I’ve been asked a few times in casual conversation “Why do Christians tithe?” To answer this properly, I think I first have to explain what tithing is, and what it isn’t.

Tithing, as used in the Old Testament, is the practice of giving one-tenth of your edibles (“firstfruits” – anything agricultural or livestock, as the Hebrews at that time were a pastoral culture) as a sacrifice to God, and to support the system of priests and Temple that He put into place. Christians don’t practice this kind of tithing anymore, since it was required by Mosaic Law, and Christ paid for that at the cross, so Christians don’t need to follow the Law anymore.

Tithing in the New Testament sense is probably more accurately called “offerings,” and it doesn’t have to be ten percent, or made of edibles. In the New Testament, Christians are simply called to give generously and quietly, to help the poor, needy, etc. Many of us choose to do it through the vehicle of our church, since (presumably) they have already spent the energy to find out who needs it in their community, or channels it to needy elsewhere.

So, let’s look at some of the misconceptions about tithing:

1. Tithing is compulsory (or, we should tithe because [leader] told us to).

All the churches I have ever been to, and this includes the Catholic churches I attended as a kid, always emphasized that offerings were voluntary, and please, if this is your first time here – do not give! If you go to a good, Bible-following church, tithing is not compulsory. If it is, that’s one of your first signs of something shady going on, or at least horrible theology.

2 Corinthians 2:17: “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.”

2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2. The church keeps track of what you make and kicks you out if you give less than ten percent.

See above. If you have a church that does this, then leave cheerfully! That’s not a Biblical church. The salvation that Christ offers is a free gift offered to all, whether you give or not doesn’t impact the status of your salvation, or membership in the body of Christ (the Church).

3. We should tithe because it is commanded that we do so.

Tithing was only compulsory in the Old Testament to support the system of priests and the Temple that God had set up as a demonstration. Christ fulfilled the Old Testament covenant, and so we are not compelled to tithe any more (besides, the great many of us don’t grow our own food or raise our own livestock any more, so the tithing spoken of in the Old Testament would be nearly impossible to do. And there’s no infrastructure to accept it any more either).

So Why Do We Give Offerings Now?

1. As a demonstration of our lack of attachment to material things and obediance to God

The best thing I can do to explain this is to follow Christ’s example: Tell a story. So:

Jenny’s Necklace

Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl.

One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50.

How she wanted that necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, “Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I’ll tell you what. I’ll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don’t forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. “Okay?”

Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.

Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday.

Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls.

How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere-to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands.

The only time she didn’t wear them was in the shower. Her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!

Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story. One night when he finished the story, he said, “Jenny, do you love me?”

“Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you,” the little girl said.

“Well, then, give me your pearls.”

“Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!” Jenny said. “But you can have Rosie, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?”

“Oh no, darling, that’s okay.” Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Goodnight, little one.”

A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, “Do you love me?”

“Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you.”

“Well, then, give me your pearls.”

“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She’s my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy,” the little girl said to her father.

“No, that’s okay,” her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. “God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams.”

Several days later, when Jenny’s father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. “Here, Daddy,” she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father’s hand.

With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box.

Inside of the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls. He had had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so he can give us beautiful treasure.

God asks us to give, because in the act of giving, we (figuratively or literally) hold out our hand instead of clutching on to whatever we have. It’s only when our hands are open that we can receive ourselves.

2. To help support our church, so that it can continue functioning (if it is our home church)

Most pastors don’t work a second job during the week – it is a full-time job just to run a church. The building has its expenses, the choir or band’s instruments have to be kept up, and the pastor still has to eat. The majority of churches aren’t some sort of franchise, they don’t get paid from somewhere higher up, they get paid through audience contribution. If you like your church and want to keep hearing good sermons from your pastors, and want them to continue helping in the community (global or local), help them out in turn.

1 Corinthians 9:13 -18: “Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.”

3. To help those in need

This one should be the most obvious of the three. Whether you give to your church or somewhere else, one of the primary reasons for giving is just that – to help those who need it. Whether you give in time, money, or material, in some way it should be helping those who need it. Katrina families, AIDS victims in Africa, Tsunami survivors in southeast Asia, homeless people in your own town, your neighbor down the street struggling with debt – any one who needs help.

Matthew 6: Being Quiet About Your Giving

Zhai’helleva,

Raeliyah