Is Tithing for Today?
Maybe you grew up in church and have heard the word before. Or maybe you did not grow up in church, but you have still heard Christians talk about “the tithe.” The basic idea is this: Christians should give the first 10% of what they make to the church.
Perhaps you have thought, “That’s oddly specific.” Why 10%? Why not 5%? What happens if I do not give 10%? Is that wrong? But beneath all of those questions is a deeper one Christians have wrestled with ever since Jesus came:
Leviticus 27:30 says, “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD’s; it is holy to the LORD.”
This verse gives us one of the foundational truths of Christian generosity: everything belongs to the Lord. So when we talk about giving to God, we are not merely talking about “giving.” In the deepest sense, we are talking about returning. Everything is already His.
In Israel, the tithe was part of the civil law given to God’s covenant people. As Israel was formed into a nation ruled by God, they were instructed to give 10% of their produce and increase to the Lord. The priests lived on the tithes. The functions of temple worship were funded by tithes. And since Israel was a theocracy, the tithe functioned in some ways like a tax. That is why Malachi can speak of failing to tithe as “robbing God.”
But Christians are not in Israel under the civil law of Moses.
As Joe M. Sprinkle explains in the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, “Covenant theologians have traditionally divided laws into three categories: moral, civil, and ceremonial. Moral laws (e.g., the Decalogue [also known as the Ten Commandments]), based on the unchanging character of God, are eternally binding. Civil laws (e.g., Exod. 21–23), although they may illustrate moral law, were limited historically to the theocratic state of Israel and are not binding on the church. Ceremonial laws (e.g., sacrifices) were intended to prefigure Christ, and ceased to be applicable upon his first advent.”
That distinction matters. We are not “under the Law” because the Law has been fulfilled in Christ. But we do not throw the Law away either. It still proves profitable for orienting our sense of righteousness, and we may apply the spirit of the law even when the situation has changed. But some people make the mistake of thinking that the act of tithing automatically means “you’re good.” It gives you a “spiritual pass.” Kind of like how some people think because they got baptized they can now live however they want.
What Jesus says about tithing
So does that mean tithing gives us an automatic spiritual pass?
Jesus says no.
In Matthew 23:23–24, Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.”
“Giving the correct percentage means very little if our lives are marked by pride, greed, envy, and self-righteousness.”
The problem was not that the Pharisees tithed. The problem was that they obsessed over ceremonial precision while neglecting moral integrity. They carefully counted out tiny herbs from their gardens, yet ignored justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They strained out gnats while swallowing camels.
They had gotten the hierarchy backward.
Tithing mint leaves does not impress God if the heart remains hardened toward mercy. Giving the correct percentage means very little if our lives are marked by pride, greed, envy, and self-righteousness. Tithing becomes worship only when it flows from a heart already surrendered to God.
What do we see in the New Testament church?
In 2 Corinthians 8:1–5, Paul describes the churches of Macedonia. They were in “a severe test of affliction.” They lived in “extreme poverty.” And yet, their “abundance of joy” overflowed “in a wealth of generosity.” Paul says they gave “according to their means” and even “beyond their means,” not because they were forced, but “of their own accord.” Then comes the key phrase: “they gave themselves first to the Lord.” That is the heart of Christian generosity.
The New Testament does not frame giving primarily around a fixed percentage. It frames generosity around grace, joy, worship, capacity, sacrifice, and surrender. God does not merely want our money. He wants us. And when He has us, our money follows.
So here is the principle: Reject legalism, but do not reject generosity. God calls us beyond obligation to overflow. Sometimes God may prompt you to give 10%. Sometimes He may prompt you to give more. And when He does, it does not feel like a burden. In fact, when the Lord is leading you into deeper generosity, not giving may feel more burdensome.
God is after our hearts. He wants true worship and life change. And that involves money. Of course it does, because money touches so much of life. But He wants our generosity to come from joy, worship, and freedom—not mere compulsion. So where should you begin?
Two principles from the tithe
First, give your firstfruits. Do not make generosity the leftover category after everything else gets paid.
Second, choose a predetermined amount. Budget your generosity. Make a plan. Let your giving go out the door first.
Maybe the Lord is prompting you to start tithing. Pray through that honestly. But for some, 10% may feel like too big of a jump right now. Maybe you have never practiced that kind of generosity before. Ask yourself: “If I rated my generosity on a scale of 1 to 10, where would I be?” Then take a step. If you are at a 1, move toward a 2. If you are at a 3, move toward a 4. Do not let perfectionism become the enemy of growth. God is always calling His people to take steps of faith and dependence. Each step matters. Each step is led by the Lord. Kingdom generosity is motivated by the right heart, and seeing God use your giving (what my friend calls “Kingdom ROI”) is stinking exciting!
So, is tithing for today? Not as a civil law binding the church in the same way it bound Israel. But the spirit of the tithe still teaches us something deeply important: everything belongs to God, generosity should come first, and God’s people are called to give with joyful, worshipful, surrendered hearts.
The better question may not be, “Do I have to tithe?”
The better question is, “Lord, what step of generosity are You calling me to take today?”
