Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent? Many Christians struggle with the issue of tithing. Also, some churches over-emphasize giving. Likewise, many Christians refuse to submit to the Biblical exhortations about making offerings to the Lord God Almighty. We should note that tithing/giving is intended to be a great joy and a blessing. However, it is rather sad as this is not often the case in the church today. Tithing is an Old Testament concept. The tithe was a clear and well-understood requirement of the Law in which the Israelites were to give 10 percent of the crops they grew and the livestock they raised to the tabernacle/temple (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5). The Old Testament Law required multiple tithes – one for the Levites, one for feast and temple use, and one for the poor inhabiting the land – summing to about 23.3 percent.
Today, most people understand the Old Testament tithe as a method of taxation to provide for the needs of the priests and Levites in the sacrificial system. After the death of Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, the New Testament of the Bible nowhere commands, or even recommends, that Christians submit to a legalistic tithe system. That is, the New Testament nowhere designates a percentage of income that a person should set aside but only says that gifts should be “in keeping with income” (1 Corinthians 16:2). However, some in the Christian church have embraced the 10 percent figure from the Old Testament tithe and applied it as a “recommended minimum” for Christians in their act of giving.
Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent?
It is without a doubt that the New Testament talks about the importance and benefits of giving. It invites us to give out of love as we are able. Sometimes that means giving over 10 percent; sometimes that may mean giving less. Behold, it all depends on the ability of the Christian and the needs of the body of Christ. Whatever the case, we should always remember the Scripture that says he/she who does not love does not know God: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” – 1 John 4:8. Thus, if our giving is not backed with love, we are making a mockery/fool of ourselves for such gifts are not pleasing to the Lord God Almighty.
Every Christian should pray and seek God’s wisdom in the matter of participating in tithing and/or how much to give (James 1:5). Of greatest importance, all tithes and offerings should be made with pure motives and an attitude of worship to God and service to the body of Christ. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
As we unfold, we’ll pour more light on questions like Does the Bible require me to give 10% of my income to my church? Am I obligated to give to my church even if I am having trouble paying my bills? Should I tithe based on gross or net income? Will I receive blessings if I give “seed money” to a ministry? What does the Bible say about church offerings?
What Does The Scriptures Say About Tithes or Tithing
What the Old Testament says
In simple terms, “tithes” means a tenth or 10 percent. Tithing was designed specifically to meet the needs of the religious, economic, and political system of ancient Israel. Each of the twelve (12) tribes of Israel, except the tribe of Levi, initially received an allotment of land in the promised land of Canaan. The Levites were full-time assistants to Israel’s priests and were supported by a tithe offering from other eleven tribes. All families of those eleven tribes were expected to give a tenth of all produce, cattle, and flocks to the Levites. In turn, the Levites were expected to give a tenth of that to support the priests in their duties (Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers 18:21-28). The Scriptures tell us that tithes were used to meet the needs of foreigners, orphans, and widows (Deuteronomy 26:12-13). Also, all Israelites were invited to be generous to those in need (Deuteronomy 15:7-8).
What the New Testament says
We come across several mentions of tithing in the New Testament (Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42, 18:12; Hebrews 7:5-9), but all refer to the Old Testament system. However, the New Testament does not give any specific rules about tithing, and most aspects of the Old Testament Law do not apply to Christians. In Matthew 23:23-24, Jesus Christ seems to support the tithe but these verses are primarily intended as a criticism of the Pharisees as hypocrites who obeyed the letter of the Law but not the Spirit of the Law. Despite the fact that they were so meticulous about the Law to the extent of tithing even the small amount of spices that they grew in household gardens, they ignored the more important matters of love, justice, mercy, and faithfulness. However, Christ invites us to give generously out of love to those in need (Matthew 25:31-46).
More on what the Scriptures say about tithes
In the Old Testament, the voice of God calls on us to be generous to everyone who is in need as we can read from Deuteronomy 15:7-8 – “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.”
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God and Savior of the World made it clear that we are obligated to be generous to those in need (Matthew 25:31-46). We can as well support our point by reading from Matthew 5:42 – “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
As Christians or followers of Jesus Christ, giving is to be done cheerfully, rather than as an obligation (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), and not for the purpose of public recognition (Matthew 6:1-4). The right amount to give may be more or less than ten percent, depending on one’s circumstances (Matthew 19:21, Luke 18:22, 21:1-4, Hebrews 13:16, 1 John 3:17). Generous giving is an acknowledgment that everything we have is a gift from God Almighty, and is to be used in His service (Luke 12:33, Acts 20:35, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, James 1:17, 1:27, 1 Peter 4:10).
Instead of giving a certain amount as an obligation, we are urged to share generously of whatever blessings, talents, abilities, and wealth that God has entrusted in our care for we shall give an account someday (Romans 12:6-8).
Questions and Answers about Tithes or Tithing
1) What is the tithe?
“Tithe” is a word that comes from an Old English root meaning “one-tenth.” It is the common English translation for the Old Testament Hebrew asar word group. Back in ancient Israel, the tithe was an offering of one’s agricultural income to the Lord as an expression of thanks and dedication. It is important to understand that in the Old Testament agricultural economy, tithes were paid not in cash, gold, or goods but in crops or livestock, for only the agricultural fruit of the promised land was to be tithed – not other forms of income. Although today, we commonly think of the tithe as “10 percent” as a result, apparently there are three tithes in the Old Testament, two every year and a third every third year, or an average of 23.3 percent of one’s annual produce from the land.
There was also a promotion of freewill offering and personal giving above and beyond the tithe. Tithes were given by the patriarchs Abraham (Genesis 4:17-20) and Jacob (Genesis 28:22); a system of tithes was instituted in the law of God given through Moses (Deuteronomy 12; Deuteronomy 14 Deuteronomy 26; and the prophets rebuked the children of Israel for failing to give the tithe to God (Malachi 3:8). Although the idea of the tithe is still present in the New Testament (Matthew 23:23), it is on no occasion explicitly applied to believers. Instead, all Christians are invited to embrace freewill giving as a response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the savior of mankind, based on faith in God as Provider of all things (2 Corinthians 9:6-10).
2) Does the Bible require me to give 10 percent of my income to my church?
In reality, the Bible does not tell the Christian to give a certain percentage. Questions like what percentage we should give are not answered for Christians in the Bible. Nor does the Bible tell us how much of our giving should go to a church as well as how much to help the needy. It is important to understand that during Biblical times, Christians typically held their meetings in private homes or public spaces (Acts 2:46, 12:12) and did not have significant operating expenses. However, it is not the same today as modern churches need money to pay for salaries, utilities, rent or mortgage payments, supplies, and other operating expenses. Churches also need volunteers for the establishment and running of many ministries and church tasks. Apostle Paul regularly urged Christians to use their God-given gifts or talents to assist in the work of the Church of Christ (Romans 12:4-8).
3) Should my offering be computed on gross or net income?
Should my offering be computed on gross or net income? Is another modern-day question that is not answered in the Bible. In this case, we are to pray and seek God’s wisdom on how to go about it. For sure, His Spirit will touch our hearts and guide our actions.
4) Am I obligated to give to my church even if I am having trouble paying my bills?
The answer is No. As followers of Christ, we must pray and seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit as we listen to our conscience and consider our needs as well as those of our families (1 Timothy 5:8) when deciding how much to give. Pressure should not be put on anyone to give a certain amount of money or a certain percentage of income to a church or other ministry.
5) Will I receive blessings if I give a donation or “seed money” to a church or ministry?
The answer is No. As followers of Jesus Christ, our giving should not be one that is motivated by what we will receive in return. Instead, our giving should be motivated by love for God and His Kingdom. Giving out of love is pleasing to God who will definitely bless and see you through when you least expect it. However, it is important to note that there is no requirement in the Bible to give “seed money” to a church, preacher, or ministry, and no promise that any wealth or blessings of any kind will come as a result. Biblical verses like Matthew 13:1-9 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 are oftentimes cited in support when requesting for “seed money” and other donations, but the blessings promised here are spiritual ones.
6) Is tithing truly a matter of the heart?
Yes, of course, tithing is truly a matter of the heart. From the definition and purpose of the tithe, there is much that we can learn. The chief principle behind tithing and giving is the fact that what we do with our money shows where our heart is. Matthew 6:21 says: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” When we are able to give 10% or more of our income instead of keeping the money for ourselves, it shows that our heart is not tied to the money and it is a sign that our love for God is more than that for money. Surprisingly, the Bible mentions money over 800 times, and of all of Jesus’ parables, over half of them talked about money. Upon noticing this, we might ask ourselves why? It is because money is where many people get tripped up.
7) What is the difference between tithes and offerings?
Although tithes and offerings are often grouped together, they are not the same thing. A tithe is a specific amount (10% of your income) whereas an offering is a nonspecific amount that you give.
8) What does the Bible say about those paying tithes and those not paying tithes?
1 Corinthians 16:14 says “Let all that you do be done in love.” If you’ve made up your mind to regularly give a specific percentage of your income as a tithe, do so in love. If instead of regularly giving a specific percentage of your income as a tithe, you choose to go for undefined freewill giving wherever the need is in the body of Christ, do so in love. Let’s just make sure that we do all things in love. It is the love in our hearts that makes our sacrifices acceptable to God Almighty. Whatever sacrifice or offering that you are making without love, you are making a mockery of yourself. Pray and let God’s Spirit lead you on the matters of giving tithes and offerings.
Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent?
Malachi 3:8-9 – “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.“
Proverbs 3:9 – “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;“
2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.“
Leviticus 27:30 – “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.”
Hebrews 7:1-28 – “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. …“
Group 1 – Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent?
Matthew 23:23 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
Acts 20:35 – “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
1 Corinthians 11:31 – “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.“
Leviticus 27:32 – “And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord.”
Malachi 3:10 – “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
Numbers 18:21 – “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,“
Genesis 14:20 – “And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.“
Group 2 – Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent?
Malachi 3:1-18 – “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, ...”
Luke 16:19-31 – “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ...”
John 4:24 – “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Group 3 – Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent?
1 Timothy 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 – “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.”
2 Kings 2:23-24 – “He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.”
Luke 11:42 – “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
Group 4 – Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent?
Genesis 28:20-22 – Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
Psalm 24:1 – “A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,”
Exodus 16:36 – (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)
John 3:17 – “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Genesis 28:22 – “And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
James 5:16 – “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Group 5 – Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent?
James 1:27 – “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
Matthew 5:22 – “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
2 Timothy 3:15 – “And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Leviticus 5:11 – “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.“
Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before me.“
Exodus 29:40 – “And with the first lamb a tenth seah of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering.“
Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Group 6 – Does The Bible Actually Say To Give 10 Percent?
1 John 1:8 – “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
1 Corinthians 3:16 – “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?“
Acts 20:29 – “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;“
Galatians 3:24 – “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.”
Leviticus 6:20 – “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a