Having the Tithe of My Life (7) - Final Thoughts

What I Believe & Teach NOW
As I have already mentioned in earlier posts, not long ago, I went back to our denominational Manual to re-read the stance on tithing and look up the Scripture references included with that doctrine.  My denomination includes explanations and directions for "storehouse tithing."  Beneath these paragraphs were almost 15 different Bible passages.  As I went through them one by one, I found something rather shocking.  Almost none of them have any form of the word "tithe."  In fact, almost none of them even relate to the practice of tithing at all!  Of the few that do, I have discussed all of them in the previous posts.

Quite frankly, if we were to form our beliefs and practices about financial stewardship from the references listed, then it probably wouldn't resemble the challenge to "tithe to the storehouse" as our Christian duty.  No, it would actually raise the calling much higher.  The call on the Christian life is to give everything.  According to the New Testament writers, money needs to be put in its proper place as far as level of importance.  The amount of money isn't the issue; the heart is the issue!

Let me share some of the examples:

Matthew 6:24-34 ~ Do not worry because God meets needs.
Matthew 25:31-46 ~ Separation of the sheep and the goats.  Take care of the needy because that is how we serve Jesus.
Mark 10:17-31 ~ Jesus tells a rich young man to sell everything and give to the poor if he wants to enter the kingdom of God.  (Not an "altar call" invitation I hear often!)
Luke 12:13-24 ~ A parable about a rich fool to warn the readers to guard against greed.
Luke 19:11-27 ~ A parable of 10 Minas to stress the point of putting your talent to work.
John 15:1-17~ Not sure what the thinking was as to why/how this got thrown in as a "proof text" for tithing, but it is about the importance of abiding, or remaining, in Christ, and illustrates how we are nothing apart from him.
Romans 12:1-13 ~ Paul's famous teaching about "living sacrifices."  There is a reference to sharing with those in need in verse 13.

There are others, like 1 Corinthians 9 or 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 or 1 Timothy 6:3-21 that are also cited.  These passages discuss the rights of an apostle and encourage generosity and caution that the love of money can lead to evil.  Even the oft-quoted 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, which instructs the reader to "be a cheerful giver" makes NO mention of (or even implies) tithing!


So what do I teach people now when tithing or money or stewardship comes up?

1.  Read the Bible.  Seriously!  Read it for yourself.  Go directly to the Scriptures and look it up.  (I am ashamed to say that this is not something I taught much in the past.  I would tell people what the Bible says so they wouldn't have to go look it up on their own.  What a service I provided them, huh?)

2.  Stand on what is certain.  Just because we might be confused about some things in the Bible doesn't mean there are not some obvious, clear convictions in it that we can "take to the bank" (poor pun intended).  For example, James is pretty emphatic when he states, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).  This is one of many references throughout the Scriptures that clearly and consistently indicate that God cares for widows, orphans, aliens, and the poor, and in turn, desires that we care for them, as well.  God's priorities do rise to the surface when people honestly read the Bible, whether they have a seminary degree or a 3rd grade education.

3.  Allow for FREEDOM where you can't be certain.  Let me conclude again - It may be that some people should tithe.  Others probably should not.  This series of posts is NOT a tirade against tithing.  It is about receiving truth from God's words outside of our distorted denominational and traditional lenses.  The truth is that God may want someone to give 10% of their income to one cause and someone else 40% to another cause.  It is apparent that Jesus invited people to salvation in different ways.  We need to be open to the idea that entrance into salvation for some people might be selling everything they own and giving their profit to the poor, while for others it might be declaring Jesus is Lord and confessing it with their mouth publicly.  To some he says, "Be born again!"  To others, he says, "Believe in me!"  All these ways point to the same place, but we must allow for people to freely live in Christ in unique ways.

4.  God wants it ALL!!!  My final word on all this is that the irony of this whole discussion is that it is actually pretty silly.  A debate of whether we should give 10% here or there, or in which way, gross or net,...blah, blah, blah.  Can you imagine the early disciples who gave their lives for following Jesus being time-warped to our day and hearing these conversations and sermons?!  They could only react, "This is so ridiculous! What are these people talking about? Where in the world did you get the idea that you owe God 10% or 23% or 90% of anything?"  We would do well to look at what Jesus demands of his followers in the New Testament.  Guess how much? Yeah, ALL OF IT!!! Everything. Everywhere. Every time. No exceptions. He says that if we won't give our whole lives, then the deal's off. And we're sitting around debating about 10% of our material wealth! Hmmm...something's wrong with this picture!

But don't take what I teach as your gospel.  Review the passages referenced above for yourself and see what conclusions you reach.  You will know the truth and the truth will set you free!

I have a friend who, when asked now about whether he tithes, he answers that he now practices radical generosity. I like that. Let's try that for a bit, shall we?

Having the Tithe of My Life (6)

Why Even Bring It Up?  FREEDOM!!!
If this topic of tithing (or money, in general) has the potential to be so controversial, then why bring it up?  Am I doing this just to cause disagreement and division?  Is my motive to show someone is right and someone else is wrong?  Well, I certainly hope not! 

There is one reason why I want to reflect on this teaching.  It is freedom.  Notice that I have not argued that all Christians should change or stop how they tithe.  At the same time, I have also not argued that everyone who tithes should continue to do so without understanding why.  My bottom line is this:  Do what you believe God is leading you to do!  For some people, God may use the practice of a tithe to teach and shape them into what He wants them to become.  For others, He may not.  Each person has to evaluate the cause and effect of their tithing routine.  Sometimes, it is healthy and helps to advance the kingdom.  In other cases, it may actually be counterproductive and there are better ways to spread the gospel.  The point is NOT for me to tell you what to do!!!

So, the final measure at the end of the day is, Are you FREE in the TRUTH?  The truth of God and His Word can and will and does set us free.  It is true!  We are people created to walk in freedom.  Some who tithe do so out of the freedom they enjoy; others do so out of a sense of obligation and duty.  It weighs them down.  In short, they are in bondage.  They are tied down to a rule and checklist of misunderstood discipleship.  It is not healthy or right for them to be in such a state.  Our job is to be administers of God's grace, helping people - all people - move toward the truth and set them free!

That is why I bring it up.

Keep in mind the context of my blog – “How Much Greater” we can make the world, faith and life for our children and teenagers as they grow up. It definitely matters what we teach them in terms of what we say God thinks about their money.

Having the Tithe of My Life (5)

Jesus & The Early Church
Interestingly, for as much as tithing is emphasized in churches today, if you were to do a Bible study on the practice of tithing in the New Testament, it would be a short study indeed.  Now that we've looked at some of the Old Testament background behind the tithe, we must wonder what Jesus said about it.  How often did he instruct his disciples to do it?  What instruction did Paul give the churches he helped plant in regard to receiving and distributing tithes?

Strangely, the New Testament is virtually silent on the issue.  Some will argue against that statement, but a lot of our teachings about tithing and stewardship and giving that we take from New Testament passages may have more to do with what we read into them than what we discover out of them.  So, let me bottom line this point by saying that we have no record of Jesus ever directing his followers to give tithes to anyone.  We also have no record of any first-century church practicing the ritual of giving/receiving a tithe.  This will probably come as a surprise to some because many of us have been told our whole lives how tithing is a biblical practice and a divine expectation of church members.  (I confess to believing this and teaching it to others in the past. See my first post in this series.)

Let me share an interesting discovery I recently made.  I went through our denominational manual and looked up the section on tithing.  It begins by explaining that we teach and practice storehouse tithing for all the reasons I used to teach people.  Then, it lists all scripture references related to the topic (you know, as the "biblical backing" for why we do what we do).  I looked up every single one and read it in its context.  The main ideas ranged from not worrying about anything because God meets needs (Matthew 6:24-34) to guarding against greed (Luke 12:13-24) to understanding worship as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-13).  There were others:  "Rich Young Man" (Mark 10), "Vine and the Branches" (John 15), and the ever famous "love of money" passage in 1 Timothy 6.  While all these are wonderful teachings, do you know what was remarkably, strangely absent?  Any reference to tithing!!!

Even the oft-quoted "be a cheerful giver" reference from 2 Corinthians 9 makes no direct mention or even an implication to the practice of tithing.

Tell me why, if it is so Christian to tithe, is it so difficult to find a single commandment in the New Testament telling believers to do it?!

Having the Tithe of My Life (4)

The Law of Moses
One thing is for sure - tithing is definitely a subject brought up multiple times in the Mosaic Law.  In the Old Testament, we see a system set in place full with sacrifices, rituals, ceremonies, offerings, and priests.  There was much discussion about ceremonial cleansing and holiness.  It was clear that God introduced the concept of certain individuals mediating between him and everyday people, and at some level, we can attribute all of this to the simple reality that he was perfect and they were not.  And there is one other enormous reality of their day and time that warranted such a ritualistic, disciplined system of worship...Jesus had not yet come!

One practice that was in full effect for the Israelites under the old covenant was the tithe.  So what can we observe about this component of their religious life and community?

1.  Before, and upon, entering the Promised Land, Moses sets out clear responsibilities for one of the tribes known as the Levites.  They are the priestly tribe, responsible for the work at the Tent of Meeting.  "The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the Testimony" (Numbers 1:52-54).  Because the Levites were set apart for special duties, they were not to receive an inheritance of land as they moved in to Canaan.  All other tribes were given a specific allotment of land.  Rather than being in charge of their own dwelling like everyone else, the Levites had to be concerned, in a very serious manner, with "the Lord's dwelling" so to speak.  Thus, one of the tithes instituted helped serve the purpose of providing food for the Levites, and giving them something to sacrifice to the Lord in offerings.  It was a tithe given by the other Israelites and received by the Levites.

2.  Another important aspect of Israelite worship was that of national festivals and celebrations.  God instituted events such as Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks or Firstfruits, the Feast of Trumpets (which was their version of a New Year's party), and more.  Remembering how God had intervened in their lives was a crucial part of Israelite worship, so these festivals became an instrumental way of shaping the attitude of repentance and gratitude to solidify the bond that God desired to have with his children.  The Bible tells us that one of the tithes required of Israel was intended to be use to provide for these corporate events.3.  Another significant and repeated word of instruction in the Law of Moses is that a tithe should be received so that, in addition to the Levites, the aliens, fatherless, widows, and poor would be sufficiently taken care of.  People facing these hard circumstances were to be comforted and looked after appropriately.  Not doing so seemed to elicit God's anger with his own people.

**Some Scriptures you might want to look up include Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers 18 (verses 21 & 24 specify Levitical roles), Deuteronomy 14:22-29, and Deuteronomy 26:12-15.
To conclude, if you read through the referenced passages above, then you may begin to make some additional observations without having to read anything into the text.  For instance, it will probably stand out to you (from the Bible text itself and the notes above) that more than one tithe is commanded.  There were annual tithes and triennial tithes, and you may also note that they went to different "causes."  Many scholars agree that this certainly puts our "ten percent" rule under scrutiny.  In fact, some argue that with the combined tithes, the Israelites were required to give more like 23% of their produce or income!  I am not personally familiar with any church teaching this kind of tithing.

Finally, I will end on something that should be easy for us all to agree on.  Whatever, or however, the tithe was given and received, there was a clear emphasis on giving the best, or first, of what you had.  Regardless of where we fall on this debate, I think this should be a point we all walk away with firmly in mind and heart.

Having the Tithe of My Life (3)

Hebrews 7, Genesis 14 - Abraham's Tithe
One of the more often used passages to "prove" the universal, long-lasting ordinance of tithing is taken from Genesis 14 (and Hebrews 7).  Basically, Hebrews 7 gives us the lens at which to view the events of Genesis 14:18-20.  To summarize, Abraham presents a tithe to Melchizidek, and thus, the argument is that this demonstrates that the practice of tithing occurs centuries before it is mandated for the Israelites in the Law of Moses.  Therefore, tithing is meant to be practiced, it is said, by everyone following God, not just the Israelites bound by the laws found in the Old Testament.

(Before continuing, I recommend that you click on the links above and read the text of these passages for yourself.  In fact, while linked to the Bible Gateway site, you can even read them in a few different translations.)

Some observations and questions about these passages:

1.  As with most verses taken out of context, the mistake is usually taking what is a description of what happened there and then, and turning it into a prescription of what should happen here and now.  Genesis 14 describes what Abraham did.  There is no dogmatic commandment to tithe or not to tithe in these passages.

2.  Abraham does indeed give a tithe.  Let's not pretend that is up for debate.  The nature of his tithe is that it was a voluntary gift/offering of the plunder from battle.  In other words, it was the stuff he had just taken from other people, not his own belongings.  This is the only record of Abraham ever tithing, so the only evidence we have is of a one-time act, but admittedly, the "absence of evidence" doesn't necessarily equate to "evidence of absence."

3.  What is the point of Hebrews 7?  Is it telling the reader to model behavior after Abraham?  It clearly emphasizes that Jesus is in the "order of Melchizedek."  Melchizedek is described as an extraordinary priest with extraordinary authority that supercedes the role and position of the Levites.  The 16th verse explains that he was a priest of a different sort to say the least, "not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancenstry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life."  He blessed Abraham, not the other way around.  That makes him the greater figure, according to Hebrews.  What kind of man/king/being was this Melchizedek?  We're left wondering to some extent, but Hebrews paints him as a type of Christ, a foreshadowing of the Messiah!  In fact, I would encourage anyone to enjoy the blessing of reading through the rest of chapter 7 and even on in to chapters 8 and 9 of Hebrews.  There is tremendous theological content here that helps make clear just how special, powerful, and sufficient Jesus is as our High Priest.  There is also much said that highlights the "new covenant" over the "old covenant."  In short, the question needs to be asked, "Is the point of the passage what a great example Abraham is because he gave a tithe, or is the point what a profound example Melchizedek is because of his authority to receive a tithe?"