Tithing is an age-old concept that many Christians struggle with.
Opinions range from “not necessary” to strictly giving 10% of your monthly income no matter what – but what should Christians actually do?
Let’s check out what the Bible says!
Tithing in the Old Testament
The Old Testament is where the whole concept of tithing first came up.
God told the Israelites to give 10% of their crops and livestock to the temple or tabernacle:
30 A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
Leviticus 27:30, NIV
This was a law they had to follow, but it actually ended up being more than the 10% we’re used to!
The Old Testament Law called for more than just one tithe, including:
- 1 for the use of the temple and the feasts (Deuteronomy 16:10).
- 1 for the poor people in the land (Deuteronomy 14:29).
- 1 for the Levites (Numbers 18:26).
All these tithes added up to about 23.3%, and can be seen as a tax system to provide for the needs of the priests and Levites.
Israelites were blessed for their tithes
We’ll talk about God blessing “the cheerful giver” in a bit, but God blessed the Israelites for their tithes in the Old Testament:
10 “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 3:10, NIV
Context is important here, as God is referring to those under the covenant of Israel and not anybody that tithes.
The Bible never implies that those who tithe or donate to their church will become materially blessed.
Tithing is something that is supposed to come from our own free will, without expecting the “blessings” the Israelites got in the Old Testament.
And that brings us to the New Testament…
Tithing in the New Testament
Everything changed when Jesus came to Earth.
His death on the cross fulfilled the Law that was set in the Old Testament, and rules around things like tithing weren’t the same anymore.
A lot of the religious rulers we read about in the New Testament were overly-fixated on keeping with the Law, which Jesus disagreed with:
23 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Matthew 23:23, NIV
These teachers and Pharisees were applying the Law to every tiny detail – even adding mint, dill, and cumin in their tithes.
Jesus doesn’t rebuke them for their obedience to the Law, but rather for the extreme lengths they go to in following certain parts of it without others.
They missed the purpose of what Christian deeds were – not tithes, but loving others and showing faithfulness, as Jesus taught.
New guidelines on tithing
The New Testament doesn’t give us any specific numbers on how much we should tithe.
Instead:
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV
It’s now our own decision on how much to tithe – yet it’s clear that God encourages us to give to the poor, the church, etc.
Instead of taking a hard 10%, we should line it up with our income:
2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
1 Corinthians 16:2, NIV
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians emphasizes giving from the heart, not out of obligation but with joy and generosity.
So, what’s the verdict?
Tithing is something that we each need to think about individually while seeking God’s wisdom:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:5, NIV
Your individual circumstances will decide how much you give, but it should be done with a cheerful heart – not out of obligation.
Instead, your only motive with tithing should be to worship God, offering financial aid to furthering His kingdom on Earth.
Again, we should give with cheerful hearts, and seek wisdom through prayer when deciding if and how much to tithe.
Let us know your thoughts on this, and check out some our other articles:
FAQs
The New Testament has no official rules around tithing, but encourages us to “give with a cheerful heart” and in accordance with our income.
Some churches make tithing an obligation, which is not in line with what Jesus teaches. He wants us to give freely and cheerfully.
Christians may tithe what they’re able to, not out of obligation but to worship God. There is no set number required to tithe, neither is tithing required.