Giving is fundamental to the Christian faith.  It is also a difficult topic, one that has been interpreted in many different ways, even manipulated to benefit certain groups.    When I looked at different polls and reports within the past 8 years concerning church offerings and tithes in the U.S., I noticed that the information varied.  Some claimed that giving to the church has increased, while other sources refute that.  It’s my objective to clearly define the purpose of giving and why it’s a form of obedience to God, rather than a money making scam.

First, let’s define offerings and tithing.  Originally, offerings were burnt offerings, and it was done for the atonement of sins.  The first example of burnt offerings is mentioned in the Old Testament, in the Book of Genesis.  Genesis 4:1-5 says that Cain and Abel brought their offerings (the products of their labor) to God.  Cain was involved with agriculture and Abel kept flocks.  The Book of Genesis says that Abel brought the best from his flock to the Lord and Cain brought only some of the fruits of the soil.  God honored the brother who brought the best to Him.  This is in the pre-Mosaic Law era and tithing hadn’t been established yet.  We see Abel provide his best to God and this proves the level of love and commitment he had for the Lord.  This is a measure of our love and obedience to God.  If we don’t believe in giving or aren’t willing to provide the best to God, then maybe we should seriously reevaluate our love for Him.  As for tithing, that was part of the Mosaic Law which was established in the Old Testament to care for the priests (Levites), the poor and for the use of the temple and the great feasts.  Tithing pertained to those who tilled the land, and were involved in agriculture.

Next, let’s analyze what the New Testament teaches about burnt offerings and tithing? Well, in regard to burnt offerings, Jesus was the last burnt offering.  The Only Begotten Son of God the Father was sacrificed for our sins so that by believing in Him and confessing that He is Lord, we are saved.  Therefore, we don’t continue this practice of burnt offerings for the atonement of sins.  As far as tithing is concerned, since we are no longer bound by the Mosaic Law, the New Testament believer gives to the Lord, instead of tithing according to the Old Testament model.  Various Christian churches have a different interpretation of tithing, so their responses may vary.  For instance, the Protestant and Catholic churches believe in the compulsory 10% (tithing) model, whereas the Orthodox churches believe in voluntary giving.

Now that we have defined offerings, tithing and giving, let’s see what God requires of us.  We are told in four examples, both in the Old and New Testament (Psalms 69:30-31, 1 Samuel 15:22, Hosea 6:6 and Romans 12:1) that God honors the person who obeys him in commitment, not solely in giving.  He prefers the person whose heart his wholly committed to Him and lives according to His will.  Before you open your checkbooks, make sure your heart’s checkbook is open and you have given your heart entirely to Him.  Then, you will naturally open your wallets and give generously to God.

What is giving, why should we give and how much?  James 1:17, Matthew 6:25-34, and Matthew 7:9-11 eloquently explains this point.  In James we are told that every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. In Matthew 6:25-34 that our Heavenly Father cares for us and knows what we need; he will provide for us.  Lastly, in Matthew 7:9-11 it says If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  God is generous folks; He does not give sparingly, nor hesitates to bless us abundantly.  Since, all that we have is given to us by God, as is illustrated in the Matthew 25:14-23, in the Parable of three servants (this is regarding the talents we have), and the aforementioned verses, then let us be just as generous as our Lord and give back to Him.  It was a common practice in the early church that the congregation sold their possessions, and shared the money collectively (Acts 2:44-45).  They cared for one another and for the advancement of the Christian faith.  In 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 it states, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 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. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”  Remember dear believer that when you give, you give to the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven.  The key here is that you give freely, and cheerfully.  Like the poor woman in Mark 12:44, she gave everything, from the very little she had.

So, what is the money used for? Churches or ministries use the money to evangelize, help the needy, and to provide for their congregations.  If you still have a hard time accepting the giving concept, please reevaluate your relationship with God.  Do you truly love Him and are you concerned with the salvation of lost souls.  As I just mentioned churches and ministries require money to carry out the Will of the Father.  Everything requires money and you can’t operate an organization without paying for services.  Can you simply move into an office suite or building and use the property without paying rent?  Of course not, therefore be realistic about how you perceive the monetary needs of churches and ministries.  Like our own household expenses, churches and ministries have expenses as well.

There are three primary reasons why people refuse to give.  First, they lack a home church, secondly, they have a distrust of the church and/or ministry leadership, and thirdly, they are ignorant to teachings of giving.   Most of these problems arise from the culture we live in today.  Our society is selfish, and has moved away from the original collective Christian lifestyle.  How many today would sell everything they have and share with their church congregation?   How many even care to have a home church, somewhere they can fellowship with their brothers and sisters while being fed with the Word of God.  Churches have a greater work to do in reeducating people, and exposing the lies fed to us by the world we live in today.  Let’s not follow what the world has to say, instead, let’s follow our Lord.  If you suspect that the church is properly allocating money to serving God, please speak up with love.  Become a member of your church, ask them and get involved in the financials.  Don’t simply sit there on the sidelines and critique churches.

Lastly, when you give, don’t boast or brag, announcing your actions to the public.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:1-4 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  Be modest and do it for your Heavenly Father to see, not others.

In conclusion, remember to love your God, honor Him with obedience and give to Him all you have so that the works of the Kingdom bring salvation to all through His Son, Jesus Christ.  We should always go beyond tithing, even though in the New Covenant Christ did not speak about tithing, nor did the early church.