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: How can the Church be supported without tithing?
Jesus Supported His Ministry Without Tithes
“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
Jesus supported his ministry of the freewill offerings of others as mentioned here in Luke 8. If Jesus’ ministry can be supported without tithes, why couldn’t we expect the same thing? Many emphasize the example of priesthood and Levitical system in Old Testament times, but de-emphasize the example of Jesus’ ministry. Why would we value the Levitical system over Jesus’ example?
In other passages, this method of ministry funding is further validated. 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)
If Jesus had faith that his ministry and the ministry of his followers could be funded without tithing, why would we expect that the Church would fail under the same model? Jesus wouldn’t tell his disciples to follow him and live by the gospel if he thought it would fail. Unfortunately, we’ve become so addicted to the security blank that mandated funding offers us that we fail to see the forest from the trees.
The Church Already Operates Without Tithing
According to Non-Profit Source, here are some statistics about giving
- Only 5% tithe, and 80% of Americans only give 2% of their income
- Christians are giving at 2.5% of income
- Only 3-5% of Americans who give to their local church do so through regular tithing
- Tithers make up only 10-25 percent of a normal congregation
Some may be thinking about how much more of an impact we could have if everyone just tithed. That’s a fair point, but the whole premise of the argument is how could the Church operate without the tithe. It can, because it is already operating without the tithe. It’s not like if tithing stopped existing the Church would dissolve because tithing is hardly practiced in the first place.
So what’s the point of convincing people that tithing is not required if no one’s doing it? Even though people aren’t following through with tithing, the ones with the voice on stage still emphasize it. The reason why people even worry about how the Church can operate is a matter of being educated or a matter of being rational about the actual reality.
Only 1% Went To Ministers Serving at the Temple
“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” Nehemiah 10:37-38.
The Levites were divided into two factions. The priestly faction (descendants of Aaron) served at the temple, while the non-priestly faction served within the city gates. The priests rotated throughout the year and individually served 2-weeks in the Temple. When their two-week term finished, they served alongside Levites for the remainder of the year.
The entire Levitical tribe received 10% (a tithe) of Israel’s food (more on food later). The tithe was divided into two parts. First, to support the service at the temple, the priests received 10% of the tithe while the Levites (not serving at God’s house) received 90% of the tithe given. There is no question we need to be more generous Christians, but the fact was God’s house (the temple) was supported by 1% of Israel’s increase of food products, then is it fair to ask if the Church can be supported by 2-3%?
Stewardship is a two-way street. Should Christians give more? Yes. Is the Church body being efficient with what’s been given already? No. 1% was given to support the ministerial duties at the temple. The Church is supplied with 2-3% of income from every financial sector, not just from agricultural increase.
Christian Ministries and Missionaries Thrive on Freewill Offerings
Aside from a small fraction, Christian ministries that operate beyond the local Church function receive support from freewill offerings. Most of these ministries perform Church functions such as spreading the gospel and supporting the needy. We may not see them in the traditional sense that they have preaching and worship every week, but just like any local church, they are ordained by God and the Holy Spirit, and are a part of the body of Christ.
Ma y missionaries are commissioned and actively supported through freewill offerings. Certainly, they are ministers who are part of the apostolic calling to spread the gospel and build the Church of God. Yet, they thrive on freewill offerings.
If we support different parts of the body of Christ through freewill offerings, why would specific functions within the body of Christ get separate treatment for funding? Whatever the Holy Spirit commissions, He supplies for. The Holy Spirit should not be compartmentalized in a way that excludes his influence on funding. Whoever he leads, He feeds.
If Christian ministries that serve God, preach the gospel, and serve the needy thrive on freewill offerings, why would we believe that a local body would dwindle without tithes? Hundreds of thousands of Spirit-led ministers reach millions of people throughout the world with freewill offerings.
The Holy Spirit Empowers the Church
The previous section is a great segway – We have the Holy Spirit. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26
God gave the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:12-15
The Holy Spirit isn’t limited as a guide to our conscience helping us weigh the consequences of good and bad decisions. He is more powerful, detailed, and instructive than that. John 16:15 states that all that belongs to the Father is mine. This includes all the riches, influence, and power the father has. Why do we question the Holy Spirit’s ability to provide for his Church? The Holy Spirit supported Jesus ministry in this fashion and even guided Jesus in his decisions: Matthew 4:1, Luke 2:27, Luke 4:1, Luke 4:14, and Luke 4:18.
If the Holy Spirit calls a missionary to forgo the comforts in his life to serve in the darkest parts of the world, isn’t the Holy Spirit powerful enough to instruct supporters?
The Levites Could Not Always Receive Tithes
The Bible states that the tithe was to support the Levites and their service, but depending on the land where the tithes were from, they did not always get the tithe. As Israel wandered the wilderness for years, the Levites did not collect tithing. God was clear in his instructions that the tithe was to come from crops harvested in the promised land and animals born there as well.
This means that while the Israelites were in the wilderness, they did not tithe. God only considered a tenth of the animals or crops within the promised land to be holy. Anything outside of the promised land was considered unholy. Read Deuteronomy 12:5-11
Israel did not tithe while in captivity in other nations either. Again, crops or animals that were raised or grown outside of Israel were unholy for the tithe. As Israelites found themselves under captivity in other nations, they had to rely on other offerings to support any type of ministry or Levitical service. Is it ok that we are tithing outside the promised land today? If the Levites did not have tithes for extended periods of time, then could the Church do the same?
The Levitical System Was Not Exclusively Funded by Tithes
The Israelites gave other types of offerings that supported the poor and the ministers. The dozens of other ways the Israelites gave included wave offerings (Exodus 29), heave offerings (Exodus 29), trespass offerings (Lev. 6:24-30), first fruit offerings (Exodus 23:19), burnt offerings (Leviticus 1:3-17), grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1-16), peace offerings (Leviticus 3:1-17), sin offerings (Leviticus 6:21-30), freewill offerings (Leviticus 7:16-18), and vows (Leviticus 22:21-23).
Not all of these offerings were consumed by the Levites. But If the Levitical system and operations was supported by offerings in the Old Testament, then why would we be concerned with the Church being supported without tithes in the New Testament?
Israel Gave Much of the Tithe for Alms and Feasts
The Bible describes three different tithes – A Levitical tithe, a festival tithe, and a poor tithe. The Levitical tithe went completely to the Levites (Numbers 18:21-26). The Festival tithe was shared among all Israelites (Deuteronomy 14:22-23). While the poor tithe was shared among the Levites and the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).
Let’s break this down into numbers. To keep this simple, since there were three tithes, let’s assume that each tithe equaled 33.3% (10 divided by 3) of the whole tithe. I am sure this oversimplifies, but it does prove the point that the Levites did not operate on 10%.
- Levitical tithe = Levites received 33%. (The entire portion of 33.33%)
- Festival tithe = Levites received 2.77%. (Levites were 1 of 12 tribes. So they received 1/12th of 33.33%).
- Poor tithe = Levites received 16.66%. (Assuming the tithe was split evenly between Levites and the Poor, The Levites received half of 33.33%.)
Drumroll….If my math is correct, the Levites received 52.76% of the whole tithe (There is a high chance that I am not that smart, so please recheck the numbers). So, this means the Levites did not receive 10% Israel’s food increase, they received closer to 5%.
It’s a possibility that we could have calculated from 9% instead of 10% since 1% may have gone to the temple right off the top. If that’s the case, then the final number the Levites received would be more like 4%. This is not far off the 2-3% of giving statistics.
Freewill Offerings Funded the Temple
Much of the battle of funding a local Church is paying for the lease, operation, and maintenance of a church building. Many people do not realize the temple was built and maintained by other offerings other than tithes.
“And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. (Exodus 35:21-22)
“Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.” (Exodus 3:13)
If Israel built and maintained the temple without tithing, why would the Church need tithing to fund building construction and maintenance? Since Churches today allocate tithing towards the operation and building of our worship centers, it’s no wonder why we think we are so dependent on it. Israel wasn’t, so why are we?
The Early Church Flourished with Freewill Offerings
Does the Church need tithing to grow? I think the early Church would beg to differ. The early Church did not practice tithing. First, if they were Jewish, they only knew how to give to the Levitical system, so ecclesiastical funding was a new concept to them. Second, the Gentiles were completely ignorant about how Israel’s support system functioned so their only familiar form of giving was freewill offerings
As we read in the book of Acts, the Church exploded within a few years. This growth did not happen because tithing was at an all-time high. The Church expanded for other reasons. Yes. They sacrificed much and shared equally with one another, but this type of giving is different than tithing.
The point is that the Church does not need tithing or any compulsive giving to grow. We do not need to institute a mandated minimum amount to even sustain our growth. Freewill giving was the basis of growth for the early Church and can sustain the Church for future generations.
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
Only the Tithes from Agriculture & Animals Supported the Levites
If Israelites did not raise animals or grow crops, they did not tithe off their increase. In other words, the Levites did not receive a tithe out of income from bankers, lawyers, tax collectors, blacksmiths, or carpenters. Contrast that with expectations today that assume all market sectors should tithe from their increase. Read more about why Israel could only tithe from food.
According to USDA.gov agriculture, food, and related industries amount to 5.5% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023. Even if agriculture and food-related industries amounted to 50% of ancient Israel’s gross domestic product, it still means that a tithe was given from only 50% of the entire Israelite income.
This means that the Levites received only 5% of Israel’s entire increase of all incomes, and I think 5% is being generous. The standard in churches today is to expect a tithe from every income sector. Today, the church receives tithes from more market sectors than Israel did. It’s hard to determine what percentage of Israel’s GDP counted towards food, but one thing I know for a fact is that the amount of food it takes to feed one person today is the same amount it took thousands of years ago. Israel did not grow more food than necessary per person than we do today. If we’re being honest, we probably raised more food products per person in America today than Israel did, which would be more beneficial to the ministries today than compared to ancient Israel. Knowing that Levites survived without a tithe from everyone’s income, we should find it more plausible that the Church can survive without a tithe.
Tithes Funded Israel’s Government
Tithes were not used exclusively for ministry since Israel was a Theocracy. Many of the Levites held civil and leadership duties in Israel’s form of government. They had educational, judicial, and safety responsibilities. They taught children, guarded city gates, and acted as mediators of the law.
On the other hand, tithes focus explicitly on ministry today, while our taxes are used for duties such as education and judicial responsibilities. This means that 100% of the donations to Churches do not go towards the added responsibilities that the Levites had.
We should consider ourselves privileged that church donations can go towards 100% focus of Gospel outreach. We can even claim that much of the responsibility to care for the poor, educate children, and settle disputes has been taken away from the Church. Our burden to care for the poor has been reduced since many state programs already care for the poor and the needy today. This means that the Church has more donations to use for their discretion than Israel had. With a large reduction in responsibilities, why couldn’t church ministry function on offerings alone?
Many Local Churches Don’t Teach Tithing
This website provides a list of organizations and churches that do not teach tithing. You can also see a list of prominent pastors, authors, and theologians who do not teach tithing. Read quotes from C. S. Lewis, C. I. Scofield, Francis Chan, John MacArthur, and even Creflo Dollar.
Thousands of local churches around the world already do not collect tithes, so we don’t even have to guess what would happen without tithes. The worry about what would happen to the Church if we didn’t demand compulsive giving is living by fear, not faith.
Summary
Let’s analyze how much the Levites truly received from Israel
- First, the Levites received 5% (my generous estimate) of Israel’s overall increase in income since they only collected food tithes.
- Then, the bible states that 10% of that went to the Temple Storehouse for service. This leaves 4% of Israel’s overall increase in income for the Levites in the cities.
- Finally, 52% remained after the poor tithe and feasts, leaving 2.08% of Israel’s overall income/increase for Levitical consumption outside of feasts.
Even if I was more generous with my estimates, the final percentage still would not come close to a ten-percent figure from Israel’s entire increase. At best, we could say the priests received 0.5-1% of Israel’s increase for temple service, while the Levites received 2-3% for general service. The irony is that giving statistics state Christians are giving 2.5% of their income. The percentage of Israel’s increase that the priests received is so low that we need to consider the serious possibility that the Levitical system was supported more abundantly through offerings than it had been through tithing. With that in mind, shouldn’t we consider that to be the case for the Church?
You Be the Judge
Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:
