Introduction
In his second letter, Simon Peter wrote, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life . . . For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love" (2 Pet. 1:3, 5-7). All these virtues apply to stewardship—being a responsible caretaker of what God provides for us. We are not owners in God's eyes but mere stewards (see Gen. 1:28; Ps. 24:1). It takes goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection, and love to practice stewardship. From the beginning, God blessed us with a place to live during creation. Therefore, our stewardship begins with creation care, which we can do by keeping our residences clean and sustainable. Yet, the most challenging area of stewardship that most people encounter—including Christians—is money. For some, it is impossible to manage finances due to poverty, while their counterparts in abundance spend wildly out of control. In biblical Greek, by way of Aramaic, the word for the personal property entrusted to an individual is mamōnas (G3126), "mammon." Matthew used this word to render when Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money [i.e., mammon]" (Matt. 6:24).
Poverty & Abundance
Christians today have firm opinions about poverty and abundance, often violating scriptural precedent. Jesus warned us about this attitude when he saw a poor widow and observed, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on" (Mark 12:43-44). However, this was not always the case, especially in the early church. Jesus' most powerful words about the netherworld are in Matthew 25:
Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." They also will answer, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?" He will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me" (vv. 41-45).
The fourth-century Greek bishop John Chrysostom (AD 347–407) poignantly asked:
When Christ is famishing, do you so revel in luxury? . . Indeed, for the mere having of silver dishes, this is not even in keeping with a soul devoted to wisdom, but is altogether a piece of luxury; but the making unclean vessels also of silver, is this then luxury? . . Another, made after the image of God, is perishing of cold; and do you furnish yourself with such things as these? The foolish pride! What more would a psychopath have done? Do you pay such honor to your excrements as to receive them in silver? (Homily 7 on Colossians [cf. 2:16-19]).
The general theme of both statements is that we, as Christians, have a moral imperative to alleviate poverty. God considers it sin—depraved indifference—when a believer with abundance refuses to share it with someone in need. Many churchgoers deceitfully misapply Jesus' words to his disciples, namely Judas Iscariot: "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me" (Matt. 26:11; cf. 14). As their interpretation goes, Jesus is teaching the folly of trying to alleviate poverty. However, his emphasis was not on people with low incomes but himself. Jesus was testifying about his imminent crucifixion and warning his disciples not to get sidetracked. If we apply this principle today, social justice is essential, but kingdom concerns such as salvation are even more so. However, as Christians, we must help others receive justice and necessary assistance so those worries do not prevent those in need from knowing Jesus. The Lord made this point in Matthew 25, equating the care of the poor with loving God and the neglect of the poor with denying him. Jesus' statement about having the poor with us always was a challenge, referring to Deut. 15:11: "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land."
In other words, you cannot say you love God but reject people made in his image. In his first letter, John wrote, "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen" (4:20). The refusal to alleviate poverty is equal to denying God himself. Yes, you will go to hell if you refuse to alleviate poverty while claiming to be a Christian. If you have abundant money or mammon, God blessed you so you could bless others too. Remember, even with the harsh demands of the Law of Moses, God required the Israelites to leave the corners of their fields unharvested so the poor would always have food to eat (see Lev. 19:9; 23:22).
Money: Tithe or Not to Tithe?
Many churches today teach that tithe (Hebrew: maaser; H4643)—to give ten percent of one's income to a church leadership group—is an absolute requirement for salvation and membership. However, the tithe was an Old Testament commandment specifically for Israelites. Because they had an exclusively agricultural economy, the Israelites paid their tithes for crops and livestock. Yes, they did have gold coins and other forms of monetary exchange (e.g., Gen. 17:12). However, God only required the Israelites to tithe their agriculture, not different kinds of income. Only one verse in the Old Testament connects tithe and money (see Deut. 14:25) but in a specific context.
Another thing to remember: Ancient Israel had three tithes, the first two each year and the last every third year, totaling about 25–35 percent. The Law of Moses also called for individual offerings, gifts, and tithes. Therefore, for any church leader to demand ten percent of a Christian's income is not obeying scripture. One Jewish rabbi from California remarks, "If any member of my synagogue paid tithe in the scriptural manner, he would be disobeying the law of God—he would be sinning against God" (in Bamfo-Darko).
The "first tithe" (Hebrew: maaser rishon; H4643, H7223) required the Israelites to give ten percent of their produce to the priests and Levites following Korah's rebellion (see Lev. 27:31-33; Num. 16; 18:21-32). The "second tithe" (Hebrew: maaser sheni; H4643, H8145) obligated the Israelites to bring a tenth of their harvest to the Jerusalem temple (see Deut. 14:22-27). Only this second tithe involved an exchange of money, provided they lived too far away from Jerusalem to keep their crops from rotting. However, once in the city, the Israelites exchanged cash for food to be eaten upon arrival. The third "poor tithe" (Hebrew: maaser ani; H4643, H6041) was for the Israelites' poor neighbors and foreigners who lived around them (see Deut. 26:12). All three of these tithes involved agriculture and benefitted specific people who needed them to live. The priests burned any remaining tithes at the end of the seven-year sabbath cycle if no one had consumed them.
Since the Old Testament commanded agricultural tithes, the rabbinical authors of the Tosefta later believed this obligation included tithing on all income (Taanit 9). Others, however, said the income tithe only began with rabbinic interpretation rather than scriptural precedent (Teshuvot Maharil 152). This rabbinic typology came after the final destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70, realizing that Jews could not observe the tithe system according to the Law of Moses. By contrast, the early church did not require tithing. Irenaeus of Lyon (c. AD 130–201) wrote," [Jesus] prohibited anger; and instead of the law forbidding the giving of tithes, [he told us] to share all our possessions with the poor" (Against Heresies 4:3). Tertullian of Carthage (c. AD 155–c. 220) declared:
All here is a freewill offering, and all these collections are deposited in a standard bank for charitable uses, not for the support of merry meetings, for drinking and gormandizing, but for feeding the poor and burying the dead, and providing for girls and boys who have neither parents nor provisions left to support them, for relieving older adults worn out in the service of the saints, or those who have suffered by shipwreck, or are condemned to the mines, or islands, or prisons, only for the faith of Christ (Apology 39:1-18).
However, by the sixth century, Roman Catholic bishops followed the rabbinic example of a monetary tithe, requiring all parishioners to follow suit (i.e., Council of Tours, 567 & Second Council of Macon, 585). The Catholic Church vehemently enforced this doctrine at the Council of Trent, saying:
Wherefore, the holy synod enjoins on all, of whatsoever rank and condition they are, to whom it belongs to pay tithes, that they subsequently pay in full the tithes, to which they are bound in law, to the cathedral church, or whatsoever other churches, or persons, they are lawfully due. And they who either withhold or hinder them from being paid shall be excommunicated; or be absolved from this crime, until after full restitution has been made (Sess. 25).
This decision was a response to Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther (1497–1560), who said, "But the other commandments of Moses, which are not [implanted in everyone] by nature, the Gentiles do not hold. Nor do these pertain to the Gentiles, such as the tithe and others equally fine which I wish we had too" (in his sermon, "How Christians Should Regard Moses," p. 7). Despite what many churches require today, the consensus of historical Christian teaching (i.e., paleo-orthodoxy) views tithing as a violation of scripture. Consider these verses:
Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? (Acts 15:10).
Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace (Gal. 5:3-4).
We Do Not Pay to Pray
Despite the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church no longer requires its members to pay tithe. Most of the churches that demand tithing are from the Charismatic/Pentecostal family, which also tend toward a theology of success (i.e., "prosperity gospel" or "health & wealth"). However, they have little to no connection with historical Christianity but have more in common with "baptizing" laissez-faire capitalism and libertarian individualism. Therefore, Charismatic and Pentecostal church leaders—who often see themselves in the somewhat heretical Montanist sect from the late second century—place heavy burdens on their congregants. They view tithing as a way to pay off God for worldly rewards.
Nonetheless, this prosperity gospel falsehood has spread into mainstream Christendom, entrenching a "pay-to-pray" belief system and shaming the poor. God never required the poor to tithe, but he did legalize what they should give voluntarily (see Lev. 5:11-13; 14:21). This is because God is fair and allows us to give according to our budgets. Some church leaders insist that ten percent is not an equal requirement for all income levels. Basic math tells us that a person who makes $110,000 annually would not be affected by tithing as someone who makes only $25,000. Prosperity preachers claim that God fills this gap with blessings—as if he were some corporate bank. They willfully misinterpret God's words in the prophet Malachi:
Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, "How are we robbing you?" In tithes and offerings. . . . Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it (3:8, 10).
This "storehouse tithe" applied only to Israelites under the Law of Moses while they still had a temple in Jerusalem. The "storehouse" could never be a local synagogue, only the temple storeroom for agricultural tithes. Therefore, claiming the local church is equivalent to the Jerusalem temple is false. There is no connection between Levites and modern clergy, as the first group was a family lineage rather than anyone with a college degree.
Let us talk about Melchizedek, the "priest of God Most High," whom Abraham tithed his spoils of war (see Gen. 14:17-24). Although Hebrew and English renderings of this passage indicate one-tenth, the material in question was property captured from another person—neither income nor money. The only reason prosperity preachers discuss this story of Melchizedek is because of its mention in the letter to the Hebrews (Ch. 7). They assume the main reason the author of Hebrews alluded to Melchizedek was to symbolize a universal requirement for tithing that both preceded and superseded the Law of Moses. However, the author emphasized how Jesus' priesthood came before and how it is superior to Levi and his ancestors. The letter to the Hebrews does not include any verse telling Christians to tithe because Abraham gave a tenth of his loot to Melchizedek. Prosperity preachers "read in" (i.e., eisegete), a typological example the author never intended.
Conclusion
We must pay the most attention to the plain reading of scripture, not complex systems of theology that burden us with needless legalism. Jesus harshly rebuked the Pharisees for adding more requirements than the Bible teaches: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former" (Matt. 23:23). In this context, Jesus talked to Jewish leaders who were still bound to the Law of Moses, not Christian Gentiles to whom the Law never applied.
Instead, Jesus considers one's stewardship of material things a clear indication of their reliability in more critical spiritual things (see Matt 6:19-20; Luke 16:11). When Jesus died on the cross, he put an end to the legal demands of the Law of Moses even for Jews, let alone Christian Gentiles (see Col. 2:13-14; Gal. 3:10-14). The tithe is one of those compulsions that Paul had in mind when he taught, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:6-7). He also warned: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Tim. 6:10).
In summary, God does require his faithful to care for the poor, but there is no exact percentage. To better preserve the Old Testament typology of tithing, Christians should intentionally set aside a part of our budgets for poverty alleviation rather than a ministry service from which we benefit directly—relational giving. The divine obligation for the poor does not contradict the Christian idea of freedom of conscience. In conclusion, remember Paul's example about the generous Macedonians:
And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own (2 Cor. 8:1-3).
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe; your loving hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature. Make us continually thankful for your loving providence, and give us the grace to honor you with all that you have entrusted to us; that we, remembering the account we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Bibliography
Attridge, Harold W., ed. The NRSV HarperCollins Study Bible, Revised and Updated with Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2006.
Bamfo-Darko, Edward. "Jews Do Not Pay Tithes Today." Accra: Modern Ghana Media, 2017.
Blomberg, Craig L. Neither Poverty Nor Riches: Biblical Theology of Possessions. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2020.
The Book of Common Prayer. Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019. pp. 652–53. https://bcp2019.anglicanchurch.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/BCP2019.pdf.
Brody, Shlomo M. "Jewish Ideas Daily: Tithing and Taxes." The Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem: Jpost, Inc, 2013. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/columnists/jewish-ideas-daily-tithing-and-taxes-310762.
Croteau, David A., ed. Perspectives on Tithing: Four Views. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2011.
⸻. You Mean I Don't Have to Tithe? A Deconstruction of Tithing and a Reconstruction of Post-Tithe Giving. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2010.
da Silva, António B. "The 'Theology of Success' Movement: A Comment." Themelios 11, no. 3 (The Gospel Coalition, 1986): 91–92. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/the-theology-of-success-momement-a-comment.
Dobson, Kent, ed. NIV First-Century Study Bible: Explore Scripture in Its Jewish and Early Christian Context. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014.
Ezigbo, Victor I. The Art of Contextual Theology: Doing Theology in the Era of World Christianity. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2021.
Gates, DiAne. "What Is Tithing and Do I Have to Do It?" Crosswalk.com. Richmond: Salem Web Network. https://www.crosswalk.com/church/giving/what-is-tithing-and-do-i-have-to-do-it.html.
"General Council of Trent: Twenty-Fifth Session—Decree on the Reformation." Papal Encyclicals Online, 2020. https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/trent/twenty-fifth-session.htm.
Irenaeus of Lyon. Against Heresies. Peter Kirby, edited for Early Christian Writings, 2001. https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/irenaeus-book4.html.
Jacobs, Joseph, M. Seligsohn, and Wilhelm Bacher. "Tithing." Jewish Encyclopedia. Philadelphia: Kopelman, 2021. https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14408-tithe.
Kaiser, Walter C., Jr., and Duane Garrett, eds. NIV Archaeological Study Bible: An Illustrated Walk through Biblical History and Culture. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.
Keener, Craig S., and John H. Walton, eds. NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016.
Luther, Martin. "How Christians Should Regard Moses." 1525. Ed. Peter Ditzel. Cove, AR: Word of His Grace. https://www.wordofhisgrace.org/LutherMoses.pdf.
"Maaser—Tithing in Torah and Jewish Law." Brooklyn: Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4266406/jewish/Maaser-Tithing-in-Torah-and-Jewish-Law.htm.
MacCulloch, Diarmaid. Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. New York: Penguin, 2011.
Nally, Joseph R., Jr. "Q&A: The New Testament Tithe." Thirdmill. Casselberry, FL: Third Millennium Ministries. https://thirdmill.org/answers/answer.asp/file/43275.
Poirier, Jack. "Are Christians Supposed to Tithe?" Jerusalem Perspective Online. Poplar Bluff, MO: Jerusalem Perspective, 2004. https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/3846.
Quiggle, James D. Why Christians Should Not Tithe: A History of Tithing and a Biblical Paradigm for Christian Giving. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2009.
Schaff, Philip, ed. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 13. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1900. Harry Plantinga, edited for Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Grand Rapids, 1993–2020. https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf113/npnf113.iv.iv.vii.html.
Strauss, Mark L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels. Second ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020.
Tertullian of Carthage. Apology. Trans. S. Thelwall. Peter Kirby, edited for Early Christian Writings, 2001. https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian01.html.
"Tithing." My Jewish Learning. New York: 70 Faces Media, 2002. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tithing.
"What Is a Tithe?—Meaning and Importance of Tithing in the Bible." Richmond: Salem Web Network, 2021. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/what-is-a-tithe-meaning-and-importance-of-tithing-in-the-bible.html.
Wright, N. T., and Michael F. Bird. The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019.
Comments