THERE ARE VARIED VIEWS regarding different attitudes for financial support for today’s church by those who minister within it and also by those who attend. From those who attend, there are those who tithe, or even more than tithe, on one end of a continuum, and at the other end, those who simply reject any personal giving to the church. From a ministry perspective, there are those who insist on some level of giving on the part of a congregation, to those who never speak of support, and depend upon the generosity, whatever that may or may not mean, of those who attend. Strong opinions may drive any of those perspectives, either by the individual members of a congregation, or by the ministry staff who serve them. In between the polar extremes there are always people on the sliding scale of good will who attempt to find a balance in regards to these issues. It is not merely a financial matter; it is a matter that affects the spiritual health of each local faith community.
In the O.T. it is clear that the Levitical priesthood had been set aside by God as priests to the nation. The people Yahweh set aside as Israel, from inception to established nation under the judges, was governed theologically. This began with Moses, and his brother Aaron. “Tell all the skilled men to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.” (Ex. 28:3)
The Levitical priesthood started with Aaron; his descendants were to be the spiritual leaders of the nation, and to be consecrated to this sacred work. They were also to be supported by the other eleven tribes. “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.” (Num. 18:21) And the LORD, who led, through Moses and Joshua, all the tribes into the Promised Land, tells all Israel of this obligation: “And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.” (Deut. 14:27)
From its inception, the tithe was not meant to be an onerous burden, but a joyous recognition and celebration of the LORD’s bounteous provision. Here that is expressed, “Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.” (Deut. 14:26b) And here, that observance is conveyed in the context of “so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” (Deut. 14:23b)
Leaving aside a discussion of various iterations of fellowship offerings, burnt offerings, or sin offerings, the practice of tithing, scripturally understood, is meant to be a form of worship. The giving of the tithe is not a form of extortion, but at its best a free-will offering in worship of the God of providence. It is carried out in the good times in thankfulness for the blessings of today, recognizing those times in the past when life was hard, but Yahweh nevertheless provided. It is done in trust that he will do so always, whether times are hard or not. It is also done in recognition of the Levitical needs and provisions, here mentioned for a second time parenthetically: “for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.” (Deut. 14:27)
In the N.T., Pauline theology is most commonly used as a basis for determining a stance on giving financially to support the church. Unfortunately, those of polar extremes in their views tend to select the verses he wrote that best support their own view. To illustrate, the Apostle Paul quotes Moses, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.” (Deut. 25:4; 1 Tim. 5:18) He continues, “The worker deserves his wages.” (Ibid.) Comparing himself to the other Apostles, he asks a rhetorical question. “Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?” (1 Cor. 9:4-6) Of himself, he says, “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.” (Acts 20:33-34) But, Paul also writes, “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” (1 Cor. 9:11-14)
These are a mere few quotes from Paul on these matters, as he wrote extensively on the subject. Those who favor a volunteer pastoral ministry often quote Paul’s personal sacrificial rejection of finances; those who support vocational pastoral ministry choose more supportive scriptures. Jesus, an itinerant preacher who did not work in the vocational ministry of the time, said this: “The worker is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7), and also “Give, and it will be given to you.” (Luke 6:38) All of us will have to come to our own conscientious decision about the level of support, if any, we contribute to our local church. As you consider such things, perhaps this secular quote will help guide: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” – Warren Buffet.
Q. What is my view of financial support of the church and its ministers?
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