Last Sunday at Elevation we explored New Testament giving. I shared that tithing is not the scriptural standard for New Testament believers and gave 11 principals for giving from the NT. The NT clearly teaches that giving is something we should certainly be about and we should give with wild generosity and radical faith.
The New Testament principals make 10% too little giving for some and too much giving for others, like the poor.
Check out the podcast of the message
Managing your Booty Part #2 if you are interested. You can
find it on our webpage It will be up by Wednesday at the latest.
I also mentioned I would post the complete listing of all 18, (yep that's all there are, 18) biblical texts regarding tithing (for further homestudy) so here they are.
Gen 14:17-20 -- Gen 28:20-22 -- Lev 27:30 - 34 -- Num 18:19-28 -- Deut 12:1-19 -- -- Deut 14:22-29 -- Deut 26:12-13 -- 1 Sam 8:14-17 -- Amos 4:2-6 -- 2 Chron 31:1-12 -- Neh 10:37-38; 12:44; 13:5 &12 -- Mal 3:7-10 -- Matt 23:23 / Luke 11:42 -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Heb 7:1-19Notice that none of these passages instructs 10% giving for anyone other than land owners and herd owners (and Levites who gave a tithe of the tithe to the Priests). Note also Jesus never teaches on tithing, nor did he ever tithe, Paul never even wrote the word
tithe in any of his writings. So explore and study giving to Jesus as a heart endeavor - have at it mateys.
I taught we should give :
Worshipfully - Initially - Regularly - Proportionally - Sacrificially - Faith-FULLy - Excellently - Generously - Thoughtfully
- Willingly - Joyfully. ::: STUDY CHALLENGE: This week prayerfully study through 2 Corinthians chapters 8 & 9, it is filled with stuff we couldn't even touch on Sunday night!.
For more study on the topic of tithing read Russell Early Kelly's excellent book
"Should the Church Teach Tithing: A Theologians Conclusions About a Taboo Doctrine"
