What Does the Bible Say About Tithing?
A Guide for Christian Investors · 9 Min Read
Few financial topics produce more discomfort among Christians than tithing.
The Bible is not vague about it. Biblical teaching on tithing centers on ownership rather than percentages. God owns everything; the tithe demonstrates this conviction through disciplined practice.
Complimentary, no obligation. Or keep reading. We’ll walk through what Scripture actually says below.
What Is a Tithe?
The word tithe means one tenth. In Scripture, it refers to the practice of returning a tenth of one’s income, produce, or increase to God. The practice appears in three forms across Scripture: voluntary worship, formal Mosaic requirement, and deepened New Testament principle.
Tithing in the Bible Before the Law
“And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
“And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek represented recognition that God provided the victory. No legal obligation existed. Jacob made a voluntary covenant vow at Bethel, promising a tenth in response to God’s provision. The pre-Law origin demonstrates that tithing flows from acknowledging God as source and owner, not merely from legal requirement.
Tithing Under the Mosaic Law
“Every 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.”
“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.”
The tithe was formalized as a required offering under Mosaic Law. Numbers 18 established its purpose: provision for the Levites, who served as priests without a land inheritance of their own. The Levitical system no longer exists, but the principle of supporting gospel workers carries into the New Covenant.
The Most Important Tithing Passages.
“Bring the full tithe 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 a blessing until there is no more need.”
“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions.”
Malachi’s language regarding withheld tithes is unsparing: withholding is characterized as robbing God. The promise of blessing in 3:10 is real, but it cannot be extracted as a financial formula; the surrounding context emphasizes a more sobering reality about spiritual carelessness.
“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
Proverbs frames giving as honoring God first and trusting him with what remains, a posture running counter to self-protective financial instincts.
“In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.”
Hebrews uses Abraham’s pre-Law tithe to argue for the superiority of Christ’s priesthood. The tithe was never a relic. It pointed toward Christ.
How Much Are You Supposed to Tithe?
The Old Testament answer is straightforward: ten percent, given annually, off the top before calculating what remains. The New Testament does not repeat the specific number, but it consistently raises the standard.
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
Jesus affirms the tithe in Luke 11:42 while noting it is a floor, not a ceiling. The Pharisees tithed meticulously but missed justice and the love of God. The question becomes: we have received more of God’s grace, more of his revelation, more of his saving work in Christ than any Old Testament believer ever saw clearly. Should we expect to be less generous in response?
“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Paul frames giving not as legal obligation but as gospel response. A practical starting point: ten percent of net income as a concrete biblical anchor, creating real discipline and a real test of trust. From there, the question shifts to how much more can be given, not how little suffices.
Can I Give My Tithe to the Poor Instead of the Church?
This frequently searched question deserves careful examination. The impulse behind it, genuine concern for the poor, reflects Scripture’s own emphasis. But the framing presents a false premise: it assumes giving to the poor and supporting the church are alternative choices. Biblical teaching presents them as complementary, not competing.
Old Testament Teaching
“At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled.”
The Mosaic Law contained multiple tithes: one for the Levites, one for celebration and worship, and a third (every three years) specifically for the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners.
New Testament Teaching
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Giving to the poor does not replace church support; church giving does not exhaust Scripture’s calls to generosity. Both flow from a gospel-shaped understanding. This principle extends to investments, too. Christians who want their entire financial life to reflect their faith might explore Biblically Responsible Investing and its connection to their giving convictions.
What Is the Difference Between a Tithe and an Offering?
These are related but distinct biblical categories. The tithe is the required tenth: the baseline, the floor, the starting point of faithful giving. It is not exceptional generosity but basic covenant faithfulness.
An offering is everything given beyond the tithe. While tithes are required, offerings are voluntary expressions of worship, gratitude, and devotion. Old Testament offerings included burnt, peace, freewill, and votive offerings.
“But the king said to Araunah, 'No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.'”
David refused to offer what cost him nothing, capturing a posture of genuine sacrifice. The tithe establishes the discipline. The offering reflects the heart. A Christian giving only ten percent meets the minimum standard but has not reached Scripture’s ultimate vision of generosity, a New Testament vision that points beyond obligation toward sacrifice, beyond tithe toward offering, beyond duty toward delight.
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
The New Testament and Tithing
A common assumption holds that the New Testament is largely silent on tithing, and that silence permits discontinuing the practice. This reading does not survive careful examination: Jesus addresses tithing directly, and he does not commend it and tell his followers to stop. He affirms the tithe while challenging the reduction of faithfulness to tithing alone.
If Jesus assumes his followers will tithe, and then calls them to go further in justice and love, the question is not whether the tithe still applies. The question is whether it is the beginning of faithful generosity or the ceiling of it.
The most extended New Testament treatment of Christian giving is 2 Corinthians 8–9, where Paul uses the Macedonian churches as an example. They gave from extreme poverty, beyond their means, voluntarily, urgently: presented not as extraordinary sacrifice but as the natural expression of grace at work in a person’s life.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
A sobering New Testament question follows: Old Testament believers gave a tenth with far less of God’s revelation and Christ’s work made plain. Since Christians now possess more grace and truth, the logic of the gospel points not toward less generosity but toward more. The tithe, in this light, is not a burden the New Covenant removes. It is a floor the gospel invites us to build on.
See how giving fits your complete picture.
Tithing does not happen in isolation from the rest of your financial life. Cash flow, giving strategy, donor-advised funds, and tax planning all shape how generosity actually gets lived out, not just believed. We help Christian families build a plan where giving has a clear, sustainable place alongside every other goal.
Schedule a Complimentary ConsultationHow Does Biblical Tithing Apply to Christians Today?
The biblical picture is not complicated, though it is demanding. God owns everything. A tenth belongs back to him as an expression of covenant faithfulness and trust. That tenth is a floor, not a ceiling. The gospel raises the standard. Five questions for practical implementation:
- 1. Am I tithing at all?
- Many Christians answer no, or inconsistently. The place to start is discipline itself: a tenth of income given regularly, off the top, before calculating what remains. That pattern reliably reshapes a person's relationship to money.
- 2. Where is my tithe going?
- Scripture establishes gospel-worker support as the primary purpose of the tithe. For most Christians this begins with the local church but may extend to ministries, missionaries, and kingdom-advancing organizations. Is your giving connected to actual gospel advancement and care for people, or has it drifted into a thoughtless transaction?
- 3. Am I giving beyond the tithe?
- Offerings go beyond the tithe requirement. Scripture commends giving that involves genuine sacrifice, not only giving from surplus. For Christian individuals and families integrating giving with retirement and stewardship, these conversations come up regularly in our planning meetings.
- 4. Does my investment portfolio reflect the same convictions as my giving?
- This is the question many Christians have not yet asked. A person can tithe faithfully while holding investments that fund companies manufacturing abortion drugs, distributing pornographic content, or working against biblical values. Financial-life consistency extends beyond the giving line into the portfolio.
- 5. Is my giving driven by grace or by guilt?
- This may be the most important question of all. Paul's vision in 2 Corinthians 8–9 is not reluctant compliance but cheerful, willing, eager giving that flows from a genuine grasp of gospel grace. If giving feels like a tax, the issue is motivation, not percentage.
Faith and finance in the same conversation.
Tithing, generosity, and stewardship are not peripheral topics in the Christian financial planning conversation. They are central to it. We work with Christians who want their entire financial life to reflect their beliefs, not only their giving.
Our team includes CFP®, CKA®, and APMA® credentialed professionals. The CKA, Certified Kingdom Advisor, is the recognized professional standard for Christian financial advice. We serve Christians in California, Texas, and virtually nationwide.
Schedule a Complimentary ConsultationRelated reading.
Financial Scriptures: Bible Verses About Money
The broader biblical picture of money, wealth, saving, and stewardship.
Read the GuideWhat Is Biblically Responsible Investing?
Whether your portfolio reflects the same convictions as your giving.
Read the GuideOur Team
Meet the CFP®, CKA®, and APMA® credentialed advisors behind Stars & Sand Financial.
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