Too tithe or not too tithe
One of the common questions I have been asked as the UK Financial director and as a pastor is do I have to tithe. Usually the premise of someone’s argument to not tithe is that we are new testament/ covenant Christians and tithing is an Old Testament rule so we don’t need to do it.
In Genesis 14 ; 18-20 Abram gave a tithe to Melchizedek, this was long before the laws were given to Moses. As was Jacob’s tithe to God after his dream at Bethel in Genesis 28. Tithing starts before the law and so we can’t argue that it is a law we can ignore.
What does Jesus say? Matthew 6 we see Jesus saying when you give, when you pray, when you fast. His expectation was that these would be part of the practices of our lives. His instructions pull us away from doing them for show, or to prove to ourselves or others how spiritual we are but to do them as part of our walk with God and honour of God.
Luke 11 v 42 and Matthew 23 v 33 Jesus critises the pharisees for tithing and neglecting justice and mercy. He’s not abolishing tithing but expecting us to have an attitude of compassion not religious duty.
Jesus has an interesting attitude to money – he sees that for some it has such a hold on their hearts that it is something that they need to completely give away, such as the rich young ruler in Matthew 19 v 21. In Luke 16 v 10,11 Jesus says,
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches”
The truth is that if we can’t steward money well then we can’t be trusted with true riches. Stewardship of money certainly involves our attitude to giving.
In Acts we see the early Christians start by sharing everything in common. The sobering story of Ananais and Sapphira in Acts 5 reminds us to be honest before God about what we are giving. By the time Paul was writing to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthains 9 -it would seem they weren’t sharing everything in common but rather an offering was being taken to help those in need. Paul encourages the Corinthians to be generous,
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthains 9 v 6
It would seem that in the NT there is no limit on giving -the expectation is that we would be doing it, and both Jesus and Paul (and the other disciples/ apostles) would have been used to tithing and offering.
The question would seem to be not how much should we give but how little should we keep? Tithing is a start not the limit, and who do we tithe too –
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3 v 10
The storehouse was part of the temple used to store the tithes, in the New Testament this would be the church, who is to use it to not just support the church but to help those in need.
Personally, I have practiced tithing since I was a young Christian. Finding wisdom from an older Christian who said if I didn’t learn to give on a little I’d never learn to give on a lot. Tithing for me is the start of giving, and I give it to the church. Over the years I have increased this and given regularly to charities and people, giving out of the generosity God gives to me.
I have noticed that those who question tithing often struggle with giving, but generosity is definitely part of becoming more like Jesus. A tithe feels like the start of giving not the end. If this is something you find difficult, then maybe it’s time to ask the deeper questions about the view of God as a provider, to ask what lies you might be believing that are stopping you being generous. In fact, maybe it’s time for a Financial Sozo!
Proverbs 22v 9 – “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
