No tithe required

Are we required to pay a 10 percent tithe to the church? No.

In the Old Testament, tithes were a form of taxation for the government to run the government (Lev. 27:30–33; Deut. 14:22–29).

In the New Testament, God does command us to give (Matt. 5:42–45; Luke 6:27–35).

But God does not require a certain amount but what He leads you to give. If we are truly saved, we will not have to be compelled to give; we will want to give because our hearts have been regenerated. 

Regenerated hearts produce the fruits of the Spirit, one of which is love. If we are saved, we will love; if we love, we will give. 

According to Matthew 5:42–45 and Luke 6:27–35, God is opposed to greediness and stinginess. We should and must give — but not because a preacher or a church requires it — because we have been saved and are living according to a regenerated heart.

Jacob Lockmiller
Glencoe, Ala.