Tithes and offerings are two kinds of giving most commonly practiced by the Christian faithful of the church today. The concept of tithing and giving offerings has been in existence with humanity ever since God started communing with humanity when he issued the Ten Commandments. Tithes and offerings are normally given as a requirement upon Christians, and as a way of fulfilling God’s law. In the course of time and transition between the old testament and the new testament, the concept of tithing and giving offerings has undergone tremendous levels of misconceptions, most of which have led to Christians having the wrong notion regarding the two forms of giving. Here are some of the prevalent misconceptions thereof.
Tithes and Offerings Are the Same
Some Christians uphold the misconceived notion that tithing, and offering are two kinds of giving similar in their purpose and intention. This has led Christians to think that giving their tithes and failing to give their offerings is acceptable. According to the Bible, however, giving of tithes is regarded as a legal requirement. The Bible, in Malachi 3:10, points out giving tithes as a way of ‘paying’ since they are due to God. When it comes to tithing, the acceptable standard is a flat rate of 10% of a person’s net income. Offerings, on the other hand, are commonly referred to as free will forms of giving where one is at liberty to choose the amount of money to give.
Pastors Work on Charity Basis and Do Not Need to Be Paid
A common myth about giving tithes and offerings normally revolves around the fact that pastors and other ministers are called by God to be servants in the church and should not be paid. This misconception has led most church members to question ‘where their tithes and offerings go,’ since they may not see the material fruits regarding developments in the church. The Bible, however, does allow his ministerial servants, namely the pastors and those who work on the altar, to be at liberty to derive and earn a living from the same.
Pastors Solicit for Tithes and Offering When They Teach About It in Church
Another misconception prevalent in churches today revolves around the congregants’ thought that pastors normally solicit for better tithes and offerings whenever they prepare and teach an offering message in church. With tithing and offering being a requirement and instruction of God upon Christians, pastors are at liberty to teach it as part of the obedience to God’s entire law. Shying away from teaching the topic would amount to disobedience on their part.
Tithes and Offerings Can Lead to Forgiveness of Sins
Christians nowadays erroneously think that the Old Testament teaching that giving tithes and offering would lead to forgiveness of their sins. Whereas God required the Old Testament congregation to give an offering for their sins, this practice was eradicated and rendered obsolete when God introduced the New Testament. Tithes and offerings, therefore, cannot replace the need for Christians to atone for their sins through prayer for forgiveness.