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What Does the Bible Say About Tithing?
That’s a question I’ve been asking over the past year. I basically grew up with a “10% of all gross income goes in the offering plate” understanding of Christian giving… but that changed about a year ago, when I began to study the topic in earnest.
For instance, one thing that constantly trips up modern-day Christians is that we fail to remember that the Law given to Moses did not merely outline a religious system… it was a constitution establishing a nation’s government. Thus, we need not only to discern which laws were sacrificial in nature (as Christians, we hold that Jesus Christ is our atonement and makes all other sacrifices—and thus all laws requiring sacrifices—moot), but also whether certain laws were governmental or sacramental in nature. While this may be a simple process with the laws of a “secular” nation, it can get difficult when you’re dealing with a theocracy.
My studies keep drawing me to the same conclusion: God’s eternal Law of Love compels us to serve the poor, but the tithe laws were a form of taxation, and served as the welfare system for Ancient Israel. Thus, these laws only apply to those under the Old Covenant living in geographical Israel.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (which I wrote about recently) provides the framework for all God-glorifying giving, and serves as the “spirit of the law” regarding money, possessions and neighbors:
If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye [be evil toward] your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be [evil] when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
The tithes, while a sacrifice to the LORD, were arranged in such a way as to serve as the particular fulfillment of this command with regards to the Levites (as God forbade them from owning land, cf. Deut. 18:1-8), as well as other poor in the Israelites’ midst (Deut. 14:22-29). Additionally, not only here but also in Nehemiah’s time (after two months of working daily with wood, stone, etc. to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem), the reinstated tithe consisted solely of agricultural produce (Neh. 10:35-39).
Now when you begin to question the tithe, the knee-jerk response you often get is a quote from The Most Overused Tithe Verse In The Bible: “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.” Congratulations, you have now been labeled a God-robber! However, this is neither faithful exegesis nor Biblical correction. It’s simply propaganda and browbeating. To show you that this is the case, let me share the entire passage with you, and pay attention to what I emphasize:
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes 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. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:8-12, ESV)
Let me make it perfectly clear: the tithes were never about collecting money for the Temple. Tithing was the means by which a food bank was kept for the poor and needy in Israel.
There is only one passage in all of Scripture which speaks of money in relation to the tithe: Deuteronomy 14:22-29. However, the money is never actually given to the Levite. Rather, it is used only as a convenient form of transport for those who must travel a long distance. Once the tither arrives at Jerusalem, he is commanded to convert the money back into food, strong drink (beer), etc. and to consume these items with the Levite, sojourner, fatherless and widow (that is, those without such provision). And you know what? Jesus mentioned something much like this in Luke’s gospel:
[Jesus] said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12-14, ESV)
Never, all in Scripture, is a tithe used to pay building and maintenance expenses for a meeting-house or clergy. The tithe is food, and it’s used to feed people—period. Freewill offerings (and/or perhaps a modern-day equivalent to Nehemiah’s “temple tax”) are the only Biblically-approved source of income from which such things as Equipment Upgrades, Insurance, Janitorial Services, Payroll Expenses, Repairs and Maintenance, Utilities, Mortgages, etc. are to be paid.
In contrast to the Old Covenant system, Paul set aside any pastoral “right” to live off the ministry and instead worked additional jobs to provide for his own expenses. He reasoned that he stood to gain no heavenly reward from “simply” preaching the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:15) and must go out of his way to make it a completely free gift if he were to receive anything from the Father because of his work. However, if Paul were simply a “New Covenant priest” he would have been leading the churches into sin by causing them to break God’s Law which required a community to feed its Levites (again, Deut. 18:1-8). Thus, we can infer that Paul did not believe these laws were binding for ministers of the Gospel.
That being the case, a Christian pastor ought not presume to live off of the tithes of his people. If a tithe is requested of the congregation, then Biblically it needs to be food, and it needs to be distributed to people who need food. (Which is to say, faithful application of the tithe laws requires the establishment of a congregational food bank.) Beyond that, there is no Biblical requirement to “lay [any] money at the [pastors'] feet.” (It is certainly encouraged as the decent thing to do for a chap who has given his whole lives to serving you and yours spiritually… but it’s not required.) In and 4, the money laid at the apostles’ feet was “distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32-35). Likewise, the money collected on Paul’s behalf from the Church in Macedonia, Achaia, and Corinth was going directly to feed the Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering through a famine—not to line his personal “chariot fund.” And of course a meeting-house is nice, but depleting a collected tithe to fund it—or even to keep it lit and climate-controlled—is unbiblical.
So if I don’t think the tithe applies to us today, does that mean I can get away with not giving anything? God forbid! On the contrary, I believe Christians are to “sell [their] possessions, and give to the needy” (Luke 12:33), but are not bound by a 10-33% annual tithe to modern-day Levites per se. The sacrificial system is no longer binding, but I am still bound by the perfect Law of Love: specifically, to “love [my] neighbor as [myself],” (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, etc.) and thus to “remember the poor” (Gal. 2:10), “open wide [my] hand to [my] brother, to the needy and to the poor, in [my] land” (Deut. 15:11), “bear with the failings of the weak, and not… please [myself]“ (Rom. 15:1-3, cf. vv. 25-27), and to “contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” (Rom. 12:13) “that there may be fairness” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). Sometimes fairness means giving 1%, sometimes 99%.
But the most ironic thing about my tithe law studies is that some of those who are being commanded to “tithe” (give 10% of your gross income) to “the church” (really meaning “the pastors”) are actually poor enough that the pastors are required by God’s Word to be tithing to them.
So in conclusion: Christians are commanded to give to the poor and needy in our midst, but we are not bound by tithe laws. However, even if one were convinced that Christians must tithe, a faithful reading of Scripture insists the tithe be used to feed the poor. It is wholly foreign to the Word of God to use a tithe on buildings, utilities, vacations, insurance or even clothing.
Tagged: Acts · Bible · Biblical tithe · brother · Chesapeake Community Church · Churches · contribute · Deuteronomy · food · Giving · God · history of tithing · hospitality · income · is tithing Biblical · Levites · Macedonia · money · needy · neighbor · New Testament tithing · Paul · paying tithes · poor · possessions · sacrifice · should a Christian pay tithe · should Christians tithe · Theological Musings · tithe · tithes · tithes and offerings · tithes in the Bible · Tithing · tithing and stewardship · tithing Bible verses · tithing for today · tithing in the Old Testament · what the Bible says about tithing · why tithe
Thank you for speaking the truth and getting it published. I wish that people would read all of Malachi and discover that the priests from 1:6 and 2:1 were cursed as thieves. Jesus’ quote in Acts 20:35 “It is more blessed to give than to receive” is addressed to elders of the church whom Paul was telling to get a job and take care of the needs of the poor. Somehow this has been reversed and the poor are now told to give their last dollar to the church as a firstfruit tithe (even though firstfruts and tihes are different). My web site has almsot 100 articles about tithing, a free book and an essay nobody has tried to rebutt. http://www.shouldthechurchteachtithing.com
Travis,
Here are some interesting links on not making tithing mandatory.
http://mrclm.blogspot.com/2006/11/to-tithe-or-not-to-tithe.html
http://mrclm.blogspot.com/2006/12/dr-andreas-kostenberger-on-tithing.html
http://www.shouldthechurchteachtithing.com/
http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/?p=75
http://biblicalfoundations.org/pdf/pdfarticles/bbrtithing1.pdf
http://biblicalfoundations.org/pdf/pdfarticles/bbrtithing2.pdf
Sincerely,
Paul Schafer
God loves a cheerful giver. The tithe is a good place to start but doesn’t tell the whole story. Really all of our money is the Lord’s not just ten percent or thirty percent. We should give what the Lord convicts us to give and do it joyfully.
Here’s a recycled comment for you…
You know, most of the churches I’ve been to over the past decade haven’t adhered to the tithing doctrine. Our old church in Punxsutawney didn’t even pass a collection plate. You gave discreetly. There was a box around the corner, and if you felt moved to give, great. If not, you weren’t put on the spot. That’s great, because when I was young and dirt poor I actually avoided checking out some churches because I always felt I couldn’t pay the “cover charge.” :-/
Travis,
what happen to my comments from earlier today?
Paul
Travis,
Thank you. Now wassup with your sidebar? It seems to like migrating in the middle of the page.
Travis,
Have you talked to your pastors at Chesapeake Community Church about your tithing issue? If you have, want kind of a response did they give you? If you haven’t, can you?
Paul
ScottyB,
Your statement “it is a good place to start” sounds real good and it comes out of many t mouths automatically. However it is not biblical. It assumes that the Bible teaches that everybody in the OT began their giving level at 10%. That was only true for those who earned their living as farmers or herdsmen inside Israel. Craftsmen, traders, fishrmen, tentmakers and teachers were never required to begin their giving level at 10%. While I think that most Christiians can and should give more than 10%, I am appalled at how many preachers tell their poor sick members to give their first 10% to the church. That is sin and goes against Acts 20:35 and 1 Timothy 5:8.
Travis,
You’re just a crap-stirrer and you’re going to hell. It sounds like you would rather just do away with hyper-organized religion and just move in to someone’s basement and do good for your local community all the time. Sounds like a hell factory to me.
Obviously, I’m kidding. This is good work here. However, I kind of feel like your up against the internal combustion engine here. I don’t see an alternative fuel coming out any time soon. Kind of like I don’t see those who earn a living off of 10%er’s telling the congregation to give it to Habitat for Humanity this month and the Harford Food Bank next. Maybe churches need more causes or purpose. I would throw my 10% every month at my local church if I knew it was going to good causes. Instead my family sets aside money and we give some to the church and other times we give none. We buy food for a poor family in Park Heights in Baltimore City. I’m not going to tell them to starve because I have to give my money to my local church. That money is coming right out of the tithe section in Quicken.
I am eye to eye with you on this one. Thanks for taking the time to write all this.
@ ScottyB: True about giving as much as God leads, but you also need to give where he leads, too. And the sad thing is that many churches don’t distribute their collected monies Biblically… so a wise steward needs to find other ways to get such gifts to those people they’re intended for.
@ Paul Schafer: This post is actually a minor modification of the e-mail I sent one of my pastors a few months back.
@ Dr. Kelly: Good insights — and even poor farmers didn’t necessarily have to give 10%, if “every tenth cattle” means you’re off the hook if you have only nine.
@ Brian Powell: You said, “I kind of feel like your up against the internal combustion engine,” but there’s one major difference: I don’t need to tithe to get to my job or the grocery store. (That is, alternative fuels might stand a chance if people weren’t so addicted to fossil fuels.)
Thanks for the great comments, everyone! Let’s keep ‘em coming! (And hey, disagreement is okay, too… so long as you can put up a decent fight!)
questions…Did you tithe (give of your gross earnings) when you felt that it was a part of Christian life? Do you give any of your money away at this time? Why is the story of the old woman who gave her 2 cents included in the bible? What are your qualifications that make you an authority on this subject?
Also…Are you curently having difficult financial problems related to your job or home life?
Dr Kelly, I respectfully would like to point out a few ideas based on your anti-tithing website:
1) I would like to speak personally with any of those folks you have mentioned in your website whom you claim to live in “jaded” walls. They won’t speak to me either…for one reason. They never heard of me. They don’t know me from Adam…I’d like to debate a lot of people. But they won’t because they get thousands of letters from people who want to debate them. Why do you think they should choose you to debate? Who wants to debate anybody unless they have some underlying agenda? Do you have an underlying agenda?
2) I don’t think asking to debate Larry Burkett on your website is very respectful. Mr Burkett is dead. The next time you see him, I don’t think either one of you will be debating anything. You both will be worshiping our God and Creator!
@ Domo: Those are interesting questions. This one sounds like an honest question, so I’ll answer it:
Why is the story of the old woman who gave her 2 cents included in the bible?
She put it in the offering box. It was a freewill offering, not a tithe.
Your other questions are rather poor attempts at marginalizing me. You would do better to actually read the Scriptures I referred to and deal with the case I presented, rather than trying to make me look like an ignorant, greedy backslider who’s trying to justify his sin.
Why won’t you answer the questions? I don’t want to “maginalize” anything. I would like to “debate” this issue. I Just think you are wrong. Is thinking you are wrong a problem with you? I don’t think you are greedy. I’m just trying to understand where you come from.
Those other questions aren’t about debating what the Bible says, which is the issue here.
Now since it looks like you’re a local (I’m reading server logs), we could always meet to talk over those other questions. You just shoot me off an e-mail if that sounds like a plan.
Do I tithe gross? No and neither do you. A true Biblical tithe must come from the farms and herds of OT Israelites living inside Israel. Even Israelites living outside Israel were not allowed to bring tithes off pagan land.
Do I give anything away? How about 15,000 FREE downloads of my book. Though legally blind and middle class I preach and teach for free and give gospel concerts for free. I just gave several hundred dollars to my missionary son.
Am I suffering financial problems. No, thank God.
What qualifies me to talk about tithing? A PHD on tithing. A close friend, Dr David Croteau, just got his PHD on the same subject from a Southern Baptist Seminary.
You are the second person today to remind me that Larry Burkett is dead. I apologize and will change my web site immediately. None of the other living proponents will debate me either and the challenge has been out there for five years.
Again I say that most can and should give more than 10% but that does not justify robbing the widows and the single mnothers who cannot do so. God bless them becasue they were the heart fo the early church. Acts 20:35 adn 1 Tim 5:8 are still in the NT.
If you want to debate me, go to Tithing-Study at Yahoo Groups. See you there.
Travis,
The reason why I asked you if you submitted this to your leaders recently is because I feel like I am in the same boat as you. I have read Dr. Kostenberger’s two Tithing PDF’s and that gave me encouragement to know that tithing is not mandatory in the New Testament by giving is. I want to find out how your leaders reacted to your position and how that affected your position in the church and in the Sovereign Grace Ministries.
My pastor and the church leadership staff is pro-tithing and expects people who are official members to give their tithes. While I am not in a position to give a full tithe because of family and personal circumstances, I do give regularly every month. Because I am not living in full agreement with the membership agreement, I am technically being disobedient to it. This troubles me because of my convictions of tithing being non-mandatory. On the one hand, I want to honor my church and be in unity with it and on the other hand, I cannot because of these convictions. I believe fully that God has and is calling me and my family to stay at my church, for I am not in discord with any other issue with my church at this time.
So, do you have any thoughts on this?
T- No issue is one layered. There must be a reason you spent the time writing and studying this subject. Sorry but I just like to ask a lot of questions:)..not much fun. Where is your church? I might join you one Sunday.
Dr.- I am thankful you have answered these posed questions. The funny thing is that I agree with most of what you have written.
My thoughts…Churches are good charities to give your money to…just like poor people.
10% is the bare minimum I give away and I live below the poverty line. Gos asks us to be generous so I am.
Tithing is not about the church. It’s about your submission to God.
WOOHOO TRAVEY MATEY! That’s some excellent teaching on the tithe, mate, and an understanding we hold to. You are extremely gifted in conveying scriptural truths–well done! -Jonno
Dr Kelly knows all about the real tithe that God directed the Israelites perform. I agree with everything he has said.
In response to the comment about the widow’s gift - yes, it was a freewill offering but more importantly, the widow was tricked by religious leaders! There is a short essay on http://www.nomoretithing.org and two free 30 minute video lessons titled ‘ The Truth About the Widow’s Gift’ on http://www.inyourbible.com
Hey, Babe. Me and Jo just read your entire post and we are so impressed with your mad skills. I have to say that this is one of the clearest dissertations you’ve ever written! Well done, well done.
Jo wants everyone in Care Group to read this now. 
I think you did an amazing job of getting to the root of the entire issue. If it’s all about giving food to the poor and the like, then we all (the church) really need to start discussing this… ’cause to me, the current status of the “tithe” in the modern church reeks of man-made regulations. Yuck.
@ Domo: You said, “No issue is one layered. There must be a reason you spent the time writing and studying this subject. Sorry but I just like to ask a lot of questions:)..not much fun. Where is your church? I might join you one Sunday.”
Okay, when I saw you came here from the blog of another guy in my church, I started to assume you knew him/me/us. That was unfair; please forgive me.
I’m a member of Chesapeake Community Church in Joppa, MD. I actually began questioning the tithe during the “Understanding Chesapeake” pre-membership course. They had a unit on giving, but when I went and read the quoted verses in context, they weren’t saying what the unit said they were. I’ve been wrestling with it ever since.
You said, “Tithing is…about your submission to God.” But if what you’re calling a tithe isn’t Biblical, then it’s not a matter of submission to God — it’s instead submission to the traditions of men. That’s my problem here: what we call “tithing” is a manmade tradition.
@ Paul: I hear you, man—I’ll have an answer for you soon!
@ Jonno: Is it true that “tithing” isn’t really embraced much (by pastors or their flocks) down there in Aussieland?
@ Nicole: :smoochie:
Nicole said..
“…the current status of the “tithe†in the modern church reeks of man-made regulations.”
Kneon sez…
It’s a business model, pure and simple — an admittedly shrewd one. And one that’s been around for centuries.
Any outsider looking in can see that most churches are using the tithe system as a means of funding the organization. To take spirituality of it it entirely… tithing is no different than, say, paying the cable bill. The cable company needs your monthly subscription to pay its costs. The church has become bloated and needs tithes to keep these massive operations running.
So how do you make sure the cable bill gets paid every month? Threaten to pull the plug if it’s not paid.
How do you make sure the tithes gets paid every month? Threaten God’s wrath, use guilt, shunning… fear. If that doesn’t work, take the multi-level marketing angle and promise an absurd return on investment.
Whatever works.
Hey, someone’s gotta pay for the pastor’s private jet.
Christianity is big business. Not that mankind would take something good and pure and totally bastardize it. No siree…
More light reading…
http://www.bibleinsight.com/tithing.html
I agree with your assessment here. I hope this truth comes out more in the years to come. i feel that the questions are starting to come in more and peoples minds. Some people go extreme and don’t want to give any money to God or the church, so that’s why we have to be careful how we approach this topic. Somehow we have to be strategic in how we strongly oppose the tithe mandate, but at the same time make sure we point out that the NT has a higher calling. I think you did a good job on this article. http://churchtithesandofferings.com
Travis, I am very impressed with your ability to study and then relay this stuff, and I am excited to be able to discuss it. I am grateful to have a husband who has led me well and not just allowed us to settle for the status quo, but has earnestly sought out Gods word for how we are to live our lives from tithing to birth control. However I do want to say that I am honored to tithe to our pastors and am grateful for all they and their families have invested in us/our church. I guess that I appreciate the freedom to do what God is calling us to do with our money and not live under “the law”.
ps. This was my first blog post ever so you should feel very honored.
Someone asked about the woman giving her two last “cents”. I’ll cut some portions of an exegetical paper I wrote a year ago on these passages. I won’t post the whole thing because it is A) too long and B) contains a good deal of Greek work which many won’t be able to view unless they have the right fonts (which I suspect this blogging software won’t support anyhow). Paul already linked to a couple of posts on my blog in the second comment in this thread.
The verses of Luke 21:1-4 come on the heels of Jesus warning those listening to him to avoid being prideful, which he contrasts with the generosity of the humble widow. Prior to this periscope, he had been teaching in the Temple, and had riled up the Sadducees by answering their questions in ways they were not expecting. They were hoping to trick him or trip him up, but he was able to thwart their plans. They were still afraid to attempt to attack him directly as there were many people there at the Temple sympathetic to Jesus.
This pericope falls in the pronouncement stories under the sub category of scholastic sayings. This is a scholastic saying because it is a short incident that focuses on some instructional or declarative saying of Jesus which provides an example and admonition for Jesus’ followers. Nolland agrees with this assessment in his commentary.
When comparing the Luke 21:1-4 pericope with the similar account in Mark 12:41-44 one notices that the Mark account has considerably more detail than does the Luke account in each verse except 44. This difference is attributed by some to the fact that Luke is believed to have used Mark as a source for the writing of his Gospel.
21:1. One of the key differences in the passage between Mark 12:41 and Luke 21:1 is the recording of the action of Jesus. Mark has Jesus sitting down opposite the treasury to watch people, where Luke only mentions that Jesus looks up. This passage comes on the heels of Jesus teaching the people and his disciples, so it makes some sense that he would sit down. It is believed that Jewish Rabbi’s would often sit down when they were looking to emphasize a point in their teaching, and that too would make sense in the context of what Jesus was trying to covey. Jesus was teaching in the Herodian Temple, a temple not built to glorify God, but a temple built to reconcile the Jews with their king. It is recorded that this temple was garishly decorated with ornate gold, and was constructed of the whitest stone available (though still not completed as Christ was teaching in it). The fact that Jesus looked up is reason to believe that he was teaching in the outermost portion of the temple, and looking into the Women’s court where the chests for gifts toward the expenses of services were located. He was likely sitting on the Eastern side of the Temple, near the Beautiful Gate. This is the temple that was destroyed in AD 70.
The definition of the word “gifts†does not add a whole lot to our understanding of the usage in this passage. It does support and reinforce the meaning implied here. An interesting thing of note is that these gifts are implied elsewhere as a means of support for the poor.
21:2. There is little difference in verse 2 and the Mark account, with the exception that Mark tells us that the two copper coins equal less than a penny in modern value. These two coins are regarded as the smallest possible forms of money that the woman could have put into the treasury, further illustrating the small amount of wealth of this widow. The KJV refers to these two coins as “mites†which may be confusing for the modern reader. Few people will know that a mite can be anything other than a bothersome parasite.
21:3. Again in this verse the Mark account contains greater detail than does Luke’s account. In the Mark account Jesus calls his disciples to himself. He does this to make sure they see what is going on, and understand the point he is trying to make. Luke leaves this off, perhaps just keeping the implied fact that the disciples are near Jesus from the earlier portion of the story.
Nolland makes a statement that I am not comfortable agreeing with when he says “This woman is storing up treasure for herself in heaven (cf. 12:33-34) .†When looking at what he is referencing, it is clear we are to not to put stock in our earthly possession and to store up for ourselves in Heaven instead. Where I disagree is that this is talking about those who have the means to sell what they have and to give to the needy, and Jesus makes it clear that is not the case with this woman (which is made more clear in Mark’s text than it is in Luke’s –see verse 4).
21:4. Luke’s account is very similar to the account given by Mark of this pericope. When examining the accounts in the NASB one sees that the Mark account makes it seem as if her act of giving was a greater sacrifice than does Luke. Mark not only says she has given all that she had to live on, but also all that she owned.
Luke is not saying that the rich were unable to give appropriately, just that those in this story were not giving appropriately. Just a couple of chapters prior to this account Luke records an example of a wealthy chief tax collector who experiences a change of heart through Jesus’ ministry and gives half of all he has to the poor (Luke 19:1-10) and makes reparations to those who he has wronged. Jesus is pointing out that the rich people in this passage are only giving out of their left over money, and that this giving is in no way affecting them or their lifestyle. The poor widow on the other hand is giving in a deep, passionate, and meaningful way and putting her trust in God to continue to provide for her needs in spite of her lack. This ties in well with the lessons taught in the book of Job of staying true to God in all circumstances.
Some would want to call this pericope a parable because it says that Jesus knew she was giving the last of what she had, and this knowledge could prove to be problematic unless it is a parable. I reject this categorization and believe Jesus had first hand knowledge or Jesus possessed special knowledge of they type he possessed in other occasions throughout the Gospels.
The NLT changes the “contributed out of their abundance†to “given a tiny part of their surplus.†This is a good change for those who might not initially grasp the deeper meaning of giving from abundance. It serves to properly frame the idea Jesus was trying to convey that this giving by the rich was having no significant impact upon their lives. The NLT again seems to borrow from the Mark account in this verse and closes with “[she] has given everything she has.†The KJV uses the word penury to describe the poorness out of which the widow was giving. Their choice of this word is not helpful in the modern church, as few will know the meaning of that word.
It is clear from the other uses of the word “surplus†in the New Testament that the implication is that the rich are only giving out of what is left over, out of their excess.
There is an interesting pattern of contrast between what ancient texts record for the proper manner in which to treat the poor and the rich in this passage. In Joseph and Aseneth giving to the poor is seen as an act of repentance. In Pseudo-Phocylides giving to the poor is a form of mercy. Pseudo-Phocylides also informs that those with the means are called to care for the poor. In Sibylline Oracles giving to the poor is seen as a way to lead people to God. Sibylline Oracles also warns that we are called to not mock or abuse the poor, to treat them with mercy. In the Testament of Job a patter of giving to the poor is established, as well as a long term plan to keep giving to them is put into motion. Testament of Job also speaks about helping others learn to give to the poor. In another section of the Testament of Job the author writes on helping others who don’t have enough to give to the poor to instead serve the poor. In 2 Enoch, Enoch admonishes his sons to extend their hands to the poor often and to give them some of the fruit of their works. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs is rich with info on how to treat the poor. It tells that giving to the poor is used as evidence of a sinless life. It also says in another area that when giving to the poor is not possible because of your own lack, then one should walk with the poor in sympathy. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs also teaches that dieing poor for the Lord’s sake gains a person riches in eternity. In Psalm of Solomon God is the hope of the poor. Later in that same book God is not only the hope of the poor, but God is also the refuge of the poor. When we compare these Jewish author’s thoughts on how to properly treat the poor, we see a night and day difference with the rich leaders in Luke 21:1-4. What we see Jesus teaching falls exactly in line with these other references on how to treat the poor. This also follows the pattern of Jesus calling out the religious leaders of his day for their actions, and how they with their man made rules and regulations had made people (Matt 23:15) worse than when they started.
On this point I would again disagree with Wright’s assessment that Jesus is using this story to show his disapproval of the widow’s gift. Wright seems to be missing the larger meaning that I have been examining in this paper, and attributes this pericope to being an ordinary saying by Jesus. I am also not willing to limit Jesus’ pointing out this example of sacrificial giving to it’s immediate context as Wright suggests. I think that Jesus had in mind his coming sacrifice, and was fully aware of the parallels of that to the widow and how that contrasts with the rich and the religious leaders of his day.
This passage falls as the final recorded occurrence of Jesus’ public ministry, except his trial and crucifixion. This is also the last time Jesus visits the Temple in his Earthly ministry. On the heels of this passage, Jesus begins to tell of the coming destruction of the Temple as well of Jerusalem.
Sermon Outline
Luke 21:1-4
1. Title: How church leaders should handle money.
2. Exegetical Idea: Jesus gives a warning to us that we need to be careful in how we as a church take in and handle money.
3. Homiletical Idea: This pericope is warning us about how the church should not burden the poor to finance itself.
4. What do I want to accomplish: Through this message, I intend to cause people to examine how they think the American church (and our church in particular) should function in relation to the world wide church.
5. Introduction – Share information about giving, wealth and consumption in the USA and abroad.
Invite congregation to open Bibles to Luke 21:1-4 and follow along (read pericope).
Give modern examples of how we might be considered similar to the rich people.
-Weekly news magazines and newspapers are abundantly filled with these types.
Give modern examples of people who might be considered similar to the poor widow.
-Noah’s story of being a missionary (my wife’s cousin), perhaps a video from Noah.
Examine sacrificial giving beyond just finances, and the places in the world of the greatest need.
Examine how this applies on a personal level (ref. Acts 2 church).
Challenge people to think about how they can have a Kingdom impact by making changes in their giving habits.
Video from our missionaries in China or Africa.
Conclude with prayer.
Take offering.
I wholeheartedly agree that we should be giving to the poor. I know that we (as Christians) most likely do not give enough, including most local churches.
When you decide to attend a church you have decided to: attend functions, attend meetings on premesis, utilize childcare, receive pastoral counseling, participate in Sunday mornings and recieve the word of the Lord from our pastors. With my saying that, I’m wondering why you have decided to continue going to our church when you clearly do not agree with our tithing practices.
(I’m having trouble copying and pasting your comments and conclusions at the very end, so I’ll be general.) When we give our 10% in tithing we TRUST IN THE LORD that our tithing is going to a place that honors and blesses the Lord. Do you really think it’s going to the pastors? The pastors that make between 30-40K per year? Is it going to their 1995 vehicles that they drive around? Their homes? Their wardrobes? We all know the answer to that. To even type something or assume that our pastors are receiving that tithe as their income is absurd. If you’re not saying that, then it needs to be rephrased. If you’re saying it’s going to the church then it’s suddenly missing because we need to pave our gravel lot and invest in a lot more amenities!
If you think that Biblically we shouldn’t be giving our tithes to any establishment, I wouldn’t think that you would want to participate in worship and hear teachings in that establishment. Am I wrong? I mean, if you don’t agree then why stay?
I definitely agree that we should be giving to more in need and I thank you for giving me a healthy reality check in that department. I’m just confused as to why you attend the church but feel that tithing to the church is not Biblical?
You wouldn’t be contradicting yourself (in my opinion) if you had church in your basement, or something….wait, then if you had church in the basement, you’d have to have childcare, and then improve parking…what about extra seating? Oh! You’re going to need money. Hmm..where to find that money…then, things get really hard for you because maybe you’re pastoring so much, giving counsel, teaching Bible Study then you don’t have time for your job anymore away from home. You’re a full time pastor serving others with your time but you can’t feed your family….I guess you’ll just have to hope that you have a small congregation that supports what the Lord is doing through you in that church you have established. You hope that when they write that check they trust that the Lord will help you to appropriate that money in a way that honors him.
I say we tithe and give to the poor. Is that too hard?
I really don’t want to offend and I enjoy discussing these kinds of things. It’s all in good fun (for me anyway!)
[...] Â http://travis.webseitler.com/2007/03/what-does-the-bible-say-about-the-tithe.html#comments [...]
*shrugs shoulders* The pastor that married us had a day job. I think he called it his “tentmaking gig.”
Just sayin’ …
Ok, so my husband read what I typed and was worried that I sounded like I had an attitude or was being mean. I really, really wasn’t, promise! I just completely don’t understand and I guess that’s ok, I really don’t have to. Please forgive me if I sounded rude, I truly didn’t want to. I don’t have to say it, but I love me a good debate.
Not a problem, Beth!
I often come across as smarmy. Believe me, in real life… well, I’m worse, actually.
(that was a joke!)
As long as this thread continues along without invoking Godwin’s Law, we ought to be alright.
Hey Beth, thanks for joining in!
Don’t worry - you’re not offending me.
Before dealing with the actual money issues you brought up, I want to touch on what you said “attending a church” entails. See, you seem to be working from a “church as social club” model. With two exceptions (”receive pastoral counseling,” “receive the word of the Lord from our pastors”) all of the things you described are add-ons with no Scriptural basis. This doesn’t mean they’re evil; just that they’re not what church is about.
When I decide to attend a church, I’m deciding to:
– bind myself to the believers in that congregation;
– meet with those believers for singing, teaching, edification and prayer;
– seek the Spiritual and physical good of those believers;
– share in communion;
– seek to work together with those believers in reaching the lost around us;
– receive counsel and correction from any Godly members of the congregation.
So here’s the thing: I’m not with Chesapeake for the sermons (though they can be real winners sometimes). I’m with Chesapeake for God’s people there. I care about the other folks in this congregation, and I’m not going to abandon them just because I disagree with the men in the leadership about a few things.
Now, as far as the tithe supporting the leadership…
– First, in the Old Testament the tithe was never used for building or maintenance (this includes “improved parking”). Israel’s Temple in Jerusalem was fully funded through freewill offerings. If Christians can’t match that voluntary generosity, we
shouldshouldn’t try to make up for it by twisting God’s Word into a new “law” for them to follow. (EDIT: Whoops!)– Second, I wasn’t trying to make this about Chesapeake. Is it related? Sure. But I was trying to avoid “making it personal” like that.
– Third, I have a copy of Chesapeake’s 2006 financial statements, so I’m aware of what came in and where it went.
And hey: if you or anyone else wants to put money in the offering plate, go for it… just know that it’s not a Biblical tithe, and the Biblical tithe isn’t required for anyone but the Jewish residents of Old Testament Israel. So you may be giving the pastors 10% or more of your gross income, but that’s not a tithe God commanded anywhere in Scripture.
I do understand where you are coming from and it does spark my interest. It encourages Chad and I to study it more and make clear decisions about where our money is going.
I appreciate your insight, I just don’t agree
Travis, unfortunately it’s not true that Aussies are non-tithers. From my experience though, tithing seems to be common in the church where the pastor has big ambitions, and where the pastor is a weak theologian. Our little AOG church in NSW was different from 99.9% of AOG churches in that we were Calvinistic non-tithers. Of course, by teaching heresy, AOG tried to shut us down! Old denominations like the Church of England don’t seem to care for it, which is a breath of fresh air for us at the moment.
I’d love to hear if you approach your church leadership with this teaching.
Travis, I deleted my post on the blog, because I didn’t want you to feel like I was making you a spectacle! You are doing a good thing by starting these discussions
Beth, you didn’t have to do that! I was trying to be ironic with my comment there. :/ Sorry if you got the wrong idea—I actually appreciated the link!
[...] interesting perspective on tithing, which I’m posting because it’s thought-provoking. (I.e. not because I [...]
[...] got a comment on my last post “Money Talks” that I sincerely apreciate. Thanks for reading and for [...]
In regards to your reference to Mal 3: All statements are general!!
Sounds like you were/are a theogy student… awesome
The thing about exegesis is that there are a gamit of thing that must be taken into consideration…
One that didnt seem to be evident in yours is culture… In those times income was foods lands and that sort of things, people wealth was determined by how much food they had in the storehouse… just because that culture doesnt apply to us doesnt mean the principle doesnt apply… Because of Christ and our acceptance of Him we store our treasures up in heaven… the physical representation of that storehouse is the church (and i dont mean the building) its biblical….
and even if it wasnt, is it not a good practice, does the system still not serve the cause of Christ… I can hear someone now saying, well I’ll just give an offering…. well if thats what you want to call it, go ahead but do it consistently, so that the church can function because it takes money….
“well God is God and He can provide the church with the resources it needs”… He has… YOU and ME
One last point, Is God the God of your wallet? Then give the 10% its His anyway….
Thanks, God Bless
Matt
@ Matt: I actually wrote a comment at “The Cultured Church” (see the Pingback below) which covered much of what you’ve brought up… so I’ll just copy parts of it here and add a bit.
“One that didnt seem to be evident in yours is culture… In those times income was foods lands and that sort of things”
There are numerous uses of precious metals as money before, in, and after the giving of the Law (for example… Abraham: “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold“; Moses: “And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe… then you shall turn it into money… and spend the money for whatever you desire“; Nehemiah: “The former governors [of Jerusalem] who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver.“). In fact, there’s 175 references to silver alone in the chronological books of the OT (Genesis to Nehemiah). It’s simply deceitful to imply that money was scarce or non-existent in these times (especially as Nehemiah’s predecessors expected money from the “commonfolk” of Jerusalem). Yet even Nehemiah (only 450-490 years before Jesus’ Incarnation) spoke of the tithe as “the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers” (Nehemiah 13:5).
“Because of Christ and our acceptance of Him we store our treasures up in heaven…”
Then we should look at whether Jesus told us what it looks like to “store up your treasure in heaven”… and if he did, then how did he say we are to do that?
“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” — Luke 12:33 (ESV)
Thanks for joining in, Matt. There’s so many other things that are bound up in this issue, and you’ve helped me address a few more of those things.
One argument to support non-food tithing is that money was not universally available and barter from food must have been used for most transactions. This argument is not biblical. Genesis alone contains “money†in 32 texts and the word occurs 44 times before the tithe is first mentioned in Leviticus 27. The word shekel also appears often from Genesis to Deuteronomy.
In fact many centuries before Israel entered Canaan and began tithing food from God’s Holy Land money was an essential everyday item. For example money in the form of silver shekels paid for slaves (Gen 17:12 ); land (Gen 23:9 ); freedom (Ex 23:11); court fines (Ex 21 all; 22 all); sanctuary dues (Ex 30:12 ); vows (Lev 27:3-7); poll taxes (Num 3:47 ), alcoholic drinks (Deu 14:26) and marriage dowries (Deu 22:29).
According to Genesis 47:15-17 food was used for barter only after money had been spent. Banking and usury laws exist in God’s Word in Leviticus even before tithing. Therefore the argument that money was not prevalent enough for everyday use is false. Yet the tithe contents never include money from non-food products and trades.
Hi, I saw where you are talking about money on the The Good Report. A friend of my has a Google Group. The web site is http://groups.google.com/group/people-for-christ?hl=en
You might want to go to that and talk about money.
Tom
I might, but would there be any point? There’s only two members, and there’s been no activity at all this month.
Well, It is new and they trying to get more people to join, but they has not. Just a thought.
Tom
There is Activity now this month.
You’ve made some really good points and have us thinking…I feel badly for overreacting with my comments and would like to retract them, but, your responses and everyone else’s were very good so I don’t want to delete my comment. But I do want to say that I came across as very legalistic and judgmental and I’m not that way and don’t want to be! Keep on keepin’ on
Thanks Beth! For what it’s worth, I think maybe once or twice in my life
I’ve expressed everything you just said you felt your comment might sound like–so even if that was your heart when you wrote it, who am I to hold that against you?
Regardless of how your comment sounded, I think God definitely used it to refine the discussion and bring out some more points and issues I failed to address in the initial post. (He’s good at doing things like that!) So thanks for speaking up, and please continue to do so!
[...] got me thinking… again. It all seems so clear, and what he’s saying seems to meld with other things I’ve been harping on of late. It seems to match up with different things God’s put in front of [...]
[...] What Does the Bible Say About the Tithe?Hint: It’s not what most pastors and radio teachers are telling you… [...]
I just followed this link from another one of your blogs. This was a good read thanks for sharing your word. I am always interested in hearing what other people have to say about the tithe.
forgive me but I’ve been stalking this site a bit the last few days. I ran across it while googling “haedcoverings blog” and then I realized you live in Maryland too.. and my husband, kids and I have been church shopping so I wanted ot read about your church… and your wife’s headcovering (oh how nice it would be to a have a friend who wore a head covering too!)
anyhow I’ve really enjoyed my visit and I will certainly be back.
(btw I have a blog I update frequently but i didn’t leave that here b/c I dont like to announce it to all of Maryland. but of course if you wanted to visit let me know.)
[...] conversation with my mom about tithes and how much our district officials get paid. Then I read this post by Travis Seitler. He has done research on tithing. His post shook me. I’ve grown up with the [...]
Travis, I love this post. At first I thought you were crazy! But I think I agree with you now. Thanks for a challenging read. I wrote a post in response. Oh! I see you’ve already got the Pingback!
Travis-
I have totally struggled with this one, and 3 years ago was blessed to have Mark Lauterbach from the San Diego Church cover the subject with a very similar take during my new-members class.
When I have tried to broach this subject with leaders and people I DEEPLY respect in our church, I have struggled to expressing my words and thoughts in a way as adequately as you have here.
I’m lucky that my Dad’s a strong believer, and has been incredible helpful on this topic during the course of my walk. I’m lucky that my former church helped me sort things out and examine the gospel for what the gospel says, and not to swallow every word told to me…
Thanks for the approaching a subject that most flee from.
PS. I’m TOTALLY ecstatic that you have a blog that mentions my former pastor, Mark Lauterbach. I was GREATLY blessed to get to spend 2 1/2 years with Sunday Messages from him. I read his blog all of the time. His wife is equally amazing and such a superb example as well! (They met at Princeton! They’re like the cutest smarty-pants couple ever!)
Melanie
Adding too! Which in itself is exactly what gets the organized Church machine introuble. (thats anouther story) I have looked at the tithe for several years now and you are right on the money (:. IF we as Christians look around us every day. Buy a soda for someone or clothes for someone , or help a person in need with repairs or supply the items for repairs, or buy them food or make a meal for someone down and out or layed up. Have a group over for dinner, to share in God’s love. Support transportation for someone who could not afford it. I think we would see we spend way more than the 10% in you want to make it monitary. On a second note I am very greatful I don’t have to stand befroe God and answer to “Look and see the beautiful building, Landscaping and fellow ship hall etc. that we use maybe twice a week and we have diligently spent 80% of the collected Christian dollars to pay for this!” 10% tithe is one thing, 80 cents on the dollar to suport a physicall structure that dosen’t even house anyone is still a really big question in my mind?
Is there any part of the Big Machine, (Large Church Organizations) with the guts to recogonize publicly this plain truth? I think most folks don’t look beyond the God Robber verse. If you go back before that about Malachi 2-2 it’s clearly shows that this command is to the high Priests … not all of us.
GREAT GREAT WORK!!!
Thanks for this article. I wholeheartedly agree that Scripture does not mandate a tithe. My friend Tim, my old pastor, wrote a short article on the subject that people might find interesting.
greetings. can i share my view about tithes? why would God consigned Abraham to pay his tenth? and why tenth? this is the questions that until now i haven’t recieved an answer satisfactorily. in my own understanding of the Bible the word tenth signify the existence of a government. Jesus speaks about “Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” when we deny this little but important matter of his law then we deny the existence of his kingdom. when he answered his accusers “Give to ceasar to ceasar and God to Gods” he used only a singular verb “Give” to both subjects. and it denotes the same meaning likewise to others. money is not a topic here but rather his commandments on how are we going to fullfil it.
wils
Welcome, Willis!
First, I would like to point out that the scriptures nowhere say that Abraham’s single recorded “tithe” (of war spoils, see Genesis 14) was anything but voluntary.
Second, Abraham gave the remaining 90% to the king of Sodom–thus he kept nothing for himself, and “blessed” a wicked pagan king nine times more than he blessed the priest Melchizedek.
Third, when the Law was given to Moses, the required contribution of war spoils was not considered a “tithe” at all. In fact, not only was the required amount not 10%, it was far less: according to Numbers 31, it was 1 out of every 500 (0.2%). Thus, the only similarity between Abraham’s “tithe” and Moses’ “tithes” are the percentage involved (10%). Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek bears no other resemblance to the tithes proscribed in the Law.
And finally, did Jesus ever give any indication that giving to “leaders” was giving to Him? Every time He speaks of giving something to Him or doing something for Him by proxy, it is accomplished by giving to His poor and persecuted. Giving to Jesus is always summarized as “give to the needy.“
first of all thank you for your time in answering my commentary. second, the genesis book is only a summarisation of things in the life of Adam to Abraham. Abraham lived and died at the age of 120. that lenght of time did not reflect it in detail in this book. like for example. we read only in Genesis the seven kinds of clean animals and 2 kinds of uncleaned animals loaded in the Noahs Ark. does the Genesis tell which animal is cleaned and uncleaned? of all the five books of Moises only Leviticus and Deuteronomy explained it in detail. the tenth Abraham gave remain puzzled to me,where did he base that TEN PERCENT (10%)calculation? it should have been a freewill offering in a first place, shouldn’t he?
But what I’m saying, Willis, is this: Moses writes in Genesis that Abraham gave a 10% war spoils offering (1 of every 10), and in Numbers he writes that God requires a 0.2% war spoils offering (1 of every 500). So there is no way at all that Abraham’s offering to Melchizedek can be considered the same thing as Israel’s tithes to the Levites.
I believe you’re confusing a measurement with a type of offering (”tithe” literally and only means “tenth” or “ten percent”).
To illustrate: if I were to tell you that I traveled two miles this morning, this in no way implies (let alone requires the interpretation) that I had fulfilled Jesus’ command to walk two miles with the man who forces you to walk one with him. In both cases, a unit of measurement is referred… but the measurement is only a part of the command.
So what I’m saying is that Abraham’s ten-percent is a different beast than any of Israel’s three ten-percents.
im sorry if theres a mistake in my questions. forget about tithes. what i really want to know where did Abraham based his CALCULATION OF TEN PERCENT? its very important because some of my friend is asking the same thing to me I hope you understand now. there has to be an origin of everything and i want a concrete fact base in the Bible only.
According solely to the Bible, Abraham didn’t base his calculation on anything.
Abraham got his motivation to tithe spoils of war from pagan Arab tradition. He did not freely give anything. Do some personal research. Tithing, like child sacrifices and temple prostitution, was widespread among pagans of Abraham’s time. In fact 80% of commentaries admit this in their discussion of 14:21 (not 14:20) where they say the 90% was controlled by apgan Arab custom. Under the Mosaic Law Abraham would have been requred to share the spoils with all of his 318 men per Numbers 31. This is covered in great detail in my book, Should the Church Teach Tithing with the same web site name.
travis, you know you’re the man who can save me on this matter. and im sinking slowly in the sand because of enormous intelligent people that sorrounds me asking intelligent question. you know if you were in my position i would rather close my eyes and pray that i shouldn’t have been here. please.. please.. please.. WHERE DID ABRAHAM BASE HIS 10 PERCENT CALCULATION (10%) ? my faith in you is begining to colapse so hurry.
Willis,
In Genesis 14, Abram re-takes the property of Sodom, Gomorrah and a few other kingdoms from a band of kingdoms which had attacked them. In verse 20, he specifically returns the people and property of Melchizedek’s kingdom to him.
That’s all this is here. Abram went after those armies to rescue his nephew Lot, and returned the “other spoils” to Melchizedek and the other kings who had been attacked when Lot was captured.
Abraham is the father of Faith accordingly. and faith without work is dead. if Abraham is the Father of the Israelites? then they should obey the same commandments given to Abraham. correct? does God imposes 2 kinds of financing laws? you see when you explain the meaning of covenant it will give you only two matters: the promise and the commandmends. if God had required the Israelites to tithe therefore Abraham requires also to tithe? if its not then he would not have become their Father. observe and read what the Aposte Paul illustrate in Romans 11:17. the church wasn’t built on any ground but to foundation of the prophetes. if the nourishment that comes from the root of the tree and goes on every branch? what i mean the law which has been passed from Israel be handed down also to us? i know you are the father of your children, tell me do you impose 2 different system in your family?
Willis, I would have two different systems in place for my children, if some were minors and others were adults! And that’s precisely what Paul speaks of in his letter to the Galatians:
We are not bound at all by the Law given to Moses at Sinai. The Law points to Christ, and we are bound to Christ. But the Law of Moses is, at best, only a poor caricature of the Law of Love.