HOME / PROCLAMATION! MAGAZINE / 2008 / JULY/AUGUST / ASK THE PASTOR

JULY / AUGUST 2008
VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4

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D E P A R T M E N T S

Ask the PASTOR

New covenant giving
Dale Ratzlaff

 

Question: Should we adhere to the l0% tithing system, or are we free to give whatever we can to whoever is doing the Lord's work? Can our giving go to homeless programs, children's orphanages, Proclamation!, or other ministries or charities?

 

Answer: I do not believe the New Testament (NT) teaches tithing per se. However, it does teach that Christians are to be liberal givers, and it gives a number of principles that are to guide us in our giving. Following are twelve New Testament principles that I have found. What follows are only summaries of this study. The full text of the Bible quotes with considerable helpful commentary may be found at: www.LifeAssuranceMinistries.com/giving. I strongly encourage you to read the full study as it will clarify in greater detail some of the issues raised by the points below.

• We are to give to support the ministry of the local church we attend. In fact, pastors who are gifted at preaching and teaching by carefully exegeting the word of God should be paid well. Notice Paul's instruction to Timothy, "The laborer is worthy of his wages" (1 Timothy 5:17, 18).

• The NT supports giving to gospel causes separate from one's local church. Paul commended the church at Philippi for supporting his ministry in other cities (Philippians 4:16–18).

• The NT supports giving to help other Christians in need. "They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do" (Galatians 2:9, 10).

• The NT teaches that money should be handled with circumspect integrity. "When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me" (1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 See also Corinthians 8:19–24).

• The NT supports the principle of blessing proportional to our giving (2 Corinthians 9:6–9). One must be very careful applying this principle. I believe this principle is true, and I have personally seen God fulfill this promise a number of times. However, some TV evangelists, as well as some pastors, have abused this principle in fund raising techniques and used it as an enticing yet legalistic lever to put emotional pressure on others to give toward their causes. I personally do not believe this principle should be used in this way. We must remember that blessings do not always come in like kind. If a person is persuaded by someone to give money for the express purpose of getting more money back, that person may well be disappointed if he is looking only for the monetary blessing. The blessing from giving may come in many different forms according to God's mercy, grace, and will.

• The NT supports the principle of proportional giving (2 Corinthians 8:11–15; Luke 21:1–4). Many Christians follow the Old Testament practice of tithing and have been blessed by dong so. One can support this principle in that Abraham gave one tenth of the spoils from the war with the local kings to Melchizedek king of Salem1 and the writer of Hebrews mentions this event.2 The context of Hebrews, however, is not specifically enforcing the principle of tithing; rather he is showing the superiority of Christ's high priestly ministry over the Levitical priesthood.

• The NT supports the principles of voluntary giving (2 Corinthians 9:7).

• The NT supports the principle of secret giving (Matthew 6:4).

• The NT teaches that givers should first give themselves to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:1–5).

• The NT teaches that we cannot purchase God's blessings with money (Acts 8:13, 18–23).

• The NT teaches that we should not support those who are able to work but are lazy and refuse to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10–12).

• The NT teaches that giving without love profits us nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3).

 

Endnotes

1. Genesis 14:20
2. Hebrews 7:4

 

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