Christians are not commanded to tithe in the New Testament. The 10% tithe was part of the Mosaic Law and worked more like a national tax. But that doesn’t mean giving is optional. Jesus talked about money often because it reveals our hearts, and he praised sacrificial generosity. Instead of a legalistic percentage, God invites us to give generously, cheerfully, and in faith. Here are three common myths about the tithe.
Myth #1: Christians Are Commanded to Tithe
The tithe is rooted in the Old Testament law God gave to Israel. It supported the Levites, who served at the tabernacle and had no land of their own (Numbers 18:21-24). It funded Israel’s festivals and worship (Deuteronomy 14:23). And every third year, it provided for those in need.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Added together over a three-year cycle, these tithes came to roughly 23% of a household’s produce, not a flat 10%. In other words, the tithe functioned like a national tax that supported Israel’s religious and social life.
The New Testament mentions tithing only a handful of times, and always in historical or critical contexts (Hebrews 7:5-6, Luke 18:12). When Jesus brought it up, he was correcting religious leaders who tithed carefully while missing the bigger picture.
Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Nowhere does the New Testament command Christians to give 10%. You can read more in Is Tithing Biblical?
Myth #2: Christians Are Free Not to Give
Some people discover they aren’t bound by the tithe and swing to the opposite extreme. If there’s no rule, they reason, giving must be optional. But that misses the point. Jesus talked about money more than almost any other topic because it so easily competes for our devotion.
Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
He warned that wealth can become a barrier to the kingdom (Matthew 19:23), that we cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24), and that following him costs everything (Luke 14:33). Freedom in Christ isn’t freedom from giving. It’s an invitation to give out of love instead of obligation.
Myth #3: God Only Cares About the Heart, Not the Amount
God absolutely looks at the heart. But Jesus also noticed how much people gave compared to what they had.
Luke 21:1-4 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
The widow’s gift was tiny in dollars but enormous in sacrifice. Jesus measured generosity by proportion, not by the size of the check. A heart that trusts God shows up in what we’re willing to give up.
What Kind of Giving Does God Want?
New Testament giving is not about hitting a number. It’s about a heart that’s been changed by God’s generosity. Paul describes it this way.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
God wants giving that is generous, sacrificial, and cheerful. For many people, 10% is still a helpful starting point. But the goal isn’t to meet a requirement. It’s to grow in trust and joy as we give.
The Takeaway
Christians aren’t commanded to tithe a legalistic 10%, but that doesn’t make giving optional. Jesus talked about money because it reveals our hearts. God calls us to give generously, cheerfully, and sacrificially as an expression of our love and trust in him.
