The Truth About Tithing

It’s true, God loves a cheerful giver — this coming from the Ultimate Giver. Giving to God’s work is intended to be a joy, a blessing. But in some Christian circles, tithing evokes a sense of legalistic compliance. The Old Testament commands on tithing included multiple tithes that some scholars say would be about 25 percent, not just ten.

Nowhere does the New Testament prescribe a 10 percent tithe. Rather, every Christian should give generously and joyously and not grudgingly or under compulsion. Although, this writer thinks 10 percent is a great starting place.

After preaching a sermon on tithing, a deacon related the account of his childhood friend who left the small, tight-knit agrarian comminuty to graduate college and became very comfortably rich as a successful business man. The deacon and friend nurtured an unusual ongoing deep relationship that began as first-graders and church-goers. They renewed that relationship as the years progressed when the friend came home for family visits.

That relationship was strained at a high school reunion when the deacon asked the business man if he was still a faithful tither to his church. The man said, “I just make too much money to tithe.”

The deacon replied, “Well, I guess we can pray that God will reduce your income so you can afford to get back to tithing.”

(BOOM! There’s a mic drop for ya.)

1 Corinthians 16:2 teaches that God’s children should support His work as a reflection of how much God has blessed us. Since God has blessed us immeasurably, we ought to reciprocate as fully as possible. I rather think that dutiful legalistic tithing bears virtually no blessings, if any at all. Giving to God’s work is not about how much is given but rather *how* it is given, which should reflect a joyful attitude for the privilege of worshiping God and supporting the Church.

If you want to refresh your perspective on giving back to God from the substance He has given you, the read all 15 verses of 2 Corinthians 9. There you will read “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Norm Miller can be contacted at communications@montanacc.edu