Page 86 - Ecclesiology Textbook Masters

The four main categories from above are:

1. Financial Need – helping people. When there were those who were poor and hungry the church
provided, as they were able, financial assistance.

2. Missionary Travel – providing the cost of transport of those who go to do ministry in a different place.
Also included in this would be travel for church business (meetings, and to pass important messages to
other churches).

3. Church worker who gives himself to God. This can include both an elder or a minister who is a leader
in the church who spends their time working for the church. Many early church pastors provided for
themselves through other jobs. Paul took no money as compensation for his work, but on occasion, was
given gifts and contributions to help in time of need.

4. Ongoing funds for church activities – Phil. 4:14-18

How do you think the spending in most churches compares to this list? Do you think we are spending
money in the ways that the early churches did? Seems like today’s churches may have misplaced
priorities! Since a church is called by Christ to share the Gospel with the nations, should that not be
the largest budget item?

Funding the church

Churches are supported by the sacrificial giving of the membership. Many preachers today
teach their congregations that they need to tithe to God out of obedience to God’s Word.
They tell their people that 10% of everything they make is called the first fruits and belongs
to God. They are informed that the way to give to God is to give money in the offering at church. They
sight many “proof-texts” from the Bible that this is God’s plan for the church. Of course, most of the
texts are all from the Old Testament and have nothing to do with the church.

So, when you are paid some money, have you been faithful to give your tithe of 10% to God? Or have
you been robbing from God (the preacher declares Malachi 3:8 says that those who do not tithe are
robbing God)? Is this teaching accurate for the New Testament church? Has God commanded you to
tithe 10% of your income? And should you tithe 10% of the gross you make, or 10% of the net (after
taxes are taken out)? Are you to teach this to your church members? Let’s study the tithe in God’s
Word and try to answer these questions.

What is the Tithe?
The word "tithe" comes from an Old English root meaning "one tenth." It is the common English
translation for the Old Testament Hebrew asar word group. The tithe was an offering of one's
agricultural or animal income to the Lord as an expression of thanks and dedication. In the Old
Testament agrarian economy, tithes were paid not in cash, gold or goods, but in crops or livestock. Only
the fruit and livestock of the Promised Land were to be tithed—no other forms of income.

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