Tithing?

To Tithe Or Not To Tithe

Q. I am enjoying your articles on GraceThruFaith, however, I have a question about New Testament tithing. Where in any of the NT epistles (not the Gospels) is the NT believer told specifically to “tithe”? (giving 10% of gross income).

My husband and I do not “tithe”, but we give “what God purposes in our hearts to give” and we give 100% of that. I believe giving has nothing to do with “how much”, but has everything to do with the heart of the giver.

A. Thanks for writing. Every now and then I receive letters that argue against tithing from people who don’t tithe, but I’ve never received one from someone who does. People who’ve developed the habit of tithing out of gratitude for what the Lord has done for them always seem to be looking for ways to give more, not less. They understand that tithing is not a goal, it’s a minimum standard. The Lord says that he’ll give to us in proportion to how we give to Him (Luke 6:38).

People who experience the joy of giving beyond the minimum soon learn that the more they give, the more blessed they become, (as long as they don’t fall into the trap of giving with the expectation of receiving, which isn’t really giving after all). I know of many who have experienced the promise of 2 Cor. 9:11, “you’ll be made rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion” by making generous giving the number one priority of their lives. They learn that you can’t out give God, and will always wind up ahead of the game.

So I’m willing to be held accountable for my teaching on tithing, and wouldn’t think of discontinuing the practice personally. By the way, in all my years of ministry, I ‘ve never asked for a dime, so don’t get the mistaken idea that I teach tithing as a way to increase contributions to the ministry. I truly believe that done with the proper motive, tithing is the antidote for greed and the remedy for every financial problem.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

Tithe

Where To Tithe?

Q. Do we have to tithe only to the local church and then its up to the leaders to distribute the money accordingly? A pastor said we are not to give to different places but to the local church and then its the leaders who decide where it goes as far as meeting the needs of the church? His support for this view was based on Paul did when he took the money given in Corinth to help the church in Jerusalem.

A. Paul was asking for a special offering to help the churches that were suffering. He was not asking for their tithe. And Paul was a visiting preacher, not the pastor of the local congregation. So it’s apples and oranges on two counts.

There’s no Biblical mandate for tithing exclusively to one’s own church, but members of a local congregation should ideally be supportive of their leader’s program and be happy to contribute a major portion of their tithes and offerings to it. If the Lord leads them to also give to a particular ministry, that’s between them and Him.

Tithes And Offerings

Q. Is there a difference between tithing and offerings? I am of the opinion that any giving to the Lord, either donations to the church or offerings to children’s orphanages , providing Bibles (Bible League for instance), or giving to missions that are spreading the word are the essence of tithing.

A. The word tithe specifically refers to the tenth of our increase that belongs to the Lord. Many people give all their contributions to their local church for distribution, but it’s not required that we do so. You can use tithe money in all the ways you’ve described, allocating it as you see fit. Once you’ve paid your tithe, anything you give above and beyond that is called a gift or a voluntary offering.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com