Common Opinions

.....Many years ago, I was helping some young friends start a new church, and several of our leaders joined in a discussion: What does the Bible teach about tithing, and what should our policy be?

.... "Yes, Jesus taught that we should tithe." said one. "Therefore we should definitely teach tithing." (Matthew 23:23).
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.... "No, on the contrary." said another. "Tithing is Old Testament, and we’re no longer under the curse of the law!" (Galatians 3:10).

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.... "I think we should give as we feel God’s leading." said a third, "The Scriptures say that ‘God loves a cheerful giver’." (2 Corinthians 9:7).

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.... "Yes, but God is not mocked." said the fellow next to him, "If you sow bountifully, you’ll reap bountifully; if sparingly, then sparingly." (Galatians 6:7; 2 Corinthians 9:6).

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.... "Tithing is out of the pit." chimed in the ‘martyr’ section, "If you receive a tithe, your god is your belly, and you’re peddling the word of God!" (Philippians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 2:17).
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.... "But Paul said they had the ‘right’ to receive our material things." said the last person. "Jesus taught that ‘the laborer is worthy of his wages!’" (1 Corinthians 9:11,12; Matthew 10:10).

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....Until that moment, I’d never realized how many teachings on this subject were possible. Each of those young leaders had quoted Scripture, yet their opinions were divided – unlike God’s own perspective. For He has remained of one mind from the beginning, and somehow those threads could be woven in a single tapestry of truth.
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.... That night, in solitude at home, I sought the Lord in prayer. What could be seen of His heart and mind on the subject, and how could those Scriptures be reconciled? I’d always taught that by seeking the testimony of Jesus, the truth of any matter could be found (Ephesians 4:13-14). So what was the Christ-centered perspective on tithing?

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