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regarding his other possessions or his regular income or giving (Genesis 14:20). To follow Jacob’s
example would be incorrect, because he was making a conditional vow before God, promising that if
God would keep him safe from the wrath of Esau, then he would give God a tenth (Genesis 28:20-22).
And there is no record in Scripture that he actually did! That’s hardly a good example to follow in giving
today!

The only mention of tithing in the New Testament is four verses which reference the Old Testament
practice of tithing. If tithing is to be practiced by the Christian church, is seems strange that Paul did not
mention tithing in one single book he penned in the New Testament. He wrote predominately to
Gentile churches which would not be familiar with the Old Testament, so if he believed they should tithe
as commanded in the Old Testament, should he not have mentioned it to them?

There were many verses I came across about giving in the New Testament. Here are some of them:
I Cor. 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered
him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Tells me when to give: Sunday when I meet with other
believers to worship the Lord.

II Cor. 8; 3-5; For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so
voluntarily, 4 begging us with great earnestness for the blessing and fellowship of helping the
saints. 5 And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us
by the will of God. This tells me that giving is more than giving money, but it is giving of myself as a
sacrifice to the Lord.

But when I came to II Corinthians 9, I “hit the mother load” so to speak. The passage was filled with
several principles about giving, given to the New Testament church. This passage became my
supporting framework for my lesson.

8. Make sure you understand the book in the Bible from which your verses are taken.

I discovered that the church in Jerusalem was in tremendous financial need. Paul was going around
sharing their need and many churches in Turkey and Macedonia responded with many gifts, some at
great sacrifice. The church at Corinth had responded with a pledge, but had never really fulfilled their
pledge. Paul was about to depart and was asking them to fulfill their pledge. That’s the background on
II Corinthians 9. Here are some insights I discovered from this one chapter alone:

9-10. Compile your results with insights listed for each verse. Organize your information in logical
sequences and decide how much to teach at one time.

1. You will reap what you sow…even in the area of giving. You may have heard
the quote, “You cannot out give God!” What this means is that when God gets a
hold of your heart and pocketbook, and begins directing you toward giving, He
will honor obedience with blessings. It may be a return on the gift. He may give
you more money to give away, and even give you a special bonus of something
you need. But this verse promises that your faithfulness will be rewarded by God in a tangible way. Our
motive to give is not to get, but to express our love for our Savior. Giving to get a return demonstrates a
false motive and does not apply to the promise of a blessing.

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