The Dialog

A guy came up to me in the church lobby after I preached on giving. "Tithing is Old Testament," he said. So I asked him what the New Testament says about giving. He didn't know.

Most of us don't lack information. We lack application. My co-host Nick Surface and I talk about the gap between what we say we believe and how we actually live, and money is where that gap shows up first. We look at what the Old Testament says about prosperity and whether the tithe still matters today. Not the minimum. Alignment.

Is tithing just an Old Testament law?
No. The first tithe predates the law. Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20) long before Moses. Hebrews 7 picks that thread back up, and Jesus told the Pharisees they were careful to tithe without ever telling them to stop (Matthew 23:23).

What is the New Testament standard of giving?
In Acts 2 and Acts 4 the church sold land and property and gave until there were no needs among them. If the tithe feels too Old Testament, that's the New Testament standard.

Is knowing the Bible enough?
Paul said knowledge puffs up but love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Love is the application of knowledge. A person who doesn't apply what they learn is no better off than a person who never learned it.

Does the Bible say God wants His people to prosper?
Job, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all blessed with wealth, and Proverbs 10:22 says the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow with it. But prosperity as the reason you follow God is different from prosperity as the result.

Why is "what's the minimum?" the wrong question?
God is already pleased with you because of grace. The tithe isn't a ticket to heaven. It's the minimum standard of honoring God financially, and where your treasure is, your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).

Scriptures
1 Corinthians 8:1 · Proverbs 10:22 · Genesis 14:18-20 · Hebrews 7 · Matthew 23:23-26 · Matthew 6:21 · Acts 2:44-45 · Acts 4:32-35

Thinkers and books
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: a child buying his father a present with his father's money
God and Money (book)

Chapters
0:00 Cold open and show intro
0:52 Coffee, and back to prosperity
2:24 Why so few Christians have a biblical worldview
3:56 The problem isn't hearing the gospel, it's opinions about it
5:52 Is it knowledge or application?
7:12 Everybody knows the answer (a cholesterol story)
8:12 Knowledge puffs up, love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1)
11:14 Were Bible characters poor? Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
13:19 Four Hebrew words for wealth in the Old Testament
14:52 Proverbs 10:22: the blessing of the Lord makes rich
15:42 Prosperity as the reason vs. the result
16:03 Why we judge wealthy people's motives
19:20 Is prosperity a sign you're doing life God's way?
21:14 Why so many Christians give nothing
23:19 Is tithing biblical in the New Testament?
26:03 The first tithe came before the law (Abraham and Melchizedek)
28:11 "What's the minimum?" How far is too far
28:51 Grace, eternity and the quality of this life
30:28 The tithe as the minimum standard of honor
32:26 Honoring God first, and C.S. Lewis on gifts to God
33:33 Where your treasure is (Matthew 6:21)
34:24 "Tithing is Old Testament": a conversation in the lobby
35:20 How much can I keep? The spectrum of giving
36:38 Thanks for being part of The Dialog

Previous: 1.24 / Trusting God when you can't control the outcome
Next: 1.27 / How to stop letting your past define you

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What is The Dialog?

Ancient philosophers used the dialog to find answers to life’s greatest questions. The Dialog is a search for truth in modern life through the lens of ancient philosophy, history, and theology. This podcast will challenge your assumptions, change your thinking and show you how to master modern living.