Bible Verses on Giving to Missionaries, Bible Teachers, and the Poor
Even so has the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should be supported by those who benefit from it.
- I Corinthians 9:14
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
- Galatians 6:6
He that has pity on the poor lends to the LORD; and that which he has given will He pay him again.
Proverbs 19:17
... and whoever gives to the rich, becomes poor.
Proverbs 22:16
The "tithing not required, tithing is optional" heresy is making its rounds again. Let's re-kill it with Bible verses and testimonies.
A while back I re-connected with a Christian preacher who had been preaching this "no need to give for God's work" error: he was newly poor and begging for money.
Isn't it "ironic" that a Christian preacher preaching against tithing -- which is preaching against God's plan for funding missionaries to deliver the Gospel, while blessing the Christian -- makes that Christian preacher poor?
This is why the "tithing is optional" teaching is error and damnable sin: it starves the Gospel of funds, so the Gospel is not preached, so people go to Hell, and also Christians aren't getting their finances blessed by giving to God's work.
Why should God bless those who preach against tithing?
I'm sad for his sake, but not surprised. What is God supposed to do, make preachers who spread this "tithing is optional" error rich with an over abundance of tithing support from the people he "blessed" with a teaching that sabotages funding of Godly missionaries, and denies God the chance to bless Christians in response to obedience in tithing?
No.
May the Holy Spirit bear witness to our hearts through these Bible verses and testimonies, that we are to split at least 10% of our gross income between Christian missionaries spreading the Gospel of Jesus, and also between our Bible teachers.
Beyond that it's being a "cheerful giver" to other ministries the Holy Spirit puts on our hearts, and helping the poor.
"Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth." - Job 29:12-17
- updated 10/08/2023
God Controls Everything
God Controls Everything – He is Source of All
But you shall remember the LORD your God: for [it is] he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as [it is] this day.
Deuteronomy 8:18
I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5
For who makes you to differ [from another]? And what have you that you did not receive? Now if you did receive [it], why do you glory, as if you had not received [it]?
I Corinthians 4:7
God Controls Everything – He Promises to Take Care of You, As you put God first before anything else you do in worship, tithes, helping the weak, and fighting the wicked
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothing? Behold the birds of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one inch to his stature? And why take ye thought for clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, “What shall we eat?” or, “What shall we drink?” or, “Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient for the day [is] the evil thereof.
Matthew 6:25-34
God Controls Everything – Choose Between Serving God and Serving Money
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:24
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
II Corinthians 5:7
God Controls Everything – You Are Never Too Poor To Give, Ever
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in there two pennies. And he said, “Of a truth I say to you, that this poor widow has cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in to the offerings for God: but she of her lack has cast in all the living that she had.”
Luke 21:1-4
God Controls Everything – The Giver is Blessed
I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye should support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35
God Controls Everything – God Dares Us to Test Him in Our Giving
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this way,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].”
Malachi 3:10
God Controls Everything – Promises to Help Us if We Help Others
Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye give out it shall be given to you again.
Luke 6:38
“Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this way” says the LORD of hosts
Malachi 3:9
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this way,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].”
Malachi 3:10
Limitations on Giving
Limitations on Giving – Don't Give to those who are Rich
... and whoever gives to the rich, becomes poor.
Proverbs 22:16
Then said he also to him that invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, call not your friends, nor your brethren, neither your kinsmen, nor [your] rich neighbors; lest they also invite thee again, and a repayment be made to you. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind: And you shall be blessed; for they cannot repay you: for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Luke 14:12-14
For [I mean] not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:
II Corinthians 8:13
Limitations on Giving – Don’t Give to get Rich
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
I Timothy 6:10
Perverse bickering of men of corrupt minds, and lacking the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw yourself.
I Timothy 6:5
Limitations on Giving – Give What you Want To Give, In Light of All That is Taught On Giving in the New Testament.
You must each choose in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
II Corinthians 9:7
Limitations on Giving – Don’t Give Because You Feel You Must
Every man according as he purposes in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.
II Corinthians 9:7
Limitations on Giving – Don’t Give Beyond Your Ability
For if there be first a willing mind, [it is] accepted according to that a man has, [and] not according to that he hath not.
II Corinthians 8:12
Limitations on Giving – Don't Give to be Seen By Others
That your gifts of love may be in secret: and your Father which sees in secret, himself will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:4
Limitations on Giving – Be Diligent About Giving
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
1 Corinthians 16:2
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith. These ye should have done, and not left the other (tithing) undone.
Matthew 23:23
Why We Give
Why We Give – So Church Leadership Can Have Food & Clothing
And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto [Jesus] of their substance.
Luke 8:3
Nor scrip for [your] journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his food.
Matthew 10:10
Even so has the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.
I Corinthians 9:14
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
Galatians 6:6
Why We Give – So Christian Brothers and Sisters Have Enough
He answers and says to them, “He that has two coats, let him give to him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise.”
Luke 3:11
For I was hungry, and ye gave me food: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Matthew 25:35-36
And whoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold [water] only in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he shall in no way lose his reward.
Matthew 10:42
Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
Acts 2:44-45
Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
Acts 4:32-35
. . . Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. . . . The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 11:28-30
I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye should support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35
But by an equality, [that] now at this time your abundance [may be a supply] for their lack, that their abundance also may be [a supply] for your want: that there may be equality:
II Corinthians 8:14
You Will be Blessed
You Will be Blessed – by God
I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging bread.
Psalms 37:25
... if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].
Malachi 3:10
And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:
II Corinthians 9:8
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
III John 1:2
You Will be Blessed – in Proportion to Your Giving
But this [I say], He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
II Corinthians 9:6
You Will be Blessed – by God Protecting the Source of Your Income
“And I will paralyze the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field” says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 3:11
You Will be Blessed – and All Will Know You as Blessed
“And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightful land” says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 3:12
You Will be Blessed – Like Great Saints who Were Blessed Gave
“And blessed be the most high God, which has delivered your enemies into your (Abraham’s) hand”. And [Abraham] gave him tithes of all.
Genesis 14:20
And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that you shall give me I [Jacob] will surely give the tenth to you.
Genesis 28:22
And all the tithe of the land, [whether] of the seed of the land, [or] of the fruit of the tree, [is] the LORD'S: [it is] holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem [ought] of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth [part] thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, [even] of whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
Leviticus 27:30-32
Testimonies
God Responds to Your Tithing
A friend of mine told me about his adventures in tithing: He had heard from an older Christian about the importance of tithing, and even received and threw out a few books he had been given on tithing.
So not tithing, he was making about $30-$40 a day driving a taxi cab (20% of a days' wages in 2023), which he described as, "terrifying."
When he realized he was making so little that he wouldn't miss the money he tithed anyways, he started tithing 20%, and about two weeks later his taxi cab boss had the dispatcher radio him to come into the office to meet him.
Turned out the boss had a falling out with one of the other drivers, and told this newly minted 20% tither he would now be regularly sending him to big customers who needed picking up at the airport, who would pay about twice as much as he was making a day, per ride.
He kept tithing, and soon after that, an old boss called and hired him back at much more money.
Then while working at the fire alarm company, get got lax and stopped tithing, and then stopped making sales, and got fired.
Then he came to his senses, and once again started tithing from his unemployment checks for about 5 months to his local church, when at this church he was given and received a prophetic word of, "'Doors of blessing are opening, but don't forget who is blessing you' says the Lord."
So he started looking for another job, and got a job similar to the one fired from.
Then soon after he got another job, so now he had two jobs, pulling in great money, so the prophetic word he received at church when he was tithing from unemployment checks, came to pass.
He says, "I learned the hard way. The Dead Sea is dead since it has no outlet. If it had an outlet, it would be alive. In order to have life flowing into my life, I must have an outlet, so I have an outlet into God's work, so God blesses me with finances."
God Takes Care of the Faithful
“The church gave aid to hundreds of people and Pastor asked all those who came if they had been faithful to tithe when they had income. In all his experience, no one who came for help had ever been faithful with the tithe. Pastor concluded that God took care of those who had faithfully tithed.”
- Oswald Smith
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_J._Smith
Illustration
The story is told of a father who was trying to teach his little girl the tithing system. He had ten dimes with which to illustrate. He told her of the goodness of God and how He had created us. He told the child of Jesus and how He had given His life on the cross that we might be saved.
Pushing one dime aside and leaving the nine stacked together, he said: "Now, Daughter, this belongs to God. These nine dimes belong to us. This is ours. This is His."
The little girl began to cry and her father was astonished and asked her, "Why are you crying?"
The little child replied in a broken voice, "Is that all God gets?"
Alas, from many Christians that is all He gets -- just a dime out of every dollar. From many others He does not get even that.
A War Veteran
There was a young couple with two small children. He was a cripple from the war. His government check was very small. It was hardly enough to keep the wolf from the door. The little house in which they lived was not their own and it was poorly furnished. They picked cotton and worked at any kind of manual labor they could find to help supplement this government check.
One day the wife was reading the Bible and came across some scriptures on tithing. I assume it was this third chapter of Malachi. Anyway, reading it, she was convinced that this was God's plan. When the husband came home that night they read it together and, though it seemed impossible, they decided they would tithe.
She said: "To take a tenth of our government check when it came seemed like taking bread from the mouths of my children but we were faithful and, though we are not church folks, we believed that it was God's plan."
"Three years have gone by, and now we can dress our children so we are not ashamed of them when they go to school. We have better furniture and rugs on our floor. We have a tractor, a wagon, a team, a nice flock of chickens, and some cows for milk."
Then she said, "You ask me, 'Does it pay to tithe?' We have proved that it does pay." "Prove me ... if I will not ... pour you out a blessing."
The Hailstorm
A very dear layman friend of mine, a good Christian and a strict tither, when he was first married bought a ten-acre orchard.
One day while in one of his trees shortly before the gathering of the crop, he noticed what seemed to be a storm coming. He climbed down and got on his knees at the foot of the tree and promised God that, if He would protect his orchard from the hailstorm that seemed on its way, he would pay Him two-tenths of all he made, no matter how much it was.
The hailstorm came on and badly damaged the orchards on all four sides of the ten acres, but his orchard was spared. He made the greatest crop that year that he had ever made in his life, and all over the community people talked about his orchard and how his crop was spared.
You say, "Oh! That just happened." Maybe so, but it happened to a man who paid his tithe. It happened to a man who had just promised God that if He would spare his crop he would pay Him two tithes. It fulfilled the scripture in the lesson of Mal. 3:11, "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes."
Ask my friend and he will tell you why his crop was spared. It was spared because he promised God that he would pay Him two tithes.
Your generous giving both blesses you, and allows me increased liberty to continue adding Godly edifying content to this web site.