What's a Tithe?

Last week, our motivation for giving: gratitude for grace.

This week, the amount of giving: in the OT we see the tithe or tenth set forth.
When Paul says that each one should decide in his heart what to give, many see that tithe requirement set aside. 1 Cor 9:13-14 shows otherwise. Paul remembers in vs 13 that the OT tithe went partly to the temple to support the priests’ service, and he applies this in vs 14 to the NT situation: church offerings are in part to support those preaching. If the pattern of who gives to who is the same, why would the amount change? The OT tithe went for ministering priests, as well as the poor, so some giving may go to missionaries or charities outside the local church. But since the church ideally should be overseeing missionaries and charities, the lion’s share of our tithe should go to the local church. Less than 25% of American evangelicals tithe. Let us bring the full tithe into the storehouse, in thanksgiving to God.

11/11/12