Tithing.com

Articles About Tithing & Giving

We believe that tithing is not commanded for the New Testament church, so on this site, you will find many articles thoroughly discussing this point of view. Even though we take this viewpoint, our philosophy is to encourage Christians to give generously through Spirit-led giving. We do not condone excuses to give minimally or to be stingy with what God has given us. He has given us each a unique stewardship path. We must teach ourselves to walk in his will and obey the Holy Spirit when we are asked to give. Giving is not a passive form of worship, so it will take some effort to grow into a proper type of giver.

Did Jesus Collect Tithes?

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The quick and short answer to the question if Jesus ever collected tithes is, “No”. Jesus did not collect tithes and there are several reasons why.

The Levitical Tribe of Israel Only Collected Tithes

“I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’” – Numbers 18:24

The Bible is clear in several passages that the tribe of Levi was to take and partake of the tithe including Deuteronomy 14:22-27, Deuteronomy 14:22-27, Deuteronomy 18:1-2, Nehemiah 10:37-39. Upon entering the promised land, every tribe in Israel was given a partition of the land in Israel except the tribe of Levi. God had given the tithe from the Israelite farming community to the Levites. The Levites stored 9% within the local city and then took the remaining 1% to the temple storehouse.

Jesus was from the tribe of Judah as indicated in Hebrews 7:14. “For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.”

He was of the house of David and did not perform Levitical duties such as serving in the temple.

Jesus Collected Voluntary Offerings for His Ministry

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Luke 8:1-3

During Jesus’ three-year ministry as an adult, he lived off the voluntary offerings of his followers. The scripture clearly states that they helped him out of their own means.

Many of us are familiar with an infamous passage of Jesus feeding thousands of people from the gift of a boy with five loaves and two fish.

Jesus Told The Disciples to Collect Voluntary Offerings

Matthew 10:7-10 states, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.” (NIV)

His disciples were not to demand a wage. They were to live off the freely given charity from others. Scripture is clear that ministers deserve something and are worthy of his wages or keep as also indicated in Luke 10:5-8, but there is no minimum command.

As his disciples continued their ministry throughout the New Testament, there was no change in how they operated. They continued with freewill offerings. In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul even quotes Jesus’ words that the “worker deserves his wages”.

Jesus Said the King’s Children Are Free

One of my favorite passages in the bible regarding Jesus on generosity is found in Matthew 17:24-27.

“And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.”

You and I are children of the king. We are not subjects to take tribute from. The children are a part of the king’s family and mission and do not need taxes, tributes, benchmarks, mandates, or minimum offering amounts to advance their father’s kingdom. You can learn more here about Jesus’ words on tithing.

Jesus on Tithing

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Many have dissected, outlined, and debated the words and actions surrounding Jesus on tithing over the centuries. This article will answer many of the common questions that people ask about Jesus and tithing.

What is Tithing?

First, let’s understand what tithing means. Many people equate tithing with giving in general. It is true that tithing falls under the general category of giving, but the bible digs a little deeper on the definition of tithing.

A tithe according to the Greek or Hebrew words in the bible is simply defined as a tenth. Although, the Bible details more rules around tithing such as giving only food and only to the Levites. We will dig into more details further in this article, but to start off, we will definine a tenth by the simple sense of God’s requirement to give 10% to him.

Did Jesus Talk About Tithing?

Yes. Jesus did talk about tithing. The New Testament scriptures lists three passages where Jesus specifically talked about it. Read below.

  • “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).
  • “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God” (Luke 11:42).
  • “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get” (Luke 18:12).

The passages in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 are parallel passages, meaning two different authors give their own unique accounts of that event in Jesus’ life on earth. In Luke 18:12, Jesus tells a parable commonly referred to as the Pharisee and the tax collector and was quotes the tax collector. These are the only bible passages that Jesus talked about tithing.

Did Jesus Teach the Tithe?

The short answer to this question is yes, Jesus did teach the tithe, but we need some context around this answer to find out to whom and why. We will resolve the answer to those questions further down in this article, but for now let’s address where, when, and how he taught the tithe.

God required the tithe for the Israelites under the Old Covenant law. He gave specific commands in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy surrounding the requirements of tithing. Although we know that tithing was inscribed in the law and given to the Israelites by God in the Old Testament, many want to know if Jesus specifically taught tithing in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).

We can analyze the entire passages surrounding Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 to answer whether or not Jesus taught the tithe. In these two passages, Jesus addressed the Jews under the Old Covenant. He acknowledged that the Israelites were still under the Mosaic system as evidenced at the beginning of the passage in Matthew 23:2-3 when Jesus stated, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you.”

Reading further down in the passage, Matthew 23:23 states, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

This is a clear teaching from Jesus to tithe. When he said, “You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former,” he was saying they should have practiced justice, mercy, and faithfulness without neglecting the tithe. Although Jesus does teach the tithe, we must consider further context surrounding to whom and why. So, let’s read on.

Did Jesus Practice Tithing?

The Jews had to follow specific requirements and qualifications when they tithed. The most familiar passage surrounding these requirements can be found in Leviticus 27:30-32 which states “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord…Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord”

The important thing to remember in this passage when trying to know whether Jesus practiced tithing is if he met the prerequisites for doing so. There were only two basic groups of things that the Israelites could give to God. They were crops or animals. The answer to the question depends on whether Jesus had raised any animals or grew any crops to give a tithe from. Unfortunately, the bible is not explicit about those details, so we can only speculate.

We know that Jesus had at least two occupations; the first being a carpenter and the second being a rabbi or teacher. These occupations don’t deal with animals or crops, so even if Jesus practiced tithing, it did not come from his occupation. If he tithed, it likely came from a few small things that were grown on the side outside of his primary occupation.

Did Jesus Collect a Tithe?

We could answer this in two different ways. The first answer comes from the question of whether Jesus, as a part of God, collected tithes. This answer would be yes. God asked for a tithe from Israel, so if God and Jesus are one, then technically Jesus did collect tithes.

Although Jesus in his spiritual diety collected tithes, I don’t think this is why most people are asking the question. Most of us want to ask did Jesus collect tithes while he was in the flesh on earth. The second answer and the more relevant answer is no, Jesus did not collect tithes on earth.

Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, which is declared for us in Hebrews 7:14, “For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah” Ironically, the whole chapter of Hebrews 7 is about how Jesus (metaphorically) received the tithe through the Melchizedek priesthood.

I don’t want to get deep in the woods with Hebrews 7 since it’s off-topic, but it can confuse some people. When you read it, keep in mind the context of who Hebrews was written to and why it was written. The book addressed Jews who could not let go of the law. It was not written to Gentiles who needed education about tithing.

Coming back to Jesus coming from the tribe of Judah. We need to look at the laws in the Old Covenant and ask ourselves if God placed any requirements about who could collect tithes. Numbers 18:24 clarifies who should collect tithes, “But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit.”

We are assured that Jesus did not collect tithes because the Levites were to collect tithes and he was from the tribe of Judah. It is true that he was God and could have demanded them – he deserved them. But Jesus also obeyed the Mosaic law just like the Jews did. He would not go against his own word. Jesus did not collect tithes because he was not a Levite.

In case you are wondering, Jesus supported his ministry on earth through other means. “Some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means” (Luke 8:2-3). Jesus had experience as a carpenter also, so maybe he supported himself in that way, but the bible never explicitly says so.

Did Jesus Abolish Tithing?

Some quote these words of Jesus often, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). The answer to whether Jesus abolished tithing is no, he did not abolish tithing, but he did fulfill it.

The law that Jesus referred to can cause confusion. Some people use these words of Jesus to justify the continuity of some Old Testament standards or laws, but what laws did Jesus refer to? Some categorize it as the Mosaic law, some call it the ceremonial law, some say it’s the Old Covenant, some say it’s the Adamic covenant. The problem I have with using these classifications of the laws for this answer is that the categorizations are human-centered instead of gospel-centered.

In my own definition, Jesus refers to the laws that God placed to prepare us for the good news of Jesus. The classifications of laws may be good to understand, but I prefer to filter them around the purpose of Jesus, not around times, events, Adam, Abraham, or Moses.

Jesus was not talking about fulfilling spiritual laws such as love, faithfulness, mercy, etc. These spiritual laws are eternal and will never be abolished or fulfilled because as long as God exists, these natural laws of his character will exist.

If Jesus did not abolish tithing, then what does it mean that he fulfilled it? For this answer, we only need to keep reading in Matthew 5:18, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Did Jesus accomplish what he needed to? He came, he lived flawlessly, he died, he conquered death, and ascended to heaven. I’d say, yes he accomplished what he needed to and because of this, he fulfilled the laws put into place to prepare us for the Gospel. Did he destroy the law? No, but he discontinued it. I think Matthew 9:17 illustrates for us how a New Covenant and Old Covenant coexist. “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

We don’t need to destroy or abolish the old wineskins. It has a purpose to carry the old wine. We needed a new wine skin to carry our new wine. If the old wineskin is full, it has been fulfilled and Jesus accomplished that. We should no longer use it to gather more wine since it’s used to the fullest.

Conclusion

Some of us have poured wine out of the old wineskin into the new wineskin. Because of this two things occur. First, it doesn’t look like the old wineskin has been fulfilled since there is still room to fill more in. This creates feelings like we need to work for our salvation. Second, the new wine is spoiled and bitter from the old wine that is mixed with the new wine. This results in bitterness and confusion toward the good news of Jesus Christ.

No wonder many don’t want to turn to Christ for salvation. When we say that you need to do works such as tithing in order to find acceptance in God, we are mixing old and new wine creating a void that cannot be filled and adding bitterness that cannot be sweetened with our own works.

The Old Covenant had a purpose, but it is bitter. The gospel tastes sweet and fulfilling. Stop trying to quench the world’s thirst with our own wine. Give them the pure and sweet taste of Jesus.

Tithing is for Scrooges

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Bah Humbug! Tis not true, you say. Jacob Marley tried to warn you that being a tithing scrooge is going to haunt you. If you change your ways it won’t be too late. Prepare to heed the advice ahead.

Tithing is Cheap 

I’m sure you’re surprised to hear that tithing is cheap. Christians give an average of 2-3% of their income, so why would giving 10% be cheap? There are a few reasons.

Our heart is more valuable

Our heart is more valuable but instead, we give our worthless money. Money is worth nothing to God. Please don’t scramble for excuses or bible verses. Psalms 51 states, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

As humans, we need money to do what God has called us to, but we shouldn’t mix up our priorities. Heart first, then comes the actions. I know plenty of people willing to give money but don’t put a minute into serving. The opposite is true as well. Throwing money at God as if you are paying your taxes insults him. Give him the one thing he actually has relinquished ownership over to you; It’s not money, it’s your heart.

Some give less than they are able

Giving less than you are able robs God. Making millions of dollars only to hoard your wealth creates a poor steward. As long as the rich give their 10%, then they feel they are off the hook. Why would they give more than necessary?

J. C. Penney, John D. Rockefeller, Mr Colgate, & Mr Proctor were famously known for tithing on their wealth. Imagine being the 1% of the 1% while expecting all others to match your donation percentage. It’s a head-scratcher.

It’s mental laziness

The lack of time, effort, and thought that we place into tithing is minimal. After receiving our paycheck, we move two decimal places in the amount, sign a check or click an online donate button. This thoughtless form of giving cheapens the effort of giving. We don’t want to spend the energy it takes to understand others’ needs through communication and prayer. We want to be lazy and cheap with our time and make a convenient drop-off for God.

Tithing is Mean

I know that many have good intentions in preaching the tithe, but good intentions don’t excuse not knowing the truth about tithing.

It hurts the poor

We’re going to make the poor pay tithes. Really? In the Old Testament, the poor received tithes – they didn’t pay them. We rob widows’ houses through our enforced tithing and show we have very little concern for their welfare.

I have read countless tithing testimonies of people that have been burned and rejected by tithing; whether they were expecting returns on their giving or whether it put them into poverty.

It enslaves us

Scripture tells us that where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Slavery is mean. Like, duh! We don’t need to be shackled by the burdens of laws that were meant for a different people under a different time. The spirit of God should be leading and guiding us to the truth, but we bind heavy burdens upon the people of God.

The world thinks God is stingy

What kind of God forces his people to give a minimum amount? Compulsive love is an oxymoron, which means that compulsive giving and love are not cousins either. I love my wife and kids so it would counterintuitive to prove my love through mandated giving requirements. Freewill love is what separates Christians from other worshippers. What kind of God makes eternal life free for you, but to live your life on earth, pay a 10% tax?

Tithing is the Ghost of Christmas Past 

Some of us are living in the past. I mean the Old Testament past. The law in the Old Covenant required Israel to give 10% of their food from within the land of Israel.

The past offers false comfort

To some of us, we find solace in the ghost of tithing past because there were rules and laws that could guide our every step. We like this safety net and the comfort of strict standards because we are human beings that find peace with tangible goals.

Abraham did tithe before the Mosaic law, but not because it was required. We know this because his son Jacob turned it into a requirement through his vow to God to tithe upon all that he would give him through the patriarchal promise. Jacob’s promise set in motion a law that his children and nation of Israel would have to obey.

The past is complicated

If you think we should tithe as the Israelites did, then be my guest. The entire tithing law was complicated and convoluted at best. It’s practically impossible to practice tithing correctly today. There were rules and stipulations to tithing that God expected Israel to follow.

Even giving 10% is complicated because we don’t know where or what we are supposed to give from. It’s not clear to us in the New Testament. Most people try to interpret how it fits into the New Testament but all it does is make the already complicated issue even more complicated.

Tithing Brings Nightmares 

Tithing sounds good and starts out looking like a good thing but quickly escalates to a full-blown nightmare.

The law brings a curse

The scripture says, “For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse.” Just like Scrooge cursing his life with the scourge of greed, many Christians have put a curse on their life through their attempts to implement monetary tithing. I do agree that God can bless both a freewill giver and a tither since God blesses people on the amount of their faith, but we cannot ignore the promise of what happens when we rely on tangible benchmarks that act like the law.

It causes unnecessary shame and guilt

If you gave 9.9% of your income I hate to break it to you but the devour is coming after you because you didn’t give that .01% extra. Now you must go through the entire week looking over your shoulder waiting to see if a piano is going to fall out of the sky onto your head.

Read the conversation between Jesus and Peter in Matthew 17. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. If Jesus said the children are free and if Jesus’ own ministry didn’t collect tithes, then the children are free from the shame and guilt of only giving 9.9%.

There is Hope

Wake up from the dream. The worst does not have to happen. The ghost of Christmas future does not need to come to fruition. God replaced the tithing law with the law of his Spirit in the New Testament. We should be listening and honing into what God wants us to give through prayer, reading, and fellowship with others.

God loves a cheerful giver so we should give freely and cheerfully. Just because the legalistic form of giving is for scrooges, this doesn’t mean that giving and generosity are for scrooges. Spirit-led generosity is for those who have awakened from their nightmare and realized the blessings they have in life. Generosity is for born-again scrooges who are looking for a second chance, so be a born-again scrooge.

God’s word is true when it says the giver is more blessed than the receiver. Get in the right spirit and be cheerful and generous this Christmas season.

See our other posts in this series:

What Motivates People to Tithe?

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Many of us give for the wrong reasons. Let’s understand more about what it is about fear, greed, duty, and peer pressure that motivates us to give and why we do it for these reasons.

Fear Motivates People to Tithe

Many fear the retribution that God will bring upon their lives if they do not meet their benchmarks. If they fall .00001% of their mark, God will rein down fire and brimstone and put a curse upon their family for the next ten\ years. To those of us with this motivation, we imagine entering the throne of God with knobbly knees and losing our continents because our fear has overcome us.

Many also use tithing as flagellant penance. They think that if they cause pain in their finances and they whip their budget then God will have pity on them for the extent they’ve gone for their devotion to him. I recall reading the book The Scarlett Letter in highschool. In the book, the clergy who had committed adultery had punished himself so badly that it changed his countenance and physical appearance.

Some of us feel that we deserve punishment and wrath. It’s a strange phenomenon because of how lowly we feel about ourselves. It’s almost as if to feel hurt is to feel loved, so we hone in on the character traits of God that could drive fear as a motivation.

Fearing God does not mean what we think it means. Our viewpoint of fear comes from our earthly experiences. This type of fear is similar to when a snake or wild, deadly animal crosses our paths. If you were to come across a bear while walking down a trail, our fear tells us to lie down and play dead to avoid confrontation or a reaction from the deadly beast.

Many respond to tithing in this way. We tithe because the reaction that God is going to have scares us, so we ignorantly start doing things to help God go away and ignore us. I remember countless times when after I tithed fearing that I missed a penny or two, so I would give 11% just to make sure that I pacified the deadly spiritual beast within God.

Greed Motivates People to Tithe

Some treat tithing as if it were some slot machine. If I give God “X” amount, then he will bless me tenfold. Most of these folks embed themselves deeply in the prosperity gospel. The televangelists on TV running around in their fancy cars and mansions, showing off their french cuffs. Which I never understood by the way. Our arms are round shaped. They aren’t tear-drop sized, so why do people pinch their cuffs together like that’s the way it’s supposed to be? It’s a status thing. It’s an appearance thing. That’s all. Hey, I did it at one point, then I realized, “This is stupid.”

The irony of it is many folks that tithe and agree to the preacher’s message about tithing is that they are lower-class income. If they are driving around in a fancy car, their bank is probably empty and that car is on a 7-year payment plan to stretch it out so they can afford the monthly payments.

God doesn’t want you to give so you can get rich. The scripture says, “seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.” Many of us seek first the benefits (or cons, depending on how you look at it) of riches. We seek to enrich our kingdom on earth and hope God will reward us also in heaven.

Duty Motivates People to Tithe

Most of these folks give mechanically. Every week they write a check at the same time and place. They drop it in the plate and don’t think twice about it. They know what they are supposed to do and do it. Maybe nowadays it’s not a check but it’s an automatic withdrawal from their online banking.

I commend this type of loyalty. They don’t even blink when they give over 10% of their earnings every week religiously into the offering plate.

There’s something missing with these folks though. They demonstrate no spontaneity or spark in their giving. They have lost the passion they once had for God. The emotional connection of giving to God is now on par with giving to the government. The automatic withdrawal of taxes from our paycheck becomes unnoticed. To deviate from their routine and allow the Spirit of God to point them in a new direction would equate to reversing the rotation of the earth.

These types of givers tend not to ask questions about their giving. God said it and that settles it for them, so quickly quench any thoughts that overwhelm their emotions by their analytical mind.

Giving to God is not a business plan. God made us children in his family and not business partner. This is not the military where communication must go through the chain of command. You can go directly to the general and make your request. As a matter of fact, God wants you to.

Peer Pressure Motivates People to Tithe

If everybody around you is doing it but you don’t want to get caught not doing it. You would feel awkward, wouldn’t you? Sometimes Christians herd themselves like cattle. Everyone is all going in the same direction, so we just go along with the crowd. We would feel embarrassed to be the odd one out.

Maybe you are worried that the pastor or the person doing the church balance sheets sees your name and knows you aren’t tithing like you should. You might slip into the pew each Sunday hoping the pastor doesn’t notice the guilt on your face. Even worse, what if you were confronted about the matter? I’ve heard many stories of pastors confronting individuals for not tithing as they should.

I am all for a little accountability, but this isn’t accountability this is governance. I knew of someone that was fairly wealthy and went to a large church. The leaders quickly befriended him. One day they talked to him about tithing and asked him why he wasn’t tithing like he should. This was the last Sunday this person attended this church.

Accountability is healthy when we do it right. Giving out of motivation from the pressure we feel from our peers is not healthy. Peer pressure should come from intimate connections that personally vest in you. Meet with your small group or talk to a friend about it to help you stay accountable to God.

Love Motivates People to Tithe

Our love for God and others should motivate us to tithe. I don’t have to go deeply into it because this entire website dedicates itself to spreading the truth about tithing. But even though tithing is not required for Christians and it is incorrect to enforce it, giving a tithe out of love can be a good thing. God sees inside our hearts. Whether it’s a tithe or some other amount, God doesn’t want 10% of our physical currency, he wants 100% of our spiritual currency.

I’ve said before that God can bless both a spirit-led giver and a tither because he’s interested in our heart. He wants our whole heart, mind, body, and soul. Our physical currency is wood, hay, and stubble which means nothing from a spiritual perspective. Love comes from a pure heart. Love cannot come from fear, guilt, peer pressure, or greed, which comes from impure thoughts. This is why it’s important that giving be of freewill. Freewill is the first step to acting upon love.

If I am forced to give, how can the world look at us and know that we love God and others? No matter how generous the gift, if it is given out of obligation and begrudgingly, it is not out of love. We must continue to act upon our love and show the world that God loves them through our freewill generosity.

Dave Ramsey on Tithing

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Who is Dave Ramsey?

Dave Ramsey is the most popular Christian voice today offering stewardship and financial advice. Ramsey is a NY Times Bestselling author and has currently written five books. His most notable book is The Total Money Makeover. According to Wikipedia, The Dave Ramsey Show is broadcasted to over 600 radio stations.

Ramsey focuses much of his attention on debt. Many families have changed their lives and vanquished their debt due to the highly popular Financial Peace University program.

What does Dave Ramsey believe about tithing?

RamseySolutions.com states, “The Bible explains that tithing is an important part of faith for those who follow God and that your tithe should be money you set aside first.” Dave Ramsey believes that Christians should be giving a minimum tithe of 10% of their income to their local Church.

Dave Ramsey believes tithing must go to your local church

Ramsey says, “Giving 10% of your income to anything other than the local church isn’t really a tithe.” I don’t know where Ramsey gets this declaration from because it’s not found in scripture. Tithing was explained in the Old Testament but there’s nothing in the New Testament that states where or how to give a tithe to your local church. During festivals, the Israelites traveled to far places to have feasts and celebrate using a tithe.

He believes tithing should go to the local church due to the interpretation that the Old Testament storehouse equates to the New Testament local church. This belief is in error because the bible makes no correlation between the Old Testament storehouse and the Church. The storehouse at the temple stored grain. Our church stores nothing. The storehouse in the Old Testament correlates to our storehouse in heaven, not the one on earth. 90% of the tithe never even made it to the temple storehouse. The Jews in Israel had synagogues much like our worship centers, yet, they didn’t bring the tithe to their local worship building.

Dave Ramsey believes you should still tithe while paying off debt

“Even if you’re in debt or walking through a rough financial season, tithing should still be a priority.” This statement from Dave Ramsey’s site is shocking to some. It’s very difficult for many people to make ends meet. I have read numerous stories of those struggling in debt while advancing further into debt because of their tithe. There are other ways to give back while getting out of debt. God looks at your stewardship practices as a whole. If you are in debt because of poor financial decisions then tithing does not make a wrong a right. If you are in debt because of economic circumstances such as expensive medical bills while living on social security, then you can find peace in knowing that the poor in Israel received tithes. You can read more about this in the article, Should I Tithe While in Debt?

Dave Ramsey believes tithing is 10% and anything above that is considered an offering

Many people equate tithing and offerings. Offerings are considered a very general term for giving to God, which includes tithing. Tithing is considered a subset of offerings and is the act of giving 10% to God to fulfill an Old Testament command.

Dave Ramsy states, “A tithe is a specific amount (10% of your income) that you give first, and an offering is anything extra that you give beyond that.” It may sound confusing that tithes and offerings are separate when I just explained that tithes are a part of offerings. It really comes to semantics. Many Christians like to say that anything above 10% is a freewill offering. Yes, tithing is a type of offering to God but that’s how many differentiate the two.

Dave Ramsey believes tithing is a firstfruit offering

Here’s a quote from his website. “Firstfruits is just a biblical way of saying that you should give first—before you do anything else with your money.” Dave Ramsey believes in setting your tithe away first before you spend your income on anything else. He also quotes Proverbs 3:9, which states “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.”

The Bible was very clear in Leviticus 27:32 that the tithe was to be taken from the tenth one, not the first, and that it didn’t matter if it was good quality or poor. I am not arguing against honoring God with the best of what we have. What I am stating is that tithing and first fruits are not synonymous. The first fruit offering is a representation of Christ. The tithe, which was given at a separate time, was not.

Dave Ramsey believes tIthing can be from your income either before or after taxes

After reading about Dave Ramsey’s beliefs about first fruits, I was surprised to read from his website, “Whether you tithe from your gross pay or your take-home pay is totally up to you.” This seems to deviate from his belief that our tithe should come out first. Nonetheless, why this question can get complicated is because tithing was used in Israel for civil duties, much like a tax, which paid for judicial matters and such.

If you are paying more than 10% of your income towards the government in taxes, then technically speaking you are paying tithes much in the same way that Israel was.

Tithing Is For Couch Potatoes

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It’s about that time again to write another article for our “Tithing is for….” series. Check out the list of other posts at the end of this article.

Tithing is lazy

You may think that tithing takes discipline and hard work, but the reality is tithing is simply moving the decimal places of your paycheck to the left and lifting your poor little fingers to write a check or click “pay” online. Tithing is lazy, thoughtless, and automatic.

a lazy dog laying in bed

What hard work have you put into giving to someone you love versus giving your taxes? Our taxes automatically come out of our paycheck, which requires little thought. If I wanted to give something to my spouse for our anniversary, I need to put a lot more effort into giving to my wife than I put into giving my taxes. If not, I will suffer the consequences.

Tithing is giving to God in the same way we give to the government. It’s automatic, simple, thoughtless, and effortless. Giving the tithe and the impact on your wallet is not painless, but the same goes for paying taxes. We wouldn’t consider going above and beyond the normal effort to pay taxes.

We do put in the extra effort, thought, and creativity for those we love. I love my wife, so when I buy her a gift I spend considerable time brainstorming, researching, shopping, and saving. Lazy people give checks and buy gift cards for presents because we haven’t put the time in to think about something more meaningful. I’m guilty of this lazy mentality more than I’d like to be.

When God gave to us, it wasn’t an automated, thoughtless form of generosity. Careful planning and preparation that required time and effort was put into place; so much so that he (almighty, omnipotent God) had to rest on the seventh day!

Imagine if God gave to us in the same way we gave to him – every person is only allotted 500 breaths a day and 6.5 ounces of food given once a week, and if God is feeling generous he’ll add an additional 1% to the total. This type of giving wouldn’t demonstrate his love towards us. Yet, we demonstrate our love back to him like a bunch of bean counters.

Quit being lazy. Start giving sacrificially and thoughtfully to others around you. This will require listening and some physical and mental effort on your part to follow through. Spirit-led giving will challenge your spiritual, mental, and physical stamina. Be prepared.

Tithing is boring

How exciting is tithing? I mean, really? It’s not exciting, it’s boring. What fun is it to give the same thing week-in and week-out? God does not want our preset allowance. Giving is one of the most exciting ways we can worship God, but Christians have made it the most boring and mundane.

Man doing yoga in small tank top

We can’t come up with new ideas on how to give or who to give to because our job is to calculate 10% and pay our tithe online. Tithing prohibits us from interacting and communicating with others about one another’s needs. Interacting with others is necessary and exciting. It energizes and fuels our lives, but if we can show up to Sunday service and give the same, stupid, boring, monotonous gift while we sit in the back shadows, then we don’t need to fuel passion in our lives.

When we tithe, we don’t know where it’s going, who it’s going to, and how it is impacting others. There is someone on stage telling us, but there’s no personal or intimate interaction with those who are impacted by our giving. The giver is supposed to be more blessed than the receiver, but if we continue to disconnect ourselves from others through tithing then it will continue to be boring.

Tithing loses the spontaneity that the Holy Spirit offers. Spontaneity is not a bad thing. It is a powerful tool. Observe the disciples as they were waiting for the Holy Spirit to descend upon the church. As soon as the Spirit came upon them, it was a spark and a flame that ignited the first movement of the early Church.

The Holy Spirit will bring spontaneous moments in our life that we need to react to. In these moments we can choose to be the grumpy old men or women and be satisfied with our money going into the offering plate while silence is overcome by a solemn song. God loves a cheerful giver, yet our offering time is so boring when it should be one of the most exciting moments.

Don’t be bound by the sad state of tithing. Allow Spirit-led giving to drive spontaneity and creativity in our giving. Spirit-led giving is exciting and energizing. It will fuel our passions in our life because it will require more than mindless giving.

Tithing is gluttonous

Many people have been abused by the threats of not tithing. Some widows and poor have gone deeper into poverty due to the fear of not affording the tithe. On the flip-side, those whom God expects more of enjoy the fat of their land.

man with big belly with button popped on shirt

TIthing binds heavy burdens on the poor while affecting the rich very little. We don’t bother those who can give above and beyond the tithe because we feel satisfied with their performance. This is financial gluttony. How much we give us up to God. None of us can point the finger directly at others, but it’s obvious, we have greedy gluttons in the Church.

Spirit-led giving doesn’t stop gluttony, but what it does do is negate the false sense of sanctification we feel just because we hit our benchmark. With Spirit-led giving, we should constantly be analyzing our hearts about what God is calling us to give. Tithing creates a pinnacle of arrival that does a disservice to everyone.

One of the worse things about tithing is that offers very little financial accountability for church operations. Many churches and many programs within churches should not be funded, but because of the threat of not tithing, many feel obligated to give to these ministries that probably wouldn’t see the light of day if we could use discernment with Spirit-led giving.

A problem with enforcing tithing today is that the existence of a church or pastor would require people to give no matter if we agreed or disagreed with the decisions of leaders. The simplicity of it is that if I believed the bible required you to tithe, then all I needed to do was claim God was leading me to the ministry. The end of the story is that I get to freely follow the Spirit’s guidance while you as a tither must not deviate from the codified law.

This type of philosophy causes abuse and over-funding of ministries and folks who should not be funded in the first place. In turn, some ministries are gluttonous and over-funded, while those who could use charity are starving outside the walls.

Don’t be a couch potato giver

God gave us the Holy Spirit to guide and help us with our giving. Because of this close interaction with God, the Holy Spirit will challenge us in greater ways than tithing could. Spirit-led giving requires agility and spiritual maturity so God will place challenges in our life to help us grow.

These exercises are going to be hard work that tithing couldn’t possibly prepare us for. Get off the couch of tithing and start exercising your spiritual gift of giving.

Check out our other posts in this series: