By Dr. Rebekah McCloud
My momma often got things tangled up, twisted up, but was sure she was right.
One day I came home from work and Momma told me, “Ben got a job with the one-armed man.”
“Momma, who is this one-armed man? What kind of job did Ben get?” I asked.
“Becky, don’t act like you don’t know who I’m talking about.”
“Momma, I really don’t know the one-armed man.”
“You know that place up there by the dog track.”
“Oh, Momma, that’s the Right Hand Man.”
“Well, I got it twisted up; but see, you knew what I was talking about.”
There are a number of concepts in the Christian belief that are constantly scrutinized and hotly debated. There are things about which scores of books have been written and sermons preached. Many of these are things people on both sides of the issue are sure they are right. Tithing is one of those things. There are several age-old debates on this topic. First, do we still need to tithe today? Second, do you tithe on the gross or the net?
I encourage you to read your Bible, study for yourself and talk to the Pastor to find the answers to these questions. This morning I want to get you started by sharing some food for thought.
First, do we still need to tithe today? The dictionary says the word tithe means “a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment.”[1]
Tithing is first seen in the Bible in the book of Genesis. In Genesis14:20, Abraham was the first to tithe. He gave a tenth to Melchizedek of what he gained from war. In Genesis 28, the Jacob met the Lord at Bethel and he promised Jacob a blessing. In verse 22 Jacob promised to give back to the Lord a tenth of everything that was granted to him. There are nearly 30 scriptures scattered throughout the Old Testament that address tithing.
However, there are only seven mentions of tithing in the New Testament. One is in Matthew 23:23. It says, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Other mentions of tithing can be found in the books of Luke and Hebrews.
According to Crown Ministries, “the Bible describes the giving of a tithe as a testimony to God’s ownership. It was through the tithe that Abraham acknowledged God’s ownership. Abraham had no law – that didn’t come until later with Moses. Abraham gave because he loved God and was convicted that the tithe belonged to Him…Abraham obediently surrendered a tithe because he understood its significance.”[2] Amen.
So, do we still need to tithe today? Pray and search the scriptures, talk with the pastor and you’ll find an answer of which you can be sure. Amen.
Second, do you tithe on the gross or the net? This is a million-dollar question. Some say the Bible is clear and others say the Bible does not say; it does not address the issue of gross or net. Here are a few thoughts.
Kenneth Copeland says, “Proverbs 3:9 gives clear direction for tithing on gross income (before taxes) vs. tithing on the net (after taxes): “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.” Tithes should be given from the first fruits—your income before any expenses or other obligations are taken out—the gross, not the net.” [3]
Davey Ramsey notes that, “the pre-eminent Scripture on tithing is in Deuteronomy. It says to tithe on your net increase. If you think about an agrarian culture where that was written, if you had a flock of sheep and one was killed by a wolf but you had 11 new lambs, then you had an increase of 10. You would tithe on that. You can make a really good case for it biblically either way. I’m not going to argue about it. It doesn’t matter. Just give and be a giver. It’s about changing your spirit anyway.” [4]
Got Answers concludes, “The Bible does not specifically say whether we should give 10% off our gross or net income. The Old Testament teaches the principle of first fruits. Old Testament believers gave from the best of their crops, not the leftovers. The same principle should apply to our giving today. Again, a believer should give what he believes God would have him give. It all goes back to the attitude of the heart. Are we giving out of reverence for God or out of selfishness for our own wealth? 2 Corinthians 9:7 says each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”[5]
So, do you tithe
on the gross or the net? Pray and search the scriptures, talk with the pastor
and you’ll find an answer of which you can be sure. Amen.
[1] Mariam Webster at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tithe.
[2] Crown Ministries (2017). Ask Chuck: Should I Tithe on the Gross or Net Income? at https://www.crown.org/blog/ask-chuck-should-i-tithe-on-gross-or-net-income/.
[3] Copeland , Kenneth (n.d.) Should I tithe before or after taxes? at www.kcm.org/read/questions/should-i-tithe-or-after-taxes.
[4] Ramsey, Dave. (2019). Tithe on Gross or Net? at https://www.daveramsey.com/askdave/other/tithe-on-gross-or-net.
[5] Should we tithe off our gross or net income? At https://www.gotquestions.org/tithe-gross-net.html.