How To Tithe?

[Ben1445]

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.

The widow of Zaraphath was told to give beyond her means. God took care of her.

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.

That is 100% which is much more than 10%.
Show me someone praised for giving less than a tithe.

Luke 11:42
But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.


Jesus told them that they should be tithing.


The question may be asked now as it was then, “Will a man rob God?”

Is there anything that actually belongs to us?

I’m not the defender of the tithe, but I can find no prohibition against it. So I must appear to be defending it.

Match the widows gift if you think you should. Give everything you have.

I’ve never met someone that I could say was actually against the idea of a tithe who understands how much we actually owe to God. There is Scriptural basis for giving back to God and doing it through your local church.
The folks that are against tithing have always been the ones who feel like they don’t need to give that much. And God can meet the needs of the poor preachers in those small churches anyway. It seems like the little churches are usually the ones who handle money better anyway. Guest speakers/missionaries usually say that the small churches with less means are the ones who give the most. Not just everything they are able, but the higher dollar amounts also.

 

[Salty]

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.

First - if you file taxes - using the standard deduction church giving will give you very little tax advantage.
Second - if you do claim the offering - on taxes - the extra refund you recieve - you can give right back to the Lord!

 

[Ben1445]

treating a tithe as the absolute bare minimum might create a legalistic standard.

It was established by God in the Bible. It was written into the Law. If anyone is guilty of creating a legalistic standard it would be God in the Law He gave. To decide in a Scrooge-like manner that you will only give the bare minimum is to live a legalistic standard. We are not responsible for the rules that people put on us as much as we are responsible for our own actions.

 

[Salty]

It was established by God in the Bible. It was written into the Law. If anyone is guilty of creating a legalistic standard it would be God in the Law He gave. To decide in a Scrooge-like manner that you will only give the bare minimum is to live a legalistic standard. We are not responsible for the rules that people put on us as much as we are responsible for our own actions.

But is that OT law valid for the NT?
Should we still be sacrificing a lamb once a year?

 

[Ascetic X]

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.

The church I now attend has a wooden donation box in a non-obvious spot outside the main sanctuary. I cannot recall anyone ever mentioning it. I had to ask an elder where it was.

 

[Ben1445]

But is that OT law valid for the NT?
Should we still be sacrificing a lamb once a year?

Has Jesus replaced giving?
Has Jesus replaced animal sacrifice?

I hope these two questions don’t appear to be equal.

 

[Salty]

Has Jesus replaced giving?
Has Jesus replaced animal sacrifice?

I hope these two questions don’t appear to be equal.

I'm asking you!

 

[Kai]

The widow of Zaraphath was told to give beyond her means. God took care of her.

I'm confident that this remains true in today's world.

That is 100% which is much more than 10%.
Show me someone praised for giving less than a tithe.

It's not about more or less. You only receive praise if you are giving generously, regardless of what that amount is.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

I'm not trying to make the excuse that we can be stingy with what they give. In fact, I think that most Christians who are giving cheerfully and generously and have the Holy Spirit working in them will discover after the fact that they have been giving at least a tenth the whole time. But when I see it becoming legalistic is when someone insists you verify your numbers and ensure they all total up in a very specific way.

Jesus told them that they should be tithing.

Absolutely! For those who followed the Mosaic Law and took on the responsibilities of the Levitical Priesthood, tithing was definitely a mandatory practice. However, Paul teaches us that we've been released from the constraints of the law and now live under the freedom of grace.

There is Scriptural basis for giving back to God and doing it through your local church.

Even if one wishes to go by 10% as a baseline, I still don't necessarily believe that whole amount has to go to a church. I'm a big believer in supporting the local ministry and its leaders, but we also have to consider how those funds are being allocated.

For example, if I think my church is being lax about creating new programs that can help the greater good of the community, I might reduce part of my giving and instead donate that portion to a charitable organization, or dare I say, even the local Catholic Diocese running food banks.

Either way, I've given back to God, and those less fortunate are being helped by my sacrificial generosity.

 

[JonC]

But is that OT law valid for the NT?
Should we still be sacrificing a lamb once a year?

The tithe under the Law is not applicable today. It was also not giving 10% of your income.

Under the Law there was more than one tithe (you would pay m7ch more than 10% of your income, this income being what you gained im money, crops, livestock, etc).

If we tithed as the Law commanded we would give (at least) 10% of our income to support the ministers and 10% of our income to the poor, and 10% to support the church congregation (celebrations).

Before the Law Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek. But this was not a tithe as we think of it. It was 10% of the spoils of war. Jacob vowed to give a tithe if God brought him safely back home. Again, not a tithe as we think of it. These were offerings of thanksgiving for specific events.


The thing is, Jesus fulfilled the Law. In Him we fulfill the Law. It is not about giving 10% of our income to God (or giving all the tithes commanded under the Law) but giving in joy because we have died with Christ and are His. All of our resources belong to God, the tithe pounting to what would be filled in Christ.

 

[Ben1445]

I'm asking you!

I don’t see where Jesus came and paid the temple tax to end all temple taxes, or gave so much to humanity that He negated the responsibility of the church to bear each other’s burdens.
Tell me if I missed something.

I do know that Jesus made the sacrifice that canceled any need for token sacrifices.

I don’t think giving is a token activity.


Edit:
And for those who don’t recognize the point or want to carry the idea of the temple tax further than I meant, no, I don’t pay a temple tax. I’m not advocating for sending money to the temple in Jerusalem.
I know I left that a bit open. I hope I have clarified a bit for the literalists.

 

[Ben1445]

But when I see it becoming legalistic is when someone insists you verify your numbers and ensure they all total up in a very specific way.

Here is one reason I would never give to the Catholic Church.

And have you talked to your pastor about reaching out into your community more?

Do you need to pay someone else to do your alms deeds (Catholic food pantry) or can you just meet the needs that God brings to you?

I’m a bit sorry if these sound too pointed or rude. They are intended only to be thought provoking questions. I’m not trying to pick a fight.

 

[Kai]

And have you talked to your pastor about reaching out into your community more?

I was being hypothetical. I think my church does a pretty good job of community outreach.

Do you need to pay someone else to do your alms deeds (Catholic food pantry) or can you just meet the needs that God brings to you?

Why can't you do both?

I'm not saying that I have ever donated to a Catholic charity, but would that be any different than donating to a non-religious organization as long as someone in need gets the help?

I’m a bit sorry if these sound too pointed or rude. They are intended only to be thought provoking questions. I’m not trying to pick a fight.

I think we can both agree that Christians ought to share their blessings generously and give abundantly.

What concerns me is how Protestants, and especially fundamentalist Baptists, have taught tithing in ways that actually discourage people from coming back. When folks get the impression that giving a certain amount is mandatory—like paying a membership fee they can't avoid—they're unlikely to return after their first visit. It's damaging to our reputation when the message isn't presented properly.