What The Bible Says About Tithing

(Text: Malachi 3:10)
By: Barry L. Cameron


Tithing is one of the greatest privileges we have as Christians. It is how we get "under the spout where God's blessings come out." As an encouragement, here are some powerful principles concerning the master key to financial success: the tithe. You may want to put this on your refrigerator, in your Bible, etc.

(1) The tithe BELONGS TO THE LORD, not us. (Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8; Matthew 22:21) In Joshua 7:1-26, Achan found out the hard way, you don't mess with what belongs to God.

(2) We are to BRING the whole tithe into the storehouse. (Malachi 3:10a) The storehouse was the temple in the Old Testament. In the New Testament the storehouse is the local church. Jesus and the disciples watched people as they brought their offerings to the storehouse, the temple. (Mark 12:41-44) God wants us to bring our tithe to church because there are other things He wants to teach us. This is one way God can get our attention at least on a weekly basis. We are to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse where we are fed and cared for. (You don't eat at Burger King and pay at McDonald's.)

(3) We are to bring the WHOLE TITHE. (All 10%!!) Sometimes we make excuses for people and say, "Well, start with 2% and work your way up." God doesn't say that! partial obedience won't bring partial blessings. Partial obedience is total disobedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience. "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (James 4:17)

(4) We are to bring the whole tithe INTO THE STOREHOUSE. (Malachi 3:10a) It says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse..." NOT YOUR HOUSE. The tithe (10% of our income) is to be set aside for and presented to God as an act of obedient worship, not used for our own selfish purposes or pursuits.

(5) We should bring the whole tithe into the storehouse ON SUNDAY, the first day of the week. (I Corinthians 16:2) We need to be prepared to give ahead of time. Giving is a part of worship and just as we should be prepared each Lord's Day to pray, sing, study the Word, etc., we should also be prepared to give.

(6) Since the tithe belongs to God we are not free to DESIGNATE it, DIVIDE it, or DIRECT it wherever we want. We do not send God's tithe to a televangelist, a radio ministry, a parachurch organization, a mission, etc. It is biblically appropriate to do that with an offering above the tithe. Any organization or institution that encourages you to send God's tithe to them first, rather than the storehouse (the local church) is wrong.

(7) In the Old Testament, priests administered the tithes and offerings. Today, the CHURCH LEADERS are charged with that responsibility. (I Timothy 5:17) It is the responsibility of the elders of the local church to faithfully administrate what is brought to the storehouse.

(8) It's very biblical for a church to set aside a sum of money, from the tithes and offerings of God's people for MISSION work. (I Corinthians 16:2; Philippians 4:15-19) We have been doing this for several years through our missions endowment funds.

If you're serious about getting out of debt and getting rid of financial problems, the best thing you can do is to make tithing the centerpiece of all your financial plans. God says, if we "bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, He'll open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing we won't have room enough for it."

Don't take my word for it...take God's!

Footnote: But what about those who say tithing is an Old Testament teaching and is never mentioned or encouraged in the New Testament? I would graciously tell those people they're wrong. Here are two examples, and the words are none other than the Lord's.

Matthew 23:23. Jesus said, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. 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." If tithing were no longer a New Testament practice, this would have been a perfect time for Jesus to say, "Forget all that tithing stuff. That's Old Testament. Just give whatever you feel like giving." No, instead of rebuking them for tithing the smallest spices, He told them they shouldn't neglect that and they shouldn't neglect the more important matters of the law either.

Matthew 22:21. Jesus was questioned about whether or not it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus answered them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." How did the people know how much belonged to Caesar? It was a percentage. Just like our taxes are today. How did people know how much belonged to God? It was a percentage--the tithe (10%).

If people today tried to give to the IRS the way they often give to God (i.e. whatever they want, whenever they want) they'd be in prison.