I just gave a message on giving and Michelle and I have been led to give more. So on the topic of tithing and giving I re-read The following writing by Keith Drury, taken from a blog from 2006 entitled "What Evangelicals Believe About Tithing" - let me know what you think...?
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I’ve been closely watching the laity the last few decades and I think I am ready to describe what evangelicals believe about tithing. Read it and see how much you agree.
To evangelicals… 4. “Giving to a cause is more satisfying than giving to a church”
Evangelicals hate giving to “overhead.” They love a good cause. This is why it is easier to get people to give to evangelize Kayakers along the Atlantic coast than get them to ante up for the electric bill at your church. Or, their pastor’s salary. Evangelicals treat such “overhead expenses” like they were “government bureaucracy.” They resent giving to overhead. This is why the Gideons have had such fabulous success in fund-raising—they can honestly say, “All our overhead expenses are covered and every cent you give goes directly to Bibles.” They cover their own overhead expenses and evangelicals love this. It fits with their view of government. This is why they’d rather be inspired to buy basketballs for the youth group than pay the heating bill for the youth center where those basketballs are used. They’d rather contribute to the youth trip to Haiti than give toward the youth pastor’s salary so that the youth want to go to Haiti. Evangelicals know these “overhead” expenses need paid, but they hope someone else will pay them. Over the last decades evangelical churches have started catering to this cause orientation. Perhaps we had to. Now local churches now give a short commercials selling their cause before the offerings, sometimes accompanied by a fancy video. The notion of giving as an obligation to God has largely vanished. Most local churches are joining the parachurch organizations in “selling a cause” though we must admit that few can do it as good as even the worst parachurch organizations!
So that’s what I think evangelicals think about tithing. At least most of them. Or, at least the average evangelical. Or at least the future evangelical. Don’t believe me? Then here’s my dare—do the math: Take the total income from your local church then multiply that figure by ten. Next divide that result by the number of Christian wage earners in your church. Go ahead and do it—even roughly. What’d you get? Is that final figure the average salary of your people. Is it? Or have you discovered what most pastors discover when they do this—if every Christian (even every member) wage earner in their church tithed a full 10% to the local church it would double the church’s income? For many churches it would triple the income. (For my church—five times!) I’m afraid there are few other issues where the laity and the pastor differ more. Most pastors say: 1) A tithe = 10%; 2) The Bible requires it; 3) It should go to the local church; 4) it is an obligation; and 5) it should be given without concern for being thanked. Those five views are just about opposite of the average evangelical’s view above. Which views are right? So what do you think?
To evangelicals… 4. “Giving to a cause is more satisfying than giving to a church”
Evangelicals hate giving to “overhead.” They love a good cause. This is why it is easier to get people to give to evangelize Kayakers along the Atlantic coast than get them to ante up for the electric bill at your church. Or, their pastor’s salary. Evangelicals treat such “overhead expenses” like they were “government bureaucracy.” They resent giving to overhead. This is why the Gideons have had such fabulous success in fund-raising—they can honestly say, “All our overhead expenses are covered and every cent you give goes directly to Bibles.” They cover their own overhead expenses and evangelicals love this. It fits with their view of government. This is why they’d rather be inspired to buy basketballs for the youth group than pay the heating bill for the youth center where those basketballs are used. They’d rather contribute to the youth trip to Haiti than give toward the youth pastor’s salary so that the youth want to go to Haiti. Evangelicals know these “overhead” expenses need paid, but they hope someone else will pay them. Over the last decades evangelical churches have started catering to this cause orientation. Perhaps we had to. Now local churches now give a short commercials selling their cause before the offerings, sometimes accompanied by a fancy video. The notion of giving as an obligation to God has largely vanished. Most local churches are joining the parachurch organizations in “selling a cause” though we must admit that few can do it as good as even the worst parachurch organizations!
So that’s what I think evangelicals think about tithing. At least most of them. Or, at least the average evangelical. Or at least the future evangelical. Don’t believe me? Then here’s my dare—do the math: Take the total income from your local church then multiply that figure by ten. Next divide that result by the number of Christian wage earners in your church. Go ahead and do it—even roughly. What’d you get? Is that final figure the average salary of your people. Is it? Or have you discovered what most pastors discover when they do this—if every Christian (even every member) wage earner in their church tithed a full 10% to the local church it would double the church’s income? For many churches it would triple the income. (For my church—five times!) I’m afraid there are few other issues where the laity and the pastor differ more. Most pastors say: 1) A tithe = 10%; 2) The Bible requires it; 3) It should go to the local church; 4) it is an obligation; and 5) it should be given without concern for being thanked. Those five views are just about opposite of the average evangelical’s view above. Which views are right? So what do you think?
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Live holy, preach Jesus!
I think the whole concept of Christian tithing is wrong. Numbers 18, the tithing statute, commands that tithes be given first to the Levite servants to the priests and priests only got 1%. It also commands tithe-recipients to forfeit property ownership and to kill anybody who dared to worship God directly. Why is that part ignored?
ReplyDeleteTrue biblical tithes were always only food from inside Israel miraculously increased by God. Although money was common even in Genesis and essential for sanctuary worship, money was never included in 16 texts which describe the contents of the tithe for over 1500 years from Leviticus to Luke. Jesus, Peter and Paul did not qualify as tithe-payers and neither did the poor nor those who lived outside Israel.
Church leaders refuse to dialog about tithing because they have no biblical support after Calvary for the Church in proper context.
It is God’s REQUIREMENT of the children of Israel (Gen.49:28) to tithe a tenth part (Nu.18:26, Neh.10:38, Matt.23:23, Lk.11:42, Lk.18:12).
ReplyDeleteThe church of God (1 Cor.10:32, the living body of Christ Jesus - Col.1:24), whom Jesus has made “free” (Jn.8:36), are not under a REQUIREMENT, but are the “cheerful giver” as the giver has purposed in his own heart (2 Cor.9:7-8).
Patricia (2004 ©) Bible Prophecy on the Web
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BibleProphecy
Mark, I would be interested in reading the message you reference at the beginning of this post... I occasionally offer messages myself in local churches and this is topic very close to my heart and call to ministry.
ReplyDeleteI am not especially fond of number-crunching as you have at the later part of this post- I am much more inclined to encourage experience and action-oriented giving- tell them to "just do it" similar to the experiences that Paul describes in the NT.
Hello James, I can't seem to reach your web or blog site, so I'll answer here. I first have to apologize as I didn't do due research for the William Booth quote - I have always heard it quoted that way (within our Salvaiton Army) but don't actually have the message it is from. I do agree that ultimately it's not about the number or amount we give, but that (out of love for our Savior) we should always "give big" whether that be our time, talents, or money. Again sorry for not actually having that reference "footnote-able", if I find it I will let you know. God bless. Capt. Mark T.
ReplyDelete