Tithing is generally understood as setting aside 10% of one’s income to be given to one’s local church as an act of worship to the Lord. I grew up in a home where my mother tithed off our household income. So, when I became a Christian, tithing was a natural expression of worship to God and support of my local church.
When Connie and I married, we practiced tithing as a family and eventually started tithing on the full value of our pre-tax pay package. When our girls were born, we taught them to tithe as an act of worship to God.
But not everyone sees tithing the same way. According to a Lifeway Research study in 2023, “More than 3 in 4 American Protestant churchgoers say tithing is a biblical command that still applies today (77 percent).” When it comes to those who actually tithe, the numbers are much smaller. Barna research from 2022 discovered, “When it comes to generosity within the local church, just 21 percent of Christians set their church giving at 10 percent or more of their income.”
Christians disagree about whether tithing is mandatory for all believers, or a good model for financial giving, or a great starting place as they grow in sacrificial giving. Here are five reasons I tithe and recommend it to others.
1. The first recorded instance of tithing was pre-law: The earliest record of tithing was from Abraham in Genesis 14:18-20. It is recorded in Genesis 14:20b, “And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” This tithe was given to Melchizedek who was identified as king of Salem and priest of God Most High (14:18) and is seen in the New Testament as a type of Christ (Hebrews 5-7). This tithe was given voluntarily as an act of worship to God for His deliverance and it was given before the Law of Moses. Tithing was an act of worship before the law commanded it from God’s people.
2. Jesus affirmed the practice of tithing by the Pharisees: In Mathew 23:23, Jesus was confronting the selective obedience of the Pharisees. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” Jesus affirmed their practice of giving a tithe, even of the smallest portion of their produce, while confronting their neglect of weightier matters of the law.
3. Tithing funds the ministry of the local church: Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:14 that a church with a pastor has an obligation to support its pastor financially: “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” A church with a facility and staff will have other bills to pay as well. Those bills are to be paid by the faithful support of the members of the church. Tithing promotes a system of giving that allows for equal sacrifice among the members to fund the work of the ministry.
4. Tithing was never replaced by another funding system: Some will point to Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 as instruction for funding the work of ministry. The context of those chapters, however, is about an offering taken to help struggling Christians in Jerusalem. This is a reference to what we would call a love offering, not funding the ongoing work of the church.
5. Tithing is one more tangible way we can honor God: Proverbs 3:9 exhorts the reader to, “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.” The best practical advice I have received on tithing was about writing a check to your church with your monthly or weekly tithe. The advice says, “When it comes to tithing, write if first and write if fast.” To this day when Connie and I sit down to pay bills, the first check we write is a monthly tithe to God through our local church. We believe in it and believe God is honored by it.
If you have not been in the practice of tithing to God through your church, would you pray about starting this practice? You can’t outgive God. He is able to provide for you as you provide for the work of ministry through your tithe.
Dr. Todd Gray 