How Much Money Should You Give to the Church?
Unsurprisingly, there are a range of opinions on how Christians should handle giving. Some think we should give as we feel led, others think it’s a strict pretax 10%, others think that 10% is just a starting point.
What do you think? How much money should you give to the Church?
I recommend giving EXTRAVAGANTLY at every opportunity. I am currently working as a college counselor with a blessed, but modest salary. I have recently given $600 to $1000 checks. What a glorious BLAST. Extravagant giving positioned me for immediate mental, emotional, and physical blessings.
tithes is a must, then after you can give as much as you can and i will borrow the word “extravagantly” to support God’s ministry as was done by the acts of the apostle’s. lest we will be no worse than Ananias and his wife
Ananias did it based on a vow to God that he promised God and did not follow through with it. Notice Peter told him that he voluntary promised it to God. The aposltes never told the new converts to tithe. Tithes could never be paid in the form of money in the Old Testament law. See Pastor today quote Mal3:8-11 it was based on the Levi.priesthood tithe as Lev.27:30 it had to come from the land of Israel only. Ther is not one place that it is written in the entire bible to tithe in the form of money.
I think that 2 Corinthians 9:7 is useful to this discussion: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (NIV) So decide what amount, according to your own life, really honors the Almighty. Then don’t worry about it beyond that.
For me, the 10% is a good rule of thumb, so I don’t stress about it. Some people split out tithes (regular 10% to local church) from offerings (additional donations to missionaries/other missions/special funds at local church). That has been a useful way for me to think about it. Also, regular and consistent giving really helps local church elders plan and budget all the necessaries.
I should also note that deciding on a weekly or monthly basis on how much you feel like giving is a recipe for disaster. There will always be SOMETHING else clamoring for your hard-earned $$$.
We give a minimum of ten percent, pre tax, to our church. We also provide funding, as appropriate to family, to select Christian workers, Ministries and the poor. We feel that God gives us 100% of what we get. We are striving to live on as little as possible and bless our community with the rest.
I have been giving 10 % after tax to my retired missionary aunt for years now. She was a missionary in Taiwan for 25 years and retired with nothing – not a house, no investments, but yet God looks after her every need and she never lacks food, shelter or clothing. Her incredible faith is such an inspiration and affirmation of God’s love that I give with gladness in my heart.
We do not give tithes as commanded in the Old Testament. We each give independently as the Lord directs, to other ministries, special works for the Lord, needy families or to even help out our own families within the assembly. This does not only mean money. It also includes giving of your talents and give of your time. This giving is to be sacrificial. I think John Macarthur said it best on the question of tithes and giving when he said:
“Two kinds of giving are taught consistently throughout Scripture: giving to the government (always compulsory), and giving to God (always voluntary).
The issue has been greatly confused, however, by some who misunderstand the nature of the Old Testament tithes. Tithes were not primarily gifts to God, but taxes for funding the national budget in Israel.
Because Israel was a theocracy, the Levitical priests acted as the civil government. So the Levite’s tithe (Leviticus 27:30-33) was a precursor to today’s income tax, as was a second annual tithe required by God to fund a national festival (Deuteronomy 14:22-29). Smaller taxes were also imposed on the people by the law (Leviticus 19:9-10; Exodus 23:10-11). So the total giving required of the Israelites was not 10 percent, but well over 20 percent. All that money was used to operate the nation.
All giving apart from that required to run the government was purely voluntary (cf. Exodus 25:2; 1 Chronicles 29:9). Each person gave whatever was in his heart to give; no percentage or amount was specified.
New Testament believers are never commanded to tithe. Matthew 22:15-22 and Romans 13:1-7 tell us about the only required giving in the church age, which is the paying of taxes to the government. Interestingly enough, we in America presently pay between 20 and 30 percent of our income to the government–a figure very similar to the requirement under the theocracy of Israel.
The guideline for our giving to God and His work is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
There are those who say that the tithe is not covered in the New Testament, but in Hebrews 5, 6 and 7, one of the main subjects spoken of is the tithe–who receives it and how to become mature through paying it. In Hebrews 5:11-14 it states “…that you’ve become dull of hearing and that you should be teaching the first principles, but instead you have need of milk, and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the Word of righteousness, for he is a baby.” This is preceded by the statement that Christ himself has become High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. In Chapter 6, it goes on to state that once you have been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift–once you have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God–if you still fall away it is impossible to be renewed again to repentance, seeing that you crucify again for yourselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame.
What is this good Word of God? This Word is “rhema” which means, the spoken or revealed Word of God. His Word has been revealed to you concerning Jesus as High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, meaning that Jesus has become High Priest over the tithe, (and your life) forever (vs. 20). Chapter 6 further states (vs. 9-19), that God blessed Abraham by saying “With blessings, I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” He also promised immutability (unchangeableness) of His counsel and confirmed it by swearing an oath that by these unchangeable things, we might have strong consolation and lay hold of the hope set before us. Verse 19 states that this hope we have is an anchor for our soul (mind), both sure and steadfast. I am convinced these two unchangeable things are both God’s promise to bless us and our promise to tithe back to Him. Chapter 7 states in verse 8, “Here mortal men receive tithes, but there He receives them of whom it is witnessed, that He lives.”

Chapters 5-7 deals with the ministry of Melchizedek and that Jesus is the priest forever according to Melchizedek. We know Abraham gave tithes of all that he possessed. We know in the Law of Moses, tithes were commanded. After the Law, Hebrews states that Jesus is the Lord, not just of the past, not just of the present, but forever. Hallelujah! He is the Lord of the tithe, forever.

Seeing that Jesus is the Lord of the tithe, is He our lord? If He is, there should be no question that we tithe unto Him. I can just hear someone saying, ” If Jesus was my Pastor, I would tithe,” but Hebrews 7:8 states “that men (subject to death) receive tithes on this side; but on the other side, Jesus Himself receives them.” Why should we look for ways to excuse us from what we know we should be doing? Let’s be about establishing and not doing away with His Words. The tithe was, and is and shall ever be holy unto the Lord.
Well put.
God certainly loves a cheerful giver!
When it comes to tithing, Money is only part. My talents and time are to be tithed also. We are to give of what we have been blessed with, and a scripture that comes to mind is where you riches are there your heart will be also. When we hord our time from God we sin and hopefully can realize our error before weget to that place that we must be chastized or worse judged.
The thought I have is, what a burden to carry around.How much time is enough, I’m sure he doesn’t want any slackers, but i thought there was no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I’m unable to hold a normal job due to dissability, at first it was very hard, yet eventually I let go and gave the situation over to someone else. I think it best to let Him handle the bigger things, and we should not live under the weight of a wedget(whatever) and chastizement and worse yet judgement.When I was in my teens I was invited to a church, and eventually was sucked into a mindset of judging everyone and deciding whether it was of the spirit of flesh. I eventually was runing everyone put of my life.
My conclution is that life is a whole lot simpler when we don’t disect the people we love and ourselves. Lets fight the fight and finish the race. As far as going to that “place” than sounds like a cult belief; keeping people in fear is not of the Holy Spirit.
Many believers believe that tiding is a commandment of the Law and that God established as Law. But tides were given before the law. The first Able and Cain gave offering to God of what they had produce. Abraham gave tides to Melchizedek. It was established from the beginning that there is an offering that is unacceptable to God and an offering that is acceptable. Cain offering did not pleased God. I believe that the offering that Cain offered was not the problem, but what was in his heart displeased God. In giving to the work of the kingdom you should do as God has convicted you, in your heart. What is important is the motive, the willingness of our giving and that you do it trusting God and not men, looking to God and God along. Our giving should be from our love for God an the kingdom and not from selfish motivations that may displease our God.
THE IS NO A SPECIFFIC AMAUNT ONE IS COLLED TO GIVE TO GOD EXCCEPT 10 PERCENT WHICH BELONGS TO GOD ACCODING TO MALACH 3VS10 THE REST OF YOUR GIVING DEPENS WHITH WHAT YOUR HUART AND CONCENSE TELLS YOU.WHEN GIVING YOU DONT HAVE TO STRAIN YOURSELF FOR THE BIBLE SAYS GOD LOVES ACHEERFULL GIVER.
I think we start at 10% tithe and if the Lord puts on your heart to give more, then give as to what He tells you. God is always faithful to bless the CHEERFUL giver!!
i believe in giving geneously to th One who gives us more than what we desire
It depends on what the church does with the money. They should be accountable to their following on how the money is spent.
Advice please:
I want to give to the Lord, but I would really prefer giving to an organization like Gospel for Asia that is actually making a change rather than giving to my church, where I don’t think anybody has been saved in twenty years and money just goes into the building. Does God still tell me to give the church %10+, and then if I want to can also support GFA?
I know where your coming from, even though you dont give any specifics on why your shurch isn’t growing you could ask your pastor. After 20 years, you must have a real commitment in your heart. I love the fact that you want to spread the message of “you really do care”, with people so far away.
My experience with christ began with a simple bible study in our home. I was twelve then, and now at 53 I’m still plugging along. What I would suggest that is if talking to your pastor doesnt help, hope it will. Then find a more youth driven church. There are churches that are bursting at the seams with growth.
In conclution, giving to the church(you attend) is very inportant, It sustains their outreach and expenses. I have a pet dog named Mocha, and sorry to say all I do is maintain it’s existence, I would love to be deeply in love with her,but with all the things she does to our house i’ts hard. Situations in our life demand things we don’t have, Our creator made us to be dependant on Him for everything. I am more than confident that He who has called you I’s able to do exceedingly more than we could ever pray or ask.
I was talking to someone online the other day about tithing and he said we are to tithe based on Matt.23:23 And I said to him then he had to do it the same way as Jesus command then ,Jesus was talking to the scibes and the pharisees under the Levi, priesthood legal system which meant that if Jesus commanded it they would tithe of food products based on the Lev.27:30 (thats right there is no temple or Levi.priesthood today.)
It was to come from the land of Irael land only, So If I lived back then and being a jew and lived in Iraq,or U.S.A would I have to tithe from the land of Iraq or U.S.A ?No because it had to come from the land of Israel only. There is no scripture in the entire bible that it is written to pay the tithe in the form of money.
According to Deut.14:24-26 according to this passage of scripture if the tithe could not be paid in the form of money in the Old Testament how can it be paid in the New Testament with money, if pastor are quoting Mal3:8-11 based on Lev.27:30 were you can not pay in the form of money?
Notice here if you were a fisherman would you have to tithe your fish? No because according to the law based on Lev.27:30 the tithe had to come from the land only not water.(So if the law said nothing about fish of the water then it didn’t come under the law then. Making it that the fisherman didn’t tithe. Does the law according to 27:30 Say anything about hired labor or salesmans?(No it does not making it not law, If there is no law there,how can they be accountable. The only ones that paid the tithe was the land owners. And they tithed to Levi.priesthood legal system because it was the only tribe that didn’t own land. That is why the tithe had to go the Levi.priesthood system that hade no land. See Jesus already owns all the earth and the heaven that is the High Priest now.
Abraham only tithed one time and it was volutary and based on a vow to God and it was the spoils of war no his herds or flocks or plants,fruit, gold or silver etc because it was the spoils of war something that was someone elses before he took it away from them. Jacob tithe based on a vow volutary, And he didn’t tithe to a priesthood system ,He may have feed the poor and the widows and ophans.
According to Hebrews 7:12 Says the Law and the priesthood is changed.According to Acts 15:20 The new gentile converts was not commanded to tithe. As there no where in the New Testament that teaches tithing.
Hebrews 7:16 Who is made,not after the law of carnal commandment,but after the power of endless life. 19v For the law made nothing perfect,but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.If we read Gal.4:21-31 We see where the ones that pay tithes today are they standing. I believe in offering and giving from the heart,as the new testament teaches, We today are not under a tithe system as the Old Testament we now are of the Jesus system where we do out of love for him. And we are to love thy neighbor as thy self.feeding him ,or what ever he is in need of.
Brent
Finally, I found someone who knows the true meaning of tithing. Good job of explaining. People need to do their home work, and not to be guilted into this false practice of tithing money.
Wow what a very interesting conversation. It can be a very controversial conversation. But
I have found that most people who have issue with tithing are ones who are not trying to build up the priest (pastor) or ministry. They have a single simple mindset, that is what is best for me. Love of Money is the root of all evil, yet it solves all problems, and does not buy salvation. You can believe like you want but Gods word is no respecter of person.
In all my studies I have found that the Word of God is infallible and without apologies to what ever we want it to say. In saying that, tithing is a commandment long before a Law, to Abram, not to give a one time tithe, but he gave of his increase from then on. You are to pay tithes to God. Remember Jesus said to render unto Ceasar what is Ceasars, and Unto God What is Gods, speaking of money He asked who’s face is on the coin? God has commanded us to pay tithes unto him of money, talents and what ever else we have to offer the Kingdom of God. Mal 3 says we are robbing God if we don’t pay tithes. Look God is not condemning us for not paying tithes of money it is because we are robbing God of our Worship, God loves a cheerful (worshiping) giver, if you pay reluctantly then you are still robbing God of the worship that you need to give with the tithing.
If you really want to be technical the New Testament church, sold all they had and gave the money to the disciples to build and bring up the church. I ask this, If the new testament church set the way for salvation, then it sets pace for giving. Are you willing to sell everything and give it to the church today to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Money was needed then and is needed now, what has changed. I for one would rather start by giving 10% in tithing and know that I am covered and helping the Gospel to be furthered, than to not give and bring the Gospel to a crawl. God will reward a person who does not try to get out of doing what the Word says but just does what it says. I would have you to be doers of the Word.
I do not speak from a book, but from what the Lord has laid on my heart. I wrestled with this for a long time and have found that when I give God all that I can, God always and I repeat always out gives me. I would rather pray and ask God for direction than to just take some ones word over Gods. I feel that since I have asked God for direction on this, that the Lord has given me plenty of scripture for what I speak. I hope that you pray about the matter and seek the face of God. I would rather do more than what is required of me and make it to Heaven, that to do the lease amount possible and hope I make it. May God richly bless you.
remember, too, that a tithe doesn’t have to be strictly monetary. Give your time: join the choir, help in the nursery, teach sunday school, get involved in church activities, etc.
The practice of tithing money is false and unscriptual. It WAS strictly a food tithe to the Levitical priesthood. Only those who produced from the land tithed. Money was never tithed, and was readily available. The definition of the tithe is in the Bible. Today’s practice of tithing is NEVER mentioned in the Bible. Jesus and his disciples never tithed money, and never taught it. The practice of tithing money didn’t occur until the 8th or 9th century when church leaders wanted to start paying their clergy. What happened with the ‘tithe’ until the 8th century?? When did the definition of the tithe change from a food tithe to a money tithe? It didn’t, because it never happened. Don’t be guilted into tithing. Please learn the true meaning of the tithe. Churches are teaching that tithing and giving are one in the same, and they’re not. If you are tithing money, then you are being fleeced. You should give any amount of money to your church, but you should never tithe. Church leaders know that their congregation is ignorant when it comes to Bible interpretation, so they know they can get away with the false teaching of tithing money. Church leaders don’t have the faith that their congregation will give enough money to the church, so they continue to teach that one should tithe 10% of their income.
Money just represents provision, just as sheep, oxen and foals did back before certain kinds of currency existed. How can you say Jesus ‘never tithed’? How do you know? It sounds like you’re saying that you should only give a ‘tenth’ if you are a farmer? Does this mean you take one of your ten cattle, kill it, and don’t eat it? Do you burn it? How do you give to your church and what method do you use? I’m curious based on your comments.
Do you have to read it in words to believe it and do it. To me tithing is a show of faith. God does not need money. We as believers are the church. Heaven may be within us or a collective union of our souls after death of the body and the soul leaves the body. However, in our current world we need a building and preacher to call a church. I can tell you from experience when I didn’t tithe (at least 10%) I had a lot less money = even though I made more money then. When I tithe I have more money in saving (100 times more) than I did when I failed to tithe and I make less money now than then. So, if you really believe in God go ahead and give him a part of your money and I know he will return it 10 fold. Money is the most important thing to the modern generation, so by giving God a part of it it is similiar to a sacrifice to God. Giving away part of what we treasure most. Where your treasure is is where your heart will be.
On the issue of tithing, for those who have difficulty understanding and are interested in gaining understanding. Please check out this website. This teaching has been most helpful to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4tkMu3Vrz0
“Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!
please put a penny in the old man’s hat.
If you haven’t got a penny, then a ha’penny will do.
If you haven’t got a ha’penny, then God bless you.”
The way I see it as I read the Bible and consider the topic prayerfully, is that some generous people would tithe and then need to borrow money to feed their children,
and some people will tithe, thinking that now God owes them a blessing,
some people would tithe exactly 10% and keep multi-millions for self,
some people will quietly commit their ways to the Lord and not worry, but obey Paul in Corinthians and give what they have determined they can afford to give, perhaps a ha’penny, perhaps their time, perhaps 10%, perhaps more.
But Scripture is clear, if we do it, and I think Scripture tells us to consider it prayerfully and seriously, we should do it because we want to, and without expecting to receive something for it.
Luke 6:35
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
and
2 Corinthians 9:7
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
God doesn’t need anyone’s money, so I think that if you are giving just so that God is obliged to bless you, you should reconsider your attitude towards the Sovereign Lord of the Universe who doesn’t need your help to do anything.