Why should I give money to the church?
Hanni Moussa
Transcript
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To many people, giving to the church is related to tithing. So, let me start with a side note on that. We are not under the Old Testament Law of Moses, so we are not required to tithe; that is, not required to give 10% of our income. I know that some say otherwise, and that tithing is still required of the Christian. But tithing was part of the Old Covenant and it functioned to sustain the tribe of Levite who had no portion in the land of Israel and were fully devoted to the service of the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple. None of that is in effect anymore. The author of the Hebrews says,
“In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:13).
Paul also says in Galatians 3:24-25
“24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”
So, if we’re not required to tithe like the Old Testament, are we still required to give? The clear short New Testament answer is, yes, we are.
The New Testament commands us to give for at least three purposes:
Supporting Gospel Preachers
The preaching of the Gospel: In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul a number of word pictures to say that the Church must support those who preach the Gospel. He says,
“7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?”
They are soldiers, farmers and shepherds, and there is this expectation that they are to be sustained by the church for the work they do.
He then says goes on to say that you could see this in the Law, which says,
“8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.”
And he doesn’t stop there but add two more points to his argument, saying that there is an analogy between OT and NT ministry and, more importantly that our Lord Jesus commanded that the Church supports Gospel workers. He says,
“13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.”
So, that’s the first reason, God commands us to financially support those who preach the Gospel.
Supporting the Church Elders
If we turn to 1 Timothy 5, we find another command given to the church to support the elders or pastors to do the work of shepherding, preaching and teaching. We read,
“17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
And as he did in the case of evangelists, Paul quotes the same verses from the OT and the NT to remind us that it’s always been God’s way that the God’s people provide for those labor in the ministry.
Relieving the needs of the saints
The third we read about is other believers who are in financial need either for a season because of an economic situation or elderly saints who have no other means of support.
In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul exhorts the Church at Corinth to give generously to support the Jerusalem Church that was suffering because of a famine. Amazingly, he points out that the Macedonian churches, which were very poor churches, have given so generously, their giving overflowed. I encourage you to read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 carefully. They are very revealing as to what a Christian’s heart should be like in giving.
So, whether it’s ministry work or relieving saints in need, the NT places an obligation of love and loyalty on God’s people to give to their churches so that His work on Earth is done.