Short Answer

The Scripture does not say that one way of collecting a church’s (financial) giving (e.g., passing an offering plate, have a collection box, etc.) is “greater” or “better” than another. Nor does it say one is “sinful” and “one is not sinful.” It just gives biblical principles for giving.

Is the tithe still for today?

This is a really big question! What is below is as short of an answer I can make it. At the end of this blog, I will post some pro/cons.

Here we go…

Over the centuries since Christ’s return to heaven (ascension), many different arguments have been made for the tithe continuing versus it being fulfilled in Christ. No one “Christian view” has been established through all these years. Fellow believers have “agreed to disagree” on this many times – even quoting a multitude of biblical passages in support of a continued tithe or not.

From this writer’s (Darin’s) understanding of the biblical text, tithing in the Old Testament can be summed up as follows:

1. Before Moses, no tithing system existed, nor was there a command to tithe.

2. After God gave Moses the law, the Israelites were commanded to go above-and-beyond the 10-percent requirement. What’s more, only things connected to the land were liable to tithing.

3. All the books written by the prophets and the historical books contain no clear passage that indicates an Old Testament-type tithe is still in play today.

Verses to study: Deut. 16-17; 2 Chron. 31; Amos 4; Malachi 3, etc.

+++++

What about the New Testament? Some short overview:

1. Verses that use the word “tithe” in the New Testament (Matt. 23:23, Luke 11:42) do not suggest that the tithe continues.

2. Other passages (1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 8-9, Phil. 4, etc.) do not command or discuss a certain percentage for true Christians to give. Rather, biblical principles are laid out (we will discuss more below) that are in contrast to tithing.

3. Verses such as Galatians 6:6, 1 Timothy 5:17, and 2 Corinthians 8-9 lead this writer to conclude that the issue of giving, not tithing, was essential to the local church in the first century.

4. So, if Paul never actually discuses tithing, does it suggest the New Testament is silent on giving? Nope! As we will see below, specific instructions are given for giving now that we are under Christ.

To put in simply: No amazing argument, it seems, has been found in the New Testament that:

1. The Old Testament-type tithe continues…or that….

2. Christians are still obligated to it.

3. Tithing has been—to use the writer of Hebrews favorite term—"once and for all” fulfilled in Christ (See: the whole book of Hebrews, Romans 10:4, and Matthew 5:17-20, etc.).

+++++

Some Guiding Principles

Why do people do what they do with their money? Second Corinthians 9:6-15 encourages us to radical generosity for at least 7 reasons and to make tithing our giving floor, not our ceiling.

1. Generous giving is self-beneficial (9:6).

Generous giving is self-interested in that it benefits ourselves—we sow generously so that we can reap generously.

This sounds like the “prosperity gospel” preached by many televangelists. However, those who use this verse to push such a “gospel” misunderstand and misuse this verse.

Paul merely uses a familiar farming saying—“more crops come from using more seed.” This is a simple and true fact. Proverbs 11:24-25 promotes this very same truth. God will provide everything we need.

The Bible gives no ironclad promise of physical prosperity. Christ Himself was physically poor. These verses aren’t earthly keys to financial wealth. Our desire should be for a larger harvest. We sow generously to, therefore, reap generously to God’s glory. Give to the Lord’s work generously, especially the work of the local church.

Pray that your church’s desire every year is to increase the percentage of the budget that goes to mission work overseas.

2. Generous giving is God-pleasing (9:7)

God cares about the motivation for giving. A secularist sees God as one who is always pleased. However, the Bible says that God is holy, which means that He is only for that which is good and right. His holiness is pleased by cheerful giving, not giving under obligation.

We aren’t under compulsion to give. Nowhere in the New Testament does it command tithing as is practiced and commanded in the Old Testament. However, tithing is larger than the Mosaic Covenant. Abraham and Jacob both demonstrate tithing prior to the Mosaic Covenant.

Actually, the standard for giving is higher in the New Testament. We are told to give cheerfully, not out of compulsion, but because we want to give. To give cheerfully, we need a new heart for change.

Paul wants the Corinthians in this passage to understand the opportunity they have to provide for the Believers in Jerusalem. Jesus said in Matthew 10:8:“freely you have received, freely give.” The word “cheerful” in 2 Corinthians 9:7 means “hilarious.”

What could you give to God and His work that you aren’t giving? Remember, God loves a cheerful giver. Give freely and you will know the glories of knowing God.

3. Generous giving is confident (9:8-10)

Generous giving is confident that giving is right and that God will supply all your needs. The man who fears the Lord is generous.

As Christians, we understand that our sins have been forgiven in Christ. Our lives have been transformed, leaving us with the desire and impulse to give generously to others.

Christian, why call yourself a Christian if you don’t give? Generous giving is confident that God will supply. It isn’t a promise of prosperity. You don’t need to be rich to be generous. All you need is to be content (Philippians 4:11).

Christian, how would your giving for Christ’s work compare to your own entertainment budget?

The great Puritan Richard Baxter ordered his giving in this manner:

Natural necessities (ex. food and shelter);

Public necessary good (ex. taxes);

Children;

Godly poor (ex. needy within the church); and,

Worldly poor;

Conveniences.

How would your budget measure up to these criteria?

4. Generous giving is praise-provoking (9:11-13)

Generous giving brings praise to God.

The word “perform” in verse 12 is “liturgy,” which means performing a service of providing for God’s people.

What is it that extracts praise from your soul? We give generously ultimately so that God will be thanked and praised. In our obedience, God is praised. Our little obedience’s of giving will produce avalanches of good. Generous giving also provokes others to praise God.

Generous giving doesn’t have to be financial. Consider the person who gives generously of their time to share the Gospel with one person, or to invite a person to church—and the remarkable impact that may have in time.

5. Generous giving is assuring (9:13a).

Generous giving assures us and others of the reality of professing Christ. Giving generously is validation of the work of Christ in your life. We know that salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, but we also know that the Bible teaches that our faith is confirmed in our works (James 2).

For example, what does the testimony of your checkbook say about your faith?

In the gospel of John, we read that Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. Following His example we see these Greek Christians laying down their lives for their Jewish brothers. It is something that would never happened outside of salvation.

6. Generous giving is cooperating in and for the gospel of Jesus Christ (9:13b).

Generous giving is cooperating in and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You should give for the sake of fellowship.

The Corinthians gave because of their love for Christ. The Gospel brings together worldly polarities.

The Gospel is made clear by our fellowship. Faithful giving leads to exponential fellowship.

In your faithful giving to your church, you support missionaries around the world, Bible translation, giving help to the helpless, and so much more—results of which we won’t know this side of heaven.

7. Generous giving is evangelistic because it draws attention to the Savior (9:14-15)

Generous giving is evangelistic. The basis for Paul’s exhortation is the Gospel of Christ. The indescribable gift is the gospel, the understanding that the righteousness of God forgives our sins. What God has done for us in Christ is indescribable (John 3:16).

What gospel is our giving displaying, as a church and as individuals? Does our giving demonstrate a “quid pro quo gospel” or one of an indescribable gift?

We see in Acts 24 that Paul did in fact deliver this gift from the Corinthians to the Christians in Jerusalem.

What have we learned from this ancient act of obedience?

Money is part of our discipleship. How baptized are our pocketbooks?

+++++

Plate or Box?

Examples

· Both the Pharisees (in pride) and the widow (in humility) gave their tithe in a giving box-type treasury box (Luke 21:1-4).

· The early church shared it amongst themselves (Acts 2:46-47).

· Ananias and Sapphira laid their offering at the apostles’ feet (Acts 5).

· It was “put aside” (1 Cor. 16:2) in the church at Corinth.

· A “full payment” was handed to Paul by representatives from the church at Philippi (Phil. 4:18).

· The writer of Hebrews commanded the readers to “share what you have” (13:16) – yet, with no specific way or how.

· James reminded his readers always give “things needed for the body” (Jas. 2:16 ESV) in reference to another Christian in need.

· John exhorted his readers, as they saw their brothers “in need”, to share the “world’s goods” (1 John 3:17).

+++++

Giving Motivation and Method

So, after all this, let’s talk about where we are at FBCJ.

As with anything in church life, there are pros and cons to every decision, including the choice of how to handle offerings. (As a reminder: this is not a primary doctrine, so Christians may, in love and unity, disagree on this!).

But there are a couple of reasons why we’ve (least for now) decided not to pass the plate.

Passing a plate or a basket is a visible, public way of giving. Other people can see whether you gave or not; they might even be able to see how much you gave. Because of that, people can feel pressured to give. They may end up giving reluctantly or under compulsion, which is exactly what 2 Corinthians 9:7 warns against. Because other people are watching, they may give in order to impress onlookers or earn praise from others—which is the wrong motivation (Matthew 6:1-4).

In addition, the fact that part of each service is focused on collecting money can give some people (especially newcomers or those who are not yet believers) the wrong impression. It can feed into negative stereotypes about how churches are focused on money, or make it seem like there is a price of admission into the church family.

Of course, giving to support kingdom work is a good, biblical thing, and we should encourage people to be faithful and generous in how they give. It’s just that having a public offering plate isn’t necessarily the best way to do that.

+++++

How We Help People Give

The goal should be to make it easy for people to give privately.

The first way we do that is by having a giving box placed at the entrances to our auditorium.

Yes – It is just as easy for people to put money into the boxes as it would be for them to put it into a plate. True. It seems the difference is that people can be as discrete as they want to be, slipping in an offering as they pass by.

Of course, people can also mail in checks if they want, which is a second way of giving privately.

However, there is a definite trend—especially among younger generations—away from using checks or cash at all. And you can’t put a debit card in a giving box, or snail-mail a Venmo transfer. Because of this, it is important to also have a way for people to give online.

Giving online is easier and more convenient for many people. It is also more private, keeping with the spirit of Matthew 6:3-4. And all of this was true even before the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders made in-person offerings unavailable for a while.

It does take some work on the church’s part to set up an online giving option. And there are typically processing fees or other small costs involved (covered by the giver – not unlike someone mailing in a check pays “extra” to put a stamp on it). However, we strongly believe the benefits of online giving outweigh the costs.

+++++

How We Talk About Giving

Passing around a plate every Sunday makes it obvious that you are asking people to give. So, without that ritual, you may wonder how we should prompt people to donate.

The answer is that we actually don’t talk about it much, and certainly not on a weekly basis. On rare occasions, we might mention the giving box or the online giving option, just in case people hadn’t noticed them on their own. It is listed on our website and bottom-center on our bulletins each week.

Mostly, we find that people are able to figure it out. We’re also not really concerned about whether visitors or new guests give. Our members, who are on mission with us, should support the mission as they are able and as they feel led. Part of that mission is to serve newcomers and not put any stumbling blocks in the way of them receiving the gospel.

However, that doesn’t mean we never talk about giving and stewardship. The Bible has a lot to say about money and tithing, and we teach the Bible expositorily (verse-by-verse – most of the time!). We also want to shepherd our members (and have them shepherd each other in groups on Sunday and through the week) in how they steward the resources God has given them (Romans 12:6-8) and in the conditions of their hearts (Luke 12:33-34).

We also do announce to the body whenever special giving opportunities come up, such as Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (for international missions) or Annie Armstrong (for North American missions). We want people to know about the ways in which they can make a difference, so that people who are giving joyfully can have even more joy.

+++++

Giving It a Chance

However a church may choose to collect offerings, the important thing is that you are discipling people on how they should think about biblical giving (as we outlined above).

Pastorally, we should help members see themselves as stewards of what God has entrusted to them, provide them with a way to give cheerfully (not under compulsion or as an act of compulsion), and then trust that God will provide the resources that He wants the ministry to have.

And He does!