When it comes to tithing, Christians have some pretty different opinions. Some believe every Christian is required to give ten percent of their income to the church. Others argue that because Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law, tithing no longer applies to us. So who's right? To answer that, we need to look at where tithing actually began, what the Bible says about it, and what giving should look like for Christians today.
Where Did Tithing Actually Begin?
We usually associate tithing with the Old Testament law, but the first example actually comes long before Moses. In Genesis 14, Abram had just rescued his nephew Lot from a group of kings who had taken him captive. On his way back, Abram met a man named Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High. Melchizedek blessed Abram, saying:
"Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has handed your enemies over to you." - Genesis 14:19-20 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Abram responded by giving Melchizedek a tenth of everything. What's interesting is that nobody told Abram he had to do this. There was no commandment about tithing yet. Abram simply chose to give out of gratitude and faithfulness to God. This is the first recorded tithe in Scripture, hundreds of years before tithing became part of the law.
What Does the Old Testament Law Say About Tithing?
Later, when God established the law for Israel, tithing became part of how the nation supported its religious life. In Numbers 18, God instructed the Israelites to give tithes to the Levites, the tribe responsible for serving at the Tabernacle. Unlike the other tribes, the Levites weren't given their own territory as an inheritance. Instead, the tithes provided for them so they could devote themselves to ministry.
This is where the debate usually comes in. Christians are no longer under the Old Testament law in the same way Israel was. Jesus fulfilled the law, and the New Testament doesn't repeat the command requiring believers to give exactly ten percent. That's a fair observation. But we also shouldn't forget that giving existed before the law. Abram wasn't giving because he had to. He gave because he wanted to honor God. The law later established a formal system of giving, but the principle of generosity and trust was already there.
Who Was Melchizedek and Why Does He Keep Showing Up?
Melchizedek is an interesting character because we know very little about him. He shows up briefly in Genesis 14, and then we don't hear much about him until the book of Hebrews, where the author makes some remarkable connections between Melchizedek and Jesus.
"For this Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also king of Salem, meaning king of peace. Without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever." - Hebrews 7:1-3 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Some Christians understand Melchizedek to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus, while others see him as a historical priest whose life and priesthood point forward to Christ. Either way, the parallels are significant. His name means "king of righteousness," and as king of Salem, he is also associated with peace. Hebrews uses Melchizedek to help us understand Jesus as our eternal High Priest. And going all the way back to Genesis, we see Abram willingly giving a tenth to this priest of God Most High.
Is Tithing Required for Christians Today?
So, does God require Christians to give ten percent of their income? There isn't a New Testament command that specifically requires it. But I think we can get so caught up in asking whether we have to tithe that we miss the bigger point of giving altogether.
Think about marriage for a moment. If you're married, you don't remain faithful to your spouse simply because you're legally obligated to. You do it because you love that person and value your relationship with them. In a similar way, our giving shouldn't just be about meeting a requirement. It should come from our love for God and our desire to honor Him with what He's entrusted to us. Rather than asking, "How much do I have to give?" maybe a better question is, "How can I honor God through my giving?"
What Does Giving Actually Do in Your Life?
1. Giving Helps Us Learn to Trust God
Giving requires trust, especially when money is tight. When you set aside a portion of your income for God, you're choosing to trust Him with your finances rather than holding tightly to everything you have. That doesn't mean we should be irresponsible with money or ignore our financial obligations. It means recognizing that our security ultimately comes from God, not just from the balance in our bank account.
I know of a family who experienced this firsthand. They already had two children and were expecting their third. As they looked ahead to maternity leave, they realized the reduced income wasn't going to cover all their expenses. They talked about temporarily stopping their tithe to help make ends meet, but ultimately decided to continue giving and trust God to provide. There wasn't some miraculous check in the mail or unexpected raise. Yet somehow, when maternity leave ended, they had made it through without overdrawing their account. Looking back, they couldn't really explain how everything worked out, but they were grateful for God's provision.
Jesus also drew attention to a widow who gave a very small amount at the temple. While others gave out of their abundance, she gave what little she had:
"Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they gave out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." - Mark 12:43-44 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Jesus wasn't impressed by the size of the gift. He saw the sacrifice behind it. That's something worth remembering when we think about our own giving.
2. Giving Keeps Money From Controlling Us
Money is necessary. We need it to pay our bills, provide for our families, and live our lives. But it's also very easy for money to become the thing that drives every decision we make. We can spend so much time worrying about getting more of it, keeping it, or spending it that it starts to control us. Giving is one practical way of reminding ourselves that money isn't supposed to be our master.
Jesus put it pretty plainly:
"No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." - Matthew 6:24 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Earlier in the same chapter, Jesus taught His followers to think differently about where they were investing their lives:
"Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
There's nothing wrong with saving money or planning for the future. In fact, Scripture encourages wisdom and good stewardship. But Jesus reminds us that everything we accumulate here is temporary. Our investments in God's kingdom have an eternal significance that our possessions simply don't.
3. Giving Tells Us Something About Our Hearts
One of the things I appreciate about the New Testament's teaching on giving is how much attention it gives to our motives. Paul doesn't just tell the Corinthians to give. He tells them how they should approach it:
"Each person should do as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work." - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Notice that Paul specifically says our giving shouldn't come from pressure or obligation. God loves a cheerful giver. That doesn't mean every time we give it's going to feel easy. Sometimes generosity requires sacrifice. But there's a difference between giving sacrificially because we trust God and giving reluctantly because someone has made us feel guilty. God is interested in our hearts, not simply the amount we put in the offering.
4. Giving Allows Us to Be Part of What God Is Doing
There's also a very practical side to giving. Churches and ministries need resources to operate, and when we give, we're helping make ministry possible. This isn't a new idea. From the earliest days of the church, believers shared what they had to support one another and advance the Gospel.
"Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them." - Acts 4:32-34 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Right after this passage, we're introduced to Barnabas, who sold a field and brought the money to the apostles (Acts 4:36-37). Later, Barnabas becomes an important figure in the early church. When other believers were afraid of Saul because of his past persecution of Christians, Barnabas was willing to stand up for him (Acts 9:26-27). He would eventually travel with Paul in ministry and play an important role in the spread of the Gospel.
It's interesting that one of the first things Scripture tells us about Barnabas is his generosity. We shouldn't assume that his gift somehow earned him his later ministry, but it does show us something about his character. He was willing to use what he had to serve God and others.
The same principle applies to us. When you give to your local church, you're helping support things like children's ministry, youth ministry, missions, outreach, and the everyday work of the church. You may never personally meet everyone who is impacted by that giving, but you're still playing a part in what God is doing through those ministries.
So How Much Should You Give?
While the New Testament doesn't require Christians to give a specific percentage, I still think ten percent is a helpful biblical starting point. It's the example we see with Abram, and it's a practice that has been part of God's people's worship for thousands of years. But the percentage isn't the most important part. Paul tells us to give willingly, thoughtfully, and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7). For some people, ten percent may be a significant sacrifice. Others may be able to give considerably more. Ultimately, this is something each believer needs to prayerfully work through with the Lord.
Life Application
Maybe you've never made giving a regular part of your Christian life. If that's the case, I'd encourage you to start somewhere. Prayerfully consider setting aside a portion of your income to support your local church. If you're already giving regularly, take some time to think about why you give. Has it become something you do automatically, or is it still an intentional expression of worship and trust?
Here are a few questions worth thinking through:
- Am I allowing money to have more influence over my decisions than it should?
- Do I give because I want to honor God, or because I feel obligated?
- Is there a practical step I could take to become more generous?
- Am I using what God has given me in a way that reflects His priorities?
At the end of the day, giving isn't simply about following a rule or reaching a certain percentage. It's one of the ways we worship God, learn to trust Him, and participate in His work. Whether you're just beginning to give or have been doing it faithfully for years, the goal is the same: to honor God with what He's entrusted to you.