Tithing and Giving
Note: I originally wrote this article back in February of 2012 on my old blog. This subject came up recently in a class I was teaching, and I thought this would be a good time to post it here on my current site. Since the main goal is to bring a clear definition to the word “tithe” I have decided to file it under my Christian Dictionary category.
There are many different types of offerings described in the Bible. In the Old Testament, instructions are given for tithes (Deut 14:22), wave offerings (Ex 29:27), burnt offerings (Lev 9:16), first fruits (Lev 23:9-14), and sin offerings (Num 29:11), just to mention a few.
In the New Testament, instructions are given for free will offerings (2 Cor 9:7), and there are many examples of being generous and sharing with others (Acts 2:44-45).
Problems and confusion come in when you mix and match the different offerings and their associated instructions, selecting which parts to keep and which parts to ignore. The purpose of this study is to examine the offering known as tithing, giving an overview of the practice as it is defined in the Bible. Read more