Ask Your Preacher - Archives

Ask Your Preacher - Archives

“1/10th”

Categories: THE COLLECTION, WORSHIP
What does tithing really mean?

Sincerely,
Money In The Bank

Dear Money In The Bank,

The New Testament and Old Testament teachings on giving are similar… but not the same.  The Old Testament was very specific that giving should be a minimum of ten percent (Deu 14:22).  The word ‘tithe’ means ‘one-tenth’.

However, the New Testament teaching is more generic.  Though ten percent is a good rule of thumb (after all, the Old Testament is given to us as an example – 1 Cor 10:11), christians are simply told to “give as they have prospered” (1 Cor 16:1-2).  God tells us to be cheerful givers (2 Cor 9:7), but He never specifically says how much christians should give.  That is an issue of wisdom and is left for each individual heart to work out for itself (Php 2:12). The specific rule of giving one-tenth of our income no longer applies; instead, we are told to examine our hearts and give thankfully.