My church’s youth group is currently going through a series on generosity, and so the question of how much you should tithe has been on my mind. I think there are some questions we should all consider in our approach to tithing.
This is the first in a two-part series on giving. My goal in writing this is not to persuade of any particular point of view on the matter of tithes and offerings. Rather, I hope that meditating on the various points of discussion will ultimately help you to strengthen your belief in what is correct for you and why.
Should Christians Tithe
Any discussion on the matter of tithing must first address the elephant in the room. Tithing was a practice commanded by the Lord in establishing the nation of Israel. So, should Christians tithe the same way under the new covenant?
I grew up in a church that taught tithing. I have heard many Christian faith leaders teach this. But, it might surprise you to learn that this practice appears nowhere in the New Testament. None of the apostles instructed us to tithe. Acts contains no reflections of it.
Instead, giving in the New Testament is shown only as a voluntary act. Acts 2:44-46 says ‘And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.’
Jesus does mention tithing in Luke 18:9-14 and in Matthew 23:23. But, in both cases, he condemns the person tithing (not the act) because of their self-righteous attitude toward the letter of the law. Do I exhibit the same unearned air of accomplishment when I give?
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Paul goes so far as to write that each of us should give what we have decided in our heart, not under compulsion or with reluctance, but cheerfully and generously.
Indeed, the ante-Nicene church fathers did not commonly uphold tithing. Tertullian wrote that there is no purchase price in Christianity, only donation. Origen wrote in his Homilies on Numbers that he did not tithe at all. Irenaeus pointed out that Christ did not instruct his followers to tithe. And, The Didascalia Apostolorum explicitly teaches that we are not obligated to tithe.
Tithe on Gross or Net
Perhaps it is a cultural impression that has been left on me, but I’ve always been taught and understood that Christians should tithe to their churches. The discussion was only about whether we should tithe on gross or net income.
Many pastors pull from Malachi 3:10 when teaching about tithing. “Bring the full tithe 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 windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
Admittedly, I can see support for both views using the agrarian context in which the commandment to tithe was given. The Jewish tithe did not account for the gleanings, the corners of the fields which they were commanded to leave for charity. They tithed on what they collected. So, that could be interpreted as a net income view.
But, at the same time, the very notion of using one’s first fruits or firstlings to tithe implies a certain ambiguity. You’d be trusting God to ensure that the rest of your animals and produce would follow the trend. But, it may not. So, the ten percent you gave might not be in line with what you actually took home.
Regardless, it’s wrong to assume that there was a homogenous view toward tithing in Jewish culture. This article details the complex reality. The bottom line is that they didn’t all agree. So, don’t expect Christians to.
Tithing Calculator
A tithe is ten percent. If you want a tithing calculator to determine the amount, then this one works great. I am a bit curious how many people really use it, though. Is it more of a tongue-in-cheek way for the church to show how easy it is? I don’t know.
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