Tithing

What is a tithe?

A tithe is a simple thing, really. A tithe is one-tenth of one’s income given back to God, through his Church, in thanksgiving for all his gifts.

Where did that idea come from?

It came from God Himself, actually. It was set down in the Law of the Old Testament, where it was commanded, “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed, which comes forth from the field year by year,” Deuteronomy 14:22 (RSV). The reason was “that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.” Deuteronomy 14:29 (RSV). Even more explicitly can we find the command given, “’All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 14:20 (RSV).

Actually, the practice goes back even further to the meeting of Abraham with Melchizedek (whom Paul saw as the figure of Christ as High Priest in the Old Testament) when Abraham, having been blessed by the High Priest, gave him “a tenth of everything.” Genesis 14:20 (RSV) (see also Hebrews 7: 2-6). This has been the practice of grateful Jews and Christians ever since.
Isn’t the tithe just and ancient tax?

True, the tithe has been seen as a tax in various circumstances, but that is not the heart of the matter. The heart of the matter lies in how you regard what you have, your possessions. Are they yours? “Of Course,” you will say. “I’ve worked long and hard for what I have.” True. And you are entitled to benefit from your hard labor and saving. But could you have done it alone? Could you have done it without your health? Could you have done it without your brain? Or your body? Could you have done it without all the resources at your disposal over which you had little or no control? All that we have, ultimately, is the gift of God.

This is a critical understanding for the Christian.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is; the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and stablished it upon the floods.” Psalms 24:1-2 (BCP), (quoted in part in 1 Corinthians 10:26.) No man ever thought up a brain; no man ever willed his birth into a nation or a circumstances. God has provided the raw material for everything we have. We owe Him our gratitude, our deep, utter gratitude. And how better to express that gratitude than to return a part of His creation to Him?

In the end, it is God who has made this the measure of our gratitude. He established the tithe and he has even gone so far as to suggest that withholding it is equivalent to robbing God”. Malachi 3:8-9. Pretty strong language.

But why return a tenth? And why to the Church?

The short answer is because God tells us to. And with good reason, it is absolutely fair. A tenth is a proportional payment of return, measured by ability. The rich man pays a substantial amount of his wealth, but the poor man, the one on pension or even welfare, pays a much smaller amount. Tithing simply means getting along on a bit less, commensurate with your share of God’s bounty. The Church acts on behalf of God to receive his share, but what does she do with it? She brings the reality of God into the world. She preaches the Gospel, trains the young, comforts the ill, provides the sacraments to all God’s people - without regard for the amount of the tithe. She uses that tithe for God’s purposed. (She had better!) That money received in Old Testament times, by the temple - and a tenth of the tithe was allocated to the priests and Levites who served there. What a better way to spend that tithe than to further God’s kingdom with it?

All right; but look, if I give 10% of my income to the Church, I’ll be broke!

Not really. It is a sad commentary on the commitment and spiritual maturity of our people that so few Anglicans give 10% to the Church. It seriously hampers the work of the Church, make no mistake about it. If you look for the fastest growing denominations in the country today, you’ll find they are ones in which most of the people tithe. Indeed, a tithing congregation of ten families can support a priest at the average salary of its members; another ten families can build a building - and on and on. It can be done -- many of your fellow church members do it, and they are not wealthy.

What’s the first step?

First and foremost, you must make up your mind to do it. Then follow through. Sure it pinches now and then. It’s hard. As one humorist put it, “’God loveth a cheerful giver’ (2 Corinthians 9:7, KJV) … but he accepts the tithe of a grouch.” But really, there is no cause for fear.

“No cause to fear? Cutting 10% out of my income? Surely you jest!”

Not at all. In the very same passage in which, speaking through the prophet Malachi, God reprimands his people for robbing him, for not paying their tithes, he makes a most remarkable promise: “Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” Malachi 3:10 (RSV). “Put to the test,” he says. And many have. Virtually everyone who tithes testifies to the fact that God helps make it possible; that doors open they never knew were there before. He will help! But taking that first step, making out God’s check before the first of the bills are paid, is probably the first real test of faith, of commitment, of trust in God, that most of us will ever have. Try it. Test Him.

One more thing.

This article is published by the Church. It is published, not to make money or “raise funds,” but to teach the Christian faith. It is not printed because we need the money that tithing will bring, though we certainly do need it. It is published to teach you how to enjoy your own processions. It is printed, not because the Church needs the money, but because you need the blessings that tithing can bring to you and your family. No one is too rich or too poor to benefit from this discipline of faith. The promise of God’s blessing is available to everyone who will follow this simple practice. This message is for you, for your spiritual health and for your enjoyment, as you share with God what he has shared with you. Think about it. Pray about it. Then do it - and change your life for the better.

(adapted from a tract produced by Christ Anglican Catholic Church of New Orleans, Louisiana)