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WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT TITHING ?

Biblical Principles For Christian Stewardship

By The Rev. Canon Thomas J. Furrer

In many of our stewardship testimonies and sermons, we talk about tithing as the biblical norm. But wedont always explain it very well. The following is a brief summary of what the Bible teaches about

giving for the work of Gods kingdom.

What is tithing?

Tithing means giving one tenth (10%) of ones income to Gods work in and through the ministries of

the Church and related ministry organizations. This might include giving to a local congregation, to

missionary-sending organizations, to organizations which administer humanitarian aid in the name ofChrist, or any organization which seeks to proclaim and demonstrate Gods love in some tangible way. It

could also include private and personal acts of mercy to hurting people in the name of Christ.

Where does the idea of tithing come from ?

Tithing is a practice consistently taught throughout the Bible. Here are a few examples from the Old

Testament:

Genesis 14:1-20 Abraham gives a tithe to Melchizedech Priest of the Most High God in gratitude for

Melchizidechs blessing and Gods protection of him and his relatives after having been attacked by other

tribes and winning the battle.

Genesis 28: 10 22 God appears to Jacob in a vision of the ladder to heaven and reaffirms the Covenant

that God had previously made with Abraham: the promise of land, descendants and protection. Ingratitude for Gods gift, Jacob promises to give back a tithe to God: out of all that you have given me, I

will give a tenth to thee.

Leviticus 27: 30-34 After the descendants of Jacob have settled in the land, God reminds the people ofthe promise made by Jacob to give back a tenth: All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land

or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lords; it is holy to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 26: 1-14 God commands people to give the first fruits of the crops and livestock thetithe of your produce to support the temple worship and to feed the poor, widows and orphans.

Malachi 3: 8-10 God, through the prophet, upbraids the people of Israel for robbing the Lord. Theyask How are we robbing thee? Gods answer:In your tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse

for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may

be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the window

of heaven and pour out an overflowing blessing.

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What about the New Testament ?

The New Testament says very little about tithing, but assumes its continuing relevance and validity. Aswith almost every other Old Testament moral and spiritual teaching, Jesus affirms the original but adds a

higher demand. He reaffirms the moral principles of the Old Testament law but warns against hypocrisy

and encourages us to go deeper than mere outward conformity.Matthew 23: 33 In this passage, Jesus is criticizing the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and hardness ofheart. He says that its not enough simply to tithe. We should also be concerned with the weightier

demands of the law: justice, mercy and good works. He exhorts his followers to be concerned with all

of the above while continuing to tithe.

Matthew 6: 1-4 Jesus affirms the moral obligation to give alms (which is one of the main purposes of

tithing in Old Testament practice as seen in Deuteronomy 26: 1-14). He assumes that his followers will

continue doing this but exhorts us to do it in a way that does not call attention to your own generosity.

2 Corinthians 8: 1-15 and 9: 6-8 St. Paul gives us the most extensive teaching in the entire Bible ongiving. The context is famine relief. He is taking a collection from all of the churches that he founded

to help the saints in Jerusalem who are starving.

Here are his main points:

1) Giving flows from a personal dedication to the Lord (2 Cor. 8: 1-5)For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free

willbut first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

2) Giving should be proportionate to your means ( 2 Cor. 8: 12-14)your abundance at the present time should supply their want.

3) Giving should be cheerful in gratitude for all that God has given us (2 Cor. 9: 6-7)Each one must do as he has made up his mind to do, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God

loves a cheerful giver.

4) God will provide for our needs to do Gods work ( 2 Cor. 9:8) And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have

enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.

Conclusion. The main points of the Old and New Testaments on tithing are these three:

1) An Expression of Gratitude Tithing should be an expression of our gratitude for all the goodthings God has provided for us. We have been blessed by God and we are passing the blessing on

to others.

2) A Means of Advancing the Kingdom Of God Tithing should be given to advance the work ofGods kingdom on earth in worship, proclamation, missionary outreach and works of mercy.

3) God Will Provide For Our Needs Tithing is expected by God as an expression of ourappropriate gratitude. God blesses those who give sacrificially and provides for our needs so that

we may continue to be a blessing to other people. Sometimes God blesses us with material

blessings; sometimes in other ways. We are called to extend the material, spiritual and personalblessing to others generously. When we give generously, we receive generously.