The Free-Will Offering vs. Tithing Giving back to God a portion of what He has given us is a custom in both Testaments. The question put forth by many pertains to the standard for the Christian’s giving. There is a theological battle between the free-will offering and tithing approach. What does the Bible say? Old Testament Tithing The first time we read about tithes was when Abraham gave “tithes of all” to Melchizedek. This was before the law of Moses came into being and was likely a voluntary tithe (Gen. 14:20; Heb. 7:6). In Leviticus we find that people tithed “the seed of the land” or “the fruit of the tree.” They also tithed of their herds and flocks (Lev. 27:30-32). This context details rules and guidelines associated with redeeming property and tithes in the year of Jubilee. The Israelites would tithe “of the corn, the new wine, and the oil” (Deut. 14:23; Neh. 13:5). The Triennial Tithe was observed every three years (Deut. 26:12-15). These tithes were kept in the towns and shared with the needy: the foreigners, the fatherless, widows, and Levites. A tenth of their produces was dedicated for the purpose of benevolence (Deut. 14:28). “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house…” (Mal. 3:8-10). The tithes belong to God, and they go into the storehouse for food. During Hezekiah’s reign in Judah, he restored temple worship, and the Passover. He commanded the people of Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and Levites: “As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps” (2 Chron. 31:5-6). For four months, these things were pilling up in heaps until King Hezekiah orders chambers in the temple to be prepared to store the surplus. When we think of tithing, we think of giving God 10% off the top of our income. The publican boasted that he gave, “tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:12). The Israelites were giving 10% of their grains, fruit, and livestock. That would be more like 30% of their gross gleanings, and that did not include their sacrifices or free-will offerings. The point is that their tithes, specifically, had more to do with their commodities than their money. (Deuteronomy 14:24-26 documents an exception worth studying). New Testament Giving Besides the Levitical priesthood and the Law of Moses being changed (Heb. 7:12), there is no practical modern-day purpose for the tithe of the Old Testament. We live under a different religious law and covenant. The tithing concept was specific to the agriculturally-based Israelite nation with its Levitical religious system. The New Testament instructs us to give: Purposefully and Benevolently–“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Cor. 16:1-2). The Christian gives as he has been given. This specific collection was to help needy saints that Paul would be working with, just as it helps us to render benevolence today. Paul told the Ephesian elders, “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Sacrificially–Jesus used a widow woman as a prime example of sacrificial giving as He “sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury… a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. …. Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:41-44). How could she have given 10% of a farthing? We certainly don’t have to give our entire paycheck every week. God measures our giving not by a percent, but by our heart. Cheerfully–“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:6-7). Liberally–“Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men” (2 Cor. 9:13). Paul commended the Philippians for their dedicated giving and acknowledged that what they sent was “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Phil. 4:15-18). The specifics as to when or how it was collected are not given. But their cooperative sacrifice smelled good and pleased God. Conclusion There is nothing wrong with budgeting 10% of your income if that is what you want to give. Perhaps some congregations would do better financially if their members were giving at least 10% of their income. Others are more like the poor widow and contribute what they can. But we know that many could give more than what they do. Maybe some of us could stand to eat out less so more could be given to the Lord and to others (Gal. 6:10). Even though we don’t live under the Law of Moses, and the tithe is not a commandment under the New Covenant, that doesn’t mean that we should think we have done well in our “freewill” contributions if they are not sacrificially, cheerfully, and liberally motivated.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 09:25:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015