Bonus Feature to Follow Me (Part 3): Giving & Tithing

{Bonus Feature blog posts: Part 1 and Part 2}

I'm so excited to hear how so many of us are wrestling with what it really means to follow Jesus and aligning ourselves with God's revealed truth.  An area of constant struggle is giving, tithing, and money in general.  For this bonus feature (stuff that did not make the sermon) we'll discuss tithing, special offerings, giving to the church vs. giving through other channels.

Tithing is the biblical practice to give the first 10% of one's income to the Lord through the church.  In the OT this money was used to support the Levites who were the priests and who worked in the Temple (and therefore could not farm).  Some people argue that is not a New Testament command or practice; however, the biblical evidence supports the notion of not just a tithe but grace-based, radically generous giving for Christians.

• Actually in the Old Testament a Jew would end up giving around 25% of there income to God's work: the 10% for the Levites/Temple plus additional offerings to pay for the festivals and offerings to help the poor and aliens.


• The tithe started BEFORE the law was given in Exodus. The first tithe was given by Abraham to a priest in Genesis.


• Jesus actually mentioned that tithes should be given but not in a "legalistic" spirit. (Matthew 23:23)


• Special offerings were a part of the New Testament church (see 2 Cor. 8-9).  We also see people on their own giving generous gifts for the church leadership to distribute (see Acts 4:34-35).


• I Cor. 16:1-2 encourages giving on the first day of the week in relation to (in proportion to) one's income. This indicates some type of "percentage" based giving.


• Jesus never lowered an OT standard but raised the standard and encouraged people to keep the spirit of the law.  For example, no longer was adultery defined as just sex with someone other than your spouse, but Jesus said lust in your heart was also adultery.  He went on to say hatred for someone was akin to murder.  Paul seemed to apply this principle to giving when he commended churches for giving "more than [they] were able."

Based on these scriptural truths, here is where I think the safest place to land biblical on the issue of tithing:

• Tithing (10%) to your local church is the starting point for Christian giving.  It is clear scripturally that the local church is the primary (but not the only) "collection" point for funding God's work.


• Christians must constantly look for ways to be generous and sacrificial with the monies God has given them. This could take "giving" well beyond 10%.  This could also mean some money is given to individuals, families, or organizations besides the local church.


• Church members should participate in special offerings (above and beyond their regular giving) when the church unites to give sacrificially (see 2 Cor. 8-9).


• The "spirit" of the tithe principle is to trust God financially and be generous.  We must constantly look at how much we make and how much we give, asking "Am I trusting God or money?" and "Am I being generous based on God's grace to me?"

The following has proven helpful to me (this is from Andy Stanley) when thinking about giving:

• PRIORITY GIVING: give first right when you get paid to the church and other Christ-centered causes.  This indicates that God is first in your finances and invites Him (through obedience) into your financial matters.


• PERCENTAGE GIVING:  this helps make our giving consistent and intentional.  Again 10% is a good place to start and a reference point.


• PROGRESSIVE GIVING: we should seek to grow in giving like we grow in Bible knowledge or Christian understanding or as we grow as a spouse or parent.


• PROMPTED GIVING: God will prompt you to give as opportunities arise.  We should expect this, be prepared for it, and count it as a joy to be able to do so.  We can't foresee when our friends might need something or our church has special burden to do something more for Christ or when a disaster strikes and Christians need to respond.  The Holy Spirit will lead us to give in spontaneous ways.