The Right way to Tithe
Frequently Asked Questions - The Right Way to Tithe
1. Tithe and the Bible
What is tithe and where it came from?
Tithe,
in simple terms, is the first ten percent (10%) of all our income, and
it belongs to God. The easiest way to calculate the 10% is by moving
all the dots to the next digit on their left and cutting the last digit
on the right.
For example:
If the
income is $150.00, you move the dot to the next digit on the left
and it will be $15.00. This is the tithe. If the income is $1,234.50, the tithe will be $123.45. If it is $67,899.00, the
tithe will be $6,789.00. And so on.
Tithe is a very ancient
practice kept by God-fearing people everywhere. God Himself established
the principle of tithing teaching it through the patriarchs, the kings
of Israel, the prophets and the Lord Jesus Himself.
The very
first time it appears in the Bible is in Genesis 14:18-20 when Abraham
gave his tithes to Melchizedek, King of Salem - a tenth of all the
spoils from the victory over his enemies, when he rescued his nephew
Lot. The Scriptures say, "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out
bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High, and he blessed
Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven
and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies
into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything." It is also
interesting to note that the last time the Bible makes reference to
the tithe is exactly in its last book, in Revelation 14:4, when it
refers to the redeemed as the "first fruits to God and to the Lamb."
What is the real meaning of tithe?
Tithe is the recognition of God's
lordship over all things. When someone gives his tithe, he is in fact,
recognizing that God is Lord, not only Lord of his life but also Lord
of everything his life produces. The deepest meaning of tithe is in the
understanding that everything (100%) we have belongs to God. When we
give Him the tithe (10% of everything), He releases the remaining 90%
for our use. In other words, everything belongs to God; we give Him 10%
in order for us to have the privilege of using the other 90%. Among
the Jews, the tithe signified their recognition of God's participation
in their productivity.
The purpose of the tithe was not to
consecrate the harvest, but to 'de-consecrate' it, for everything
belonged to God until the first portion, the tithe, had been offered
and accepted in place of the whole (100%). Only then, man could use the
other 90% for himself. The Lord said, "If I were hungry I would not
tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the
flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice thank-offerings
to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day
of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour me." (Psalms
50:12-15). In other words, God makes it clear that if He needed money,
He would not ask us because He owns everything! But if we pay our vows
and offer thanksgiving to Him, then He will be pleased and will answer
us when we call upon Him in the day of trouble. Looking at it this way,
it's not accurate to say, "I give tithe" - rather, we should say, "I
bring the tithe", since we cannot give what does not belong to us.
The tithe represents God's own firstborn, Jesus Christ, the Son of the
Most High, who was given by God to mankind, to redeem us to Himself.
We bring Him our tithe because we recognise that everything in life
comes from Him.
What is the correct way to tithe?
The correct way to tithe is to set
apart your 10% before you do anything with your money, because tithe
means first fruits. Therefore, before you pay any bill or buy anything
with the money you receive, first you must set apart the tithe.
Even if you don't are not coming to the Church that day, keep your
tithe in an envelope and bring it to the altar of God as soon as
possible. The Lord said, "When you enter the land I am going to give
you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first
grain you harvest... You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new
grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is
to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you
live." (Leviticus 23:10,14). Therefore, God determined that before we
do anything with our harvest (our income) we must bring our firstfruits
(the tithes) to Him. The spirit of this ordinance is to remind us that
God is first in our lives.
Isn't tithe part of the Law of
Moses, practiced only by the Jews in the Old Testament? Didn't Jesus
fulfill the Law of Moses and therefore cancel the commandment of tithe?
Not at all. The practice of tithing exists existed since The
the Creation, long before the Law of Moses. Then it was regulated by
the Mosaic Law and further endorsed by the Lord Jesus. Abraham paid
tithe, Jacob paid tithe, Abel paid tithes, and they all lived before
the Law of Moses.
The Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees, "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 practised the latter, without neglecting the former."
(Matthew 23:23).
The Pharisees used to give tithe even of the
little herbs, but neglected the other more important matters demanded
by the law. And in that verse, Jesus is not only addressing the matter
of tithes, but also the justice and love of God. In other words: What's
the use if someone tithes and yet still has a feeling of hate or
grudge against someone else? It's no use at all! It is every
Christian's obligation not only to keep his duties to God by being a
faithful tither, but also to love his neighbour as himself. Giving
tithe cannot cover your sins or disobedience to other matters of God's
Kingdom.
I heard in the church that we give tithe to God; but I don't see God to give to Him the tithe!
Of course not! But His servants who have committed their whole lives
to serve in His House are responsible for and are in authority to
receive tithes from the people. Read this: "In the one case, the tenth
is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by Him who is
declared to be living." (Hebrews 7:8). As you can see, although the
mortal pastors collect the tithes as stewards of God, it is the living
God who receives them. The tithe belongs to God and therefore it is the
responsibility of the Church's Ministers not to use the tithes for any
purpose other than for the work of God. "A tithe of everything from
the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs
to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD." (Leviticus 27:30).
If I don't give tithe, does that mean I will not be saved?
The Bible doesn't say that you will not
be saved if you don't give tithe. God does say, however, that
those who don't give tithes are robbing Him: "Will a man rob God? Yet
you rob me.But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings.
You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are
robbing me." (Malachi 3:8,9).
The Holy Spirit said through
the apostle Paul that thieves shall not inherit the Kingdom of God (see
1 Corinthians 6:10). Therefore we conclude: If those who rob men will
not inherit the Kingdom of God, what about those who rob God? Besides,
if you really understand and value your salvation, you will realize
that tithe had has a direct impact on your salvation and on that the
salvation of millions around the world - because without tithes, the
saving message of the Gospel could not have reached you.
So,
if failing to tithe will have an impact on your salvation after you've
heard the Gospel, I cannot tell; but it will certainly have an impact
on the salvation of millions who still have to hear the Gospel to be
saved.
2. Tithe and your finances
How can tithe benefit my finances if after giving I am left with less than before?
This is the miracle of tithe. Only seeing it to believe it! God,
knowing that tithe does not make sense mathematically, has put forward a
challenge to us: TEST ME AND SEE! (Malachi 3.10). The only time in the
Bible that God invites us to put Him to the test is when He speaks
about tithes.
This should tell us something about how serious
He is. You must also consider that when you tithe you can count on
God's protection upon your money. He promised to rebuke the devourer.
He promised to bless you with more than you can have room for. When you
tithe, you remove yourself from under the curse of those who rob God.
So, in the end, you will see that the 90% you keep after tithing
becomes more prosperous in your hands than the 100% without God's
blessing.
How much is the tithe? Is it like an offering?
Tithe is not offering, and
offering is not tithe - they are two completely separate things. Tithe
is exactly the first 10% of your income (all the money you receive),
neither more nor less than the 10%.
For example, if you get
$1,000.00 then your tithe is $100.00; if you get $750.00 then
your tithe is $75.00; if you get $2,345.00 then your tithe is $234.50 - and so on. Make sure you are not tithing any more or less
than the 10%. On the other hand, offering is the best of what you have
and wish to give to God.
The amount of your offering depends
on your faith and love; the amount of your tithe is always 10% of what
you receive. However, you should not give offerings from money you have
not tithed yet. First is the tithe, then the offerings. One is not
more or less important than the other - they just have different
meanings and purposes. Tithe means faithfulness, submission and
obedience; offering can mean love, faith, thanksgiving, and sacrifice.
What must I tithe?
You must tithe everything that comes to
your hands, which is yours, for your use, benefit, or enjoyment. That
includes wages, overtime pay, bonuses, unemployment benefit, child
support, business profits/profit from business, pensions, allowances,
interest earned on an account, inheritance, prizes, commission, sales,
gifts, etc. The Scriptures say: "Bring the whole tithe into the
storehouse..." also Jacob prayed unto God: "And of all that You give me
I will give you a tenth." (Malachi 3.10; Genesis 28.22). Therefore,
everyone can tithe, since everyone receives something to live on, one
way or another.
When I become a tither, must I tithe money i already have?
When you become a tither, you should
start by giving the tithe of what you already have with you, and then
tithe regularly from that point onwards. Let's say, for example, you
become a tither today and the money you have with you (which has not
been tithed) is $872.00 plus $2,000.00 in the bank. So, you
should already give a tithe of $287.20 today (87.20 + 200). And from
now on, you tithe everything you receive.
Should a salaried worker give tithe of the gross or of the net salary (the amount before or after deductions)?
If you are a salaried worker you
should tithe 10% of the gross salary that you receive, that is, the
amount before deduction. The reason for this is that those deductions
are in effect benefits afforded by you by means of your employer
directing your money to the relevant benefit agency. For instance, a
pension fund is for your pension, medical aid is for your health care,
etc. Although it's deducted from you, it's your money, for your
benefit, and so it needs to be tithed.
The Word of God says
clearly that we must give the tithe of all (see Proverbs 3.9, Genesis
14.20, Malachi 3.10). If you give tithe of the net only, so you are not
giving tithes of all. It is also very important to ensure you give
your tithe as that the first thing you do with your money when you
receive it is to separate your tithe. - because In this way, you're
fulfilling the greatest purpose of the tithe: To acknowledge that God
is first in your life.
How should a business owner give tithe?
Business owners normally take a fixed
salary out of their business, and that salary should be tithed
following the advice on 2.5. But apart from that, a business owner
needs to tithe the profit of his business.
We emphasize that
it is the profit that must be tithed, not the turnover. Profit,
basically speaking, is the difference between the income and the
expense of the business. Suppose for example that in one month your
business had a total income of $15,000.00. The expenses in the same
month (rent, materials, salaries, utilities, etc.) totalled $12,300.00. The difference then is $2,700.00 - that is your profit.
Therefore, your tithe should be $270.00 for that month. So remember:
Income - Expense = Profit x 10% = Tithe of the Business
How should a self-employed person give tithe?
The self-employed are those who
sell goods or services by themselves and retain the proceeds of the
sales (not working and getting a salary from their own registered
business or someone else's). Examples include consultants,
electricians, merchandisers, etc.
Let's say you are an
electrician who does carries out jobs in houses. Someone contracts you
to fix a problem in his or her house, and after doing the job, you
charge $950.00for it. This includes $150.00 for the parts you had
to buy to fix the problem. The parts (materials) you used are a cost
to the owner and are included in your price. The real income you get
from this job is $800.00, which is the price minus the parts.
Therefore when you get paid the $950.00, your tithe should be $80.00 and not $95.00. So remember: Payment Received - Parts or
Materials = Your Income x 10% = Your Tithe
What if I am not working?
No one lives on nothing, so everyone
can and should tithe (even beggars can tithe from the donations money
they receive!). If you don't receive wages, you will probably receive
other forms of income such as gifts, allowances, government benefits,
occasional business, etc. You must tithe these. However, you should
never tithe money that is not yours.
For example, your
husband gives you money specifically for the groceries - then you
should not tithe it, except with his consent and if he has not already
tithed it from his own salary. But if he gives you money for yourself
generally, then it's yours and you're free to tithe it. Some say, "I'm
unemployed, I can't tithe." If you are unemployed, in debt or
financially broke, now is the time to start tithing because this is the foundation needed in place tochange your situation. Don't wait until you can afford
to tithe; put God to the test now and see Him opening the windows of
heaven upon you.
How should a pensioner give tithe?
A pensioner should tithe the gross amount of his or her pension, as in 2.5.
If my husband gives tithe, shall I give tithe of the money he gives me?
If your husband has tithed his money already and then given you some
of that money already tithed, you don't need to give tithe again. But
if he doesn't tithe and gives you money for your use, then you should
tithe it.
Remember, as explained earlier, if your husband is
not a tither and gives you money specifically for the house household
bills, you should not tithe it because it's not yours. In any case, if
you earn wages from your own work, in addition to your husband's, or
have another kind of income (i.e. pension, etc.) for yourself, you
should give your own tithe from that also.
If your child
receives benefit, you should tithe it and at the same time use it as an
opportunity to teach your child why he should do it, in the fear of the
Lord. "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old,
he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6).
Must I tithe money I take as a loan?
The Bible does not have specific
instructions about tithing money taken as a loan. In such cases, we
must apply our faith as well as the law of our conscience.
Technically, if one takes a loan to repay it with money already tithed,
one would not need to tithe the loan, lest he would tithe it twice.
Some people take this view and prefer not to tithe loans, since they
intend to pay it back with money already tithed. Others, however, take
the view that since the Bible says we should tithe everything, they
should also tithe loans.
One of the purposes of tithing is to
bless the remaining 90% for our use. "If the part of the dough offered
as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy." (Romans 11:16).
That means, once the firstfruits have been offered, the remaining is
released for use by the owner. From this perspective, tithing the loan
is viewed as a blessing upon the remaining money, and consequently upon
the purpose for which it will be used. Therefore, it's a matter of
faith. Do what you believe is right with a clear conscience.
Must I tithe money I received when sell a property?
If you bought that property with money
already tithed, then you just tithe the profit of the sale, that is,
the difference between what you paid for it and what you got when you
sold it. For instance, you bought a house for $150,000.00 and later
sold it for $170,000.00. So your tithe will be $2,000.00 - from
the $20,000.00 profit of the sale.
If you sell a property
that was not acquired with money already tithed, then you should tithe
the full amount of the sale. In this case, following the example above,
the tithe should be USD 17,000.00.
Must I give tithe of gifts I receive?
Money gifts should obviously be tithed.
Gifts in kind, however, deserve careful consideration in each case.
For example, you receive a house or car as a gift. You may either give
the tithe every month until you reach the amount, or you may wait until
you sell it and then give the tithe of it. For smaller items, again
the law of faith and conscience applies. However small the amount, it's
faithfulness to God that counts. Do what you believe is right, with a
clear conscience.
What about benefits and investments?
Some employees receive benefits from
their employers that are not included in their salary. For instance,
your employer may pay you a salary of $5,000.00 plus an extra $500.00 for your transportation to and from work. This is a benefit with a
specific purpose, and not part of your salary. Therefore, it should not
be tithed - or used for anything else, for that matter! It's for
transport only. If you don't use it for that month, you should return
it to your employer or have it adjusted for the next month. If the
employer lets you keep it, then you must tithe it.
About
investments, say, shares or other interest-bearing or savings accounts,
you must tithe the increase earned on the investment. Say, you invest
or save $1,000.00 and over a period it bears an interest of $100.00- then you should give tithe of $10.00, which is the tithe of
the increase on the investment.
May I use the tithe in time of need and pay it later?
Can you be unfaithful to your wife
now and then be faithful later? Absolutely not! Here’s this is where
the faithfulness of the tither comes in. God may at times allow you to
be in a situation where you will have to choose between paying the
tithe and leaving the other commitments or keeping the other
commitments and not paying the tithe. This could be a test of your
faith and faithfulness.
The Bible says the tithe is most holy unto
the Lord and must not be touched (Leviticus 27:30). If a man uses his
tithe for something else, he must add a penalty of a fifth (20%) to it:
"If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value
to it." (Leviticus 27:31).
The right thing to do is to set
the tithe aside first, whatever the circumstances. Then, as a faithful
tither, you can trust and even demand that God help helps you to meet
your commitments as He promised in His Word.
What must I do when payments are debited from my account before I have time to take out the tithe?
There are only two reasons why this may be happening to you: poor
money management or your creditors have got a court order to debit your
account upon receipt of any money. In the first case - poor money
management - you can arrange your debit orders to come out of your
account a few days after you expect money to come in.
For
example, if you get paid on the 30th of the month, you can arrange the
accounts to be debited on the 4th or the 5th so you may have time to
take your tithe first. In the second case, there is little you can do
about it except to pay your debts as quickly as possible and finish
them, putting an end to them! In any event, you should write a check or withdraw your tithe as the first thing you do after receiving your
money and give it. What counts is that you remembered and acted upon it
first. The first thing you should do is, write a check or withdraw the
tithe as soon as you receive your money.
If I don't have the exact amount to give my tithe, may I round it off or buy something first to get the right change?
When I give my tithe, I always round it
off to the next higher round figure. I just don't feel good giving it
to the exact cent, so I always give a little bit more as an offering.
This way I don't have to worry about breaking finding small change and I
feel happy knowing I've been generous. But that's this is a personal
practice and I am not saying you must do the same.
Your tithe
is 10% - not more, not less. Any amount you give besides the 10% of
your tithe is an offering. For example, if your tithe is $18.30 and
you don't want to break your money into small change, you just give $20.00. Then, $18.30 is your tithe and the rest is an offering.
Also, if you want to change your money to make get the exact change for
your tithe, try doing it without having to buy anything. If this is
not possible, as a last resort, then go and buy something - what
matters is that you have remembered to take out your tithe first and
have done it immediately.
I used to tithe but I stopped. How can I get right with God again and pay back all tithes I owe?
Instead of worrying about the tithes you owe, start being faithful
from now on. If you know the amount of tithe you owe and can afford to
give it, so do it. But if you have simply lost count of it and cannot
possibly put it right, just repent of your mistake and start being
faithful to God immediately, forgetting the past. God will be more
pleased with you your present faithfulness than unpleased with your
past unfaithfulness.
3. Tithe and the church
What the church does with my tithe?
God established tithes not only for the
purpose of blessing His people but also to provide for the needs of
His House - "That there may be food in My House." (Malachi 3:10).
Tithers are the financial pillars of God's House. It's because of their
faithfulness that the Church can pay its existing expenses and plan to
expand the work of God. Your tithes are directly used for these
purposes.
Is there a specific day to bring my tithe to the church?
No, you may bring it any day and place
it on the altar of the church. Normally, you should bring after setting
your tithe aside, you should bring it to the church on your next
visit or on your next visit to the church after setting it aside.
If you have a tithe to bring near the day when we consecrate the
tithers (first Sunday of every month), then you may keep it to bring on
that day. You should avoid keeping your tithe with you for too long to
avoid the temptation to use it.
What is the meaning of tithers' consecration every month?
In the past, when a man was made
king, he would be consecrated with oil, symbolizing the authority he
was receiving to rule and lead the nation. In the same way, when we
consecrate the tithers today, it is to remind them of the authority
they have from God to rule over the devourer and all financial
problems.
"Then Samuel took the horn of Oil and anointed him
in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon
David from that day forward." (1 Samuel 16:13; see also 2 Kings 9.6).
Never miss the Consecration of Tithers on the first Sunday of every
month at your church.
Is my tithe a contribution I make for the church to do my funeral?
No, it is not. The Church does not
check if deceased members were up-to-date with their tithe, because we
believe this is a matter between them and God. A faithful member of the
Church is baptised in water and will normally give tithe.
Funerals of baptized members of the Church who pass away are normally conducted free of charge by the local pastor upon proper notice.
However, the Church cannot offer financial help for the purpose, since
tithing is not a funeral scheme.
4. Tithe and the world
Why not give the tithe to a charity in favour of the poor and needy? Why must I give it in the church?
Because God expressly said that tithes are for the maintenance of His
House '...that there may be food in My House.' Tithe is the life-blood
of the Church of the Lord Jesus. The Church cannot survive without it.
That's why tithers are like the pillars of God's House.
By
their faithfulness, souls can be saved through the work of
evangelisation financed through the tithes. Your tithes should be given
in the House of God because their primary purpose is to maintain it.
The responsibility rests with the church authorities to decide whether
after the needs of God's House have been met to use the remainder in
aid of the poor.
May I send my tithe by post?
You should avoid sending your tithe by
post or by via someone else, unless in case of sickness or absence for
travelling reasons.
Check with your post office about how to
send money safely, as you should avoid sending cash in the post. Tithers should value and
take pleasure in bringing their tithe personally to the altar of God.
Besides, the Lord said, "Bring the whole tithes..." and not "Send the
whole tithes..."
May I pay my tithe by debit order?
There is no reason why you may not,
although the Biblical way of tithing is to bring the tithe onto the
altar of the church (see Deuteronomy 14:25).
