Answering the Anti-tithers.

There seems to be a rise of what I call the anti-tithing crowd within the church. I have had 2 people contact me recently about things ministers have said about not tithing and not giving to the church and there is plenty floating around in the blogosphere and the church about why we shouldn't give. What amazes me the most is that these kinds of statements and articles come from people within the church who should know better. I asked a friend recently who had been exposed to the anti-tithing teaching why these kinds of teachings were becoming so prevalent in the church. His answer was simple and to the point. The devil is keeping so much confusion stirring in the church now days that people, especially those who do little Bible study of their own, don't know what to believe anymore. It seems to be getting harder and harder to tell the truth from the lie.



I am going to take a look at a few things the anti-tithing crowd seem to embrace.



1) Tithing is Old Testament law and we live under New Testament grace: I actually agree with that statement but that is not a reason to not give to the local church and other ministries. I was once asked by a former pastor of mine if I really believed the New Testament required us to tithe. The answer is that the N.T. requires us to give and to give sacrificially. In Acts chapter 4 verses 32-37 people willingly gave all they had to the disciples to be used as the needs arose. That view of giving blows 10% tithing out of the water by 90%. Try going to church this Sunday and telling people they should give 100% of all they have instead of 10% and see what reaction you get to that. I don't actually think God intends for us to give everything we own to the church but I do believe God expects us to give to the church and other Christian ministries and not according to what we have but according as He leads us.



2) The "anti-tithing" crowd seems to have mostly sprung up from an effort to counter act the con artist who are out there telling people, "give to my ministry and God will give you back even more than you gave." There is no doubt in my mind that these "name it and claim it" prosperity preachers are a bunch of liars and cons. We should never be motivated to give just to get a return but the anti-tithers have over corrected a wrong and therefore created another wrong. Teaching people not to give or tithe is an extreme, unBiblical, knee jerk reaction to the prosperity preachers.

3) Another thing that seems to be popular among the anti-tithing crowd is the idea that you should not give if you are poor or don't have the money. Again there is no Biblical basis for such an argument. Once you teach people or churches that they don't have enough to give then they will never give no matter what they do have. Let's take a look at some scripture that talks about giving.

Mark 12:41-43 (King James Version)
And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (King James Version)
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:


We need to be very careful with the teachings that we hear and read. We need to take time to examine everything according to what the word of God actually says. I was sent an anti-tithing article by a friend of mine and the writer of the article mis-quoted and twisted scripture to make his point. If we are going to use the word of God then we need let it say what it says and not twist it into our own words. We need to remember these words:

Galatians 6:6-8 (King James Version)
Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

When we misuse scripture to suit our own purposes we mock God and that is something we will have to answer for.Let me conclude with this on the subject of giving.

James 1:17 (King James Version)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Everything I have belongs to God and comes from God. We could argue all day the merits and reasons for tithing but giving should be in the heart of the believer. People who are never willing to give of their finances, time, talents, and life have missed the point of the Gospel. People who are teaching that you should not tithe and not give are perverting the message of the Gospel. In giving we are blessed. Not with finances perhaps but with joy, victory, and a greater desire to serve Christ. Let us give and encourage others to give not because we must but because it is our privilege to be a part of God's Kingdom and our honor to help support the work of the Kingdom with what God has so richly blessed us with.