BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES ON CHRISTIAN GIVING - LESSONS FROM THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS
By Ezekiel Kimosop
INTRODUCTION
There is so some residual confusion today regarding Christian giving. Several giving methodologies apply depending on the traditions of the denominations in question, Moreover, arguments fly across online forums as to what constitutes appropriate biblical giving.
My article will not exhaustively address this issue but I wish to narrow down on a particular area of teaching by Jesus which hopefully provides a glimpse into what should inform our Christian giving.
Jesus taught in Matthew 22:21 that we should give to Caesar what is Caesar's (statutory taxes and levies) and to God what is God's (tithes and offerings). This teaching is also recorded in Mark 12:17 and Luke 20:25.
Jesus revealed in this passage that civic obligations are distinct from our religious duties. He also acknowledged that the Roman rulers were divinely permitted by God to collect taxes notwithstanding the humiliation that the Jews felt about their occupation of Palestine.
No matter how much we may dislike those in authority, we have an obligation from God to discharge our civic mandates as citizens of the country and pay taxes. Any practices that depart from this biblical principle is, in my view, misleading and should be rejected by God's people.
It is imperative therefore that what is left from our income after satisfying these twin obligations should be at our disposal and is blessed by God for our application.
I am persuaded that believers should tithe from their income and give offerings on a free-will basis in accordance with their convictions and in line with the exhortation of 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 which proclaims thus:
"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." (NKJV).
A believer is however not compelled to tithe or give an offering to God. Christian giving is a voluntary duty. It is a godly calling to all God's people. A believer who chooses to withhold from God has probably not discerned the mind of God and his relationship with Him!
There are blessings attached to our giving and this truth is affirmed in several passages of Scripture.
I will not get into details because I have severally posted teachings on this forum on tithes and offerings and even on first fruits.
The purpose of writing this article was partly to respond to the article shared by a forum participant which I posted on this forum. The story related to an incident in Nigerian where a Catholic faithful gave her entire first salary to the priest after mass as first fruits and the priest returned the envelope to her after realizing that she had given everything.
There is nothing wrong with voluntarily sacrificing the most one can achieve to serve the Lord but there is everything wrong with operating under a false theological framework, not only in Christian giving but in general Christian living.
I therefore find no biblical basis for giving one's entire salary, income, or harvest as first fruits though I will not question a believer's right to respond to their convictions on giving.
I am aware that someone may quickly turn to Mark 12:42-44 and argue that Jesus approved the giving of one's livelihood to God! Does the widows sacrificial giving stand out as a model for Christian giving? How should the reader of Scripture interpret this temple incident?
Luke 21:2-3 says "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” (NKJV).
Did Jesus statement imply that those who give their entire income to God are acting in godly deportment?
Is this really what Jesus was teaching in this context?
My view is that it would be a misrepresentation of biblical truth to attempt to interpret Scripture outside it's passage context in order to justify certain unbiblical practices!
The poor widow who gave all she had was commended by Jesus for her sacrificial giving in that she gave proportionately much more than the rich men who gave out of their abundance!
Nowhere in Scripture is it taught or implied that believers should sell all they have and give their entire harvest or resources to the church! How will the believer cater for his personal and family needs?
Do you recall the warning in Matthew 27:6? This should be read together with Jesus' admonition in Mark 7:10-13.
Jesus said: "For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (NKJV).
The challenge that Jesus threw to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:21-22 and Mark 10:21 simply serves as an illustration on how people will miss out on God because of their inordinate devotion to the things of this passing world. We cannot develop a doctrine on Christian giving exclusively from this passage. We need to balance the Scriptures methodically so that we can discern the full counsel of God on a given topic or issue.
Similarly, the incident in Acts 2:43-44 does not suggest that believers are compelled to dispose all their assets and give to the church or to the poor. This account merely served a demonstrate how deeply this Jerusalem Christian had bonded in fellowship. Notice that Peter was careful to later clarify that the Jerusalem Christian giving was voluntary (Acts 5:4).
In the case of the poor widow above, Jesus simply commended the sacrificial giving by the widow IN COMPARISON to the rich people who gave only a token of what they possessed. They could have done better if the standards of the poor widow were to apply.
Christian giving is about equal or comparable sacrifice and not equal giving!
The fact that one believer gives Kshs 10,000/- and another Kshs 100/- does not necessarily suggest that the Kshs 10,000/- giver gave more in God's eyes than the believer who parted with Kshs 100/- .
It is possible that the Kshs 100/- giver sacrificed more given his financial or income status. This is what lay the crust of Christ's exhortation. It is the theological crucible!
I hope this short article is helpful in clarifying some of the issues raised on Christian giving.
I welcome any comments or requests for clarification.
Shalom
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026
