What Does The Bible Say About Tithing

What Does The Bible Say About tithing? Is it mandatory for Christians to give money to a church?

Quick Summary

Tithing was an instruction in the Old Testament for the Israelite’s it was not a future instruction. We do not follow the instructions in the Old Testament, Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses. We now follow the instructions in the New Testament Jesus gave us. Tithing is not in the New Testament.

God wants us to be generous but not out of obligation, only when your heart feels compelled to be charitable. God is not interested in religious ritual, religious pride or doing anything out of feeling obligated.

We are not required to give donations to churches, but churches do need and appreciate donations to cover the costs of running a church.

Tithing In The Old Testament

Tithing was an instruction for the Israelite’s in the Old Testament. In Genesis 14 Abram gave Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High, a tenth of everything.

and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Genesis 14:19-20

In Genesis 28 Jacob vowed to give God a tenth of all he received if God would be with him and protect him.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee.” Genesis 28:20-22

These verses show tithing then was an instruction for the Israelite’s under the Law of Moses.

Leviticus 27:30: “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.”

Numbers 18:21: To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,

Deuteronomy 14:22-23: Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.

Is Tithing In The New Testament

Tithing is not an instruction in the New Testament. Some people get confused because this verse mentions tithing;

Matthew 23:23: “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 practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

However this verse is Jesus pointing out these people are hypocrites and full of religious pride. They claim to be following God and do religious rituals such as tithing but their hearts are not with God at all. They are only consumed with appearing ‘religious’ and having power over others in their church.

Unfortunately that still happens today. There are still churches today that mislead people about the Gospel, mislead people into following the church itself or the religious leaders rather than really following God. This is why it is so important we each read the Bible for ourselves and not allow others to teach us what the Gospel means so we know what it and what is not the true Word of God.

God is very clear in His instructions. He wants us to give when our heart feels compelled to be charitable.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Should Churches Ask For Donations

Yes, absolutely. Churches are not business’s they require donations to survive. Churches need money for rent, insurance, electricity, hiring staff such as ground keepers, the Pastors/Priests need an income they still need to eat. There are many legitimate costs of running a church.

While some people think churches are making lots of money the truth is so many churches are fighting to stay open and often do not have enough funds.

Of course there are instances of some churches or church staff/Pastors doing the wrong thing and taking too much money for themselves however God does not instruct that. God instructs that Pastors/Priests should receive a wage/income but it’s meant to be modest. If anyone is abusing the charity given to the church then that is something they will have to answer to God for on judgement day. It is not our place to judge others and we should not let one person going against Gods instructions to obscure our view of all churches.

In conclusion, no you are not required to give money to a church, however if you feel called in your heart to donate churches do appreciate and need it. There are also many other ways to be charitable, the Bible mentions specifically looking on those without basic needs such as food and clothing.

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 1 John 3:17

✨ Still Have a Question?

If you didn’t find your answer here, don’t worry — you’re not alone. You can send your question directly through the Ask a Bible Question page. I’ll do my best to respond with guidance from God’s Word.

You can also leave your questions on my YouTube channel, where I regularly share Bible verses, encouragement, and answers to common questions.