Does the Bible Teach Christians to Tithe 10 Percent Today?

Many Christians sincerely want to honor God with their finances, yet they struggle with one pressing question: Does the Bible actually command believers to tithe 10% of their income? With so many sermons, traditions, and opinions surrounding the tithe, it can be difficult to know what Scripture truly teaches. This study takes a clear, Bible‑centered look at the Old Testament tithe, New Testament giving, and whether God requires Christians to give a mandatory ten percent today.

Many believers struggle with the question of tithing. Some wonder if tithing was only for Israel. Others ask if Christians should give whatever they feel. Still others want to honor our Creator but are unsure what the Bible actually requires. Scripture gives a clear answer: God calls His people to return the first tenth of all their increase to Him. The tithe is not a suggestion. It is not a tradition. It is not an Old Testament relic. It is God’s unchanging standard for His people.

The tithe is the believer’s first act of obedience in financial stewardship. It is the firstfruits, the portion God declares as His. When a Christian withholds the tithe, they are keeping what God says belongs to Him. Scripture calls this “robbing God” because the tithe is His holy portion. Returning the first tenth is how believers honor the Lord, acknowledge His ownership, and place Him first in every area of life, including finances.

This study will show, from Scripture, why Christians today should tithe ten percent of their gross income, how tithing functions as a timeless principle, and why the Lord blesses those who honor Him with the first and best.

How Much Should Christians Really Give to God?

What the Bible Really Says About Christians Tithing

Tithing simply means “a tenth.” Many churches teach that Christians should only give whatever they feel is right, claiming that tithing was part of the Old Testament law that was “nailed to the cross.” But is that what the Bible actually teaches?

Scripture consistently shows that the tithe, the first tenth of our increase, belongs to God. It is not a donation, not a gift, and not optional. It is His portion of what He allows us to produce from His creation.

Everything we use to earn a living, minerals, metals, soil, water, energy, and even our physical strength, ultimately comes from God. Without His raw materials, no job could exist and no income could be earned.

Deuteronomy 10:14, “To the Lord your God belong the heavens… the earth and all that is in it.”

Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.”

Psalm 89:11, “The heavens are Yours… the world and all it contains.”

Leviticus 27:30, “A tithe of everything… belongs to the Lord.”

God owns everything. The tithe is simply the way He instructs us to acknowledge that truth.

What Does the Bible Mean by “Tithe,” and Why Is the Tenth God’s Standard?

The word “tithe” means “tenth.” It is not a symbolic term or a flexible percentage. It is a specific amount our Creator established as His portion. The tithe is the first tenth of all increase. It is the part God claims as holy, set apart for Him.

The tithe belongs to the Lord

Scripture does not say the tenth becomes the Lord’s when we give it. It says the tithe is the Lord’s. It already belongs to Him. Returning the tithe is not generosity, it is obedience. Keeping the tenth is not frugality; it is withholding what God says is His.

Leviticus 27:30“The tithe… is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.”

God calls the tithe “holy.” Holy means set apart, belonging to Him alone. When believers return the tenth, they honor His ownership. When they withhold it, they keep what He has declared as His.

The tenth is the firstfruits

God commands His people to honor Him with the first and best, not the leftovers. The tithe is the first portion of all increase. It is given before anything else. This is why Christians tithe from their gross income, not their net. Gross income is the firstfruits. Net income is what remains after others have taken their portion.

Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.”

Firstfruits means God comes first. Taxes do not come first. Bills do not come first. Personal plans do not come first. God receives His portion before all else. This is the heart of biblical tithing.

The tithe is God’s unchanging standard

From Genesis to Revelation, the Lord uses the tenth as His measure. The tenth is not cultural, ceremonial, or temporary. It is a moral principle rooted in God’s ownership and the believer’s responsibility to honor Him. The tenth is the baseline of obedience. Offerings come after the tithe, not in place of it.

Did Tithing Exist Before the Law of Moses?

What About Abraham and Jacob?

The tithe did not begin with Moses or Israel. Long before the 613 laws were written, God’s people were already tithing. This shows that the tithe is a timeless principle rooted in our Father’s character and the believer’s duty to honor Him.

Genesis 14:19–20 Abraham gave Melchizedek “a tenth of everything.”

Genesis 28:20–22 Jacob vowed, “Of all that You give me I will give You a tenth.”

Abraham, the father of faith, gave a tenth long before Israel existed. He returned the tithe to Melchizedek, God’s priest, as an act of honor, worship, and recognition that our Creator is the source of all blessing. Jacob vowed that everything God gave him would be tithed back to the Lord. He understood that increase comes from God, and the proper response to God’s blessing is returning the first tenth.

These men tithed centuries before any “Jewish law” existed. The only reasonable conclusion is that God Himself taught them this eternal principle. This means tithing cannot be “abolished with the law,” because it existed long before the law.

The law of Moses affirmed the tithe, but did not create it

When God gave Israel the law, He did not introduce a new practice. He formalized a principle that already existed. The tenth became part of Israel’s covenant life because it was already God’s standard for honoring Him.

The Old Testament does not present the tithe as a temporary system. It presents it as God’s rightful portion. The law did not invent the tenth; it recognized it.

The tithe reveals our Father’s heart

Throughout the Old Testament, the tenth connects to honor, obedience, and faithfulness. The tenth teaches believers to put our Father in heaven first. It teaches trust. It teaches stewardship. These truths do not expire. They are rooted in the Eternal’s unchanging character.

This is why the tenth continues into the New Covenant, not as a ritual, but as a moral principle that honors our Creator and supports His work.

Does the Bible Teach That the Tithe Applies to “Increase,” Including Income Today?

The Bible teaches that we are to show honor with the firstfruits of all our increase. “Increase” is anything added to a person’s life. In Scripture, increase is the gain, the return, the profit, or the income God provides. For Christians today, this includes wages, salaries, business income, bonuses, and every form of financial blessing.

Increase is the biblical basis for tithing

We are to honor the Lord with the firstfruits of all our increase. This principle is timeless. It applies to every generation, every culture, and every economic system. Increase is whatever God gives. The tithe is the first tenth of that increase.

Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.”

In ancient Israel, increase came through the land. Today, increase comes through income. The principle remains the same: God receives His portion first.

The tithe is based on gross income, not net

Gross income is the firstfruits, the full amount before anyone else takes a portion. Net income is what remains after others have taken their share. God does not receive leftovers. He receives the first and best. Tithing from gross income shows honor. Tithing from net income reverses it.

When believers tithe from their gross income, they declare that Jesus and His Father come before taxes, bills, expenses, and personal plans. This is the heart of biblical tithing: God first, everything else second.

God warns against claiming wealth as our own

Some Christians believe their income is the result of their own effort. But God warns us about this mindset:

Deuteronomy 8:12–18 “Do not say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.”

God gives us the ability to work, the resources to work with, and the opportunities that produce income. The tithe is His portion—a reminder that He is the true Provider.

Withholding the tenth is disobedience

Because the tenth is not ours, keeping it is disobedience. Scripture teaches that the tithe belongs to the Lord. When a believer withholds the tenth, they are keeping what their Creator says is His. This is why the Bible describes withholding the tithe as “robbing God.”

Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me… in tithes and offerings.”

This is not about guilt. It is about obedience. We are called to return the first tenth because it belongs to the Lord. When believers withhold it, they step outside of the proper financial order and lose a huge blessing.

When Christians keep God’s tithe, we are not only breaking the First Commandment—placing money above God, we are also breaking the Eighth:

Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal.”

Many Christians struggle financially not because they tithe, but because they don’t tithe. God invites us to “test Him”, the only time in Scripture He gives such a challenge.

The tithe supports God’s work and God’s servants

In every era of Scripture, the tenth has supported the work of God. It supported the priests in the Old Testament, the tabernacle, and the mission of God’s people. Today, the tithe supports the ministry of the church, the preaching of the gospel, and the work we have been given to do. The principle has not changed. The tenth funds spiritual work through our obedience.

What Does Malachi Teach About Tithing?

Malachi 3 is one of the clearest passages in Scripture about the tithe. It reveals God’s heart, standard, and promise. Malachi does not present the tenth as optional. He presents it as a rightful portion. He also shows that withholding the tithe is a serious matter because it dishonors God and disrupts His order of blessing.

God calls the tithe His holy portion

In Malachi, God confronts His people for withholding what belongs to Him. He does not accuse them of failing to be generous. He accuses them of keeping what is His. This shows that the tenth is not a donation, gift, or optional offering.

Malachi 3:8 “Ye have robbed me… in tithes and offerings.”

This is strong language because the issue is not money, it is honor. When believers withhold the tithe, they withhold honor. They keep what the Lord has declared holy. They place themselves first. This is why God calls it robbing: it is taking what belongs to Him.

God commands His people to return the tithe

God does not say “give” the tenth. He says “bring” the tithe. You cannot give what is not yours. You can only return it. The tithe is returned to Him because it already belongs to Him.

Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse…”

Returning the tenth is an act of obedience. It is how believers show honor with their increase. It is how they acknowledge His ownership and place their Creator first in their finances.

Blessings are promised to those who tithe

Malachi is not a manipulation passage. It is a revelation of our Father’s heart. He delights to bless those who honor Him. When believers return the tenth, they align themselves with God’s order. They place themselves under His provision. They open the door for His blessing.

Malachi 3:10 “Prove me now herewith… if I will not open you the windows of heaven.”

God invites His people to trust Him. He promises to provide for those who honor Him with the first and best. The blessing is not a lottery. It is the natural result of obedience. God honors those who honor Him.

Malachi reveals a timeless principle

Malachi was written to Israel, but the principle is timeless: God blesses obedience, calls His people to return the first tenth of all their increase, and delights in those who honor Him. This principle did not end with Israel. It continues into the New Covenant because it reflects the Eternal’s unchanging character and the believer’s unchanging responsibility to put Him first.

Paul reminds us that the Old Testament was written for our instruction:

Romans 15:4 “Such things were written… to teach us.”

1 Corinthians 10:11 “They were written down for our instruction.”

Tithing is one of those teachings, a timeless principle for God’s people.

Did Jesus and the Apostles Affirm Tithing for Believers?

Some claim that Jesus ended the tithe. Scripture says the opposite. Jesus affirmed tithing clearly and directly. He rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, but He affirmed their obedience in tithing. Jesus upheld the tenth while calling His followers to a deeper righteousness that includes justice, mercy, and faith.

Jesus affirmed tithing

In Matthew 23:23, Jesus told the Pharisees they should practice justice, mercy, and faith without neglecting the tithe. He did not cancel the tenth. He confirmed it.

Matthew 23:23 “These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

Jesus spoke these words while the Old Covenant was still in effect, but His affirmation reveals a principle: tithing is part of honor. Jesus never taught that the tithe would end or be replaced with a different percentage. He upheld the tenth while calling His followers to give from a pure heart.

Matthew 5:17 “I did not come to abolish the Law… but to fulfill it.”

To “fulfill” means to bring something to its fullest meaning, not to eliminate it. Jesus fulfilled the law by revealing its true spiritual depth, not by canceling its moral principles.

The apostles taught proportional giving

The New Testament does not erase tithing. It builds on it. Paul taught believers to give in proportion to their income. Proportional giving is the heart of tithing. The tenth is the first proportion, offerings come on top of it.

1 Corinthians 16:2 “Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.”

“As God hath prospered” means giving based on increase. This is the same principle found in Proverbs 3:9. Paul did not set a new percentage. The tenth is the baseline. Offerings come in addition to it.

Tithing vs. offerings: what’s the difference?

Jesus taught that tithing is the starting point, not the finish line.

Luke 17:10 “When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We have done what was our duty to do.’”

The tithe is our duty. Offerings are what we give from the heart.

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 teaches about offerings, not tithing:

“Each man should give as he has decided in his heart… God loves a cheerful giver.”

Offerings reveal our love, gratitude, and generosity. Tithing reveals our obedience.

Proverbs 11:24–25 teaches the blessing of generosity:

“The one who gives freely grows richer… the one who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

God blesses both tithing and generous giving, but they are not the same thing.

The New Covenant strengthens the principle of honoring Jesus first

The New Covenant does not weaken giving. It strengthens it. Jesus taught His followers to put God first in every area of life. Financial obedience is part of discipleship. Tithing is the believer’s first step in honoring Jesus with their increase. It is the foundation of Christian giving.

Why Should Christians Be Tithing Today, and What Blessings Are Promised?

Christians should be tithing today because the tenth is the unchanging standard for honoring our Creator with the firstfruits of all increase. Tithing is not about law; it is about lordship. It is not about money; it is about obedience. It is not about pressure; it is about putting Jesus and our Father first.

Tithing is obedience

God commands His people to return the first tenth. The tithe belongs to Him. Withholding it is disobedience. Returning the tithe is the believer’s first act of obedience in financial stewardship.

Tithing is honor

The tithe honors the Lord’s ownership. It declares that everything we have comes from Him. It places Him first in our finances. It acknowledges His authority and expresses gratitude for His provision.

Tithing is trust

Tithing teaches believers to trust their Savior, Jesus. It requires faith. It requires putting Him first even when finances are tight. It requires believing that He will provide. Tithing is a spiritual discipline that strengthens faith and deepens dependence on God.

Tithing supports Jesus’ work of teaching the gospel

Jesus funds His work through the obedience of His people. Tithing supports the ministry of the church, the preaching of the gospel, and the care of God’s people. When believers tithe, they participate in a special spiritual mission.

Tithing brings blessing

God promises to bless those who honor Him with the tithe. This blessing is not a guarantee of wealth. It is the blessing of His provision, protection, and faithfulness. God opens doors, meets needs, and provides in ways that go beyond human calculation.

Malachi 3:10 — “Prove me now… if I will not open you the windows of heaven.”

God invites His people to trust Him. He promises to provide for those who put Him first. Tithing positions believers under His blessing. It aligns them with His order. It opens the door for His provision.

Tithing is the beginning, not the end

Tithing is the foundation of Christian giving. It is the starting point, not the finish line. Offerings are given above the required tenth. Generosity grows from the discipline of tithing. When believers honor Jesus with the first tenth, they learn to give with joy, freedom, and faith.

Conclusion

Tithing is not a Jewish custom, not a ceremonial law, and not something that ended at the cross. It is an eternal principle that predates Moses, was affirmed by Jesus, and continues to bless Christians today. We tithe because God owns everything. We give offerings because we love Him. And we are blessed because He is faithful.

If you don't belong to a church, donate your tithe to the Gideons International (https://gideons.org) for the purpose of giving millions of Bibles to those who don't have them. Spreading the gospel is what they are all about and our Christian responsibility!

We can’t out‑give God.

Frequently Asked Questions