The Backlash Against Tithing

Wall Street Journal: The Backlash Against Tithing

Can you put a price on faith? That is the question churchgoers are asking as the tradition of tithing -- giving 10% of your income to the church -- is increasingly challenged. Opponents of tithing say it is a misreading of the Bible, a practice created by man, not God. They say they should be free to donate whatever amount they choose, and they are arguing with pastors, writing letters and quitting congregations in protest. In response, some pastors have changed their teaching and rejected what has been a favored form of fund raising for decades.

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Resistance to tithing has been increasing steadily in recent years, as more churchgoers have questioned the way their churches spend money. Like other philanthropists today, religious givers want to see exactly how their donations are being used. In some cases, the growth of megachurches, some with expensive worship centers equipped with coffee bars and widescreen TVs, have turned people off of tithing. And those who object are finding like-minded souls on the Web in theological forums.

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The anti-tithing movement has found support in some unlikely places: theologically conservative divinity schools and church pulpits. At Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., professor Andreas Kostenberger challenges tithing in classes on the New Testament. He teaches that if you add up all taxes paid by the ancient Israelites, they exceed 10%, and that in the New Testament there's no percentage rule. He says pastors perpetuate the 10% figure out of "pragmatism, tradition and ignorance, quite frankly."

Comments

[Dana Ames]

Leonard Sweet said in an article that if you add up all the "offerings" in the OT that went to support the tabernacle/temple and personnel, you would get something like 22%.

No number is specified in the NT; only "as one is able".

[Larry]

No number is specified in the NT, but Paul, a "Pharisee of the Pharisees" says we are to be generous. Would Paul, steeped in the OT and Pharisaical teaching would consider anything less than what the OT required as "generous"?

[Michael W. Kruse]

Tony Campolo used to point out the 10% of the national wealth was spent on the festival of feasts. In other words, a party with God. The question is, once you have spent 10% on the party, what are you going to do with the other 90% of God's money?

[Peggy]

Exactly...it's ALL God's money.

[Lee Zehrer]

God who?

[Rev. Rod Bakker]

Mike,

Good to read your blog.

Has anyone ever written one of those "Four views on tithing" books? IVP has produced an number of such books on various topics.

I would read it.

[Michael W. Kruse]

Thanks Rod. I like the "four views" idea. I nominate you for general editor. :)

Seriously, I did quick search at Amazon and was underwhelmed by the listings. I may do some digging on this topic.

[Rob Fox]

Hi, I am Rob Fox, moderator of an internet forum called Tithing Study. I set up the forum “Tithing Study” for the sole purpose of discussing this topic. If you want to join, send an e-mail to:

[email protected]

Among it's members includes Dr. Russell Kelly, author of the book "Should the Church Teach Tithing". Dr. David Croteau, who wrote his doctor's thesis on Tithing, Kevin Rohr, pastor who was mentioned in the article because he lost his job over his views, and Richard Wayne Garganta, local television anchor in Rhode Island.

[Michael W. Kruse]

Thanks Rob. I may just take you up on that.

[Brad Cooper]

Michael,

I wrote the following response to someone over at Jesus Creed. Peggy, let us know that you were discussing tithing here. (Thanks, Peggy!) So I thought I'd add this response to the mix:

I do not really have time to do justice to the subject of tithing–too many important issues to deal with. But let me give you some directions to consider.

First: Is tithing part of the old covenant that has been done away with, as with circumcision? My answer is yes. But this is a difficult issue–to be taken seriously. But no time or space here.

Many will say that I’m wrong anyways. So for the sake of argument, I say: OK, go ahead and follow the Old Testament tithe. Take 10% of all the food you produce and bring it to the temple at Jerusalem.

You see, there is a more basic problem than whether Old Testament tithing is binding on New Testament believers. The problem is that the tithe taught today does not correspond to the Old Testament tithe. The modern teaching states that we’re to give 10% of our monetary income. The Old Testament never says that. It simply asks for a tenth of any food that’s harvested.

Some will protest: “But it was an agricultural economy.” Perhaps, but did it affect how much they ate? That’s what the OT tithe is all about. Most Israelites inherited land to grow crops and raise clean animals. The Levites and priests did not. The tithe was brought to supply food for those who did not own land: the Levites, the priests, the poor, and the aliens.

Furthermore, saying it was an agricultural economy implies that all that was produced was food. The fact is that there was no tithe on the wages of the potter, the weaver, the carpenter, the metal worker, the hired hand, the fisherman, etc., etc. The OT temple income included much more than just the tithe and is far too complex to reduce to a simple percentage taxed to each person. I wish I could elaborate here, but for space….

Let it suffice for now to say that the OT tithe amounts to less than 10% of a person’s grocery bill (i.e., only the part that includes the raising of food–not soaps, etc.). For my family of five, that’s easily less than $10 a week. But the tithe is not paid by those buying groceries. It’s paid by those who grow the groceries….

Perhaps the biggest problem with the modern teaching about tithing is the purpose. The OT tithing was designed to help the poor–to bring relief and mercy. The modern teaching puts a difficult burden on the poor.

There is much more that needs to be said about this–especially about what New Testament giving should look like, but this will have to do for now.

[Brad Cooper]

Michael,

I was also underwhelmed by Amazon's picks on tithing. Much of the anti-tithing stuff had an odor of bitterness and judgmenatlism.

There were a few that looked like possibilities, but I did not recognize any of the authors. I note that you mentioned Kostenberger above. I'm not really familiar with him. But I'm a little surprised that I have not seen any other major evangelical Biblical scholar taking on this issue....hhhmmmm.

Keep up the great work, Michael. May the peace of our Lord Jesus fill your days.

Rod, Thanks for the info about the tithing-study group. Already sent an email to subscribe. Thanks!

[Michael W. Kruse]

Thanks so much Brad.

Can you tell me which thread you posted you comment to Jesus Creed? Excellent thoughts!

[Brad Cooper]

The original thread on "Letter about those Pesky Calvinists," post #215.

Thanks for the affirmation. Truly means a lot coming from you.

I've been working on a book on the subject for the last few years. I feel like the time to finish it is coming. Right now it's just a bunch of notes and chapter ideas. I need to get busy on it.
Peace.

[Michael W. Kruse]

Go for it, Brad. I'll finish my book if you'll finish yours. :) Its a race!

[Brad Cooper]

You're on....though I might not be that great of competition! :) May the Lord make it all happen in his time, by his power, and for his glory! But I sense that the time for both of us is soon.

[Peggy]

Hey, Brad and Michael...glad to see I was able to facilitate a helpful connection, off-topic and all, on that "pesky" thread ;^) ...it was almost as depressing as some of the women in ministry threads! :^(

When you guys get your books finished, I'll buy one :^)

Be blessed!

[Brad Cooper]

Peggy,

Thanks for your encouragement! Blessings!

[Michael W. Kruse]

Ditto.