Question:
I was raised to tithe. I’ve tithed the better portion of my life. When my husband took over the finances he decided that we couldn’t afford to tithe, so that got cut out.
He still “lets” me give occasionally…if there’s extra, or when I feel particularly led he doesn’t complain or get onto me.
But I still struggle with not tithing. Even though I know he’s the head. I wonder what could I do…is this a case like with David and I think it was Abigail who spared her husband’s life by showing hospitality to David and his men anyway? Or do I follow my husband’s lead and trust that there’s grace (which I know there is, but I also understand there’s a spiritual principal at work when it comes to the tithe)…. I give of my time and energy regularly. Does that count?
And there’s the ongoing “debate” I hear about tithing…isn’t that OT covenant? I seem to think it’s something like the Sabbath that was established before the law was written…something set in creation that was later written into the Law…but maybe I’m wrong?
Would love to hear your thoughts as time allows.
Answer:
I’ve been waiting for someone to ask me a question like this. I know I’ve got it wrong in the past.
God’s been dealing with things in my wife and I. Basically everything I’ve accepted without testing is now being tested and much is found wanting. Tithing has definitely been found wanting. I’m ready to go public with this but there are a few questions I still have that need answering and I know it’s going to be a strain on every close relationship I have.
It’s not the arguments from silence that convinced me tithing was for people under the law. You can make any argument sound good just by saying, “Jesus never said we had to…” There are only 4 times tithing is mentioned in the New Testament and all of them are talking about it the Old Testament practice. It’s what we do have. What perked my interest was what we did have about tithing in the Bible and church history. Do you know the first time tithing is mention in Church history is supposedly 567? I can only find an English translation of an Italian commentary of a French document, so I haven’t been able to prove that yet. I want to make sure it was a tithe of livestock as one historian says it was.
I believe universal truths need to be found in embryonic stages in the books of the law, lived out in books of history, discussed in the books of wisdom, promised in the prophets, illuminated by Jesus, taught by the Apostles and continued on in the early church. Healing meets all of these criteria. (Why people don’t accept is as doctrine is a totally other discussion). Tithing doesn’t even come close. We have Abraham once giving a tenth to King of Salem from his spoils of war. We have a three-year tithe in Leviticus that was supposed to be used to buy strong drinks and celebrate and basically have a holiday. We have a system in place for social welfare in ancient Palestine. We have Malachi’s denunciation. We have Jesus mentioning a tenth and the writers of Hebrews using Abraham’s story to prove Jesus was the Messiah, not that tithing was the pattern for us to follow. It’s not good theology.
Two thoughts (both came to me from my wife) that makes me know I’m going to have get more vocal about this topic.
First, why do a lot of people give the tithe? Because we’re under a curse if we don’t tithe. (Malachi 3:8-9) Paul tells us that as Christians we can put ourselves under a curse…although he mentions that curse comes on us by doing part of the law and not all of it (Galatians 3:10). He goes onto say that “Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.” (Galatians 3:13) If we tithe to avoid being under a curse aren’t we giving under compulsion?
I’ve got a real problem with Christians saying we can be under a curse from God. He’s blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:13) – how can He curse who He has blessed (Numbers 23:8)? I know I want to get a better grasp on Blessing and Cursing. I don’t know if I can believe everything I’ve been taught.
Secondly, I’ve always tithed…and I’ve often used that as an excuse NOT to help others. I’ve shirked my responsibility with a “I gave at the office” mentality.
I’ve got be honest with you. When the penny dropped that God didn’t want a percentage from me the first sense of horror was “there goes the system.” We pay pastors to be spiritual and do the spiritual work that we’d rather not do…the we’re not even trained to do. I was thinking about doing a church plant. How could I support my family if people didn’t tithe? It was actual horror I felt.
When the dust settled I realized it was actually liberating. People would need to be trained and released to do the work of the ministry. The trappings we’ve come to know as “the church” would have to fall away. We’d have to start seeing the church as a body not a building. All of this moves from the place of platitudes to practice when the money dries up from the tithe.
Honestly I don’t know if it will. Barna research shows 6.9% of evangelicals tithe. I interviewed Mike Stickler of The Vision Group and he said in the US the average adult church goer gives $10 a week. I have more concern with what Mike said because I know God wants us to be generous.
2 Corinthians 9:7 talks about giving cheerfully and not under compulsion 2 Corinthians 8:3 encourages giving what you can afford; 1 Corinthians 16:2 discusses giving weekly (although this is a saved amount for Jerusalem); 1 Timothy 5:18 exhorts supporting the financial needs of Christian workers; Acts 11:29 promotes feeding the hungry wherever they may be; and James 1:27 states that pure religion is to help widows and orphans.
I think the best thing you can do is be generous with your time, gifts and money…and stay in agreement with your husband. You’re not under a curse if you don’t tithe. You just don’t get to invest in God’s things when you don’t give.
The Billy Graham Evangelical Association sums it up well…”we should give individually, regularly, methodically, and proportionately. The matter of your giving is between you and God, and He always takes into account our circumstances.”
Hope that helps. Send me any more questions I know there are a lot more to answer.
Blessings
~Trevor
have a living testimony on my life about the obedient toward tithes and giving, how God did it am not sure but I all I know all things work together for good
Hi there,I read your blog named “Am I Under a Curse if I Don’t Tithe?” like every week.Your humoristic style is witty, keep doing what you’re doing! And you can look our website about proxy list.
Thank you. I’m glad my sarcasm comes across as such in my writing….usually.
Hey Trevor,
Sorry, but I’m one of the traditional holdouts on the tithing issue. The arguments on either side, pro or con, don’t really add up for me – some are very thin – so I dedicated a lot of time to thinking through the issues and blogging my conclusions.
Even the “curse-blessing” are too narrowly defined for me so I recently shared my thoughts on those issues on my blog. You can find the post here: http://nowthinkaboutit.com/2012/08/tithing-what-about-the-curse/
I think the curse is largely material not spiritual, so mismanagement of funds brings its own curse. I make the point that not all curses are spiritual and therefore, not all tithers are immune.
But, even if tithing in the traditional sense is rejected, giving ten percent of ones income – I argue for net not gross – is still a good rule of thumb to follow.
Also, from my observations, “Grace giving” comes across just as coercive as tithing, so the “legalistic” argument is really moot.
Just my thoughts.
Ennis, I’ll check them out. I do think there is a huge difference between giving to avoid a curse and giving to please God. We can do either when we commit to the tithe principle.
…I read your article. Keep up the great work. One thing I believe we can both agree on is that the average Christian gives about 2% of their income away. I think we can both agree it shows the condition of our heart and how much we actually trust God.
BTW I agree, “Grace giving” can be just as full of guilt as Tithing has become. We need to focus on giving individually, regularly, methodically, joyfully and proportionately. That’s the pattern I see Paul gave the churches to for the collection to help out the church in Jerusalem.
1 Timothy 6:3-10
(sorry, I had this long comment but Twitter abducted it, because the name/email portions were not filled in)
Long comment? I think this verse needs to be remembered.
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
If a neighbour or stranger on the street needs help, and I am on a tight budget, you feel badly if not tithing but I don’t think the church is the first priority. It is helping your fellow man/woman stranger or whomever. Normally we shop underwear and socks for Christmas for the Good Neighbours association. this year I only managed a couple of packages of socks for a charity so I am knitting wash cloths and hope to bag them with at least soap and if able toothbrush and toothpaste. I find I can get really hot on this topic. At least if you give with a full heart directly you know it is reaching the individuals that need it.
Thanks Debbie. Keep living the Kingdom in the day-to-day of every day!
Truth be told, we’re not under any compulsion to give tithes, but to give cheerfully and affordably, for the work of the ministry. Tithing as practiced under the old Testament, does not apply to the New Testament church, which is now the body and the body of believers and not a building ! 1 Cor 6:19. Tithing was imposed on the church because of the greed, and in some cases, the ignorance of the preacher on what the Bible actually says about this modern day rip-off of God’s people. We really need to examine everything we’ve been taught by our predecessors, like the Bereans did. Acts 17:10. God’s people are destroyed because of their lack of knowledge of scripture. Hosea 4:6. Greedy and sometimes ignorant ministers have taken advantage of this and have imposed mandatory tithing on God’s people, and threatening them with curses, and giving them false hopes of blessings upon “paying” their tithes, but all this is unscriptural. RevTrev, it’s time we make a bold stand for what the Bible says, and not follow after the traditions of men.
Edmund, I’ve taught on tithing as it was taught to me, but it’s not an excuse as I should have studied it a lot earlier. For me it made sense because the “system” had to work somehow. My ideas about the system of church have altered radically lately. I’m working on a book I think I’ll call “Confessions of a Recovering Walking Oxymoron”
You’re not alone, we’re all taught the same way and I’ve been invited many times to speak on tithing, because when I speak, the people are encouraged to give. Well, not anymore ! I’ve examined many of the things I’ve been taught, and have found them wanting, in the light of scripture. And because of my new position on tithing, I’ve incurred several enemies. A pastor friend refused to give me support, saying, ” the money is from their tithes !” We have a responsibility to God and to the brethren to tell them the truth, as the Lord reveals to us through scripture and not hide it from the Lord’s people. Our allegiance is to the Lord and to His word, and not to traditions of men, no matter how many centuries the practice has been going on. Some of us have been called as Gideons and Elijahs to break to pieces the lofty traditions of men in the churches today and many leaders are going to get mad. They may huff and puff all they want, but if they don’t submit, they’d be carried away with the flood !
Thanks Edmund. I’ve whitelisted you so your comments won’t be moderated any more. Keep sharing and encouraging on RevTrev!
Amen.
I have always been taught to tithe as well. You have indeed given me some food for thought. I will have to digest on that one for a while.
Not only are we not under a curse if we don’t tithe, it is impossible for us to pay the Biblical tithes as commanded by God.
THE FIRST TITHE
Leviticus 27:30-33 defines this tithe as a tenth of crops and animals in herds and flocks.
Numbers 18 gives the ordinances, or instructions, for this tithe, and commands this tithe be taken to the Levites.
Purpose of this tithe: to support the Levitical Priesthood.
SECOND TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:22-27: aka The Festival Tithe – a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take for the yearly feast.
Purpose of this tithe: “that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always”
THIRD TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:28-29: aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe – a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.
Purpose of this tithe: to feed the poor.
The ONLY people in the Old Testament that were commanded to tithe were those who INHERITED THE PROMISED LAND WITH EVERYTHING ON IT. They got the land, house, animals, crops, etc. ALL FREE AND CLEAR. No mortgage payment or rent to pay. And THEY were commanded to tithe on the crops and animals and take it to the Levites who INHERITED the tithe INSTEAD OF the promised land with everything on it. No one else tithed. Wage earners did not tithe. Jesus did not tithe as a carpenter. Paul did not tithe as a tent maker. Peter did not tithe as a fisherman.
Today, ALL born-again believers are priests. ALL of us are called to be deciples of the Lord. No one of us is higher than another. Our bodies are the Temple where the Spirit dwells. According to the scriptures, priests do not tithe.
When you understand the Biblical tithe, it makes sense, and it is plain to see that it makes NO sense to try to tithe today.
John MacArthur has a mega church in Southern California and he doesn’t teach tithing yet his church brings in all the necessary funds. It takes faith that God will provide for His Church. No need to ask, beg, or threaten for money. It the truth is taught, God will take care of the finances.
Thanks Gary. I know those verses but have yet include them in my upcoming book. Thank you so much for your input.
Good article, thank you & bless you. I need deffinite help in this rollar coaster are. Lord you gave your all so i could be free may i be found cheerfuly giving my all for thee:)
Thanks Jo. I was expecting a lot more confrontation…something tells me it still will be coming 🙂
Because we don’t have animals and crops, I believe we tithe with our modern day income. The few times I didn’t tithe the enemy found a way to rob me of the tithe amount plus some. It’s a teust issue. If you can’t trust God with your money then you don’t trust him. The world we live in is cursed, so if you don’t want your money to remain cursed, then you pay your tithes into Yaweh’s kingdom so he can bless the rest of your money. The Bible says we have to work out our own soul salvation. So yes a believer can still be under a curse until you break them by renouncing sins from you and your ancestors. This is why it’s crucial to go through deliverance on more than one occasion. It’s simply a spiritual bath. Sin has to be repented for on both sides of your family. As long as satan has indictments against you, meaning you haven’t repented for specific sins, he can use them against you. He accuses the believday and night. So if your church does not have a deliverance ministry, find one that does. Beverly Tucker is a deliverance minister. Nelson Schuman another
deliverance minister.
The only thing I would change is that it’s trust = generosity and generosity = time and money. I find too many Christians in the west think they can “give at the office” and scorn those asking to be fed.