“Now Concerning the Collection” – Part 6: Tithing vs. Free Will Offerings

Collection Plate

Many refer to the giving done on the first day of the week as tithing. This is a term we find in the Old Testament. The first instance came after Abram (later called Abraham, Genesis 17:5) defeated Chedorlaomer and the kings who had banded together with him. Abram came to Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God, and “gave him a tenth of all” (Genesis 14:20). The King James Version says he “gave him tithes of all.” This was what a tithe was – ten percent.

The practice continued under the Law of Moses and was required of all the people. “You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year” (Deuteronomy 14:22). This applied to both the fruit of the land (Leviticus 27:30) and the animals they raised (Leviticus 27:32). Even those of the tribe of Levi, who benefited from the tithe as their inheritance (Numbers 18:21-24), were required to pay this – “a tithe of a tithe” (Numbers 18:26). This was the Lord’s requirement under the Old Law.

When we look over to the New Testament, however, the concept of tithing is not found. Yes, tithing involved giving back to the Lord, as the collection also does. But tithing specifies the amount that must be given – a tenth. Nowhere in the New Testament is this amount, or any other amount, ever legislated.

A closer parallel to the giving described in the New Testament would be with the freewill offering. In speaking of performing vows that would be made to the Lord, the Law said: “That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth” (Deuteronomy 23:23, KJV). The New American Standard version uses the phrase, “just as you have voluntarily vowed.” A freewill offering was what one vowed to the Lord voluntarily.

Although the quantity, or amount, was not regulated (as was the case with the tithe), the quality of the offering was regulated. “When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it” (Leviticus 22:21, emphasis mine). Even with a freewill offering, which was voluntary, the Lord required that it meet His standard. God does not accept just anything that men may offer to Him. He will accept only those things that are in accordance with His will.

When we consider the giving done by Christians on the first day of the week, we see parallels between this and the freewill offerings of the Old Law. First of all, freewill offerings were unspecified with regard to the amount offered. In the New Testament, no amount or percentage we are required to give is specified, either. Secondly, freewill offerings were voluntary. The New Testament teaches that we have control over our own money (Acts 5:4). Each one of us is to give “as he has purposed in his heart” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Does this mean we can choose to give nothing? No. “Each one” is to give “on the first day of every week” (1 Corinthians 16:2). But what we give is done voluntarily. No one can decide for us how much we need to give. We must determine that on our own. To help us determine this, we will turn our attention to the attitude we should have in giving and what should motivate us to give.


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