The 200th Question! And it’s about giving…
When I started this a two and a half years ago I had expectations that we would reach about 50 questions and then shut it down. It seems that tentpegsquestion@yahoo.com dwindles down to three or four questions and then, suddenly, it fills up again. I’ll try to keep this going as long as it is useful. Today’s question is a detailed and well phrased one. If only my answer could be said to be the same!
Here’s my question: What is your take on giving (financially) in the New Testament?
I’ve heard many a sermon on giving and stewardship, and I don’t think I’ve heard one that agrees with what I see in the New Testament. What I see in the text is a mix of three things: 1) Giving to the poor / needy / hungry 2) Contributing to the needs/salary of a travelling preacher/evangelist (what I would consider a missionary) and 3) Supporting a local preacher (I’ll extend that to the congregational needs).
As such, my wife and I long ago decided to set aside a portion of our income to God’s work (roughly a tithe on gross income – we don’t count pennies to see if we drifted a bit up or down from there) and we dedicate some to our congregation, some to missions work, and some to meeting people’s needs (both inside and outside of the church) as we feel led. The amount allocated to each of these changes as conditions warrant, and we also just help people out “off-tithe” when we see additional needs that we have the means to address.
Are we at all on target, or is this all wet? If I was to believe the majority of the sermons that I’ve heard I would dutifully wrangle up a tithe (plus offering) and “bring it to the storehouse” – i.e. sending it all straight to the congregation to be allocated by the eldership. Almost all of these sermons lean heavily on the old testament text, the giving traditions of the old testament, etc.
So, I guess the sub-question is: Are we allowed to give as we see fit in our own hearts, following the patterns found in the NT, or are we compelled to write a single check to the church and leave the leadership to sort it all out?
There are consequences to our desire to meet together to worship. Most of us do not live in places where meeting outside is an option for most of the year (as it was to Jesus and the Jerusalem church). Also, we are much more mobile now so instead of meeting in dozens of homes we can hop in our cars and meet at a central location. That central location is expensive to build, heat, cool, and maintain. I believe it is honorable to contribute to any facility we use but there is no clear command in scripture demanding either the facility or our contribution to it.
I believe that if my children enjoy the kids’ program or my teens are in the teen program, and if I am benefiting from the singing and preaching at a church, I am morally bound to help pay for their continuance. Jesus put it bluntly when he reminded us that it is against God’s law to “muzzle the ox as he treads out the corn.” He also put it more gently when he said “The laborer is worthy of his hire.”
One is always free to say “I’m not a huge fan of the building or the minister… so I’ll just withdraw myself and start a house church” but there are many dangers inherent there, too. While it is popular to now say that anytime you meet with anyone and say anything kind, pray, or enjoy a good conversation that you have “done church” that is completely unbiblical. Our gatherings are to be intentional and — as in everything else in this physics bound universe — gatherings have consequences.
That said, I think the questioner has a valid and balanced way of dealing with giving. I always cringe when I hear people read from First Corinthians 16 before they pass the plates. That passage wasn’t about bringing money into the church treasury (and, yes, treasuries probably did exist for we hear of one church helping another) but in preparing yourself financially to help when missionaries arrived. Giving, in scripture, is to be joyful, planned, and purposeful.
If you are not laying aside money for the poor, for mission work, etc. then it is very handy to have a vision driven, Christ centered church to give your money to. Faithful elders and deacons who have Christ’s interests foremost in their minds spend a TON of prayer time over how to allocate that money. In my experience, this is a painful and weighty burden they accept. They take it very seriously.
I believe that if you handle money as the questioner does, you are doing an honorable thing. I also believe that if you give your tithe (and maybe we need to discuss the tithe concept. It is more complex than most believe) entirely to the congregation, that is honorable. However, we need to remember that God did not declare a “one way to give” rule and neither should we.
Still, those who attend and do not give are in a bad place, morally. If they have legitimate money issues and cannot give, then that is understandable and no church I know would begrudge not only their attendance but also helping them 1) with immediate needs and 2) learn how to handle finances better in the future. If you are one of these people do NOT stop attending! You need the church. It is a requirement. Your giving might need to consist of giving time, effort, prayer, and specific, targeted acts of love until you can add money into the mix.
Kami and I tithe to our church treasury and we add a percentage on top of that when we fund our private mission fund. To afford to give that much, I travel a lot and do a ton of seminars, etc. That allows me to pay my bills, tithe to the church, and do a bit more for charity and mission work.
Now… what say the rest of you?
August 19th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I would say the questioners are on solid footing about giving, and are giving more than the vast majority of people.
I would like to see a bit more on the tithe and how complex it is.
Our giving is largely through out church, although we do give to other organizations and to individuals. But the church gets the lion’s share. We feel that we have a great church and a great bunch of elders who shepherd us and our funds well.
I go through times when Satan tells me all the things I could do if I didn’t give a tithe. But I see that as a temptation and turn it away. Sometimes I have been more successful at that than at others. But I have felt immense joy at giving, sometimes giving more than I could afford.
In addition, we support our church through our service. That is also critical. One gives more than money.
August 19th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
It has always been strange to me that preachers who say we have been released from the law by grace, hang on to this one for all they can.
Heb:7:5: And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
Heb:7:12: For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
Heb:7:14: For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15: And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16: Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
But how would these giant churches survive if not for the threat of hell, if the contributions fall off.
August 19th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I guess I’d only add that to give – even to tithe – is a kind of minimalism if we say/think, “Well, I’ve done my part.” We need – I need – to think of everything we are and own (and even believe) as a gift from God, entrusted to us, belonging truly to Him.
If we were to read Philippians 2 before we gave our gifts rather than 1 Corinthians 16, we might get a bigger picture of what true generosity is all about.
And it might just loosen up our wallets and pocketbooks when we see folks in need, too ….
August 19th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Jan and I started tithing on our gross income from day one of our marriage and have continued to do so through almost 35 years of marriage. We have often taken some or all of our weekly tithe to help someone in need when special circumstances warrant it. I appreciate your comment on the elders spending hours in prayer over how to appropriate the money. I’ve seen that time after time and love those men (and women who support them in prayer) for their hearts.
I, too, have been tempted to use the money for other causes. Recently my mother-in-law died and the cost to fly us home was almost $3,000, which we don’t have. I’ve used our tithe to help others make similar flights for funerals or mission work but when Jan and I talked it over, we decided not to take from God to pay this bill, rather to trust God to supply our need. I just hope God knows the credit card company has significantly raised the interest rate on unpaid balances!!
August 19th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
My son, Craig Ford has begun to blog regularly on topics closely related to this question. Those interested can check out http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com. I’d tell you how good he is, but you might rightly think I’m biased.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Great post and comments above. I would add that believers should be careful about variations in how much we give to a church. Like any person or organization, churches typically have to manage their budgets based on their income (i.e. giving receipts). If the believers in a place give 10% one month, 2% the next, then 5%, etc — because they find other worthy causes and deduct those from their church giving — this can cause real challenges for the church leaders, because giving fluctuates while the many ministry costs are flat (monthly bills, staff salaries, missions commitments, etc etc etc).
My recommendation (and my practice) is to tithe first, and as God provides other giving opportunities, sacrifice something else (not your church contribution) in order to help meet the other needs. Consistency in giving, as in serving, will help make your church leaders’ job a joy, rather than a burden.
Oh, and I also would be interested in hearing more about the complexities around the tithing concept.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Brian, I might suggest that you can commit to giving a floor percentage (say 7 or 8 percent), and use the other two to fulfill needs as they come up, as long as you make sure you actually do those things. This enables the church leaders to plan, and I daresay they won’t object if you drop more in the plate some months.
But, of course it is never wrong and usually right to sacrifice something else to meet a specific need. As long as you’re not sacrificing, say, food for your children.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
The fact that the questioners have put such thought and effort into the question tends to make me think their hearts are right before God.
A few thoughts:
–We are commanded to give, so it’s no option not to, regardless of our situations (think of the Macedonians that gave out of their extreme poverty — financial difficulty fails as a valid reason not to give; if cash can’t be given, other things can be; and, just a thought…at least some financial difficulty might actually be the result of an ungiving heart);
–the offering should be determined from the well-spring of our hearts, and through prayer;
–the more God has blessed us, the more is expected of us;
–The straight tithe (the numerical 10% of our income) is a good starting place, but is of no consequence if it doesn’t come from our hearts;
–As you mention, giving should be joyful, planned, and purposeful; and I would add, prayed over, as well as faithful and regular in frequency.
While each must determine what is right between them and God, my personal practice is the following: tithe (10% of gross (firstfruits of sorts?), rounded up)to my congregation’s general fund; an additional modest percentage to 3 separate ministries that are of particular interest to me; and then to also budget a modest amount to be prepared to give to specific periodic needs that may arise from time to time, or to other special ministry related organizations.
Nearly 100% of my giving is “faith-related”, as I desire the gifts to be very clearly given in the name of Jesus. Hence, I do not generally give to non-faith-based causes.
Lastly (sorry for the long post, but this topic is near and dear to my heart), I’ve found God has blessed this kind of giving tremendously. While He has brought a modest affluence my way, verily the richer blessing is that He’s grown my contentment tremendously. While I currently have more than I have ever had, and indeed more than I need, I find myself much more joyful and happy with signficantly less than I ever expected. My offerings, in fact, are the largest expendictures in my monthly budget. And guess what that does? It frees me up to give more, even as I face the prospect of unemployment in the near future. It’s all His anyway, so might as well invest it in the eternal. The peace is incredible, and transcends understanding.
August 20th, 2009 at 12:58 am
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August 20th, 2009 at 2:10 am
There was a time in my life when as a young man my wife and I tithed “religiously”(pun intended). Now, many years later, by God’s grace, we for many years have been blessed to give far more than a tithe to our local congregation and to individuals, mission churches, and other needs as we think we should.
In my almost 50 years of bieng a Christian I have heard scores of sermons on tithing and every one was lacking. “Storehouse tithing” is especially troubling. I believe that in many, if not most cases, preachers who preach “storehouse tithing” do so because of a lack of faith, not because of great faith.
While my wife and I can give much more than a tithe (10%..OT tithe was more like 30%)I know families who would struggle to give 5% at times. There are mulit-millionares I know who could coast along giving 10% and never take a deep breath. Thankfully, they are very, very generous and give far, far more.
Finally, could it be that Jesus was more concerned with what we have left after we give? Remember the widow who had nothing left?
Royce
Royce, could you briefly explain “storehouse tithing”? I haven’t heard that term before. Thanks!
August 20th, 2009 at 3:29 am
I agree with JV and Royce…based on what OT tithing actually looked like, combined with how blessed we Americans are financially (compared with the rest of the world), and then throw in the fact that we are under a far better covenant of greace…it seems like 10% ought to be the bare minimum for those of us who are so blessed. I like what Craig Blomberg (Denver Seminary) suggests…he and his wife have tried to raise the percent they give by 1% every year that there salaries are increased (which is usually every year). I’m thankful for those who have the special gift of generosity.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I really appreciate this. We give in a similar fashion to the person who asked the question: about 1/2 to our congregation, 1/3 to one charity and the rest to other charities.
I particularly appreciate the candor about not wanting to give. Our kids occasionally express that they wish we didn’t give so much (since they’re the only kids on the planet without cell phones because of it). My wife and I talk about it when expenses come up or we notice (a la Psalm 73) others who have more than we do and don’t give. I’d appreciate more thoughts on how others work through these feelings.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
To Mark’s question, one of the best ways I’ve found of working through these kinds of feelings is by serving, particularly those that have less than I. The feeling of affluence and contentment tends to be very relative, and often subjective to what we experience around us. So, if we run around with folks that “have everything”, we’ll feel like we have nothing. If we serve among folks that have nothing, we’ll feel like we have everything.
As far as the giving is concerned, my personal belief is that God would not have blessed me with what I do have had I not been giving earnestly. I suspect I would be considerably worse off had I continued to withhold giving as I’d done years ago.
As a total aside, my increase in giving coincided directly with a terrible marriage failure through which God showed me an abundance of grace. I came out that experience with a ton of debt and a very grateful heart toward God for His mercy. The financial quandry I faced was whether to pay off bills, or tithe as I desired to do. After prayerful consideration and wise counsel, God lead me to use “tithe money” to pay the debts (while still contributing very modestly), with the intention of re-directing it back to the tithe when the bills were paid. I stuck to that, and God blessed it waaaay more than I ever would have imagined. I really couldn’t even tell you how it happened, but nearly $20k in CC debt was paid off in less than a year, on a very modest salary. He is faithful to His promises indeed, and truly Has his own math system when it comes to faithful giving.
Hence, I believe our giving (cash and otherwise) is a direct reflection of our understanding and experience of God’s grace. JMO.
In occassionally counseling folks on finances here and there at my congregation, I’ve heard several say that they had cut back their giving for a given purpose, and it caused their financial lives to wobble greatly. I have no idea how the theology behind all that works, but I know it’s true. I’ve frankly developed a healthy fear of NOT giving, and believe strongly that, for me, in my conscience between God and me, He would be none-to-pleased if I were to cut back on giving. It’s not a legalistic thing…I’ve just seen too much of God’s faithfulness to doubt it any more.
One last thing…regarding our hearts being where our treasure is…that’s totally true. I’m a car person…but the moment my vehicle got paid off, the urge for a new one went away. While I take appropriate care of the vehicle, it doesn’t have nearly the importance it had before. I really believe it’s b/c there is no longer a huge part of God’s dollars going to it every month any more. Out of budget, out of mind. There is no longer a monthly investment in the thing, and therefore not nearly the allure it had before.
Basically, we’ll put money into things that are important to us. And then those things become [more] important to us b/c we put money into them. It’s a cycle. But the cycle needs to start with a heart rooted in God’s love, grace, and mercy.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Sorry for the long post (these are my first comments); these things come out way longer on the page than they look in the typing box. Will keep them shorter in the future.
Thanks.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:03 am
I take the max deductions for taxes so I get the most net income I can after taxes. That is what I base my tithe on. That is before medical, 401k, etc is taken out. I have no choice about the taxes that are taken out so I don’t really count that as my money.
I heard an Elder at our church once say before the collection “we pay taxes for protection but did that protect us from 9/11?” I thought that was very tacky and really didn’t make much sense in the context of giving.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:42 pm
It’s easier to allocate my giving amount when I know what it is it’s going to. The congergation where I use to attend did so much with inter city activities and helping others, I had no issues giving what I chose to give.
After moving thousands of miles North and finding another congergation, I’m still not sure what the congergation’s contribution goes to. Its made it difficult to decide what to give.
Recently I took a look at what I was giving and decided it needed to increase, if for no other reason then to be a better Christian. I’m not sure that’s the correct answer.
Our church publishes its financial statement and makes it available to anyone who wants it. Ask your elders if they do the same. I believe they are required to if they want to keep their nonprofit status.
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:04 pm
I, too would enjoy more on the tithe concept. Since Israel as a nation was providing governmental services through the tithe, would our taxes today not be factored in before we suggest to our brethren they are obligated morally to “tithe?” As one writer above suggested the faithful Israelites probably gave more like %30. Do you have insight on this as well?
Thanks