Are Christians Required To Tithe? What Happens If We Don’t Give 10%?
To tithe, or not to tithe, that is the question.
Tithing is a long-debated subject among Christians. Are Christians required to give 10%, or should we give even more under grace? Is there no standard at all?
The NON-REQUIRED to Tithe View:
Many Christians believe there is a strong argument that we are not required to tithe, and nor are we under any obligation to a fixed percentage of giving. This group typically claims we are called to give freely, from the heart, and not under a rules-based system. In most cases, to this group, any minimum standard is a law-based type of giving and does not honor God. Most people on this side do not teach a ‘don’t give’ theology, but rather a ‘give as you feel led, and give where there’s need’ theology.
Do Christians Have to Tithe?
Are Christians Under a Law to Give 10%?
Will Something Bad Happen to Us if we Don’t Tithe?
Will We Lose Blessings or Be Cursed if We Don’t Give?
The REQUIRED to Tithe View:
On the flip side, there are Christians that hold strongly to the teaching that we are called to give a tithe of our income. This side generally suggests that tithing was required long before the law was given, and that it is still to be a part of the normal Christian life. This side will usually also teach that failure to give a tenth will result in some type of negative consequences, be it lost blessings, or even being under a curse.
Of course, there are some views that rest somewhere in the middle of these two sides as well.
What do you think is the biblical view of Christian giving today?
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
4 Comments
The church i attend has an non biblical rule.Unless you tithe you can not be on the board or be a leader.So the people buy positions weather or not they are annointed by God or have the Holy Spirit gifts to lead.It seems to me we are trying to use worldly things to produce spiritual fruit.
Yep, indeed that rule is not only nonbiblical but very common. In short, you have to PAY to serve God. During the early church times, it would have been more likely that those serving we the ones getting paid. The church (some of them) extorts money from many God-loving Christians.
This is also how many atheists see the church. They think it’s all about getting our money. While they are wrong, you can’t blame them for feeling this way when so many churches are conning the congregation. I say they are wrong because the church is not the men and women who push this garbage. The church is us that love Jesus.
I thank the Lord for setting my wife and myself free from the “law” through the act of tithing.
What the Lord showed us was that tithing was part of the Mosaic Law.
That was for Israel then. That was their covenant. That’s not our covenant. We have new and different covenant.
Under the old covenant they were required to live by the law, all 613 requirements of the law.
But the problem was that no one could keep the law. For the requirement was that one must keep all 613 commandments of the law. And if you failed in keeping just one requirement then you were guilty of breaking the whole law.
So Jesus came and met every requirement of the law for us by fulfilling all 613 requirements.
So what many believers are doing today is that they are reaching back into the Mosaic law and extracting one requirement of the law, the law of tithing and they are trying to fulfill it.
Anyone who is trying to fulfill the law by tithing is denying that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. They’re saying that Jesus didn’t do a complete work so they have to go back and finish the work.
We can’t live in two different covenants either. It is a false teaching that is not biblical.
And furthermore when God said, “Do not give out of compulsion,” that clearly means, “don’t tithe.”
Rather, give freely, as Mike has already stated.
We’ve been taught wrong. It’s a great deception that we’ve been taught to live in and by two completely different covenants.
The covenant we live in now is a new covenant of grace by faith in the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ. Christ is the fulfillment of the law redeeming us from the curse of the law.
And our righteousness is only through faith in the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, not by trying to fulfill ANY requirements.
Another biblical truth that was brought to my attention was the fact that the tithe was never money. It was from the produce of the ground, crops and oil and meat from their herds, etc.
See Deuteronomy 14:22-29.
That’s why it says in Malachi 3:10, “Bring your whole tithe into my storehouse so that there will be FOOD in my house.”
Another biblical truth was that they could only tithe in the place of the Lord’s choosing which was only designated by the Lord in the land of Israel. If they had to travel a great distance they were instructed of the Lord that they could sell their produce and grain then come to the designated place in the land of Israel and purchase produce, grain, wine or meat then bring the tithe to the Lord.
In the instructions from the Lord about the tithe it was NEVER money.
The only mention in the Old Testament of someone giving money was Abraham giving a tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek.
But that wasn’t a tithe. It was a tenth of the booty from war.
Another historical fact is that up to a couple hundred years ago the act of tithing was never taught in the church. It was only when opposition started to grow against the fact that our government was actually funding the churches in America and the opposition demanded the separation of church and state.
So the church leaders had to come up with a way to ensure that the congregants would fund the church. That’s when the false teaching of the tithe in America took a foothold.
I’ve been in church for 28 years and I was a tither. But all along I always sensed that there was something wrong with it. But over time in the Word and being around educated people in the Word of God I started to learn that tithing for us now along with many other things that are being taught in the church are far from what the Bible actually teaches.
Our guide is the Word of God. Not what we feel or what someone supposedly prophesies or even believes or teaches.
If it contradicts scripture we need to take a step back.
The question to ask ourselves about tithing or anything else being taught is, “What does God say about it in the scriptures?”
God’s Word is the final authority in every situation in life.
John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”