I DID A YouTube video called “Stop Tithing, Start Giving,” in which I talked about Apostle Paul’s guidelines on giving. In the video, I highlighted the importance of giving from your abundance. This topic will help you understand the practice of New Testament giving to the church.
Table of Contents
- A Lack of Faith
- The Abundant Giver
- Guidelines for New Testament Giving to the Church
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Outsmart the False Teachers
A Lack of Faith
A YouTube visitor disagreed with the notion of giving from your abundance. His position was that if you tithe from your abundance, you lack faith. In other words, you are not trusting God if you pay tithes only when you have enough money. You are not acting in faith.
His view about tithing from your abundance is standard in some segments of the church. Although it is a common belief, it is not supported by scripture.
First, tithing is not an act of faith, which I explain in my article Is Tithing an Act of Faith? Secondly, Christians are not required to tithe under any circumstances. I will discuss giving from your abundance instead of tithing for this article since giving is a New Testament practice.
The Abundant Giver
2 Corinthians 8: 11-14, NIV
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality:.
In chapter 8, Paul encourages the collection of money for the church in Jerusalem. He is appealing to the Corinthian church because it was in a better financial state than the other churches (e.g., the church in Macedonia).
In this scripture, Paul makes three things very clear:
- Give according to your means or what you can afford.
- Relieving the burden of others should not be a burden for you.
- You supply the needs of others with your plenty.
Guidelines for New Testament Giving to the Church
He outlines some principles of giving practically and fairly to both the giver and the receiver. Here’s a practical example of how to give using these three principles mentioned above:
- Calculate your monthly household expenses.
- Pay your household expenses. Whatever money you have left over is your abundance. As Paul states, this is your “plenty.”
- Give to those in need from your plenty, your abundance. In this manner, you are helping someone else without placing yourself in financial hardship.
The Apostle Paul encourages good financial stewardship. Giving from your abundance is an aspect of good stewardship and biblical.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Being Under Grace Mean?
In the New Testament, “under grace” means that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice frees believers from the Old Testament law. They are saved by God’s unmerited favor instead of the law. This means that salvation and righteousness are given as a gift through faith in Jesus, not earned by adhering to the law.
Romans 6:14 (KJV) states: “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” This verse emphasizes that it is through God’s grace, and not through human effort or adherence to the law, that believers are set free from the power of sin.
What Is Grace Giving in the Bible?
“Grace giving” or “giving under grace” refers to the New Testament principle of giving freely and generously, not out of obligation or under compulsion, but out of gratitude for God’s grace and love. It emphasizes the attitude and heart behind the gift, rather than the amount or the frequency.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (KJV) encapsulates this principle: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” This verse emphasizes the joy of giving in response to God’s grace, rather than as a strict obligation.
Outsmart the False Teachers
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