Question: I already give money to charity, but my church thinks I should tithe 10% to them. Is that a biblical idea?
It’s not unreasonable or unbiblical for a church to teach tithing. Churches need money to function. It’s right that we should contribute to these costs, and the principle of setting aside one tenth of your income as a tithe is present in scripture. But you’re also right that the issue requires some deeper thinking. If you already give elsewhere, does it need redirecting to your local church? And more fundamentally, does the New Testament teach that Christians must give 10% of their income specifically to their local church?
Writing to the Galatians, Paul makes a staggering claim: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (2:20). If this is true, it means my entire life belongs to Christ. And this surely includes my bank balance: everything I earn, own, spend and give.
What the Bible says
Tithing has deep biblical roots. In Genesis 14:20, Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek. In Genesis 28:22, Jacob promised God a tenth of all he received. Both examples precede the law of Moses, which is one reason many Christians regard tithing as an enduring principle rather than simply an Old Testament regulation. Under Moses, tithing became part of Israel’s covenant obligations, and it was far more complex than putting 10% of a salary in the collection plate. Tithes supported the Levites, who had no land of their own. They funded communal feasts and worship. They provided for foreigners, orphans and widows (Numbers 18; Deuteronomy 14). There is debate about how these overlapped, but the purpose seems clear: sustaining worship, community and social justice in ancient Israel.
Even Malachi’s famous call to “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse” (Malachi 3:10) belonged to that Old Covenant, its temple and priesthood.
It’s helpful to remember that Christians read these laws from the perspective of a New Covenant, and we should tread carefully before applying them directly as a way to fund a 21st-century church budget. Christians don’t live under the Mosaic law. Paul insists that now Christ has come, we are no longer under obligation to it (Galatians 3:24–25). Our relationship with God rests on grace, not law or regulation. So why do some churches make tithing a rule for Christians today?
Grace asks more than a percentage
Jesus himself affirmed tithing when confronting the Pharisees, while insisting they must not neglect “justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). Those who advocate tithing today understandably point to his words. Yet Jesus was speaking to people living under the Mosaic covenant, and the New Testament never explicitly commands Christians to give 10% of their income to their local church.
When the New Testament writers address giving regularly, they don’t impose a percentage. Paul’s instruction is very straightforward: “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” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
He praises the Macedonian Christians, who were sacrificially generous in the face of severe poverty. Not for hitting a target, but because “they gave themselves first of all to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5). Their giving was the natural overflow of lives transformed by grace.
And notice where the money given to Paul went: not into the givers’ own church budgets, but to impoverished believers in Jerusalem. New Testament generosity wasn’t confined to keeping a local institution running.
A good starting point
Christians shouldn’t be against tithing. Giving away 10% of our income can be an excellent spiritual discipline, a liberating act of resistance in a culture obsessed with consumption, and a profound way of prioritising generosity before spending. For many Christians, it’s a faithful, practical expression of their commitment to God, with substantial biblical precedent.
But a useful discipline is not a biblical command. And 10% can become a ceiling as easily as a floor. We can hand over our tenth, congratulate ourselves and treat the remaining 90% as though Jesus has nothing to say about it.
A fixed percentage tells us little about the generosity of a human heart
Stewardship, however, is about the whole of our life: how we spend, save and invest, as well as share. The homes we buy, the holidays we take, the people we help; even our time and talents represent how we use what God has given us. For some, 10% might be an extraordinary sacrifice. For others, it barely registers. A fixed percentage tells us little about the generosity of a human heart.
What about the local church?
The New Testament does tell Christians to support those who minister among them. “The one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor” (Galatians 6:6). Churches have substantial costs, from ministry and mission to buildings and pastoral care. If we belong to – and benefit from – a local church, we should take our responsibility for sustaining it seriously. But that doesn’t mean every penny we give must pass through the church’s bank account.
Supporting a homelessness charity, feeding hungry families, helping a struggling neighbour or funding work among the world’s poorest are not lower forms of faithfulness. Care for the poor and vulnerable was woven into the Old Testament tithing system.
At Green Pastures, we see what happens when Christians put their resources to work providing homes and support for people facing homelessness. Whether through giving, ethical investment or practical acts of compassion, our money can become a means of restoring dignity and transforming lives. This too is Christian stewardship: using what God has entrusted to us for the good of others.
Churches should continue to teach generosity faithfully and boldly, inviting sacrificial giving. Christians who choose to tithe should be encouraged in that commitment, and those who belong to a local church should take seriously their responsibility to support it financially. But we should be cautious about turning a helpful biblical pattern into an obligation that the New Testament does not explicitly impose.
The question isn’t whether we’ve handed over God’s 10% so we can now enjoy our 90%. It’s whether every part of our lives – including our finances – is being shaped by the love, justice and generosity of God.
Jesus held nothing back. He doesn’t ask for a portion in return. He asks for everything.
For more information on Green Pastures see greenpastures.co.uk
This column offers general reflections from Green Pastures, not personal financial advice. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you put in. Please seek advice from a qualified, regulated financial adviser before making any investment decision
