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Are Christians required to tithe?: Difference between revisions
→What does the New Testament teach?
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Giving our resources to aid the ministry of God should not be viewed as burdensome. According to Blomberg, “Christian giving is a gift from the grace of God, which he enables Christians to exercise.” With the proper perspective, the more one gives, the more joy one can find in giving. | Giving our resources to aid the ministry of God should not be viewed as burdensome. According to Blomberg, “Christian giving is a gift from the grace of God, which he enables Christians to exercise.” With the proper perspective, the more one gives, the more joy one can find in giving. | ||
Many tithe supporters seem to assume that those arguing against tithing are simply trying to find a way to keep more of their money. Many assume that those who do not believe in the tithe | Many tithe supporters seem to assume that those arguing against tithing are simply trying to find a way to keep more of their money. Many assume that those who do not believe in the tithe are giving less than ten percent. This assumption is completely false. | ||
The standard Paul exhorts us to follow is actually a more stringent one than the traditional tithe. Research has shown that even in churches where tithing is taught, church members are giving less than ten percent. It may be possible that the teaching of tithing actually causes at least some people to give less. Many do not take into consideration that the motivation for not teaching tithing is one of faithfulness to Scripture, not greed. Our giving is not optional, and it should not “depend on our whim or personal feeling.… [T]he basis of our giving should be our love and devotion to God, in gratitude for His inestimable gift to us.”<Ref>Andreas Köstenberger, “Reconstructing a Biblical Model for Giving: A Discussion of Relevant Systematic Issues and New Testament Principles,” Bulletin for Biblical Research, Vol. 16, 2006, 258–260.</ref> | The standard Paul exhorts us to follow is actually a more stringent one than the traditional tithe. Research has shown that even in churches where tithing is taught, church members are giving less than ten percent. It may be possible that the teaching of tithing actually causes at least some people to give less. Many do not take into consideration that the motivation for not teaching tithing is one of faithfulness to Scripture, not greed. Our giving is not optional, and it should not “depend on our whim or personal feeling.… [T]he basis of our giving should be our love and devotion to God, in gratitude for His inestimable gift to us.”<Ref>Andreas Köstenberger, “Reconstructing a Biblical Model for Giving: A Discussion of Relevant Systematic Issues and New Testament Principles,” Bulletin for Biblical Research, Vol. 16, 2006, 258–260.</ref> | ||