The scriptures listed are not every possible passage relevant to giving, but they do set the stage for this topic
Jesus' Teaching
Mark 12: 13-17
Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.
Mark 12: 41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
Matthew 6: 19-21,24
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 23: 23-24
"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 [justice, mercy, and faithfulness], without neglecting the former [tithing]. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Luke 6: 38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Matthew 6: 31-34
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Other New Testament Background
Acts 4:32-35
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
Romans 3: 19-22
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
Romans 8: 12-14
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
2 Corinthians 9: 6-11
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:"They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever." Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
(Note: The background of this passage is a special offering Paul was collecting from the Gentile churches to be sent to the Jerusalem Christians who were suffering because of a famine in Israel.)
1 Timothy 6: 6-10
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6: 17-19
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Old Testament Background
Genesis 14: 18-20
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
(Note: Abram, who would later be named Abraham, had gone into a battle to rescue his nephew Lot, who had been captured in a previous battle. During the course of the battle to rescue Lot, Abram re-captured a good deal of property. After the battle was over Abram gives a tenth of everything he re-captured to Melchizedek king of Salem.)
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Genesis 28: 20-22
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's household, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
Leviticus 27:30
" 'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod—will be holy to the LORD.
Malachi 3: 6-10
"I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?' "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How are we robbing you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Practical Application
Giving has always been an important part of having a relationship with God. It was a custom in the ancient world to give a tithe, a tenth, in tribute to a king, especially in times of battle. When Abram gives a tithe to Melchizidek he is practicing a customary way to honor a king. When Jacob commits himself to God he promises God a tithe of all God gives him. At this time tithing was not commanded in order to be in relationship with God, but tithing was a way, in that day, to pay tribute and show allegiance to a king.
However, when God gave the Law to the Jewish people through Moses, tithing (giving of a tenth)became part of the regular giving practices of the Jewish people. The Law was considered a gift from God because it allowed the Jewish people to know how to honor and relate to God. Because of its inclusion in the Law, tithing became a regular part of Jewish culture. The tithe was understood to be God's property, and therefore to withhold the tithe was considered to be robbing God of what rightfully belonged to him.
Jesus affirmed the basic practice of tithing. However, Jesus objected to the way that tithing had evolved into a legalistic and calculated affair. The calculation of the tithe had begun to overshadow more important matters, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Jesus taught that money was deceitful and that it could easily become a rival to God.
The first Christians, under the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit, gave and shared in a non-legalistic, abundant way. They didn't give because they felt obliged to obey all of Jewish law and custom. They didn't give in order to earn their salvation. They gave because they were under the influence of God's Holy Spirit. Their generosity seems to have naturally exceeded what had been required under the Law.
To be a Christian one doesn’t necessarily have to tithe (it's not as if salvation depends on it), but why would we ever want to give less than a tithe, especially considering all of the blessings promised with tithing? The tithe was the minimum amount to give under the Law, Jesus affirmed it, and as a Christian we are led by the same Holy Spirit that lead the first Christians to give and share so generously. Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." (Mark 12:17) The Bible teaches that the tithe belongs to God (as well as our entire life), and there is no good reason why we shouldn't give a tithe back to God. I've just always, as long as I've been a Christian, had a sense that giving at least a tithe was important.
The obvious, primary destination of giving is the local church of which we are a member. The prophet Micah criticized the Jews of his time for not bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse where it could be a benefit to the whole community. When the first Christians brought their gifts they laid them at the apostles' feet. The apostles then saw that the money was distributed to anyone who had need. Giving is rightly placed in the hands of the church whose leaders must then discern the best way for the monies to be directed towards ministry.
However we must not use tithing as a club to beat people over the head with. Tithing especially, is a source of great difficulty and guilt for most Christians. The longer you are a Christian without giving or tithing the more of a sacrifice it seems to be to start giving and tithing. Tithing, or giving in general, should not be made into a legalistic guilt-trip. On the other hand, as Christians we are not slaves to money. People should not to miss out on blessings they will receive now and in eternity as the result of growing spiritually through faithful giving. If you tithe you will not necessarily get rich. But mature Christians who are deeply involved in the life of their church always seem to be provided for. Mature, giving Christians are able to give and able to ask for help if they need it. (There's no rule in the Bible that says it's wrong to ask for legitimate help!) So, if you want to jump in and start tithing, and then see how God will provide, please go right ahead. Lots of people have done this and experienced wonderful miracles of provision. If you can't bring yourself to the level of tithing at this point, then prayerfully consider a level of giving that will stretch your faith and get you started giving more. Find a level of honorable giving that shows your respect for God.