Why tithe?

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Consecration is a problem that makes many Christians struggle. Many churches put too much emphasis on dedication. At the same time, there are also many Christians who refuse to heed the admonitions in the Bible about giving to the Lord. Dedication/giving should be a joy, a blessing. Unfortunately, this is often not the case in today's churches.

Dedication is a concept in the Old Testament. The law required all Israelis to deliver one-tenth of their property and harvest to the temple (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5).

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Some people understood the offerings in the Old Testament as a tax law that provided the needs of the priests and Levites' sacrificial system. There are no requirements, or even recommendations, in the New Testament that Christians must observe a legal system of dedication. Paul said that believers should use part of their income to support the church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

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The New Testament does not specify how much income should be given, but only says to "pay according to your own income" (1 Corinthians 16:2). The Christian Church adopted the tenth basis in the Old Testament as the "recommended minimum amount" for Christians. Christians should give according to their own abilities, "according to their own income", which means that sometimes it may exceed one-tenth, sometimes it may be less than one-tenth, depending on the personal ability of the Christian and the needs of the church .

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Every Christian should pray earnestly and seek God’s wisdom on the matter of giving, to see whether he should give a tithe or how much he should give (James 1:5). "Each person should make his own decisions, don't make things difficult, don't force it, because those who donate willingly are loved by God" (2 Corinthians 9:7).