Some people who follow Jesus give his church 10 percent of their income. The Bible calls this a tithe and it was a requirement from the Old Testament portion of the Bible.
Other people say 10 percent is more a guideline than a rule. I don’t see much support for this perspective—other than the fact they don’t think they can afford to give away a tenth of their income.
A third group points out that Jesus never asked for 10 percent and whenever the New Testament part of the Bible mentions the practice, it’s always in reference to the Old Testament. They conclude the requirement to tithe no longer holds.
Personally, I see truth in all three. Giving 10 percent is historical, it is a guideline, and it may not hold true any longer.
When many people talk about tithing, the implication is 10 percent is God’s and 90 percent is theirs.
I think Jesus wants us to view 100 percent as belonging to him. Be it directly donated or indirectly spent, we need to disperse it wisely to care for our basic needs and help others.
We are blessed to be a blessing to others, so we should spend carefully and give generously, not just tithe 10 percent.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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