Theological Thoughts on Tithing (part 3)


"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." (Pro 11:24)
The past three months we’ve studied four different themes of what the Bible teaches us about tithing: Commandment, memorial, stewardship and worship. In summary, we’ve learned that tithing is a regular, ongoing Christian practice that strengthens our relationship with God and deepens our walk of faith. I conclude the series this month with my own reflections on Frequently Asked Questions about tithing.
Elder Mike Ruff
FAQs about Tithing
  1. The Bible says “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7), so isn’t the most important thing about giving how I feel in my heart versus how much I give?
This is a great example of a warning my Hermeneutics professor gave in class: “A text without a context is a pretext to a proof text.” What he meant was that when studying Scripture, we need to be very careful to learn biblical truth by studying a whole passage versus one abbreviated text. Including the verses before and after in this passage, we read: 
"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Cor 9:6-8).
The whole passage helps us to see that we reap what we sow. The amount does matter, and the amount that God has prescribed is a tenth of our income. If you are feeling resentful about tithing, God is calling you to repent in your heart.
  1. Giving 10% to the church is really going to hurt my finances and I just can’t afford to do that right now. Does God really expect me to go broke?
There is an aspect of obedience that is progress, not perfection. Perhaps you can’t pay all of your bills right now if you start to tithe. But the commandment is still there, so you know that God wants you to move in that direction. My counsel would be to set a goal—say one year from now—that you will be tithing on your income. Then make adjustments every month to get there. Learn to be content with less. It may seem right now that you can’t afford to tithe…but on the on the other hand, given all the Bible teaches about tithing, in the long run you can’t afford not to tithe.
  1. Should I tithe on my gross income, or only the part that I bring home?
When Christ was asked about paying taxes, He said: “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt 22:21). When I start the formula for paying taxes to the government, I always start with my gross income, so why would I use anything less to calculate my tithe to God?
  1. Should my tithe only go to the church, or can I divide my tithe to support other ministries?
For two reasons, I believe the Bible teaches we should give our tithes to the church, and support of other ministries should be above and beyond our tithe. First, the Old Testament always speaks about tithing/first fruits in the context of being given to the temple, or support systems for the temple. This principle directly translates to your local church. Second, the New Testament model of the Antiochian church is that the church was the focal point for sending our missionaries, and thus needed the tithes of its members to support them. Neither of these reasons preclude giving to ministries outside your church, but I think those contributions should be above and beyond your tithe to your local church.
  1. How can I teach my kids to tithe?
This is a great application of Deuteronomy 6:7: "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Talk to your kids early and often about tithing. Show them how much money you earn and how that translates to the tithe check you put in the offering. Say things like “Our money all belongs to God and we am blessed to give Him 10% back.” “God gave me this job to earn money to give us a home and food, so I want to thank Him and worship Him by giving my tithe.” When you give your kids allowance (hopefully for doing chores), give them change that allows them to put a tithe in the offering. Later, when they have jobs outside the home, help to loving hold them accountable to continue their practice of tithing. For parents, this takes diligence, but rest assured that God will help your next generation reap the benefits of faithful tithing.

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