Expert: Phillip Senn - 11/10/2008

Question
My wife and I have been wrestling with the amount of our tithes.  Many years were spent in education before there was a paycheck.  The numerous years of schooling were paid for by myself entirely.  I had no family assistance in covering tuition/room/board and financed my loans and their payback. In one sense, it is very satisfying to not financially 'owe' anyone for the success which has been attained.  In another sense the road has been worrisome and difficult at times.

We take our faith seriously, but also have questions about what is expected of us with regards to tithing.  We earn more, but also each of us work 'by the hour'.  We are not business owners whose incomes come from the sweat of others' brow.  We come home and we're exhausted.  We have a few questions in this vein and some involve some historical perspective.  Here they go:

1)  In the scripture (Exodus 30:13), reference is made that the rich shall not be taxed more than the poor.  I am in a higher tax bracket because of my higher earnings.  If I'm paying 40% in taxes yearly, is today's American tax system already taxing me more than those in Biblical times? Should my tithing reflect this?

2) In Jesus' day, what percentage or flat fee were citizens of that era paying in Roman taxes?

3) What do I make of or how do I account for the years spent in school---is there not value in that time given for future service to mankind? I was not able to earn an income, but rather dug myself deeper into educational debt during those years?  This was not something experienced in Biblical times.  The Bible refers to tithing 10% of our increase---should I figure those years somehow into my computations, counting that as a decrease to be subtracted from my increase?

4) Knowing what we know about our present world, life spans have increased far beyond what was expected 2000 years ago.  With churches no longer being the welfare organization it once was, shouldn't the average citizen retain more to provide for their senior years and hard times?

5) Churches are tax-exempt.  If that is the case, aren't we already contributing to the church/churches by paying our taxes?  How, if at all, were the churches taxed in Biblical days?  

Thanks for fielding these questions.  It may sound like a small issue next to some in the realm of salvation and evangelism, but it is something with which we've been struggling.  We appreciate your most historically accurate reply to these questions.  

Phil

Answer
Phil,

I have no real answers on the specific questions that you asked. I do not claim any expertise in those things that Scripture doesn't address.

The "tithe" is 10%. There are no adjustments according to Scripture. No matter what the government does, your obligation is the tithe. The tithe doesn't belong to you nor to the government, nor does it belong to the church. The tithe belongs to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30).

The tithe is to be on "the increase" (2 Chronicles 31:5). The increase for those who are working and earning wages, is 10% of the gross. The rule for those that are farming is a bit different, as they have the seed that had to be purchased up front. The increase would be the gross amount of earnings. That amount would exclude the price of the seed corn, and any expenses related to getting the crop in the ground. It would not include regular expenses for other farm related items.

There is another line of thinking here also, and that is of the offering. Malachi quoted God as saying that, "in tithes and offerings" ye have robbed me. Offerings are those that are given above the tithe. Both tithes and offerings belong unto the Lord, and those that hold them back from their rightful owner are robbing him.

One other aspect of the offerings is that they are to be freely and thankfully offered, They are to be offered cheerfully. God loves a cheerful giver. The Lord's tithe is not indicated here, as the tithe is to be given, regardless of whether or not we give it cheerfully. The offerings though should be given with a cheerfully heart of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord who hath bought us with His own body.

When our worship is from the heart, we will give cheerfully. He truly is worthy of all that we have. He has provided us with the strength, the wisdom, the knowledge, and everything else we need to be productive. Should we seek to honor Him with any less than all those things that He has blessed us with?

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn