our increase. We honor Him by returning it to Him.

1 Corinthians 4:7
For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

James 1:17-18
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.


But how can we exemplify the first fruits of His creation if we don’t give Him the first fruits of all that we have?

I’ve never heard of anyone who decided to give a certain amount to God and then regretted it. I have heard of people who gave because they thought that they were doing to double their money. That is not giving. That is loaning and expecting usury. At the very least, we owe God usury and not the other way around.
Tithing predates the Law. It is a well recognized standard. I never saw a place where God’s people were doing right and God said, “ Well, actually I don’t want a tithe, because that is a religious construct.”
The last time I saw, the tithe is a biblical standard. Discuss it how you like. But give the Lord what is due Him with a grateful and cheerful heart. If God con give you what He did the first time, could He not do it again and again?

But maybe the real problem is that people are getting their help from the government and so they pay tithes to the government but not God. Now that would be telling.

 

[atpollard]

How about this.
lets say a single parent (gets no child support) depends
completely on govt assistance - say, SSDI, Food, stamps, welfare
Should that parent be giving a portion to their church - as 100% came from the govt.

My Mother-in-Law was something of an expert on this and offered valuable insight [she currently resides with our Lord patiently waiting for us to join her].

She would tell the story of being abandoned with 4 children and having nowhere near enough money to cover her expenses for the week (one did not have the luxury of planning by the month when one literally has outdoor plumbing in the late 20th century). People would argue with her for "wasting" $5 on tithing when you only had $50 for groceries and any expenses that came up. She would explain to them that $50 was not enough to feed and clothe 4 children, so she needed $45 and God's help a lot more than that extra $5.

She would go on to tell how God blessed her and she received raises and promotions and continued to faithfully give the 10% like she always had. However, she explains that something strange happened. It was a lot easier to give $5 of $50 (because you knew you needed God far more than $5) than it was to give $500 out of $5000. Suddenly, her tithe felt like "real money".

Isn't that the truth of it, though. When we are in NEED, our focus is on God and things are so clear and easy. When we have PLENTY ... well, that old nature never completely disappears 100% does it?

"Did God really say ...?"
Famous last words.
How did that turn out for Adam and Eve?
But, of course, things will be different for us ...

 

[Ben1445]

well, that old nature never completely disappears 100% does it?

I don’t doubt that you know this but I couldn’t leave such a melancholy statement as it was.
I’m happy to say that never is the wrong word. Has not yet completely disappeared is the way to say it.
We shall all be changed.
So in answer to that rhetorical question, yes that old nature does disappear. That is our expectation, the desire the Christian looks forward to.

 

[Mike B]

If a pastor is "requiring" all church members to tithe 10%, then they are not consistent with Paul's
writings in speaking to the NT church at Corinth.

2 Corinthians Chapter 9 addresses this, and a couple of verses in particular:

6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully
shall reap also bountifully.

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.

Verse 7 is quite clear that we are to give as "he purposeth in his heart", and not because we are
required, or forced to. Paul is exhorting us to "soweth bountifully", however a percentage or
specific amount is not required, nor should it be demanded, in the NT church.

I once visited a service at an IFB church in Tennessee, and they had a wooden box at the back of the
church, with it being marked: "Give as you are able". No collections during the service, and the members
simply dropped their envelopes into the box.

 

[Kai]

Is welfare an increase of the individual’s goods?

When you think about it, any assistance from welfare programs essentially comes from someone else's hard work and earnings. I'm struggling to find any biblical examples where someone took a portion of what another person had worked for and then gave that to the Lord as an offering. In Scripture, it was consistently the fruits of a person's own labor that were offered up.

Tithing predates the Law.

You're absolutely right! Like I said before, if someone feels inspired to follow the giving practices of Abraham and Jacob, I think that's wonderful. Just remember though—neither of them actually received a direct command from God to give a tithe. Everything they gave came from their own hearts and choices, making it completely voluntary.

 

[Kai]

I once visited a service at an IFB church in Tennessee, and they had a wooden box at the back of the
church, with it being marked: "Give as you are able". No collections during the service, and the members
simply dropped their envelopes into the box.

My church does it this way.

I've consistently donated in cash because I prefer to keep my financial giving private and avoid creating an electronic trail that others might access. I understand the tax benefits, but I'm willing to skip any potential deductions to maintain my privacy.

I've never been comfortable with the traditional collection plate either. To me, it feels like a public display of giving that puts people on the spot, and it can come across as subtle pressure to contribute rather than genuine voluntary giving.

 

[Foxmeister]

My church does it this way.

I've consistently donated in cash because I prefer to keep my financial giving private and avoid creating an electronic trail that others might access. I understand the tax benefits, but I'm willing to skip any potential deductions to maintain my privacy.

I've never been comfortable with the traditional collection plate either. To me, it feels like a public display of giving that puts people on the spot, and it can come across as subtle pressure to contribute rather than genuine voluntary giving.

I have never claimed what I tithe on my taxes. Tithing and then expecting to get some of it back on your tax return, seemed hypocritical.

 

[Kai]

I have never claimed what I tithe on my taxes. Tithing and then expecting to get some of it back on your tax return, seemed hypocritical.

Exactly! It defeats the purpose of sacrificial giving if you’re expecting to get some of it back.

 

[Ben1445]

When you think about it, any assistance from welfare programs essentially comes from someone else's hard work and earnings. I'm struggling to find any biblical examples where someone took a portion of what another person had worked for and then gave that to the Lord as an offering. In Scripture, it was consistently the fruits of a person's own labor that were offered up.

Are we not bought and paid for ourselves? Does that give us license to retain ourselves and not give ourselves to God?

The only way that a person can say that God has not given them something is if they are unthankful and refuse to recognize the hand of the Lord.

In such cases, I would not expect the meager living gathered by them to supply their needs. Ungrateful people never have enough even when they do. But the benefit they receive is God giving rain to the unjust as well as the just.

If you think that because someone else gave it to you that God has nothing to do with it, you are mistaken.

If someone else gives you something then God has no authority over it, or God doesn’t deserve any of it is to not know how God works.
When the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just, it is not the wicked looking for the righteous to make his beneficiary. God is the one who is handling those details.

Increase that someone else worked for? No time and effort was put into it by you? It should be that much easier to give some back to God. He has more claim to it than we who receive what we have done nothing to earn.

You're absolutely right! Like I said before, if someone feels inspired to follow the giving practices of Abraham and Jacob, I think that's wonderful. Just remember though—neither of them actually received a direct command from God to give a tithe. Everything they gave came from their own hearts and choices, making it completely voluntary.

It’s funny how everyone has the tenth part on their hearts before the Law. I wonder where that idea comes from?

 

[atpollard]

It is amusing that the focus always immediately turns to 10% of your money.
Wait till we see the balance sheet on owed vs paid for 10% of our time … for 10% of our talent …

(or does only our money come from God?)
[just a little humor for those that place too high an emphasis on “10%” … as if it was a God Tax.]

 

[Kai]

If you think that because someone else gave it to you that God has nothing to do with it, you are mistaken.

It's worth considering that there's actually a meaningful distinction between national socialism and the kind of welfare that Scripture endorses for His covenant people.

In the Old Testament, livestock that the Israelites gathered could be shared among fellow Jews who were poor and struggling. In the New Testament, funds collected by the Church could be shared among fellow Christians who were in need.

Since government has stepped in to fill that role, most churches today don't offer much in the way of financial support anymore, and when they do, it's typically just a one-time helping hand.

And since many people living on fixed incomes have to stretch every dollar, wouldn't it make more sense for them to hold onto what they need rather than risk becoming a burden on the church if they fall short on their bills?

It’s funny how everyone has the tenth part on their hearts before the Law. I wonder where that idea comes from?

Can you clarify what you mean?

 

[Ben1445]

It's worth considering that there's actually a meaningful distinction between national socialism and the kind of welfare that Scripture endorses for His covenant people.

Absolutely.

In the Old Testament, livestock that the Israelites gathered could be shared among fellow Jews who were poor and struggling. In the New Testament, funds collected by the Church could be shared among fellow Christians who were in need.

Since government has stepped in to fill that role, most churches today don't offer much in the way of financial support anymore, and when they do, it's typically just a one-time helping hand.

And since many people living on fixed incomes have to stretch every dollar, wouldn't it make more sense for them to hold onto what they need rather than risk becoming a burden on the church if they fall short on their bills?

Because if they recognize God and hold on to as much as they can it will help God supply their needs?

Can you clarify what you mean?

As I look at Scripture, the OT is there for our example.

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.


There is no reason to abandon the tithe unless you are begrudgingly giving. And I’m not on the soapbox for the tithe either. But a tithe is so little that it is not that much to give and it changes the way you look at life if you can give it cheerfully.

So why does Scripture keep bringing up the tithe? Because that is what God designed to be given in Scripture.

And for those who don’t like tithing and prefer “NT giving,” great. Let me know when you sell off your properties and give that as an offering. Don’t really let me know. I just want to point out that most “NT giving” advocates don’t actually give like the NT church did.

 

[Kai]

Because if they recognize God and hold on to as much as they can it will help God supply their needs?

I'm not suggesting people should keep excess beyond what they require, but when someone has precisely what they need and nothing more, it doesn't make sense for them to take on debt or seek assistance from their church if they've already given beyond their means.

There is no reason to abandon the tithe unless you are begrudgingly giving. And I’m not on the soapbox for the tithe either. But a tithe is so little that it is not that much to give and it changes the way you look at life if you can give it cheerfully.

I'm not suggesting you shouldn't aim to give at least a tithe, but I'm concerned that treating a tithe as the absolute bare minimum might create a legalistic standard.

The better example would be to look at Mark 12:43 and the poor widow putting all she had into the treasury, which provides us an example of what sacrificial giving looks like without needing to put fixed percentages in place. Obviously, she didn’t give very much, but it was 100% of what she had.