What is the ordinance of tithing?

What is tithing?  Most churches tend to teach one of three main tithing concepts – believers are commanded to give a tithe (a tenth) of their gross income to the local church, believers are to follow the example of giving a tithe of their income (either gross or net) as a guideline or a starting point for supporting their local church, or tithing is no longer applicable to the local church.  So where does the ordinance of tithing originate?  What is the actual wording of the tithing ordinance, commonly referenced by many churches?   

The ordinance of tithing originates in the Old Testament and was specifically directed by God toward the Israelites, not the New Testament church.  The actual wording for the tithe referenced by most churches is found in the Old Testament Books of Leviticus and Numbers.  The wording of the ordinance clearly states the following:   

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Levites and say to them: When you receive from the Israelites the tithes I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering…From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest.  You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest of everything given to you.’” (Numbers 18:25-26, 28-29 NIV) 

In addition, Scripture clearly explains that the Israelites were instructed to give a tithe of everything from their land, herds and flocks to the Levites.  God made it clear that this ordinance was specifically directed to the Israelites and this tithe was restricted to everything from the Israelites’ land, herds and flocks…not money earned from any of their crafts or skills.  

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them…A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord…The entire tithe of the herd and flock – every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod – will be holy to the Lord.’” (Leviticus 27:1-2, 30, 32 NIV) 

God originally commanded the nation of Israel to give a tithe of everything from their land, herds and flocks to the Levites for their work in the temple and their inheritance, since the Levites did not inherit any land. (Numbers 18:23-24)  The tithe to the Levites consisted of a tenth of everything from the land, whether grain or fruit, as well as every tenth animal from the herd and flock that passed under the shepherd’s rod. (Leviticus 27:30, 32)  In addition, the Levites were commanded to give a tithe, of the best and holiest part, of all of their received tithes to the priests. (Numbers 18:26, 28-29) 

The purpose of the tithing ordinance served a vital role for the Levites by ensuring that they had food for their families as well as for the Aaronic priests, since they did not inherit any land and were responsible for part-time rotational temple duties in Jerusalem.  The Levite servants’ and Aaronic priests’ homes were located in various communities around Israel and their families had to take turns going to Jerusalem one week out of every twenty four weeks for performing temple duties according to the regulations of Aaron, since their families were broken down into twenty four different courses.  (I Chronicles 24)  These same temple duties continued prior to the birth of Jesus Christ, evident by the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth serving in the temple.  Saint Luke records how Zechariah belonged to the priestly division of Abijah and his wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron, both of whom who observed all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.  (I Chronicles 24:10, 19; Luke 1:5-6)

The ordinance of tithing to the Levites has obviously encountered many changes throughout the history of the Old Testament.  The original wording of the tithing ordinance clearly states that the Israelites were commanded to give a tenth of everything from their land, herds and flocks directly to the Levites, who in turn gave a tenth of their tithes to the priests.  Scripture records how the tithing ordinance was ignored by a few kings of Israel who later ordered that the Levites’ tithes go directly to the king or to the priests in the temple in Jerusalem. (I Samuel 8:10, 14-17; I Chronicles 23:1-5; II Chronicles 31:2, 4-6)  Likewise, Scripture also records how the Israelites later reverted back to the original wording of the ordinance by bringing their tithes directly to the Levites in the cities where they lived and worked around Israel. (Nehemiah 10:36-37)  Nevertheless, the tithe, commonly referenced by many churches for supporting their tithing doctrines, was always restricted to a tenth of everything from the Israelites’ land, herds and flocks…not their monetary income.

What are common tithing positions within churches?

The doctrine of tithing is an integral part of many churches, denominations and religious affiliations.  Tithing is often taught in depth during the beginning of the year as many churches as well as individuals focus on their projected budgets (or shortfalls) for the upcoming year.  In addition, some churches also teach snippets about tithing throughout the year in conjunction with their weekly church offerings.  Commonly quoted verses about tithing include, “The tithe…is holy to the Lord” and “Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse….”  (Leviticus 27:30 NIV; Malachi 3:10 NIV)  The financing of church affairs is often dependent upon the tithe, and the teaching thereof. 

There are various interpretations of the tithe.  For example, many churches teach that believers are commanded to give a tithe (a tenth) of their gross income to the local church, since they believe that the local church is representative of the Old Testament temple in Jerusalem.  Similarly, there are numerous churches that teach tithing as a guideline or a starting point for giving to the local church, with the focus on giving…not necessarily the technicalities if the tenth comes from gross or net income.  On the other side of the issue, there are several churches that teach only giving out of thankfulness and gratitude, because they believe the purpose of the Old Testament tithe has been made void with New Covenant.

How do you know if a church mandates tithing?  Some churches make it flagrantly clear that tithing is a central point of their church doctrine.  Many churches require that its new members become aware of their obligations to the church by attending membership classes and/or signing covenant cards, which often includes stipulations for its members to financially support the church with their tithes and offerings.  Some churches actually remove members from their congregations for not tithing, under the justification that these individuals have disobeyed God’s command by not supporting the local church with their tithes and offerings.  In similar manner, many denominations and churches require that their pastors teach “storehouse tithing” to the congregations as a requirement for their annual reviews and continued employment.  Still, there are others who try to turn tithing into a marketing scheme, by offering 90-day tithing challenges to people with 100% money back guarantees.     

How do you know if a church teaches tithing?  Key words during the church offering, like “collecting the tithes and offerings” or “giving of your tithes,” are usually subtle hints that tithing is taught or practiced.  Likewise, new members will likely take membership classes and/or sign covenant cards, which will usually include stewardship responsibilities with the tithe as a guideline.  These churches will not necessarily kick people out of their congregations for not tithing; however, many pastors within these churches will not allow “non-tithing” individuals to serve in leadership positions.  Likewise, many of these same pastors are also required to teach “storehouse tithing” to their congregations as a requirement for their annual reviews and continued employment.  Furthermore, some denominations and churches have made an effort to refrain from using the words tithe or tithing in their official doctrinal statements; instead they often use code words such as systematic giving and/or proportionate giving, until tithing is addressed further in depth during classes and/or sermons.

How does teaching giving in a church differ from teaching tithing?  For starters, you will not hear the word tithe used during the offering, other than in a historical context.  Leadership qualifications tend to focus more on personal character, individual talents and spiritual gifts…instead of quantifiable things, such as tithing practices.  Stewardship messages likely focus more on giving out of thankfulness and gratitude to God…without obligation to any legalistic standard.  You will probably hear more examples of people who have challenged God with their giving and ultimately ended up giving larger percentages of their income to the local church as God has blessed them.  Quoted verses likely reference passages about cheerful giving, such as – “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Corinthians 9:7 NIV)  Furthermore, many churches believe that teaching everyone to tithe is unbiblical, because it disproportionately impacts the poor…especially since the poor were never commanded to tithe.

In reality, the topic of tithing is alive and well in many churches…although not all churches.  Several denominations that teach tithing, whether as a mandate or as a guideline, include the Assembly of God, the Church of the Nazarene, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, and the Wesleyan Church.  On the contrary, there are many churches, as well as individuals within churches, who believe that tithing should not be practiced for a variety of reasons.  Therefore, we need to take caution on this sensitive subject, to help ensure partiality is not shown to anyone based off their financial status…rather than their character. (James 2:1-4)  Otherwise, we may end up with churches full of people who voted with their checkbooks, since the rest of the congregation voted with their feet as they made one-way trips out the church doors…as well as possibly having anything to do with organized religion. 

How should we overcome fear?

Fear is a universal subject that virtually everyone deals with.  It comes in every way imaginable.  Many of us dread the thought of facing the world the moment we roll out of bed in the morning.  Why do we have fear?  Many of us have experienced some kind of hurt at some point in our lives and we tend to avoid things that may potentially hurt us again.  Definition number one of Webster’s Universal Unabridged Dictionary (1996 edition) defines fear as – “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.”  According to Webster’s definition, you would have to wonder why some people actually attend their churches, since there are many pastors who spend a lot of time preparing messages just to stir up the consciences of their members…which listening to some of these messages could technically qualify as exposure to fear.

What kind of fears do we potentially face as individuals?  Our youth have pressures coming from all directions, be it their parents, teachers and peers.  How do they respond to situations where people may try to pressure them into compromising their morals and/or individuality...just to feel accepted?  As for unmarried adults, many of these people may face the fear of possibly being stigmatized or being treated differently – just for being single.  How do these individuals open their hearts and share their feelings with new people or strangers, knowing that someone may try to take advantage of them by playing with their emotions?  Of course marriage does not necessarily eliminate the problems of fear for people.  Rather, it can complicate the matters even worse by bringing in new fears, such as infidelity, the inability to support your family (i.e., job loss) or the loss of a loved one.  As for senior citizens, they have the fear of worrying about their retirements as well as wondering how the future state of the country may impact their children and grandchildren, due to the actions of Generation X, Y or Z.

What kind of fears may impact the local church?  Poor spiritual leadership may cause many churches to close their doors indefinitely.  Hypothetically, most churches want to stand up for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ by trying to embrace everybody in their surrounding communities.  Realistically, however, many people within local churches may prefer to have people walking through their doors who look and act like themselves.  Ask yourself, how many couples would feel comfortable having a person with a drug problem sitting next to them or one of their loved ones in church?  How many senior citizens would tolerate a Generation X, Y or Z person sitting next to them in church?  Would single people like to have their single groups used as prospective “watering holes” by outsiders who are looking for dates?  Do the young adults want a class busybody hanging out in their youth group and spreading rumors about all of their personal interactions? 

So the question remains, who is our biggest fear – ourselves, others, or God?  One of the most common things people fear is the world, especially since it has quite the reputation for being a tough, unforgiving place.  However, if we have God as the center of our lives, the Bible teaches the world is not our fear…although we should use wisdom when dealing with it.  Jesus Christ himself said we would have trouble in this world, but he also said we would have peace since he overcame the world. (John 16:33)

Look at the testimony of Stephen in the Book of Acts.  Stephen served God by ministering in the Jewish synagogues.  Stephen was extremely effective at stirring up the consciences of the Jewish elders.  So effective, that the elders later set up false witnesses who accused Stephen of blasphemy and had him stoned to death. (Acts 6:8-14; 7:54-59)  However, as Stephen was dying, he prayed the following words – “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60 NIV)  Stephen’s testimony tells us that we should not blame others for anything they do to us, but forgive them…no matter how terrible the act.

Basically, our biggest fear is likely ourselves, especially in how we react to any given situation.  We need to focus on having our will submitted over to the work of the Holy Spirit, by allowing him to act as a compass for our personal lives.  Otherwise, if we allow other people to guide our conscience, the direction for our personal lives can be easily swayed back and forth at the discretion of others around us.  There is still a need for fellowshipping with others.  In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he mentions the importance of building others up, by utilizing the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has given to each of us.  He also reminds us, as we mature as believers, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. (Ephesians 4:14 NIV)    

Now if we have Jesus Christ as our advocate to God, then we can look beyond fearing God and others around us…even though, we still may suffer the repercussions from the actions of others.  If we consider ourselves mature, strong Christians, then the concept of reaching out to others – who may not act or look like us – should not be a question for our lives, but rather a living testimony of our personal walk with the Lord.  Do we focus on separating ourselves from the sinners of the world?  Or are we focusing on helping people separate the sin from their lives, by teaching them about Jesus Christ’s love for them.  Ultimately, we should reach out to all people, regardless of their walks in life, and share the love of Jesus Christ with them.  When it comes to overcoming fear, we need to reflect on the Apostle Paul’s words to the Philippians – “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NIV)

Should baptism be a condition for church membership?

Does it really make a difference if we require someone to be baptized, in order to become a member of a local church?  Jesus Christ gave us the following instructions in his Great Commission – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:20 NIV)  Are we teaching people to be disobedient if we do not require them to be baptized as part of church membership?  If a local church is a reflection of the one true holy apostolic, universal church, should it consist solely of a group of baptized believers who observe baptism or a group of believers who observe baptism? 

In the New Testament, we find many examples of people being baptized immediately after a profession of their faith.  On the Day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter responded to the crowd of people with the words, “’Repent and be baptized…’’ and those who accepted his message were baptized.  (Acts 2:38, 41 NIV)  After meeting with the Apostle Philip, an Ethiopian eunuch professed his faith in Jesus Christ and had Philip baptize him in water found along the road next to his chariot. (Acts 8:34-38)  At a jail where the Apostle Paul and Silas were imprisoned, the jailor and his family were immediately baptized after receiving the message of salvation. (Acts 16:29-33)  The question arises, although most people were immediately baptized after receiving the message of salvation, is baptism synonymous with church membership?

On the other side of the subject, the New Testament also includes many examples of salvation having more importance than baptism.  The Apostle Paul made this point clear by saying, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel….” (I Corinthians 1:17 NIV)  While Jesus Christ was nailed on the cross, a criminal on an adjacent cross asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom and Jesus responded by saying – “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43 NIV)  Before being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ replied that baptism is a step of obedience – “’Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’” (Matthew 3:15 NIV)  The Apostle Paul reiterated this point by saying our salvation comes though faith in Jesus Christ and not by any works of righteousness on our own part.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)  

The topic of baptism, and whether or not to make it a condition for church membership, is sometimes perceived as a point of confusion among various churches.  The reason many Christian leaders mandate baptism as part of membership is to ensure that people will be obedient to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.  Of course, baptism should be faithfully taught as an important step of obedience for all believers.  However, below are a few factors church leaders should consider in their decisions to teach baptism or mandate baptism as part of church membership.

1.      When a local church makes baptism a condition for membership, it contradicts the definition of the one true apostolic, universal church – all who come to repentance and acknowledge Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. (Romans 10:9-10)

2.      If a mandate for baptism comes across as contradicting the mission of the church, some people, especially strong-willed people, may end up leaving the church and possibly anything to do with organized religion – because they begin to doubt the credibility of the Word of God and/or the sincerity of the church leaders.  As for people, from this same group, who may remain in their respective churches, many of these individuals may end up sitting in the church frustrated or find themselves in compromised situations.

3.      Making baptism a condition for church membership often sets the precedence for people to be obedient to church leaders, rather than the Holy Spirit.  This is why you often find churches full of “baptized believers” sitting around and doing what appears as nothing, because they are waiting for the next command from their church leaders…not the Holy Spirit.  Some individuals may even find their spiritual act of obedience to the Holy Spirit quenched because they are manipulated or forced to do things in situations where they should be seeking God’s guidance.  Thus, you have the Apostle Paul’s warning to the church of the Thessalonians, “Quench not the Spirit.” (I Thessalonians 5:19 KJV) 

When local churches take a natural act of obedience and turn it into a rule, they may inadvertently set the wrong example to their surrounding communities and country by teaching people to turn natural acts of good behavior into excessive laws.  Obviously, there is a need for laws and order.  The Apostle Paul makes this clear with the words, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” (Romans 13:1 NIV)  However, we need to take caution that a denomination or religious affiliation does not attempt to place church “into a box,” since excessive rules may end up trumping the work of the Holy Spirit.  As a result, many churches may end up being led by teachers and not necessarily leaders, because many of the potential natural leaders of the church end up leaving over their issues with organized religion…not necessarily God.  

If churches want to make a real difference in making a positive impact in their communities, then they need to ensure that people are being taught how to obedient to the Holy Spirit.  Since baptism is a step of obedience, and one of many steps of obedience, churches should use the baptismal ceremony as an opportunity for showing people how they should ultimately trust in the Holy Spirit and the Word of God for guidance in all areas of their personal lives.  Once people come to the humble realization that they cannot do everything on their own and God is the one who can actually change people, then we will have a better understanding of Jesus Christ’s Great Commission – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:20 NIV)

Do our actions quench the work of the Holy Spirit?

How serious are we for reaching people, regardless of their backgrounds, and teaching them to trust in the Holy Spirit?  Does the possibility exist that many of our churches may need an overhaul?  The Apostle Paul instructed the church of the Thessalonians to, “Quench not the Spirit.” (I Thessalonians 5:19 KJV)  The Prophet Isaiah used similar words to describe the passionate heart of Jesus Christ, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isaiah 42:3 NIV)  Do our actions guide people to trust in the Holy Spirit for their lives?

What is the quickest way to kill a child’s natural desire in helping around the house?  If you are lucky enough to have a child that loves to help you with the housework, you should avoid taking advantage of the situation by turning his or her natural desire of giving and replacing it with a list of chores.  Even though your child may want to help you, he or she may become your worst nightmare because you possibly quenched his or her spirit.  This same analogy can be applied to the church.  There are many people who will dedicate a large amount of the time, talents and resources to the church because of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.  However, once the local church oversteps its boundaries…the work of the Holy Spirit may be quenched as a result.

If we are serious about reaching the lost, then it is essential that we do not quench the work of the Holy Spirit.  We should avoid trying to “change” people, but rather focus on making a difference in their lives by teaching how to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, we should make a difference in others and depend on God to make the changes.  Otherwise, we are depending on our own rules to change people.  We must have confidence that our Christian leaders are teaching by example, so we can listen to them for guidance in applying the Word of God to our personal lives.  

What are a few warning signs that a local church, denomination or religious affiliation may be overstepping its boundaries and inadvertently quenching the work of the Holy Spirit?  How would an outsider perceive Christianity based off our examples?  Ask yourself, does the local church represent a group of “baptized believers” who observe baptism and communion, or a group of “believers” who come together to observe baptism and communion?  Does our worship represent a true awe of God or has it become trite?  Do our prayers focus on real issues or are they just skillfully crafted words?  Does the sharing of our financial resources represent the systematic adherence to a legalistic standard or an expression of love by giving out of thankfulness and gratitude to God?

One of the key questions we must ask ourselves – how big is our God?  Or do we have God in a box?  Most of us believe that God is awesome enough to create our universe out of nothing.  We believe the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ can save the world from its sins.  However, do we believe that the Holy Spirit can change people or do we believe that we need rules to change people?  Is there anything we are doing that may be quenching the Holy Spirit’s work in others around us who desire to know Christ?  What can we do to focus our testimony on helping others around us?

For starters, the Holy Spirit has entrusted every believer with a spiritual gift, or gifts, to use in keeping the “spiritual flame” alive in everyone around us.  The local church is intended to be alive and we should feel a heartbeat.  People should want to seek out our local churches because of the Holy Spirit working inside each and every believer.  Someone may have the gift of encouragement for helping people get through their trials and tribulations.  Another may have the gift of mercy and help those who are unable to physically or mentally take care of themselves.  Yet another person may have the gift of helps and always be ready to help others, who in turn can have their time freed up to share their spiritual gifts and individual talents with other people more efficiently.  The gift of leadership or government is essential for motivating others and running things in an organized manner.  Likewise, the gift of discernment is necessary for protecting the church from internal and external problems as well as maintaining doctrinal purity.  The missionary gift, or the gift of apostleship, allows the gospel to be taught over cultural barriers.  The gift of teaching helps apply the Word of God to our lives.  The list goes on.  Whatever spiritual gift(s) you possess, the Holy Spirit will use your natural talents as an outlet for your gift(s) as an expression of God’s love for others.

As individual believers, as well as groups of believers coming together as local churches, our main concern should be teaching people how to submit their lives over to the work of the Holy Spirit …not necessarily any particular denomination or religious affiliation.  In the workplace, does your boss continuously coddle you…even after you have been trained and been with the company for a while?  The same applies to the local church setting.  Do you expect the church to keep on pampering to your every whim and woe after being a Christian for a long time?  Worse yet, does your church go out of its way to ensure you keep getting coddled, instead of helping you grow as a mature believer?

In summary, people must sense love in our lives as well as our local churches.  The Apostle Paul uses the words, “Love must be sincere…Honor one another above yourselves….” (Romans 12:9 NIV)  The passionate heart of Jesus Christ is evident with the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isaiah 42:3 NIV)  As Christians, we need to follow the example of Jesus Christ and avoid quenching the work of the Holy Spirit in others, by being proactive and utilizing our God-given individual talents and entrusted spiritual gifts to help restore the smoldering wicks in the hearts of people within our communities.  Ultimately, when we submit our will over to the Holy Spirit, we help other people understand the importance of depending on God for all aspects of their lives and bring glory to God the Father…not any particular religious institution.