Compiled by Deacon Ferry Soendjojo

1. Why is it important to tithe?
“First and foremost, God tells us in His Word to tithe. We are to obey Him, thus we are to tithe. Even if it doesn’t make sense to us, God is smarter than we are and His ways are higher (Isaiah 55:8-9). He knows that tithing is for our own good and that is why He tells us to do it.”

• “Tithing honors the Scriptural principles of generously providing for religious leaders, giving to those in need, and laying up treasures in heaven.”
• “Throughout Scripture, we are encouraged to give the first part of our resources to God as an expression of honor and gratitude. ‘Honor the Lord with your wealth, and with the first fruits of all your produce: then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine’” (Proverbs 3:9– 10).
• “Tithing teaches us obedience. When God asks us for something, we should be willing to give it freely and gladly. It teaches us trust. Surrendering ten percent of our gross income is scary, especially if we have little to begin with. We are taught discipline by tithing, too. Doing something difficult routinely takes discipline. When we can be disciplined with our money, we have a tremendous advantage. We also have a financial obligation to the support of our church. Tithing keeps the doors to God’s house open for all.”

2. How much should I tithe?

Can it be more or less than 10%? The tithe is 10% of your income. Whether you give this amount or not, make sure you do give something to the work of God (see Malachi 3:8-10). Give because you want to, not because you have to. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). The amount is between you and the Lord. Realize that we are just the steward of all the blessing that He has poured upon us. “Each of us should diligently pray and seek God’s wisdom as to how much we should give (James 1:5). Many people believe that the Old Testament tithe is a good principle for believers to follow. Giving 10% of your income back to God demonstrates your thankfulness to Him for what He has provided and helps you to remember to rely on God instead of on riches.”

3. Do services for the church count as tithing?

Services for the church is considered as giving God the first fruits of other resources in addition to giving 10% of your monetary income / tithing, just like giving Him the first part of your day in a quiet time and taking one day in seven to focus on worship and rest.

4. Is there a difference between tithing and offering and donation?

The tithe is simple. It is one tenth of your income that God commands you to give towards his work (Numbers 18:24). It is given by the Christian as something that already belongs to God. Leviticus 27:30, 32 – “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.  And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord.”

Offerings are exactly what it implies. There is no set amount to make it an offering. It is anything over the 10% that God requires that you decide to give because of your love for God and your thankfulness for what He has done for you. Deuteronomy 16:10 – Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. An offering is something you decide. The amount is not set. It is given according to the blessings you believe God has blessed you with. This offering is given to the work of God as well. It is a way you say, “Thank you!”

Donations are monetary, or things you have purchased, that you give to someone in need. It is your decision to help the poor, to meet the needs of the needy, and to love your neighbor. This, again, is something you determine to do. There is no set amount, no determining factor except your own heart.

5. What if one spouse wants to tithe and the other doesn’t?

Because tithing involves money, it is a prime candidate for controversy between a husband and wife. However, if both spouses are Christians, they should have a desire to please the Lord.

It’s important for both spouses to be trained in God’s principles of fi nance. That way, they’ll understand that tithing is God-ordained, not just a personal desire that one spouse is trying to impose on the other. Giving should come from the heart. As such, tithing is not a law but, rather, an indicator of obedience to all of God’s laws. Because the tithe’s purpose is to be an individual or family testimony of God’s ownership, it was never intended that everyone should give the same amount or in the same way but that each should give bountifully and cheerfully (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

The problem becomes more complicated when one spouse is an unbeliever. Since it is the responsibility of the husband to be the leader in his home, if the wife is an unbeliever, husbands must obey the Lord’s direction. Husbands need to realize, however, that the Lord is more concerned about the wife’s soul than about money. If tithing becomes an obstacle to the wife, husbands should consider not tithing temporarily in order to win their wives to the Lord. Husbands need to counsel their wives, pray with them, and seek their opinion and direction but according to God’s Word the decision is ultimately the husband’s. Because most wives in America today are looking for the 54 Easter 2012 strong leadership that seems to be lacking in many marriages, husbands need to take the lead regarding tithing.

If the unbelieving spouse is the husband, the believing wife should submit to his wishes and trust that her submissive attitude will win him to the Lord (see 1 Peter 3:1-6). Remember it is not the money but the attitude of the heart about which the Lord is most concerned. If wives have made commitments to give and their husbands object to giving, God sees the desire of the wives’ hearts to tithe and He will honor that commitment, even though wives honor their husbands’ wishes. God will bless because of the wife’s attitude, not because of giving.

However, a wife might still ask her husband to let her give an amount smaller than the tithe for at least a year. If, at the end of the year, the family is worse off fi nancially as a result of giving, she will agree to stop giving. If the family is better off, the husband may agree to give more. In Malachi 3:10, the Lord says to test Him in this thing (tithing). Often this is just the opportunity for God to prove Himself real to a doubting spouse. Giving the tithe is the outward expression of inner commitment — or lack of it. It is material and fi nancial surrender prompted by spiritual surrender. However, if couples do not tithe because one spouse objects to tithing, the subject should be placed “on the back burner,” until they are able to discuss and study the principles of tithing together.

6. What if I can’t pay my bills? Is tithing still mandatory?

When we willingly surrender a tenth of our income, especially when we believe we can’t afford to, we’re telling God, “I believe You will take care of me and provide for me.” God wants for us to be able to look beyond our circumstances and rely on Him for our needs. “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! (Luke 12:24) The Bible does not mention anything about “pausing” tithing. Neither does it say that we will go to Hell if we do not tithe. Many people have observed that after they stopped tithing, their finances seemed to get worse. In the Book of Malachi, God promises that if you do not rob Him of your tithing, He will rebuke your devours and protect you. If you cannot live off 90% of your income, then you cannot live off 100%. It does not require a miracle for you to get through the month. I think that if you sit down and look at your budget, you will see that you can make it while giving at least 10%. Read the Bible and take from it what you will, and if you tithe, do it out of love for God, not guilt.

7. Can tithing only go to my local church?

Typically, the tithe should be given to the local church where you worship. These gifts support your pastor and ministry staff members who are actively serving you, and they help maintain the work of the church in your community. As God prospers you and directs you, additional gifts can be given to other ministries that are advancing the Gospel. The bible is very speci fi c in Malachi 3:10. It says bring all the tithes into the storehouse. The storehouse is where you obtain your spiritual food (i.e. where you go to get your spiritual food). If you do not go to church but still wish to tithe, then pray to God and allow Him to direct you as to where you should send your tithe.