tithing

Sunday's lesson in the Elevate class was on money. We went through the whole discussion about when it is good and bad, which I won't address here, then touched on the topic of tithing. I relayed my feelings in class and appreciate Forrest putting up with me hogging time in class, but I would like to reiterate here in a more structured form what I think of tithing.

I grew up thinking about tithing like a rule that must be followed. I think a lot of people have the same view I had. It's like paying taxes, or as I said in class, paying an employee minimum wage. It is illegal to pay less, and to pay more is going above and beyond the call of duty.

There are three problems this creates. First, it demands that obedience be to the letter rather than spirit of the law (and it is part of the Law that Christ already fulfilled). Second, it allows people to believe they can measure themselves spiritually against someone else. Third, it does not address the reasons that we are to be generous (support of ministry and helping the poor).

My view on tithing is that, even if I am giving ten percent to a church, it is not really a tithe. It is an offering. If Golden and I were to give 5% or 15% that would be because that is the amount that we determined we should give to a church or ministry.

The entirety of my doctrine on church and charity giving is formed by specific passages in the New Testament. In Matthew 6 Jesus tells a crowd not to be like the hypocrites who announce their giving with trumpets. In Matthew 23 Jesus calls those who emphasize tithing over more important matters of the Law hypocrites. (Note that Jesus' audience was actually under the Law at the time.) In Matthew 25 Jesus lists care for those who are less fortunate as a big part of what separates the sheep from the goats. In 1 Corinthians 16 Paul tells that church that they should consistently set aside money for ministry. In 2 Corinthians 8-9 Paul reminds that church of the following points.

• They should give as they have already purposed in their hearts.
• They should not give begrudgingly or under compulsion.
• Their generosity will be rewarded. (money given with the intent to receive more is not generosity.)

I haven't really said much of what I have interpreted from the passages above because I think they are generally self-explanatory. I do think some of what is said in those passages is largely ignored (especially about not letting the right hand know what the left is giving). Basically, what I believe is that we are not under a law that states we should give 10%, but rather we are under a law that specifies that we should give generously.

When I hear someone preach on Malachi 3 I want to scream, "That was for the Israelites! They got the rule, but we got the principle."