Generous Giving

Paul describes a new set of guidelines for giving in this chapter. The Old Testament mandate was to tithe 10% of income. In the spirit of New Testament freedom from the Law, Paul emphasizes the heart of the giver instead of the amount. We are commanded as New Testament Christians to give eagerly, generously, and in accordance with what we have. Should this be more or less than the 10% required by the Law?  In every way, the New Testament raises the bar for believers. The Law said "do not commit adultery" but the New Testament takes it to the next level by saying that if you look upon a woman with lust, you have committed adultery in your heart. The  Law said " do not commit murder", but the New Testament added that if we say to our brother "you fool", we are just as guilty.  And though free from dietary laws, Paul instructs New Testament Christians to refrain from consuming anything that might cause a weaker believer to stumble. From these examples, it is clear that the New Testament expectation was to obey not the letter of the Law but the spirit of the Law.  In other words, meeting the minimum legal requirement was replaced by going above and beyond what was intended...and doing so out of love. So with regard to our giving, we can safely assume that the 10% tithe is the minimum legal requirement and one that we are expected to go above and beyond in the spirit of generous, as opposed to required, giving. There is nothing in the New Testament that speaks to any particular dollar amount or percentage.  We are simply told to be generous and cheerful givers. Some in the faith ignore the command to tithe, dismissing it as an aspect of the Law from which we have been freed.  While this is technically true, a heart that is committed to Christ and His kingdom, will give freely. More commonly of course, Christians do not tithe simply because they don't want to. I wish I could reference this information, but I heard in a sermon once that if all Christians tithed, just the basic tithe, we would not have poverty or hunger of any kind. In the name of "freedom" or in the interest of self, we have abandoned the charge to sacrifice for the benefit of others. Some quick Internet research revealed that approximately just 5% of Christian households tithe...

Tomorrow's reading: 2 Cor. 11:1-13:14; Acts 20:7-12