Are Christians Required to Tithe?
Like many questions, the issue of whether to follow the practice of “tithing” has been discussed by theologians for hundreds of years. It continues to be a hotly debated topic today. This blog post briefly describes what tithing is, and even more briefly summarizes the arguments for and against the applicability of the practice to our lives. Finally, this post concludes that the whole discussion misses the point of our contribution.
There are almost as many interpretations of what tithing is as there are points about whether the practice is applicable today. The practice involves setting aside a set portion to contribute to God. The actual percentage is usually thought to be equivalent to one-tenth.
Some point out that the non-priestly tribes of Israel would set aside a portion to contribute to the priestly tribe of Levi, who in turn would set aside a portion to God. (Numbers 18:26) Others point out that the practice proceeds the nation of Israel and involves Abraham (Gen 14:19-20) and (Jacob 28:20-22) Still others point out that the practice was practiced by Jews in the New Testament. (Matthew 23:23).
The last passage referenced (Matthew 23:23) is worth looking at again. Jesus is basically telling the Jewish leaders that their meticulous tithing is worthless if they are “neglecting the weightier matters of the law.” Jesus specifically cites justice, mercy, and faithfulness as things they neglected – serious accusations.
Jesus also explains to his followers that a poor person who gave a little was contributing more than rich people who were contributing a lot because the rich people would not miss it, but the poor person was giving all they had. (Luke 21:1-4) Jesus’ point was not that the percent the person gave mattered as much as the attitude one had in the giving (more on this point later).
Today, there are those who advocate tithing, and they are arguably guilty of what Jesus was trying to avoid. There is nothing wrong with giving one-tenth. But those who advocate tithing today can easily get carried away with tithing rules. For example, some argue its based on pretax income. Still others reckon it is after tax income. Still others advocate a “true-up” at year end – estimating our share and then determining if we have given too much or too little throughout the course of the year.
No one would say tithing is wrong today. But if we get out our calculators or spreadsheets to determine the appropriate to give, we may be missing the point Jesus was trying to make. There certainly is nothing wrong with using calculator or spreadsheets to aid in determination of, or tracking, our giving.
No matter what we are giving, let us make sure that we are not “neglecting the weightier matters of the law.” Let our commitment to justice, mercy, and faithfulness be unwavering. How much we give is up to us. The apostle Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian church about a specific gift is just as applicable to us: “Each person should give as they have decided in their heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)