Tithing.com

Questions About Tithing, Giving, & Stewardship

On these pages, you will find commonly asked questions that are asked about tithing, stewardship, or giving. We are always searching for questions to answer from our readers, so please contact us with your specific questions and we will do our best to answer them. Our goal is to be as objective as possible and use scripture and sound reasoning to provide the best possible answers to your questions.

Should I Tithe While in Debt?

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I’ve touched on tithing while in debt before but it’s time to revisit this topic. To directly answer whether you should tithe while in debt – the answer is, no. You should not tithe while in debt. We should focus on our entire stewardship path which includes spending, saving, and giving. I explain why this is important moving forward.

George Müller offers a lesson about tithing while in debt

I recently came across an article on George Müller. If you are not familiar with him, he founded an orphanage in England and helped care for over 10,000 orphans in his lifetime. He also established 117 schools. A truly remarkable person. We can learn a lot about giving and debt by learning about this man and his ministry.

George Müller launched his orphanages on freewill donations. Below is a story about a donation he received from a donor that was in financial trouble. His response is not like one you will witness in modern times.

January 1, 1840. About one o’clock this morning, I received a sealed envelope with some money in it for the orphans. The individual who gave it was deeply in debt, and I was aware that she had been repeatedly asked by her creditors for payment. I resolved to return the envelope without opening it because no one has a right to give while in debt. I did this although I knew there was not enough on hand to meet the expenses of the day.

https://www.georgemuller.org/devotional/january-1-1840

I often hear a question wondering how churches can be supported without enforcing a tithe. The answer to this question is not a mystery. Muller was a man who did not rely on tithing to fund his entire ministry. Thousands, if not millions of ministries thrive on the support of freewill donations. This is besides the point of the article, but worthy of mentioning.

George Muller lived on integrity and faith. He expected others to live their life with these principles as well. He understood that stewardship is a holistic mindset. Debt and generosity are not exclusive to one another. It’s important to understand that if God wants a ministry to grow, he will provide the means for it. He’s much bigger than your measly 10% that you feel guilted to give. It’s not about you and your feelings. God’s reputation is more important.

Is Debt Wrong for Christians?

Using the word “wrong” is too vague, since we really want to know if debt is a sin for Christians. No, debt is not wrong or sinful for Christians. There are no laws in the bible that explicitly command us to stay out of debt. The error on our part is sinful desires or trusting bad advice prior to the debt. Debt is only a symptom. We should always address the cause whether it creates debt or not.

We should not make debt the object of our focus. Some of us could fall into the trap of being lackadaisical in our spending and stewardship management because we don’t see any symptoms yet. Debt can be like cancer that could take years of poor habits to finally catch up to you.

The book of Proverbs offers a lot of advice and wisdom, but at what point do we distinguish between breaking God’s command and not following biblical advice? Proverbs 22:26-27 is a popular verse that comes to mind.

This is where principles come into play. God wants investors, not givers. Remember the parable where the master gave silver to three servants and went on a journey? Two out of three increased the master’s wealth, while the third buried it. The master rebuked the third servant regardless of receiving 100% of it back.

We all start off in this world in debt. Nothing we have is our own. We are borrowing what God has given us including our own bodies. With it, he expects us to invest in his kingdom.

There are a lot of opinions about whether Christians should have zero debt. I am just one of those opinions. If you have unsecured debt, then you need to focus on paying that off instead of focusing on tithing or giving. Part of paying that off is making sure you behave with your spending in general. If debt is costing you less than your investments are paying, then it makes sense to make sure you are giving before investing.

Overall, this is a very simple way of looking at a complex topic. Everyone is different and every situation is as well. The question I ask myself is will this decision improve the lives of others? If the answer is “yes”, then more often than not, you’re taking the right step.

Is Tithing right for Christians?

Giving 10% (tithe) is not required of Christians. Tithing wasn’t even required from Israel. There are many articles that explain why, so I don’t want to go into depth here. I do want to point out that the poor in Israel received tithes – they did not pay them.

Although we aren’t commanded to give 10% of our earnings to God, he does expect us to be givers. Don’t look at the requirement to not tithe as an opportunity to be stingy.

In the Old Testament, God required Israelite farmers and herdsmen to give the tithe regardless if they were in debt or not. This is not so for us because the Holy Spirit guides us under a different covenant. There is no absolute requirement to give a tithe regardless of your situation.

Tithing does not make a wrong a right

We cannot give in order to absolve ourselves from the stain of debt. Making sure your church ministry you support is in the black while you go in the red is unwise thinking. Do not believe the lie that you will be compounding your sins if you don’t give while in debt.

I assume that most of us get into debt due to foolish purchase decisions and not preparing for unexpected costs with savings. So, for most of us, the fault lies in us. Paying bills instead of giving money to your church is not an additional sin on top of poor stewardship decisions.

If you still make unnecessary purchases and also do not give while in debt, then it’s not the lack of giving that’s the problem. It’s a lack of perspective about what God expects of us as stewards.

Give in other ways

While you are in debt, it does not mean that you sit on your hands. There are other ways to give. Here are only a few:

  • Serve
  • Give something you own to someone who needs it more than you.
  • Send words of encouragement

We all have something other than money and possessions that you can give away. It could be knowledge, a talent, or a hobby that could be used to give. We are all functioning parts of the body. Giving money to your church so a few members can take on the entire job of the body is not how it’s supposed to be. We are all participators.

Get a plan to get out of debt

That’s it. Get a plan to get out of debt. Maybe I’ll write up an article on this topic one day, but for years of my life, I was in debt. Besides a mortgage on my home, I am debt free. I couldn’t express how much anxiety and stress has been lifted off my shoulder.

If you get out of debt, you probably wouldn’t need to look up articles about whether we should give while in debt. I’d like to hear stories about others and how they’ve been freed to give willingly and freed from the bondage of debt. Please share your story below.

How Can Christians Give Less Than Israel Did?

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As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

This argument is one of the tougher discussions to defend against. We live in a very prosperous world while living under the grace of God. Israel never had the opportunities we have had in our time. How can people living under grace, with a higher calling, and the Holy Spirit possibly be excused from giving less than the 10% tithe that Israel gave?

First, the facts: Israel did give less than 10%

The initial problem with the above argument is believing that 10% was the minimum Israel gave in the first place.

  • Israel was only required to give 1/500 of the spoils of war (Numbers 31). The Israelites were not required to give 10% of their spoils of war. They weren’t even required to give one percent.
  • Bankers, lawyers, and doctors did not participate in tithes because Israel was only required to give from the increase of their animals or from their crops of the land. They gave 0% from their non-farming occupation.
  • Israel’s tithe paid for civil duties. The tithe was a part of Israel’s civic duty and tax obligations. According to Zippia, the average household income in the US is around $87,000. The tax bracket for joint filers at that income level is 22%. Our taxes pay for social welfare, including food, housing, schooling, etc. The budget for the welfare program alone was 1 trillion dollars in 2021. According to Statista, personal income was 21 trillion. In summary, Americans are already giving ~5% of their salary towards one of the welfare programs that exist. This does not include sales taxes that are paid. Don’t get me started on business taxes. If you’re a small business entrepreneur, you understand the absurd amount of taxes you pay towards your civil duty.
  • Israel’s rich and poor gave an equal amount of half a shekel for the temple tax. Across the board, everyone was required to give towards the upkeep and maintenance of the temple. A shekel was about 7-8 grams of silver. In today’s value, that could be around $4-$6. This does not equate to the value of silver back then, but it gives you a picture. Regardless, the flat offering was across the board and was more than 10% for some and under 10% for others.
  • Israelites never tithed outside of the promised land. When the Israelites lived outside of their land, they did not give a tithe. God only wanted crops and animals that were a part of the increase of the land of Israel. So, a farmer gave 0% of grain towards the storehouse if the crops were grown outside the land. Please read more about why Israel only tithed on food.
  • Jesus’ own words to his disciples about ministry said, “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8). Although, his words are not direct proof, it does set a precedent and relieves us from some of the pressure to meet a standard that not even all of the Israelites had to meet.
  • Israel only tithed on the increase of animals. If their flock increased by nine animals that year, then they gave 0% of their increase.

10% is not a spiritual principle – it is an earthly standard

God never raised the standards of his principles in the New Testament. We can’t hold ourselves accountable to any of Israel’s requirements. Take a look at priests: they could only serve 25 years from age 25-50 and had to have documented lineage. These aren’t standards that any of us would consider universal principles.

God placed certain rules and restrictions on Israel because he wanted to teach a spiritual principle through earthly regulations. The regulations are not there for us to compare ourselves to. Do you realize how crazy some of the Old Testament laws are that we would find ourselves working towards?

If we can take the tithe and compare it with our efforts in the New Testament, we are opening the door to other rules and regulations for adoption. Where do we draw the line on which Old Testament laws we should supersede? Which laws do we ask ourselves, “How can we do less, serve less, give less, say less, than Israel did?”

God’s spiritual standards are repeatable and applicable across the board. If questioning how we can give less than Israel helps us uncover tithing as a spiritual principle, then this same question could be repeated to compare our efforts versus everything that Israel did. This self-reflection shouldn’t just stop with our wallets.

The question is flawed. Using it to confirm our doctrine may make sense in some instances, but we soon find ourselves realizing that this is a poor question to confirm New Testament practices. If it was a good question, we could apply it to everything.

The truth is that God never raised the bar. His principles have been steady and unwavering. It’s dangerous to base our theology or doctrine on qualitative questioning. How can we give less than Israel did? Well, let’s find out the facts first before we start basing our doctrine on unstable rationale.

You Be The Judge

Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:

Can we give less than Israel did?

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Did Jesus Fulfill or Destroy Tithing?

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As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

When many inquire how authoritative the Mosaic laws are at governing the Church, a portion of Matthew 5:17 is invoked, which states that Jesus fulfilled the Law for us. This seems to end the Law’s jurisdiction over the Church. Although, when it comes to the authority of tithing over the Church, many invoke a more complete version of Matthew 5:17, which states, that Jesus did not come to destroy but to fulfill the Law. Now a very simple interpretation becomes convoluted. So, let’s inquire about what it means for tithing when Jesus said he did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Jesus did not come to destroy the Law – there’s no argument there. So let’s focus on what he did when he fulfilled the law. We have an article dedicated to defining what fulfill means. 

I don’t want to rehash everything that’s written in the article, but to use that illustration imagine you have two buckets that are both supposed to be filled with water. If one bucket was filled to the brim and the other bucket was empty, which bucket would you say had fulfilled its purpose? Which bucket would you say cannot be used anymore to gather more water? Would either bucket need to be destroyed for any reason? The answer is obvious.

All that Jesus was saying is that the old bucket is used up and can no longer be used to gather more water. The new bucket can be used and has replaced the old bucket. Jesus did not destroy anything. 

The Old Testament is still relevant to us. It offers glimpses of God’s promises and his truth. There are thousands of other reasons why Jesus did not destroy the Law. Fulfilling the Law can be like paying a doctor’s bill. You can pay a bill and fulfill the obligation for it, but that doesn’t mean the bill didn’t exist or the evidence of your medical treatment didn’t exist. The bill isn’t destroyed just because you paid it. Fulfilling the obligation doesn’t mean the obligation is continuously ongoing. 

The same is true for us. Fulfilling the law has nothing to do with confirming its practice in the church. If Jesus came to continue the law for us, we are going to be in trouble because we would be bringing back a lot more than tithing. 

The answer is yes, Jesus fulfilled tithing, but it doesn’t mean to continue. He completed its purpose for us, so we should not continue to fulfill tithing for ourselves. Let’s not cherry-pick verses in the bible to encourage the usage of certain Laws that we want to fit into the church. 

You Be The Judge

Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:

Did Jesus Continue Tithing for us by Fulfilling the Law?

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Did Abraham Tithe Prior to the Law?

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As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

The argument here is that Abraham tithed prior to the law of Moses, therefore it should be continued since it was outside of the fulfilled law of the Old Testament. To me, the cross fulfilled laws beyond the Mosaic law, but I understand that some don’t see it that way.

The Mosaic Law

Abraham did tithe before the Mosaic law, but that shouldn’t satisfy any answers regarding tithing. Was the Mosaic law the only portion of Old Testament laws that were fulfilled by the cross; and does this mean that any laws inside or outside those bounds are subject to fulfillment in the New Testament? The Sunday Sabbath, clean animals, animal sacrifices, & circumcision were all practiced prior to the Mosaic law, and yet they are excluded from New Testament practices. When you look at these four laws, you realize tithing isn’t an exclusive pre-mosaic ordinance.

The problem with basing our current practices on any practice that was pre-mosaic is that you are defending a practice based on a marker that is proven to be insignificant for the NT Church. NT Scripture wasn’t compelled to mention that clean meats, animal sacrifices, & circumcision were not required just because the change in law had to be reiterated in the New Church Covenant. The cross nullified those laws because pre-mosaic practices had no consequence for the Church in the first place. God’s instructions were not this – “I want you to obey all the laws that came before Moses, with the exception of sacrifices, clean meats & circumcision”. There was no need to add amendments to the New Covenant.  Simply put – clean meats, sacrifices and circumcision are dead laws because of Calvary, not because the NT happened to clarify it for us after Calvary.

It was Adam Not Moses

Scripture focuses on when sin entered the world through one man and when the penalty of sin was paid for by another.  Christ didn’t die on the cross to save us from the Mosaic law; he died because of Adam’s flaw. The focus of Christ’s death was about the law of sin and death that was introduced by Adam not the law that was introduced by Moses. The Bible focuses so much on the Mosaic law because the Hebrew culture was so saturated with it in their every-day life. Because of this, we unintentionally forget that Christ wasn’t here to fulfill the Mosaic laws. If he only did that, it would be great news for the Jews but not for the gentiles since it wasn’t the Mosaic law that gentiles were slaves to.

Let’s Follow Abraham’s Example

Let’s say for a moment that we are to follow Abraham’s example prior to the Law of Moses. There are two big problems with this.

First, Abraham only gave from the spoils of war and not from his own wealth. Hebrews chapter 7 clarifies that Abraham Gave Melchizedek the spoils of war. There is no mention that he gave anything from his own wealth. Maybe he just tithed for the week so he was already paid up except for the spoils of war. I don’t know. You tell me.

Second, Israel was instructed to give 1/500th of the spoils of war (Numbers 31). If tithing is really a permanent ordinance then why was Israel instructed specifically by God to give less from their increase? If Abraham’s practice was not binding enough for God to ask Israel to do it, then why is it even considered binding for a New Testament Church, after Calvary, & led by the Holy Spirit?

A Look at Jacob’s Tithing vow

Abraham wasn’t the only occurrence of tithing prior to the Mosaic law, Jacob made a tithing vow to God as well. So, his example also shines some light on this topic also. We did an in-depth study on Jacob’s tithing vow here: Part 1 & Part 2. So I don’t want to go too deep into this. I just want to highlight a valid point that pertains to the current topic.

Jacob’s vow indicates that tithing was not required because he willingly offered it. You can’t offer God something that was already required in the first place and get away with pulling a fast-one. Abraham’s example doesn’t indicate whether tithing was required or not, but we can know for certain through Jacob’s example that it wasn’t. What do you use to determine biblical doctrine? Would it be the the facts found in Jacob’s example or would it be speculation through Abraham’s?

You Be The Judge

Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:

Does Abraham's example before the Mosaic law mean we should tithe?

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Where Does the New Testament Command Us Not to Tithe?

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It’s been a while since our last post but i want to continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

The main argument is that because the New Testament does not tell us to stop tithing, this means that God wants us to continue tithing. This is one of the most immature excuses used to require tithing. Have you ever done something stupid when you were a child and then make the excuse to your parents, “You didn’t tell me not to do it”? How did that work for an excuse to get you out of trouble? Well, this excuse doesn’t work for tithing either. Just because there is no verse that states, “Thou shalt stop tithing” does not issue a license to continue it’s practice. The New Testament (NT) wasn’t written because God needed to explain how to reverse all the Old Testament (OT) laws one by one.

The NT Wasn’t Written to Reverse the OT

There are 613 laws and commandments listed in the Torah. Do you think the New Testament should go through each of these and pick and choose which ones are applicable?

Let’s use circumcision as an example. Most of us commonly agree that circumcision is no longer required in the New Testament and we agree so easily because circumcision was clearly repealed in the New Testament. The bible is pretty cut and dry and plain as day on the issue; but what about addressing all the other laws? It’s unnecessary to address the other laws and in reality it was unnecessary to address circumcision either. You have to ask yourself, “What is the real reason why we don’t require circumcision?” If there was no verse that clearly repealed circumcision as a requirement would you still practice it? The answer would be, “No”, many of us would still not require circumcision. And the reason is that we don’t really base our doctrine on what Paul/Peter/Jesus didn’t say, we base it on what Jesus did.

Jesus’ act on the cross and the fulfillment of the laws is why we don’t practice circumcision. Even if there wasn’t a single word uttered about circumcision in the New Testament, we should be able to deduct that circumcision is not a New Testament practice. I think most of us can make that logical connection with circumcision, but why can’t we do the same with a mechanical, calculated practice called tithing? All of a sudden the actions of Christ on the cross is voided because we don’t have solid concrete proof slapping us in the face telling us to “QUIT TITHING!”

I’m not trying to throw out scripture, but the truth of the matter is that there were 613 Old Testament laws listed in the Old Testament while many of them were not addressed again in the New Testament. So you can whine about my effort to discount the lack of scripture; but it’s just hypocrisy unless you actually obey many of the 613 laws that were not addressed in the NT.

My argument here is based on the fact that the law is clearly repealed and that tithing is part of the law. Why should i find a verse that specifically ends tithing, when I can find plenty of proof that tithing is in fact part of the law? There are Old Testament laws that are specifically mentioned and ended in the New Testament, so it is through these examples we can determine the principles we should apply to all the laws in scripture.

Other Old Testament Laws that Were Not Repealed in the New Testament

  1. Deuteronomy 23:2 – Don’t let illegitimate children in the Assembly of God
  2. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 – If your brother dies, you have to marry his wife so she can have a son.
  3. Deuteronomy 25:11-12 – If a woman hurts a man’s testicles, you should cut off her hand
  4. Deuteronomy 21: 20-21 – You can beat your slave within an inch of his life.
  5. Leviticus 15:19 – A woman must be quarantined for 7 days if she’s on her period.
  6. Leviticus 19:19 – Don’t mix cotton with polyester in your clothes.
  7. Leviticus 21:5 – Ministers can’t shave their head or their beard
  8. Leviticus 21:16-23 – No one with a defect can approach the altar of God.
  9. Numbers 8:24 – Ministers can only serve if they are older than 25, and the can’t serve more than 25 years.
  10. Leviticus 20:9 – Rebellious children are to be put to death.

I’m sure you’ve heard many of those laws mentioned before and you don’t even blink twice at them. I’m sure you pass them off as part of the Mosaic law and if need be you recite some of these statements below in your defense.

  • “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom”
  • “If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law”
  • “Follow the Spirit of the law, not the letter”
  • “We are not under the law, we are under grace”
  • “We are delivered from the law, Christ has made us free”
  • “Christ nailed the ordinances against us on the tree”.  .  . etc

These statements are great to use to exempt yourself from circumcision, shaving ministers’ beards, beating slaves, mixing clothing, or eating unclean meats. But for some reason, these exemptions are powerless to stand up against the 10% benchmark. Strange, don’t you think?

Why Shouldn’t We Require Offerings?

Offerings began even sooner than the practice of tithing did, but no one seems to be preaching about them as a requirement. There were five main offerings required in the Old Testament

  • Burnt Offering – Voluntary act of worship; atonement for unintentional sin in general
  • Meal Offering – Voluntary act of worship; recognition of God’s goodness and provisions
  • Peace Offering – Voluntary act of worship; thanksgiving and fellowship
  • Sin Offering – Mandatory atonement for specific unintentional sin
  • Tresspass Offering – Mandatory atonement for unintentional sin requiring restitution

Besides these five main offerings in the Old Testament, there were also additional offerings given during these events

  • New moon
  • Feast of Unleavened Bread – 7 Offerings,  7 days Total
  • Feast of Weeks
  • Feast of Trumpets
  • The Day of Atonement
  • Feast of Tabernacles – 7 Offerings,  7 days Total
  • The Last Great Day

Even though the Peace offering is not an obligation to us anymore, it was never stopped in the New Testament. If we are basing church practices on Old Testament exemptions, can someone explain why we are required to offer a tithe and not required to offer anything else? Of all the focus on stewardship in the bible, does our selection make sense?

How Does the New Testament Teach us to Give?

The New Testament doesn’t tell us to stop tithing, but it does give guidelines and example on how we should give. Here are a list of bible verses that talk about giving

  • 2 Corinthians 9:7 – Decide in your heart what to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. Give cheerfully.
  • Acts 20:35 – Work in order to help the weak, and It is more blessed to give than receive
  • Acts 2:44-47 – Giving to those who had need and sharing with others as if all things were common with one another
  • 2 Corinthians 8:1-24 – The joy of the Macedonians allowed their giving to go beyond their means
  • Acts 4:32 – There was no feeling that their possessions were their own as owners sold land and gave to those in need
  • Hebrews 13:16 – Do good and share with others
  • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 – Be willing to share & rich in good deeds
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 – If you sow sparingly you’ll reap sparingly
  • 1 John 3:17 – If you don’t give to someone in need, God’s love does not abide in you.
  • Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
  • Romans 12:13 – Distribute to the needs of the saints and be hospitable
  • Philippians 4:15-17 – Provide for ministers of God.
  • Romans 12:8 – Giving is a Spiritual gift that should be used liberally
  • 1 Peter 4:8-10 – Be hospitable. Use our abilities to share with one another.
  • John 3:16 – Of course the greatest example of giving made by God for giving his only son (his everything)

There are so many verses and examples about how we should give. In all honesty, the list of verses above outline a daunting task for us. I look at those verses and can’t help but think that these early Church believers were super-Christians. How they felt about their possessions and having all things in common blows my mind. Not that I’m all for throwing our money in a pot and redistributing, but I just want to have the mentality that what’s mine is not really mine, but is yours also.

The New Testament clearly shows that our giving should be sacrificial, cheerful, liberal, and consistent. This doesn’t exclude 10% minimum, but neither does it include it. One thing I know for sure is that Jesus’ example of giving and the example of his love should inspire me to give beyond my ability, and I struggle with that.

You Be the Judge

Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide

Should we continue tithing since the New Testament doesn't tell us to stop?

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Is the Church a Storehouse to Collect Tithes?

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As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice. So let’s evaluate another argument used to promote tithing:

Argument: Israel gave their tithes to the storehouse, so we should give our tithes to the church.

Malachi 3:10 – “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”

There are good principles we can draw from Malachi 3, but using the storehouse as an argument to bring tithing to Church is not accurate. Yes. We should supply ministers and the Church body with food and provisions for their needs, but the principle in Malachi 3:10  is about supplying for the needs of others; it is not about giving 10% to a Church. Here are 3 areas to review on why the Church is not a storehouse for tithing.

Only 1% Made it to the Temple Storehouse

The temple storehouse only received 1% of Israel’s increase, the other 9% was stored in Levitical cities – not at a place of worship.

Nehemiah 10:37-38 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.

The Israelites were responsible for giving their tithe to the Levites and in turn, the Levites were then responsible for giving a tenth of the tenth towards the temple storehouse. 1% of Israel’s increase was used for the support of those ministering and serving in the House of God. I’m sure the percentages today do not come anywhere close tho this figure. The latest giving statistics state that 85% of the offerings received by Churches are used for internal operations. The Priests only absorbed 10% of what was given to the Levites (or 1% of Israel’s increase)

The irony of all this is that the decree in Malachi 3:10 was not addressing the whole Israelite nation. It was only addressing the Levitical tribe since they were the only ones responsible for the 1% that was supposed to bring food to God’s StoreHouse. As a word of wisdom to leaders in our Churches who may be reading this – In Malachi 3, it was those who received the tithe that was neglecting their duties to give. Considering 85% is spent on internal operations, I don’t think we’re any better off than those in Malachi were . . . what a scary thought!

If you wish to read more about the Levitical cities, they are first outlined in Numbers 35:2-3, while other references can be found throughout scripture in regards to the storage of tithes and offerings within these cities as well.

Your Church Building Is Not A Storehouse

A storehouse actually STORES something. Duh! Right! If you had a storehouse for your farm, that means you are safekeeping your grain to be used later for feed or for seed. The Church building, is not used as storage to preserve or distribute anything. Quite simple to understand, don’t you think?

Most people don’t pick up on the fact that Malachi 3:10 mentions two different places. First, God mentions a “storehouse”; then, God mentions a separate place and calls it “my house”. The two are exclusive of one another. God’s house is NOT the storehouse, and the storehouse is NOT God’s house. Did you think the grain was sitting in the Holy of Holies? Maybe they stored some of their corn in the ark of the covenant? There was no Shekinah Glory sitting above the grain house. God’s house was not a place to bring your goods or possessions. Neither was it a place to make transactions.

Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

God kicked ALL the money changers out. There were no exceptions for those who were honest and those who were dishonest. Jesus statement was that in the presence of God, there was to be prayer, not business.

I know that I stated the temple is not the Church building today, so it’s not like these restrictions in the Temple are applicable to worship buildings today, but this means if these restrictions aren’t applicable, then it also means that the Church building is not a resemblance of the Storehouse or the Temple.

The storehouse was was not considered a holy place or part of the worship process. The only reason why a storehouse was needed was because there was food to store. If you are unaware of the temple tax; it was a monetary offering required for everyone to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the House of God. The temple tax was never kept in a storehouse. So, God doesn’t need a storehouse in order for us to have a reason to give to support His work.

One last note. If you observe the New Testament, there is no reference to a Church storeroom to bring your tithes or offerings. Nor was the word ‘storehouse’ mentioned whatsoever.

Our Storehouse is Not in This World

Let’s set aside the technicalities and semantics and focus on the spiritual application of a storehouse. Some of you believe that the Storehouse in the Old Testament, through spiritual meaning, is comparative to a church today. I get why this thought occurs to most people. But let me show you two significant differences between a church and the Temple and a storehouse.

1. A Building was Where God Dwelt – Isaiah 66:1-2, 1 Chronicles 17:6, 1 Kings 8:27
Our Soul Is Where He Dwells Now – Acts 7:48, John 1:14, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

In the Old Testament, the temple was known as the House of God, but in the New Testament, we know that God does not dwell in houses made with hands. We are the temple of God.

2. A Storehouse Stores Corruptible Things – Luke 12:16-21, Matthew 6:19
Heaven Stores Incorruptible – Matthew 6:20, Matthew 19:21, 1 Peter 1:3-4

The earthly Storehouse symbolizes the purpose of an eternal storehouse, it does not symbolize a worship building or any other form of infrastructure you may have for the local Church.  The storehouse symbolism is perfectly described in Matthew 6:19-20 where Jesus commands us not to store up treasure on earth, but to store treasure in heaven.

It’s a disservice to consider your worship building God’s Storehouse. I know there are many great programs and actions that come through some local churches and their facilities, but certainly, God did not want us to focus on earthly legacies. He wanted us to focus on eternal legacies. If anything, Malachi 3:10 should be a reminder to lay up treasures in heaven, not to bring a check to the next service.

Review

Here is a review of the key points from the article.

  • Only 1% of Israel’s tithing increase was used to support the service in God’s house while 9% was NOT used within God’s House
  •  The Temple was not a building to store money or goods, and was not used for any financial transactions. A Storehouse was Not needed unless there was something to store.
  • God no longer resides in a building and our storehouse is found in heaven, not on earth.

If a Church wants to consider itself a storehouse for tithing, then by all means make sure they follow the guidelines in the Old Testament.  Otherwise, let’s not call the Church building a storehouse. In the mean time, let’s encourage one another to give as God leads us. May it be sacrificially, liberally and cheerfully.

You Be the Judge

Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide

Do You Think the Church is a Storehouse for Tithing?

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