Question: Should Christians Give Tithes?
"And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord." (Leviticus 27:30)
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)
It is often said that Christians should titheThe tithe is a one-off or regular offering to God, to kings, or for the sanctuary of God (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30). It is given 1/10 of one's possessions (e.g.,... More (cf. Leviticus 27:30). This is often linked to the collections in assemblyThe literal meaning is “called out”: • called out of "the darkness" (1. Pet 2:9)—this refers to the area where there is a lack of light about God Himself, His... More meetings. Something like this: “Is what we collect really 1/10 of our income? Surely it should be!”
A few thoughts on this:
- Since a Christian is not under the law (Romans 6:14), giving a titheThe tithe is a one-off or regular offering to God, to kings, or for the sanctuary of God (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30). It is given 1/10 of one's possessions (e.g.,... More cannot apply to him at all. If you want to fulfill this commandment of the law, you would have to keep all the commandments of the law.
- Nowhere in the NT does it say that a Christian should pay a titheThe tithe is a one-off or regular offering to God, to kings, or for the sanctuary of God (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30). It is given 1/10 of one's possessions (e.g.,... More.
- The titheThe tithe is a one-off or regular offering to God, to kings, or for the sanctuary of God (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30). It is given 1/10 of one's possessions (e.g.,... More refers not only to the income, but also to the property (namely livestock - Leviticus 27:33). How do we deal with this fact if we want to apply the titheThe tithe is a one-off or regular offering to God, to kings, or for the sanctuary of God (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30). It is given 1/10 of one's possessions (e.g.,... More to Christians?
- The LeviteThe Levites are from the tribe that descends from Levi, one of the sons of Jacob. God chose the Levites as a redemption for all the firstborn of Israel, which... More had to give a tenth of the titheThe tithe is a one-off or regular offering to God, to kings, or for the sanctuary of God (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30). It is given 1/10 of one's possessions (e.g.,... More to the priests (Numbers 18:25-26). How should this be applied to the present day?
- The Christian is free to give as much as the Lord puts on his heart. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). This can mean giving your entire livelihood (Mark 12:41-44). But it can also mean giving less than 1/10.
- You can also not demand that you give 1/10 during church services, because after all, there is also the opportunity to give something personally.
- Collections in the congregation are certainly good in themselves. But what does the Scripture say in connection with this: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). We are not talking about 1/10 here, but about personal prosperity.
- There was also a second titheThe tithe is a one-off or regular offering to God, to kings, or for the sanctuary of God (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30). It is given 1/10 of one's possessions (e.g.,... More under the law! We find it in Deuteronomy 12:6, for example. It was not given to the Levites locally, but brought to the central sanctuaryName for the house or room that represented the dwelling place of God in the midst of his people in the OT. Used in the OT to describe and characterize... More in Jerusalem. Every three years, this titheThe tithe is a one-off or regular offering to God, to kings, or for the sanctuary of God (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30). It is given 1/10 of one's possessions (e.g.,... More was given in a different way, as we can read in Deuteronomy 14:28-29, for example. So why not give 2/10 if you want to comply with the law on this point?
- The left should not know what the right is doing (Matthew 6:3). This is the complete opposite of adding up whether you have reached 1/10 or not.
