Generous: How much money should a Christian give away?

Many Christians inherit a view that 10% (a ‘tithe’, or tenth) of our resources should be given away to the work of the church or community and that a 10% tithe is a helpful Christian practice today. Some reflection on what the Bible suggests about our stewardship of resources could potentially raise a query over this common perception.

Biblical?
Let’s first consider the Old Testament and ‘tithes’, for there is more than one:

1. The first tithe, often called Lord’s tithe, was a mandated tax of 10% on everything you owned given to the priests for the running of the temple. (eg Numbers 18:21-29; Lev. 27:30). To not give this was described as robbing God (Malachi 3:8).

2. The second tithe came into effect when Israel entered the promised land of Canaan, and was used to fund the celebrations of that victory. It was a further 10% and was often called the festival tithe. This was also mandatory not optional. (eg Deut 12:10-18)

Together then, the Old Testament taught a 20% mandatory tithe.

3. However there was also a ‘poor’ tithe that provided social welfare. It was a further 10% but given once every three years. (eg Deut 14:28-29) If we calculate that at 3.3% each year, we have a figure of 23.3% expected tithe from individuals out of their personal resources.

4. But it does not stop there. There is also a command to leave large parts of your wealth (corners of fields; parts of harvests) accessible as gleanings for the poor (eg Leviticus 19:9-10), and a number of occasional taxes linked to the temple (eg Nehemiah 10:32-33).

Bottom line: if we are going to take the Old Testament instructions on stewarding our resources as directly applicable today, then we cannot suggest a 10% tithe, but a minimum of 23.3% of our income is to be given away or used to provide for others.

However, it could further be suggested that this is still too restrictive and that both Old and certainly New Testament teach a far more generous and flexible attitude to the giving away of our resources than simply following a set rule of thumb.

In the Old Testament this 23.3+% was seen as a way of stimulating hearts to give further – it was not a ceiling on generosity, but the floor to launch upward from. For example, there was also the first fruit offerings where an Israelite gave beyond the ‘tithes’ (eg Numbers 18:11-13) from the best of their harvest to God as a demonstration of their love and trust in God’s provision. There were freewill offerings (Exodus 25:1-2) that were voluntary and heart motivated. We even have a record that the people’s response here was so generous that Moses had to command them to stop giving (Exodus 36:2-7).

In the New Testament we are expected even more to enjoy giving and not to be bound solely by a duty to give. One of the main New Testament passages on giving is 2Corinthians 8 and 9 where Paul continually uses the word charin (meaning grace; gift; privilege; joy) in verses 1,4,6,7, and 9. Paul gives no figure or percentage of how much we are to give, but suggests our giving should be from an abundance of joy; overflowing; a wealth of generosity; beyond our means; begging to take part in giving; excelling; proving love is genuine; according to what one has (not an external measure or percentage!); supply other’s need (at sacrificial cost to yourself) in chapter 8. And ready; zealous; a willing gift not an exaction; bountifully; not reluctantly or under compulsion; cheerfully; abounding; supplying the needs of the saints; submissively; flowing from confession of the gospel of Christ; generously; surpassingly in chapter 9. All of this points toward giving which is generous to the point of sacrifice – that our financial giving is so great that it has a negative effect on our material life while being motivated by the gospel and so bringing us joy.

So in summary, the concept of a mandated 10% tithe applying to Christians today is potentially not accurate to the Bible. First, if we use the Old Testament practice as our standard today it is 23.3+% as a starting requirement from which our hearts then give generously more, not a ‘mere’ 10%. But more significantly, it is wrong by the New Testament, which views our giving as set against the standard of how Christ fulfils the ‘tithing’ law. The New Testament fulfilment of the Old Testament ‘tithe’ is to give like Christ gives – beyond measure, at huge cost to ourselves, without reserve. As 2Corinthians 8:9 says: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Helpful?

Suggesting or requiring a 10% tithe can also be unhelpful. For the rich it potentially prevents us giving like Christ wants us to give because 10% of our income will have little effect on standard of living and bring no cost to bear on ourselves. It fails to reflect Christ’s generosity in giving himself completely. People quickly view it as a ceiling to stop at once reached (not a floor to spring from) and so fail to be generous or sacrificial. For the poor, a 10% requirement demands beyond their abilities when the church and richer Christians should be giving generously from their abundance to support these individuals, leaving them feeling disappointed or guilty. So to say 10% is a useful, if not a biblical standard, is also unhelpful for both the rich (who are not made Christlike in their generosity but permitted to give in a way that is unchallenging) and for the poor (who are given a greater burden to carry instead of having their burden lightened). 

Like Christ?
Instead we need to move away from setting a figure or percentage as a required ‘tithe’ and toward using a person, Jesus and the gospel as our model to emulate with our resources. Therefore each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion but sacrificially, generously, and like Christ who gave even his life so we could have life. What is God calling us to? For some that sacrificial level may be 2 or 6% of their income, but for many it could be 20, 30, 50% or even higher as we seek to show the world that our treasure is not money but Jesus.