Christians don’t have to tithe on gifts. Gifts aren’t income, so there’s reason to pay ten percent of that money to a church. Some churches encourage members to tithe on their gifts. However, it’s up to you if you want to pay tithes.
Table of Contents
- Watch the Video
- The Gift of Money
- Facts About Increase
- Recap
- FAQs About Tithing
- Outsmart the False Teachers
The Bible doesn’t mention tithing on gifts. Nevertheless, some pro-tithe preachers encourage Christians to tithe off the money they receive beyond their regular income. Even though the Bible doesn’t address this specific issue, we can focus on what we know to arrive at a Bible-based answer.
Watch the Video
The Gift of Money
The “gifts” pro-tithers refer to money. It is typically money you receive in addition to your paycheck. These gifts may include an inheritance, a job-related bonus, or prize money. The popular teaching in the church is that Christians must tithe 10% of this cash to the church. This is what they call your increase. They use These two verses to justify getting a percentage of your increase.
Deuteronomy 14:28
28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
King James Version (KJV)
Malachi 3:8-11
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
King James Version (KJV)
Facts About Increase
Is it true the Lord wants Christians to tithe off their increase (i.e., any money received in addition to salaries)? As stated earlier, we must start with the facts of God’s word. The facts lay the foundation for helping us determine whether a doctrine is true or false.
What are the facts?
The first fact is the biblical tithe wasn’t money, salary, wages, or income. The tithe consists of agricultural produce and livestock. This was the only type of tithe God required from ancient Israel. On this basis alone, we can dispel the notion of an increase as being money. Since the tithe was crops and animals, the increase was also crops and animals, not money.
The increase was not looked upon as a gift. The Bible doesn’t define increase as a gift. The word increase is used 88 times in the KJV. It has multiple meanings depending on how it’s used in a verse. Can increase refer to money, profits, revenue, or financial gain? Yes. Here are a couple of examples:
Leviticus 25:36
Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
King James Version (KJV)
Ezekiel 22:12
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.
King James Version (KJV)
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The usury mentioned is interest on a loan. It was a common practice in ancient biblical times, as it is now.
The increase in Deuteronomy 14:28 and Malachi 3:8-11 doesn’t pertain to money. When the Bible mentions tithes concerning increase, it refers to crops and livestock. In other words, the increase is agricultural produce.
Ancient Israelites who earned wages from their crafts didn’t tithe. They didn’t tithe from their income. In turn, if they received extra money as gifts, they didn’t tithe from that either.
Why?
Again, God never required a monetary tithe. Why is this? These Hebrews received wages by the works of their own hands. The Lord wanted to receive that which was the result of his handiwork. This is one reason landowners and herdsmen living in ancient Israel were required to tithe.
The farmers and herdsmen planted the seeds. They plowed the land. They performed many duties related to farming the land and raising cattle, but God produced the harvest. The Lord supplied the rain, the sunshine, and so forth. No matter how much the landowners worked, they depended solely on God for sustenance.
This is why the tithe of the land was holy to the Lord — and not money. Additionally, in the proper context of biblical tithing, the increase refers only to agricultural produce and livestock.
Recap
Should you tithe on gifts? No. The Lord didn’t establish a practice of tithing on gifts. This is a man-made doctrine that Scripture doesn’t support. So don’t be led astray thinking you must hand over 10 percent of any money you receive (bonuses, inheritance, prizes, etc.) to the church.
The biblical tithe was never money. The tithe on the increase was never money. The increase was not viewed as a gift either. Therefore, tithing gifts, such as an inheritance, prize money, or bonuses, have no biblical basis. Tithing the increase was always tied to the land of ancient Israel and the crops and livestock produced from that land.
Are you free to voluntarily give from any monetary gift you receive? Absolutely. However, there is no biblical mandate stating you must do so. You can give any amount you choose. Additionally, you’re not limited to giving to the church. This is the Good News of New Testament giving (Grace giving).
As a believer, you are encouraged (not commanded) to give freely from your heart. If you desire to give, by all means, do so. Do as God’s Holy Spirit leads and directs you (John 16:13).
FAQs About Tithing
What does the bible say about tithing gifts?
In the Scriptures, the ancient Israelites didn’t tithe gifts. The Lord required them to tithe their crops and livestock. So, those tithes were not viewed as gifts. Rather, the tithing of consumable goods was mandatory under the Law of Moses (i.e., the Mosaic Law). However, the Bible doesn’t restrict believers from giving gifts to a church or ministry.
The Bible encourages Christians to give generously from the heart, including gifts, rather than specifying a rigid tithe on gifts. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) says, “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.” This verse emphasizes the importance of joyful and voluntary giving rather than a set percentage of gifts.
What does the bible say about tithing on inheritance?
The Bible does not specifically address tithing on inheritance in a direct manner. Your decision to tithe on an inheritance is a personal choice. There’s no Scripture commanding believers to tithe under this circumstance.
Outsmart the False Teachers
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the tithe doctrines, don’t worry! You can start by reading The Tithing Hoax, where we break down everything you need to know about tithing. We explain why Christians don’t have to tithe and provide biblical verses to back it up. So don’t let anyone tell you you’re going to hell if you don’t tithe.
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