Confusion regarding the subject of “tithing” is as deep and widespread as is confusion regarding material prosperity. In the wide spectrum of what generally passes off as “Christian teaching”, we encounter everything from a glorification of abject poverty to its denunciation as a curse; we encounter every view and attitude from one that flees from material prosperity as from sin, to one that espouses it as a sine qua non of the Christian life lived in accordance with the will of God. The truth, not surprisingly, is not to be found in either extreme, but in a sensible and balanced reading of the Word of God – not just the few passages that support a favoured point of view, but in its entirety.

Tithing correctly understood today

Today we use the worth “tithing” for want of a better word. It is certainly not to be understood or practiced in its Old Testament context – that would be to put oneself under the Law, and as Paul warned the Galatians, “then Christ would be of no avail to you” (Galatians 5.2). Jesus castigated the Pharisees for their blinkered legalistic attitude to the Law. For they tithed even their garden spices and herbs in the minutest detail, but neglected the more important matters of the Law, which are “justice, mercy and faith” (Matthew 23.23). If “tithing” in its New Testament sense is not to be understood as under the Law, then the basis for giving is not the statutory ten per cent, but rather, “as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:7). Under the New Covenant, a tithe is a free but committed and regular giving of an amount decided in prayer. For the serious Christian, the subject of tithing is inseparable from the stewardship of money. Many of us are products of a tradition that regards money as incompatible with holiness, and poverty as holy. But the subject of money, the proper attitude to it, and the correct use of it, are very important because of what money represents in this world. How we related to money largely influences how we relate to the world.

Why we should tithe?

Haggai 1:2-11 presents a condition we are all familiar with. What we get for our pains is never up to our expectations. Our lives seem to be marked with a deep poverty. “He who earns wages to put them into a bag with holes” could very well be a contemporary statement on inflation and rising prices. Why was this so with the people of Haggai’s time? This book was written around 516 BC, soon after King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. After the initial enthusiasm, the people began to lose interest. The Temple was still in ruins, and many preferred to live on in comfort in Babylon. They were content to dwell in their “panelled houses”, while the house of the Lord was in ruins.

In New Testament terms, we, the Church are the temple of the Lord (see 1 Corinithians 3.16). When we accept Jesus, we are delivered from captivity. We are commissioned to build and renew the temple, the house of the Lord, the Body of Christ. Are we eager and single minded for this task? Or do we compromise with the spirit of the world, chasing after job, status, money, possessions and pleasures? How satisfied are we to dwell in our “panelled houses”, unconcerned that the House of the Lord lies in ruins? If our spiritual lives are in a mess, it is because we have given too much attention to the material life. But true wealth comes from the Lord. That is why we sow much, but reap little; that is why it appears that our wages are being put into a bag with holes. God often uses our material circumstances to show us that there is a spiritual problem in our lives. If we are to be generous in our surrender to God, the best place to begin is the most obvious – our money! There are four basic aspects of tithing, which, for ease of recollection, all begin with the letter “S”.

Surrender - Son-ship - Sharing – Solidarity

Surrender is the essence of the call to holiness. It is a call to die to self and all that the self glories in. If we surrender all to the Lord, the most strategic place to begin with is our money. The tithe, traditionally the first tenth of one’s income, is not a tax. It is a token that says “All I have is from you, Lord, and it belongs to you. I lay it at your feet. This tithe is a reminder to me that even what you allow me to keep is entirely at your disposal. I will use it in a manner that gives you glory.”

Sonship is what we receive by the Spirit of Jesus who enables us to call God “Abba, Father” ( see Romans 8: 15-16). The Holy Spirit works to make us more like Jesus, more like true sons of our Heavenly Father. No single verb in Scripture so typifies the loving nature of God as the word “gives”. For He delights in giving us good things. He gives us rest. He gives us grace. He gives eternal life. He gives peace. He gave Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for us. He gives His Holy Spirit, in all this He gives Himself (Romans 8.32). Can we, as His children, be content to be anything less than givers? Jesus says, “It is better to give than to receive” (Acts 20.35). Our nature as Christians should be a giving nature. To tithe is to give. Not just ten percent, which may be the actual figure in money terms. But more important is the giving of our entire selves, which is what the tithe represents. The offertory at the Eucharistic service reminds us that the gifts we offer to God are an offering of our entire selves. So also whenever a Christian gives anything beyond the monetary value of what is given, there should be unstinting giving of the entire self.

Sharing with those in need is another important aspect of tithing. Much of the money received by prayer groups through regular tithes is used to help those in need. How can we say we love God whom we do not see if we are not moved to compassion by the condition of our brothers and sisters whom we do see? The operating principle here is the same as Acts 4:34-35, which is that there should not be among the community any whose needs are not met. Our charity is towards all, but “especially to those who belong to God’s family” (Galatians 6.10).

Solidarity with the work of the kingdom is expressed by financial support. By tithing, we express our solidarity with every genuine Christian work that serves to spread and strengthen the faith. God says, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food for my children” (Malachi 3.11). This covers material feeding as well as spiritual nourishment. A book ministry that makes Bibles and good Christian books available at affordable prices, financial support for gospel outreach programmes and Life in the Spirit seminars, investment in songbooks or an overhead projector and screen, musical instruments, sound systems, music lessons, public speaking classes for those in the teaching ministry, subsidising fees for Christian seminars and programmes, supporting evangelists and missionaries, a generous love offering to guest teachers of ministers, publishing gospel tracts for distribution, even subsidising fellowships and picnics that build better relationships… these are some of many ways in which tithes can be used for the work and advance of the kingdom of God. Give generously to support your parish church. Give generously to your parish and let God hold the leadership accountable for how they spend it.*

What about the rewards?

The most unfortunate aspect of the whole subject of tithing is the wrong emphasis that the “prosperity gospel” has given to God’s reassurance that he will bless us for our generosity. The basis of tithing is not a “quid pro quo” percentage arrangement. A few years ago, a travelling evangelist in Bombay started his “teaching” with the question “How many of you want to be millionaires?” A forest of hands shot into the air from the disciples of the One who said, “Blessed are the poor”. The thrust of his message was, give 10 percent of what you desire, and God will honour it for the full 100 percent. And this 10% is usually given not for the work of the kingdom, but for the evangelist’s “ministry”. This is a gross distortion of the Scriptures. Of course God will bless us for our generosity, but the reason for giving should not be in order to receive. God’s measure is not so much the volume as the spirit with which it is given. After all “He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” We can’t outdo God in generosity; genuine givers are often the greatest beneficiaries of God’s goodness. Generosity is a mark of the righteous as well as their protection against want: “I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.” (Psalm 37.25) But God’s generosity should not be the reason for our giving. Receiving is a consequence of giving, not the motivation for it. There is a world of difference between marrying someone who is rich and marrying someone because he or she is rich. It is the motive that makes or mars the relationship.

Many years ago, I read a humorous anecdote that has relevance here. Two little boys did a small favour for the owner of the sweet shop. In gratitude, he invited them to take a handful of sweets each. One boy eagerly grabbed a handful. The other boy showed reluctance. He was encouraged to help himself but held back. Finally, the shopkeeper dipped his own hand in the jar, and came up with a handful which he then poured into the boy’s open hands. Later the first boy asked the second the reason for his reluctance to help himself. With a knowing grin, the boy explained, “Simple. He has bigger hands.” It’s the same with God. If we rush to “claim” our reward, it will be less than if we wait patiently for what he wishes to give. He has bigger hands!”

Give for the sake of giving, without expectation of return. Let giving be a part of your nature. Beyond tithes, cultivate the habit of setting aside some money for those you encounter in need. Slip across an envelope with some money anonymously through a brother or sister to those you know are in need, only enclosing an anonymous note telling the person that it is being given for the love of Jesus. Never talk about your generosity. You will be abundantly blessed for it.

And the greatest blessing will be not what you receive in return, but the change in your nature, as giving become a tremendous joy, as you realise that you are daily growing to be more and more like your Father who is the Supreme Giver.

Reprinted from Charisindia March 2002 with permission.

* In the UK, of course, we can add charities like Cafod, Life, CREW TRUST, etc

Errol Fernandes, from India, is active in apologetics and India’s pro-life movement. He writes frequently for Indian Catholic publications.

© Chris Martin