Giving FAQ's
What does the Bible says about Money?
Plenty. The word "faith" appears less than 500 times in the Bible. "Prayer" just about 500 times. But "money" and "property" are mentioned over 1,000 times, through the Old and New Testaments. Money Ð the use and abuse of it Ð are a central theme in Christian theology.Here are just two scriptural references:
Leviticus 27:28 A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the
Lord...These are the commands the Lord gave Moses on Mt Sinai.
Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob meÉBring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.
The Bible makes it clear that faithful Christians are expected to give. Every Sunday School student hears Jesus tells us "it is more blessed to give than to receive." It's just hard to remember this on Christmas morning!
Whose Money is it?
In Psalm 24, we learn, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it." So actually, we Christians are simply stewards of the Lord's bounty.So how much should we give?
Jesus told the rich young man, "Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven." Unless you live in a monastery, no one expects you to donate all your assets to the poor. However, Christians are expected to give generously, especially if they are prosperous.Does the Episcopal Church give us any guidelines for Giving?
In 1982, our General Convention approved this position: The tithe is the minimum standard of giving for Episcopalians.So what's a tithe?
The concept of tithing goes back to the Old Testament. It means a ten percent tax paid voluntarily (in cash or back then, goods). In the early church, the tax went to the priests. Today, tithing is usually calculated at 10 percent of all gross income from all sources, and is paid to the local congregation. However, there is no commandment to tithe; the New Testament merely tells us to give in a way that is:- Proportional to one's income (1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 8:12)
- Consistent (1 Corinthians 16:2)
- Sacrificial (Mark 12:43-44, 2 Corinthians 8:2-3)
- Cheerful (2 Corinthians 9:7)