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●Are Believers to give financially by tithing or as they choose – Section 2?
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COMPARING AND CONTRASTING SCRIPTURES ON HOW BELIEVERS SHOULD GIVE FINANCIALLY—PART TWO
Are you ready to follow this study through? Let’s get to it. Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew.
NONDISPENSATIONALIST—For You Tithe of Mint and Dill and Cummin
Suggested Readings: Matthew 23:23
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. NASB
Jesus spoke at different times to different peoples, such as the multitudes, the scribes, the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the disciples. In this particular instance, He was talking to the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites because they were so meticulous in tithing all their possessions down to the minutest detail of the spices from plants, i.e., of mint, dill, and cummin, and yet they were very far away in treating the weightier (greater) provisions (details) of the law, such as justice (hurting nobody by word or deed54), mercy (loving-kindness in conduct), and faithfulness (to be faithful in doing all that is required of you55) without the same precision.
This implied that tithing was of lesser detail, i.e., tithing in this manner. Tithing was what the seed produced, i.e., the corn, wine, and oil, and as we have discussed earlier in this study, it was vitally important for the priesthood, the poor, and worship. It was tithing of the seed that was of lesser importance. However, Jesus didn’t discount either. His point was that the Pharisees should be as mindful of justice, mercy, and faithfulness just as they were with the tithing of the seeds.
Jesus didn’t discount tithing even in its strictest sense. Therefore, He approved of this manner of giving even to the minutest detail for the believers in the early church.
DISPENSATIONALIST—For You Tithe of Mint and Dill and Cummin
Suggested Readings: Matthew 23:23
Jesus didn’t discount tithing even in its strictest sense. Therefore, He approved of this manner of giving when He lived on the earth. Why didn’t He disavow it? Because the Law was still in effect. The revelation of whether the New Testament believer should obey tithing or any aspect of the Law would be unveiled in the dispensation to follow, the Church Age.
Where I’d like us to turn next is the book of Acts.
NONDISPENSATIONALIST—They Would Be Distributed to Each
Suggested Reading: Acts 4:32-35
34-35 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need. NASB
Persecution against the Christian sect had intensified. The Roman government proclaimed that if anyone turned Christians over to the authorities, they’d be rewarded by receiving ten percent of their assets. If fellow unsaved Jews found out that any of their fellow workers converted to Christianity, they’d terminate their employment, and those Jews who were newly saved and owned a business would be shunned by the Jewish community.
The reality was that many believers needed financial support. Some of the church members who owned land or houses sold them and gave the proceeds to the apostles, who distributed the funds as needed.
It’s assumed that some of the congregation tithed, and the giving of real estate was a free-will offering.
DISPENSATIONALIST—They Would Be Distributed to Each
Suggested Reading: Acts 4:32-5:11
34-35 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need. NASB
Persecution against the Christian sect had intensified. The Roman government proclaimed that if anyone turned Christians over to the authorities, they’d be rewarded by receiving ten percent of their assets. If fellow unsaved Jews found out that any of their fellow workers converted to Christianity, they’d terminate their employment, and those Jews who were newly saved and owned a business would be shunned by the Jewish community.
The reality was that many believers needed financial support. Some of the church members who owned land or houses sold them and gave the proceeds to the apostles, who distributed the funds as needed.
2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. NASB
There was a man named Ananias, along with his wife Sapphira, who pledged to sell a piece of land and give all of the proceeds to the church to help their brethren. However, after the sale was completed, they only brought a portion of what they had promised.
4 "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God." NASB
The Apostle Peter confronted Ananias and told him that when the land had been in his control (possession), he was free to do as he pleased. He was not obligated to give any or all of the sale proceeds to the church to provide financial assistance. However, once he declared that he would give the entire sale price, he was under obligation to follow through with what he’d promised. Unfortunately for both of them, God took them home early because of their unwillingness to follow through on their obligation.
I’m sure not everyone gave real estate. It’s likely that even some tithed. But there’s no evidence that a tithe was the consensus form of giving and the real estate properties were free-will offerings as would be described under the protocols for giving under the Mosaic Law.
The church members were allowed to give of their own accord and by whatever means they chose. Another thing to consider was that the apostles did not suggest giving landholdings, nor was it a universal practice.
Another section of verses that talks about giving financially is found in the book of 1 Corinthians.
NONDISPENSATIONALIST—Those Who Proclaim the Gospel to Get Their Living from the Gospel
Suggested Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:1-18
The Apostle Paul wrote this letter as a response to a letter of inquiry from the elders of the Corinthian church concerning many issues. The ones mentioned here involved the contentions concerning his apostolic authority and the matter of his financial support. He began his rebuttal by asking four questions.
1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? NASB
We’ll take a look at the second and third questions first. Paul was saying that one of the proofs of someone being an apostle was that they saw Christ.
Acts 1:21-23 "It is therefore necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us — beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us — one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection." And they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. NASB
Some would argue that other criteria were that the person would have to accompany Christ at the beginning of His ministry and witness Him on earth following His resurrection, as evidenced by the conditions set forth when deciding who was qualified to replace the deceased Judas Iscariot. If these conditions were firm, this office would be no more after the twelve apostles died.
1 Corinthians 15:4-8 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. NASB
Paul admits to seeing Christ when he wrote; He appeared to me also, but not as compared to the many that saw Him in His glorified body while He witnessed His resurrection for forty days before He ascended. Instead, He saw the ascended Christ. This tells me that this office didn’t come to an end, but one of the conditions proving that someone was called to apostleship was that they had a similar experience.
2 Corinthians 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. NASB
The second condition that confirms whether a person is called to the office of an apostle is that signs, wonders, and miracles would be evidenced.
1 Corinthians 9:1a Am I not free? NASB
Now, let’s take a look at the first question. This appears to address financial support or the lack thereof. The word free in Koine Greek means abstaining from the obligation to work (tent-making) and being supported by the church for his basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing.
14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. NASB
Paul supports his case further by saying the Lord directed (commanded) that those who proclaim (the duty of a Christian minister) the gospel should get their living from the gospel (be supported and maintained in this work56).
Those who are called to a leadership office and proclaim the gospel are commanded by the Lord to be supported by the assembly of believers in tithes.
DISPENSATIONALIST—Those Who Proclaim the Gospel to Get Their Living from the Gospel
Suggested Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:1-18
The Apostle Paul wrote this letter as a response to a letter of inquiry from the elders of the Corinthian church concerning many issues. The ones mentioned here involved the contentions concerning his apostolic authority and the matter of his financial support. He began his rebuttal by asking four questions.
1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? NASB
We’ll take a look at the second and third questions first. Paul was saying that one of the proofs of someone being an apostle was that they saw Christ.
Acts 1:21-23 "It is therefore necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us — beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us — one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection." And they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. NASB
Some would argue that other criteria were that the person would have to accompany Christ at the beginning of His ministry and witness Him on earth following His resurrection, as evidenced by the conditions set forth when deciding who was qualified to replace the deceased Judas Iscariot. If these conditions were firm, this office would be no more after the twelve apostles died.
1 Corinthians 15:4-8 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. NASB
Paul admits to seeing Christ when he wrote; He appeared to me also, but not as compared to the many that saw Him in His glorified body while He witnessed His resurrection for forty days before He ascended. Instead, He saw the ascended Christ. This tells me that this office didn’t come to an end, but one of the conditions proving that someone was called to do so was that they had a similar experience.
2 Corinthians 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. NASB
A second condition that confirms whether a person is called to the office of an apostle is that signs, wonders, and miracles would be evidenced.
1 Corinthians 9:1a Am I not free? NASB
Now, let’s take a look at the first question. This appears to address financial support or the lack thereof. The word free in Koine Greek means abstaining from the obligation to work (tent-making) for my living and being supported by you for my basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing.
14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. NASB
He supports his case further by saying the Lord directed (commanded) that those who proclaim (the duty of a Christian minister) the gospel should get their living from the gospel (be supported and maintained in this work57).
Those who are called to leadership offices and proclaim the gospel should be supported by the assembly of believers. While the form of giving isn’t mentioned, I’ll leave us with an interesting quote about the type of giving that the leaders of the New Testament church received.
The stipends of the clergy were at first from offerings at the Lord's supper. At the love feast preceding it, every believer, according to his ability, offered a [gift, and when the expense of the table had been defrayed, the bishop laid aside a portion for himself, the presbyters, and deacons,] and with the rest relieved widows, orphans, confessors, and the [poor] (Tertullian, 'Apology,' 1 Cor 3:9.).58
Let’s stay in the book of 1 Corinthians, where we’ll look at the final group of Scriptures in this chapter on financial giving.
NONDISPENSATIONALIST—Let Each One of You Put Aside and Save, as He May Prosper
1 Corinthians 16:1-3
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. NASB
At this time, persecution was intense, and the Christians in Jerusalem needed financial assistance. What also became apparent to the early church leaders were changes regarding when they would meet for worship and the collection (the collection of money for a charitable purpose59) for the saints to which the Apostle Paul directed (gave order; commanded).
2a On the first day of every week (…) NASB
The early church decided to meet on the first day of every week in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.60 This day wasn’t considered Sunday, but according to Jewish chronology, this was the first day of the week following the 7th day, or weekly Sabbath. In the early days of the Messianic Community, many of the Jewish believers continued to observe Shabbat (Saturday) as a day of rest and met for Messianic worship in the evening after it was over.61
2b-3 On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. And when I arrive, whomever you may approve, I shall send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; NASB
Regarding giving money, each believer was asked to put aside and save (set aside the free-will offering at home; the separate tithe will be given when they attended worship) and then bring it to the assembly on the first day as God had prospered (whatever business has prospered) them. The apostle also gave instructions that no collections be made when he arrived. He meant that he wanted the designated monies for the relief of the saints at Jerusalem to be ready to be picked up, i.e., he didn’t want to have money collected when he showed up.
In this instance, it’s believed that the apostles might have followed a practice of the Jewish synagogue, i.e., concerning the collection for the poor. It was a regular custom among the Jews to make their collections for the poor on the Sabbath day so they might not be without the necessities of life. To make this provision, they had a [purse, called ‘Arneqiysheltsdaqaah,’] “the purse of the alms,” or what we’d term the poor’s box. This is what the apostle seems to mean when he says, Let him lay by him in store—let him put it in the alms’ purse, [or the] poor’s box.62
Free will offerings will be taken for special events, while the tithe will be given during church services.
DISPENSATIONALIST—Let Each One of You Put Aside and Save, as He May Prosper
1 Corinthians 16:1-3
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. NASB
At this time, persecution was intense, and the Christians in Jerusalem needed financial assistance. What also became apparent to the early church leaders were changes regarding when they would meet for worship and the collection (contributions) for the saints to which the Apostle Paul directed (left directions).
2a On the first day of every week (…) NASB
The early church decided to meet on the first day of every week in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.63 This day wasn’t considered Sunday, but according to Jewish chronology, this was the first day of the week following the 7th day, or weekly Sabbath. In the early days of the Messianic Community, many of the Jewish believers continued to observe Shabbat (Saturday) as a day of rest and met for Messianic worship in the evening after it was over.64
2b-3 On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. And when I arrive, whomever you may approve, I shall send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; NASB
Regarding giving money, each believer was asked to put aside and save (set aside the offering) and then bring it to the assembly on the first day as God had prospered (as keeping in one’s income; as much as one could spare) them. The apostle also gave instructions that no collections be made when he arrived. He meant that he wanted the designated monies for the relief of the saints at Jerusalem to be ready to be picked up, i.e., he didn’t want to have money collected when he showed up.
In this instance, it’s believed that the apostles might have followed a practice of the Jewish synagogue, i.e., concerning the collection for the poor. It was a regular custom among the Jews to make their collections for the poor on the Sabbath day so they might not be without the necessities of life. To make this provision, they had a [purse, called ‘Arneqiysheltsdaqaah,’] “the purse of the alms,” or what we’d term the poor’s box. This is what the apostle seems to mean when he says, Let him lay by him in store—let him put it in the alms’ purse, [or the] poor’s box.65
According to this interpretation, the believers were asked to give what they could afford.
Interesting stuff. We have another chapter devoted to comparing the Scriptures on this controversial topic. But before we go there, I’ve left an article for us to read about how many churchgoers are familiar with the terminology of tithing and, of those who regularly attend church, how many tithe.
ONLY 43% OF CHRISTIANS CAN DEFINE ‘TITHING’: BARNA POLL
More than one-third of self-identifying Christians in the United States say they are not familiar with the concept of tithing, and only [one-fifth say] they practice tithing, according to a new Barna survey.
The poll, released Wednesday, found that 43 percent of Christians say they are familiar with the term “tithe,” while 22 percent say they’re familiar but cannot recall the exact meaning, and 36 percent say they are not familiar. About one-fifth (21 percent) of Christians practice tithing to their church or ministry, while 25 percent don’t give financially, and 54 percent donate an amount less than 10 percent. Biblically, a tithe equals 10 percent.
Meanwhile, tithing is more popular among practicing Christians—a category Barna defines as Christians who attend a religious service at least once a month and say their faith is very important in their lives. Among this group, 59 percent say they are familiar with the term “tithe,” while 18 percent are familiar but cannot recall the exact meaning, and 22 percent say they are not familiar. All total, 42 percent of practicing Christians say they tithe.
Barna’s analysis surmised that pastors may be the reason more Christians don’t embrace tithing. Only one-third of pastors favor their congregation giving a 10 percent tithe, while 21 percent say their congregation should give enough to be considered sacrificial, and 20 percent say the congregation should give as much as they are willing.
“Church leaders and Christians may wonder whether it matters if the tithe falls out of the mainstream,” the analysis said. “After all, church giving should not be reduced to an equation, and heartfelt, reverent generosity can be accomplished with or without deep knowledge of the tithe. Still, as a fundamental, scriptural idea of Christian stewardship becomes a hazy concept, it appropriately raises questions—about how modern ministries approach funding and [resources] and, more importantly, about the broader culture of generosity being nurtured among Christians.”66
Endnotes
54The Pulpit Commentary.
55UBS New Testament Handbook Series.
56Barnes’ Notes.
57Barnes’ Notes.
58Jamieson, Faucet, and Brown Commentary.
59Barnes’ Notes.
60The Bible Exposition Commentary.
61Jewish New Testament Commentary PC Study Bible version 5, 1992, 09 November 2014 ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.
62Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
63The Bible Exposition Commentary.
64Jewish New Testament Commentary.
65Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
66Michael Faust. “Only 43% of Christians can define ‘Tithing’”: Barna Poll,” KFAX 11 January 2025
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