Way back when I was in high school, our youth pastor cautioned us against listening to secular music. He used a slice of pizza as a metaphor. Pizza is always a welcome meal, but would you enjoy that same slice if it had been served to you on top of a trash can filled with garbage? Probably not. In the same way, even if a secular song was okay to listen to, why would you want to dig through the trash of the secular culture to get to the good parts? It was with this reasoning that we were taught good Christians only listen to Christian music.

What is Christian music, anyway?

So if my old youth pastor is right, we are only supposed to only listen to Christian music. But this raises the question, what exactly is Christian music?

• Is a song Christian if it mentions Jesus in the lyrics? Can instrumental songs be Christian?
• Is a song Christian if it is played by a Christian band? What makes a band Christian to begin with?
• Is a song Christian only if it is praise and worship music? What about hymns?
• Is a song Christian only if it explicitly endorses a Christian worldview? Or is a song Christian if it doesn’t endorse a non-Christian worldview?

Answers are surprisingly hard to come by

If a song can only be Christian if it mentions Jesus, then the biblical book Song of Songs is out, as are all of the Psalms. On the other hand, if you can replace all the instances of “Jesus” in a song with “boyfriend” and the song still makes sense, is it really a Christian song?

If a song is Christian by virtue of being played by a Christian band, well, what makes a band Christian? Can a band be composed of Christians and not be a “Christian band” (e.g., Switchfoot, FF5, and perhaps U2)? Or does a Christian band have to market itself as such? Do they have to be on a Christian label?

What if a Christian band has bad or vague theology? Can a Christian band have non-Christian members? What if a member of a Christian band is divorced or ends up leaving the faith–are they still okay to listen to?

If a song is only Christian if it endorses a Christian worldview, what about Veggie Tales and their “Silly Songs with Larry?” Are those still Christian songs?

We could go on and on asking these types of questions, and the chances are good we wouldn’t get very far.

A false dichotomy

The problem with approaching music in this way is that involves a false dichotomy. By saying, “I will only listen to Christian music,” you are creating a box called “Christian music.” But what goes in the box? The Bible doesn’t tell us; it doesn’t have this category. I believe the term “Christian music” is something we have largely created as part of our larger Christian sub-culture. If anything, it’s perhaps a half-step above a marketing term. At the very least we cannot look to scripture to define what “Christian music” means.

What the Bible has to say

While the Bible doesn’t directly inform us what is or isn’t Christian music, it does give us guidance on what we should listen to. In the Gospel of John, for instance, Jesus tells us that we are to be engaged with the world around us–but we are not to be overly influenced by it. Escaping the culture by staying in our Christian bubble doesn’t seem to be what Jesus had in mind for us.

Paul also gives us guidance that directly relates to what we listen to. At one point, he told the Philippians,

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Phil 4:8

We’ll come back to this in a minute. Right now, though, let’s talk a little more about Paul.

What would Paul listen to?

The Apostle Paul was a master at engaging the culture. One of the best instances of this is found in Acts 17, when he visited the Areopagus in Athens. Paul sees idols throughout the city, and it grieves him. He decides to do something about it. His plan is to go to the cultural center of the city and witness to the Athenian elites. And how does he approach them?

He starts by mentioning he saw an altar “to the unknown god.” He then tells them that he knows who this unknown god of theirs actually is. He gives them some basic information about God that they can understand, and then he says,

for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” –Acts 17:28

Paul is quoting two Greek poets to support his argument. These poets were not Christians, or even Jewish. They were pagans, with radically different worldviews and values than Paul had. Yet Paul knew enough of their poetry that he could recite these lines from memory. Paul knew that even pagan poetry can point us to God.

Wait, so Paul was familiar with the secular poetry of his day? It appears that he was, to the extent of memorizing some of it. Furthermore, he even used it in a way that pointed people to God.

Paul did not limit himself to the study of the scriptures (although he knew them extremely well), nor did he limit his musical/poetic tastes to the Psalter. So how did he choose what to put before his eyes and ears?

Think of these things

Let’s go back to Philippians 4:8. Instead of trying to suss out what “Christian music” means, perhaps it is better to think about the principles Paul lays out here, and to judge our musical selections in light of them. Here are some questions to consider:

Whatever is true – Does the music I listen to speak to things that are true? Doe it truthfully represent the way things really are, or does it present a distorted view of the world, others or self?

Whatever is honorable – Does the music I listen to honor men and women of every color and creed, or does it dehumanize or bash a segment of the population?

Whatever is just – If the music I listen to speaks to issues of justice, does it do so in a morally responsible way, or does it seek to fight injustice with injustice, and violence with more violence?

Whatever is pure – Doe the music I listen to have wholesome lyrical content, or does it contain profanity, sexually illicit themes, or glorification of violence?

Whatever is lovely – Does the music I listen to focus on themes that encourage love and respect of others, or is it focused on self, destructive behavior, or hatred?

Whatever is commendable – Is the music I listen to good enough that I could recommend it to others in good conscience?

If there is any excellence – Is the music I listen to well-composed, well-recorded, and well-produced? Does the artist or band strive for musical excellence?

If there is anything worthy of praise – Is the music I listen to truly good music qua music? Does the music transcend the mundane and point me to God, even if only via its quality or excellence?

Looking at music in light of these principles, and not in light of the false dichotomy of “Christian vs. secular music,” gives us much better insight into what we listen to. We no longer have to cram music into an artificial box or label. We can take each song, album, and artist as they stand and evaluate them accordingly.

Guidelines vs legalism

Now this isn’t to suggest that every last song you hear must pass muster on every characteristic listed by Paul. That would be legalism, which is the very thing we’re trying to avoid in the first place. I am the first to admit that not every song I listen to passes the Philippians 4:8 test on every single item. But generally speaking, the kind of music we allow ourselves to enjoy should be in line with the above list.

The downside to this method is that it takes work. It’s not as simple as sorting things into predefined buckets. It takes time and effort to interact with and contemplate our options.

The upside is, using these characteristics to evaluate music potentially opens up a wide range of musical styles, artists, and songs that aren’t necessarily “Christian” but can still point to what is true, honorable, and just. At the same time, we can also use these questions to weed out music that is better left untouched—and that may even include certain “Christian” songs.

That being said, if you only choose to listen to certain kinds of music labeled “Christian” because it helps you in your walk with God, then by all means, keep doing that! You have the freedom in Christ to listen to what edifies you.

If, on the other hand, you choose to listen to certain kinds of music labeled “secular” that are in line with biblical guidance and do not hinder your walk, then you also have the freedom in Christ to do that.

This is the final post in a three-part series on tithing. In Part 1, we looked at the origin of the tithe in the Old Testament—where it came from, how it was used, and exactly how much the Israelites were required to tithe. In Part 2, we reviewed the key New Testament texts that discuss the tithe, and discover what changed along the way. Today in Part 3, we will look at the practical aspects of New Testament giving.

We have spent the last two weeks looking at the tithe, and have come to the conclusion that giving ten percent of your income to the church is not a requirement for Christians. However, that does not mean that we are exempt from any and all giving. On the contrary, the New Testament is quite clear that we should be financially supporting the church. It is only the “ten percent” amount that is no longer required.

So how much, then?

One convenient aspect of tithing is that the math is easy. If I make $1000 per week, then it’s a simple matter of moving the decimal point, and voilà, I give $100 to my church! And let’s be clear—although the New Testament doesn’t prescribe tithing, you can still choose to give ten percent. And honestly, seeing that Christians only give around 2.5% per capita (2011 figures), if more of us did give a straight tithe, our churches would have the freedom and ability to do much more ministry. But forcing a tithe for all people creates problems. Let’s look at an example.

The CEO and the single mom

Say you have two people who are part of your congregation. One of them happens to be the CEO of a successful, mid-sized company. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say she makes $1 million per year. Being a conscientious person, she tithes on her income. She gives $100,000 to the church and lives comfortably on the remaining $900,000 (minus taxes, of course!).

Now, sitting a few rows over from her in the service every week is a single mom who works two menial jobs and brings in $30,000 per year. Being a dutiful Christian, she wants to tithe, but literally cannot afford to give $3,000 to the church. Doing so would put her in financial ruin. So she does the best she can and gives $50 per month to the church, which, quite honestly, is $50 per month more than she can “afford” to give.

So is the single mom sinning because she isn’t tithing? Is the CEO in the clear because she is giving a full ten percent? Who is really giving more? Yes, the CEO gives 166 times more than the single mom, but which one feels the sacrifice of their giving more?

This is the problem with adopting an “everybody gives ten percent” rule. Someone who is well off might give ten percent of their income away and not even notice that it is gone. Someone who struggles to make ends meet might plunge into debt or be unable to pay their bills if they tithed.

This surely is not the way things are supposed to be.

New Testament principles of giving

The New Testament addresses this issue by moving from an external standard of giving to an internal standard, and in so doing actually raises the bar for believers. It’s no longer enough to cut a check for ten percent and walk away. You can’t live by the idea that “ten percent is God’s, and the rest is mine to do with as I please.” Instead, giving is evidence of a life turned over to God. What we do with our pocketbooks is to be a microcosm of what we do with our lives. Giving has become an issue of the heart.

Köstenberger and Croteau (see note below) put together a list of principles that define what true New Testament giving looks like. So as we move away from a cut-and-dry tithe, we learn what giving should look like (and really, one could argue this would have applied to the Old Testament tithes as well—God has always been concerned with the hearts of men and women).

Giving should be systematic (1 Cor 16:1-2)

Giving is not a one-time event. Whether you decide to give weekly, monthly, quarterly, or whatever, giving is to be a regular occurrence in the life of a believer.

Giving should be proportional (2 Cor 8:1–3)

You may not have the ability to give ten percent; conversely, you may have the ability to give ninety-plus percent. How much you give should be proportionate to your ability to give.

Giving should be sacrificial (Phil 4:17–18)

Giving is a sacrifice, and sacrifices must mean something (2 Sam 24:24). To give an amount that does not affect your life in any way is not a biblical response to the God who gave you everything you have. At the same time, we shouldn’t give to the point of placing undue financial burden on ourselves.

Giving should be intentional (2 Cor 8:4; Phil 4:16)

As Christians, we are to give to meet needs, fund necessary ministries, pay our pastors, and so on. Guilt should not be a motivating factor.

Giving should be rightly motivated (2 Cor 8:9, 12–14)

There are several correct motivations for giving. The first among these is love. God gave us everything we have (most importantly, our salvation through Christ); we show our love for him in part by giving back. In addition, God’s love for all humanity should spur us on to give so that others’ needs might be met.

Another correct motivation for giving is so that we might be blessed and be a blessing. We are to give so that God, if he chooses, might give us more, so that we in turn can bless others more—not so that I can have more. (That’s the prosperity gospel, which is a false gospel entirely.) Giving in order to receive human praise, or to manipulate or control situations or people, or simply because you think you will win “brownie points” with God is not in line with biblical teaching.

Giving should be done cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7)

“God loves a cheerful giver” is one of those Bible-sounding aphorisms that actually is in the Bible! We should give with glad hearts, because we have been given so much by God.

Giving should be voluntary (2 Cor 9:7)

While the New Testament makes it clear that believers should give, ultimately it is up to each person to choose to do this. There is no room for the church or a pastor to force someone to give, or to predetermine an amount which must be given.

Final thoughts

So after all that, how much should you give?

I don’t know.

I can’t answer for you. You could choose to give ten percent, and that would be great. It’s easy to do the math, and I would wager that a true tithe is a sacrificial amount for most of us. Or you might find that a different amount is appropriate for your situation. You have to do the hard work of determining how much you can give, but the principles outlined in the New Testament are there to help you figure it out.

Here are some final questions to consider when determining how much you should give.

• Have I prayed about the amount I should give? Have I talked it over with my spouse? Are we in agreement?
• Is the amount I give sacrificial and generous?
• Have I looked at my finances recently to see how I can be a better steward of the money God has given me, and so that I might be able to increase my giving?
• Do I have a desire or plan to increase the amount I give over time?

(In order to put together this series, I have relied heavily on two scholarly articles by Andreas Köstenberger and David Croteau from the Bulletin for Biblical Research. If you want to read them in their entirety, here are the links: Will a Man Rob God? and Reconstructing a Biblical Model for Giving.)

This is the second part of a three-part series on tithing. In Part 1, we looked at the origin of the tithe in the Old Testament—where it came from, how it was used, and exactly how much the Israelites were required to tithe. Today in Part 2, we will look at key New Testament texts that discuss the tithe, and discover what changed along the way. In Part 3, we will look at the practical aspects of New Testament giving.

Why the Pharisees hated Jesus

Have you ever wondered why the Pharisees hated Jesus so much? Think about it—they literally wanted to kill him. If your mental picture of Jesus is a milquetoast hippie carrying a lamb on his shoulder, then this probably doesn’t make sense. But when you read the gospels, it becomes pretty clear why the Pharisees wanted him dead.

In Matthew 23, for example, Jesus straight-up calls the Pharisees out. In just this one chapter, he calls them hypocrites (six times!), children of hell, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, descendants of those who murdered the prophets, snakes and offspring of vipers. He accuses them of following the letter of the law but totally and entirely violating the intent behind the law. In one statement, Jesus tells them,

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” Matt 23:23

Here Jesus recognizes that the Pharisees were fulfilling the requirements of the Old Testament system of tithes, all the way down to the smallest amounts of spices in their cupboards. But they were also withholding justice and mercy from their fellow Jews. Jesus admonishes them, stating that they should be as diligent with these things as they were with their tithes.

Did Jesus support tithing?

This verse is interesting because it is the one time that we see support for the tithe by a New Testament figure. As such, this verse is often used to defend the idea that Christians must tithe. After all, Jesus supported the tithe, right?

It is true that Jesus told the Pharisees that they should continue tithing. But when we try to apply this to our obligations as a Christian, we run into an issue: the Pharisees weren’t Christians. They were Jewish men who had grown up in and had publicly committed to following the Mosaic Law. Tithing was a part of this law—the same law that Christ fulfilled (Mt 5:17). And if Christ fulfilled the law, then we who are in him are no longer under the law (see Romans 7 for Paul’s thoughts on this).

To use this verse to support the concept of tithing ignores the context of the verse—namely, the people to whom Jesus was speaking.

New Testament passages on tithing

Three passages in the New Testament mentions tithing. We’ve just looked at one of them—Matthew 23:23. Let’s look at the remaining two now.

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14)

Luke records this parable which Jesus used to teach about the dangers of self-justification. Tithing is mentioned in verse 12, but it is just one of a series of practices that the Pharisee uses to justify himself to God. It is ancillary to the main point of the story. The parable does not give us any guidance on tithing.

The priestly order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1-10)

This passage is fascinating if you want to study it, but for our purposes, it is sufficient to say that the author of Hebrews used Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek is as a way of showing that Melchizedek was superior to Abraham. The author’s intent was not to tell people whether they should or shouldn’t tithe, but simply to illustrate Melchizedek’s position over Abraham. (Also, remember from Part 1 that Abraham’s gift was a tenth of his spoils of war—not everything he owned.) Now this passage does mention the tithe that the Levites received, but again, as we learned last time, this tithe can’t be brought into a Christian context on a one-to-one basis.

Conclusions on tithing in the biblical witness

So after looking at what the entire Bible has to say about tithing, what are our conclusions?

• Prior to the Mosaic Law, tithing was voluntary (i.e. not required) and occasional.
• Under the Mosaic Law, tithing was mandatory and systematic.
• After the Mosaic Law (i.e. the New Testament), tithing is not commanded for Christians by Jesus or any New Testament writer.

Simply put, tithing was an aspect of life in ancient Israel that is not required for Christians to follow today.

Not so fast, though…

Tithing may not be a requirement for Christians today, but giving certainly is.

In fact, a thorough reading of the New Testament will provide plenty of examples of Christians giving to the church, and even being encouraged, exhorted, and commanded to give. For brevity’s sake, let’s quickly look at three of them.

Paul’s right to a paycheck (1 Corinthians 9)

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about his right to make a living spreading the gospel. After all, didn’t he do more than anyone in the early church to keep things going? He was even an Apostle, for goodness sakes! But even though he makes it clear that he has the right to be provided for by the churches, he doesn’t act on that right. He hasn’t asked for a penny, because it might hinder the cause of Christ.

But regarding the right to be paid, Paul appeals to the Mosaic Law. One would think this would be a great time for Paul to mention the Levitical Tithe, but he doesn’t. Instead, he quotes Deuteronomy 25:4:

“Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”

He appeals to a broad principle (if you work, you should get a part of the profits) instead of a narrow application of that principle (the Levitical Tithe).

Donating to the poor (2 Corinthians 8-9)

In 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul asks the church in Corinth to donate to help support poor Christians in Jerusalem. The New Testament records that Paul was engaged in raising funds for them for about five years. Again, it seems like a clear case where Paul could have used the Poor Tithe as a way to persuade Christians to give. That’s what the Poor Tithe was for, wasn’t it? But he didn’t. Rather, in 2 Cor 9:7 he says,

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

No “ten percent” requirement here, folks. Everyone should give what they have decided in their heart. There is no longer an external standard for giving—now it’s a matter of the heart.

Sharing all good things (Galatians 6:6)

In Galatians 6:6, Paul states, “One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.” This is very similar to the idea presented in 1 Corinthians 9. Those who devote themselves to teaching the Word, and so provide for the spiritual needs of others, should be offered provision for their own physical needs. Again, what a great place this would have been for Paul to mention tithing!

Yet neither Paul, nor Jesus, nor any other New Testament writer compels Christians to tithe. There is simply no justification in the New Testament to require that a follower of Christ give ten percent of their income to the church.

But, we who follow Christ are still compelled by the New Testament to give to the church. The “ten percent” amount is the only part which no longer applies.

So what is our guidance, then? How do I know how much I am supposed to give, and how often I am to give? We will look at the practical aspects of New Testament principles of giving in Part 3.

(In order to put together this series, I have relied heavily on two scholarly articles by Andreas Köstenberger and David Croteau from the Bulletin for Biblical Research. If you want to read them in their entirety, here are the links: Will a Man Rob God? and Reconstructing a Biblical Model for Giving.)

“The Bible requires Christians to tithe–and that’s on the gross, not net.”

“You can never out-give God!”

“If ten percent is good enough for Jesus, it ought to be enough for Uncle Sam.”

These are all statements I heard growing up in church in the midwestern United States. In that context, it was a given that if you were a good Christian, you gave ten percent of your income—before taxes, of course—to the church, the theological term for which is “tithing.”

As I got older and spent more and more time studying the Bible, I learned more about the original context of the idea of tithing. I learned about its origin in the Old Testament, how the idea of giving changed in the New Testament, and how things aren’t quite as black and white as I was led to believe. I’d like to share some of this information with you, to help you make wise decisions about your own giving habits.

There’s quite a bit to talk about, so I’m going to break things up: this will be the first of a three-part series on tithing.

In Part 1, we will look at the origin of the tithe in the Old Testament—where it came from, how it was used, and exactly how much the Israelites were required to tithe (surprisingly, it’s not ten percent!).

Part 2 will focus on understanding key New Testament texts that discuss giving, and discover what changed along the way.

Part 3 will draw the series to a close by looking at the practical aspects of New Testament giving–what it means for us today.

Ready to dive in? Okay, let’s go.

Tithing before the Law

Tithing was defined and instituted in the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law is the set of rules that God gave the people of Israel through Moses when they were at Mt. Sinai, after they had escaped from slavery in Egypt. (We’ll talk more about the Law in a bit.) While tithing was codified in the Law, the idea of tithing actually finds its origins before the Law. Three Old Testament texts stand out in this regard:

The gifts of Cain and Abel (Gen 4:3-5)

This is the first instance in scripture of humans bringing a sacrifice to God. Adam’s sons, Cain and Abel, each brought a sacrifice. For some reason (no one is really sure why), God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but not Cain’s. I think this is probably due to the fact that Cain brought “some fruit” (i.e. whatever he had laying around) while Abel brought the “firstborn of his flock”. In other words, Abel gave God his best, while Cain did not.

Regardless of the reason, though, this passage is often cited in support of the requirement to tithe. But there is no mention or expectation of a tithe in this passage—only that Cain and Abel brought a sacrifice to God. The amount is simply not known.

Abraham’s tithe (Gen 14:20)

Here is the first instance of actual tithing in the Bible. After rescuing his nephew Lot from being abducted by several local kings, Abraham meets a priest named Melchizedek. Melchizedek blesses Abraham, and Abraham in turn gives him a tithe.

In this case, Abraham’s gift was a tenth of his spoils of war—not a tenth of everything he owned. It’s also important to note that this was a one-time gift, not the regular, repeated giving that the Law required.

Jacob’s promise (Gen 28:22)

This story in Genesis tells of the founding of the town of Bethel. Jacob has a dream in which God reaffirms his promise to fulfill the Abrahamic covenant. The next morning Jacob sets up a stone to remember this promise, and says (my paraphrase), “God, if you really do what you have promised to do, I will give you a tenth of everything I own.”

So what we have here is a conditional promise: God, if you do x, then I will do y. The problem is that there is a good chance that Jacob is trying to manipulate or take advantage of God here (and if you know about Jacob, he has a tendency to manipulate!). There is also the problem that, although Jacob’s promise to tithe is recorded, whether he actually followed through on his promise is not.

So what can we learn about tithing before the Mosaic Law?

• There was no system of tithing in place for followers of Yahweh.
• There was no direct command by God to tithe.
• Acts of tithing were voluntary and occasional.

Tithing after the Law

This brings us to the Mosaic Law. When Moses gave the people the law on Mt. Sinai, tithing was a component. Whereas before this tithing was voluntary and occasional, now it would be mandatory and systematic. So why the change?

We have to remember that Israel was now, for the first time, a country. And in this new country, there was no separation of church and state—they were one and the same (this is called a theocracy). Tithes were taxes, used to fund what we would consider government operations, in addition to funding the temple.

This has direct implications on tithing for us today. If you’re in the United States, you don’t live in a theocracy. You pay taxes to fund the government; any charitable giving is voluntary (but at least it’s tax-deductible!). Taxes pay for the government’s costs; tithing pays for your church’s costs. In ancient Israel, tithes paid for it all.

How many tithes?

Of course, whether you’re talking about modern-day America or Old Testament Israel, running a government takes a lot of money. Sometimes, ten percent of GDP just won’t cut it—such was the case for ancient Israel. You might be surprised to learn, then, that there was not just one tithe in the Old Testament. There were actually three of them!

The first tithe: The Levitical Tithe (Num 18:21; Lev 27:30-33)

The Levites were the tribe within Israel who were responsible for running the temple. The Levites were also the only tribe who didn’t get any land in the new country. Thus, they had no way of generating income. The Levitical Tithe was how they got their paycheck. The Levites, in turn, would then give a tithe of their own to the priests.

The second tithe: The Festival Tithe (Deut 14:22-27)

This is a second tithe, distinct from the Levitical tithe. The Festival Tithe was to provide the food for national feasts, which were numerous throughout the year. Think of it as a “national potluck” fund.

The third tithe: The Poor Tithe (Deut 14:28-29)

This is a third tithe, distinguished from the previous two. The Poor Tithe was unique in that it was only collected every third year. The purpose of this tithe was to establish a food bank where the poor could “come and eat their fill.”

The fact that there were three separate tithes required in the Old Testament means ancient Israelites didn’t give ten percent of their income to God. They actually gave around twenty-three percent of their income!

How (not to) tithe, Old Testament style

So if you wanted to tithe in the same manner as the Mosaic Law lays out, then you would have to

• Give ten percent of your income annually to the Levites.
• Set aside ten percent of your income annually to help pay for national holiday celebrations.
• Donate another ten percent of your income every third year to local food shelters.

Even if you believe that the tithe is still a requirement for New Testament believers, I guarantee you don’t tithe like this. (Prime example: you can’t give a tithe to the Levites; there are no Levites around to give your money to!) Nor should you, because as we mentioned earlier, tithes funded Israel’s theocracy. Most of us don’t live in a theocracy. Our system of government is radically different today, and so we can’t adopt Old Testament rules about tithing directly. It just doesn’t work.

Context, context, context

This is a great object lesson on the importance of context. Any biblical text must be understood in its original historical context. (This is important in resolving potential contradictions in the Bible too.) I’ve shown the historical context for tithing and some of the problems with dropping the Old Testament concepts about tithing directly into our own context.

So does that mean that because we can’t literally fulfill those commands, we don’t have to give to the church today? Not at all! The New Testament writers expected that Christians would give to the church, and they provide a good deal of guidance on the subject. In Part 2, we will look at what the New Testament says about giving.

(In order to put together this series, I have relied heavily on two scholarly articles by Andreas Köstenberger and David Croteau from the Bulletin for Biblical Research. If you want to read them in their entirety, here are the links: Will a Man Rob God? and Reconstructing a Biblical Model for Giving.)

In February 2020, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, hosts of the wildly popular Good Mythical Morning YouTube channel, publicly shared the story of their faith journey. They were both born and raised in a Christian environment. They were active in Campus Crusade for Christ while in college, where they engaged in evangelism. But over the years, things changed. They began to reexamine their Christian faith, and eventually found it wanting. Now, they both consider themselves former Christians.

A day or two after learning about this, I was in the grocery store. I happened to run across an old friend who I hadn’t seen in several years. As we talked, he revealed that his wife, a former children’s pastor, had divorced him. She is now an atheist.

An all too common story

Stories like this are not unique. I could have easily mentioned several others, as I’m sure you can too. People have been leaving the Christian faith for as long as the Christian faith has been around. Perhaps what has changed today is that now it is acceptable–even fashionable–to “deconvert.” People who purposefully leave the Christian faith often see themselves as having matured beyond such things as church and the Bible, and our culture readily concurs.

For those of us who remain, these stories can be quite impactful. I know for me, it hurts to see people leaving the church and no longer claiming to follow Jesus. It hurts especially when the reasons they give for doubting the truth have solid rebuttals from apologists. And of course it stings when inevitably the reasons for leaving include veiled accusations of bigotry (usually in the form of sexism, racism, or homophobia).

These stories also tend to raise questions and doubts for believers. Were the people who deconvert ever really saved? Did they lose their salvation? Or are they still saved, if they sincerely said a prayer at some point in the past?

So how do we as believers process these deconversions? What do we do with the stories of ex-Christians? How should we view both the stories and the people telling them? These are important and difficult questions.

Understanding salvation

The biggest question that is asked when people walk away from Christianity is, were they ever really saved? The doctrine of Calvinism, for instance, has “preservation of the saints” as one of its core tenets. This has been immortalized in Baptist circles with the popular saying, “Once saved, always saved.” The corollary would be that if you leave the faith, you weren’t really a part of the faith to begin with. Wesleyans, on the other hand, would disagree, claiming a person can legitimately lose their salvation.

Aspects of salvation

But what is salvation? Or, more precisely, when does salvation occur? To show what I mean, let’s take a quiz. Which of the following statements is theologically correct?

A) We were saved before the foundation of the world.
B) We are saved when we accept Christ.
C) We are being saved daily through the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
D) We will be saved if we endure to the end.

If you realized this is a trick question, congratulations! The answer is all of the above. The Bible discusses salvation in several aspects. We were saved before God created the universe (Eph 1:4). But we could also say that we are saved when we accept him as Lord and savior (Rom 10:10). Moreover, the New Testament states that we are in the process of being saved (1 Cor 1:10). And finally, we will be saved if we endure until the end–either death or Christ’s return (Luke 21:19).

When the Bible speaks of salvation, then, it is speaking of a unique kind of event where the supernatural interacts with the natural, and one with aspects that extend out to eternity in either direction. So, do those who leave the faith lose their salvation? Were they ever saved to begin with? It depends on how you define “saved.” Are you referring to the past, present or future?

The impact of leaving

As for me, when I see a person walk away from the faith, I remember these words from 1 John 2:19:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

John is referring to people in the early church who physically separated themselves from the community as a direct result of their doctrinal separation from the community. These were people whose beliefs over time diverged to the point where they denied critical aspects of the faith–namely, the gospel itself. These were some of the earliest deconversions on record, and John is clear that by leaving the faith, they showed they were never part of the faith to begin with. In other words, the fact that they did not endure (future aspect) shows that they were never saved to begin with (past aspect).

The personal experience factor

That’s all well and good theologically, but when you listen to ex-Christians, you hear a different story. Link, for example, stated that he really was a Christian at one point, and really had a real relationship with Jesus. He would assert that he was, in fact, saved, and now is not. So how do we handle this kind of information? I’ve heard many different ideas to explain this, but I’ve come to believe that the true answer always comes down to the issue of authority.

The authority issue

The Safe King

A few years ago I read an incredibly insightful book called The Safe King by Jan Hettinga. The book points out something that I had never considered before, and yet the more I have processed it, the more I believe Mr. Hettinga is correct. He argues that at the center of the Christian life is the question of authority. In other words, being a Christian is not about saying a prayer, or trying really hard, or being good, or anything else that often gets associated with following Jesus. Rather, being a Christian is about giving Jesus the authority he is due.

The meaning of “lord”

After all, isn’t that is what the word “lord” means? If you were to live in a feudal system, the lord is the person who owns the land. As such, the lord has authority. They are in charge precisely because it’s their land you are living on. How much more, then, is the One through whom the Father created the universe in charge–of everything? Such should be our attitude with Jesus.

If he is your Lord, he is in charge of your life. If he is not in charge of your life, then he is not your Lord. You might have “prayed the prayer of salvation.” You might have what you genuinely believe to be a relationship with Jesus. It’s possible you are involved in various ministries–you might even be a pastor! But the heart of the matter is this: have you submitted yourself to Jesus as Lord, or are you still in charge of your life?

This is where the rubber hits the road. This is where all who walk away from Christianity have commonality. In each case, they have an authority issue. In one way or another, they have determined that ultimately they want control of their own life. Perhaps, like Rhett and Link, they find the Bible’s teachings on sexuality too restrictive. Maybe, like my friend’s ex-wife, they lose faith in God altogether (for whatever he did or didn’t do to their liking). It could be a thousand things, but eventually all paths lead back to the question of who is going to be in charge–God or self. It always comes back to authority.

Responding with contrition

Now that we’ve tackled a few of the theological questions surrounding deconversion, there is still the question of how to respond to these kinds of stories. I would suggest that there are a few things to consider, and all of them point to responding with sorrow and contrition.

First, if the Bible is true, then we will all stand before God on the day of judgment (Heb 9:27). I don’t know about you, but I do not want to have to explain to the Creator and Judge of the universe why I walked away from him. That is not an envious task, and a less envious result is guaranteed. After all, God is a just judge who will give all of us what we are due. For those who have not truly submitted to him, their sentence is eternal separation from God in hell.

Just to be clear, this will not be a time to gleefully announce, “I told you so!” from the pearly gates. People who deconvert are still human beings with value, and their stories should grieve us and drive us to pray that they would repent and return to God. As Christians, we should not want anyone to face an eternity without God, since he himself doesn’t want it either (2 Pet 3:9).

Second, deconversion stories should cause us to examine our own faith, and the foundations upon which we have built it. While it’s easy to look at someone who’s left the faith and point fingers, the reality is we who remain ought to look in the mirror instead. Do we ourselves have the authority issue settled? Is there sin or neglect in our own lives that might cause us to fall away? These are much harder questions to answer, but it’s where we ought to focus our energy when we hear of deconversions. As the famous saying goes, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

You may have heard the term “the gospel,” but what does it really mean? Sadly, it’s entirely possible that you may have gone to church many times or have Christian friends or family members, but you have never heard about the gospel. If this is you, I want to apologize to you. Too many of us Christians fail to talk enough about the central tenet of our faith. For this reason, I have outlined the gospel below. I would ask you to read it. It won’t take long, and a few minutes of your time now could be worth an eternity later.

God created and rules the world

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. – Gen 1:1

God is the creator of the world. Because he created the world, he is in charge of it. He is the ultimate ruler of the world. But he also loves his creation. He placed humans in the world to rule his creation under him, to care for it according to his rules, so that it (and we) might flourish, and so that we might know him.

We all have rebelled against God

None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. – Rom 3:10-12

But each of us–including you and me–have rebelled against God. How, you ask? By trying to run our life our own way, without him. We think that our way is better than God’s way. What do I mean by this, you say? I’m glad you asked!

God has told us how to live in the Bible. The foundation of his rules are the Ten Commandments. Now it’s pop quiz time: How many lies have you told in your life (even white lies)? Hundreds? Thousands? More? Yet God says in the ninth commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Have you ever stolen anything–even something small or of little value? God says in the eighth commandment, “You shall not steal.” How about the very first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Have you ever put anything–anything at all–above your relationship with God? Money, power, sex, drugs or alcohol, entertainment, sports, hobbies, your job, your car, your house, your kids, or yourself?

If you have ever lied, stolen, or placed something in your life above God, then you have broken God’s law. You are a lawbreaker who has rebelled against the creator of the world.

The penalty for rebellion is death and judgment

It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. – Heb 9:27

God is a holy God; he doesn’t take rebellion lightly. Our rebellion, also called sin, caused death to enter into the world. Each of us will one day die and face God to give an account for our lives. If you stand before a holy God as a rebellious lawbreaker, what do you think he will do?

In a human court of law, the judge demands justice. If the defendant said, “Judge, I know I have committed some crimes, but at heart I’m a pretty good person,” would the judge let him off? Of course not! Any good judge would say, “It doesn’t matter how good of a person you think you are. We are here to see that justice is served for the crimes you have committed!” In the same way, God demands justice for the sins we have committed, regardless of how good of a person we think we are. The penalty for sin is not only physical death, but spiritual death. This means an eternity spent apart from God in a place called hell.

God sent his son to take our penalty

But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Rom 5:8

Thankfully, God loves us too much to leave us to our deserved eternity in hell. God sent his own son, Jesus, to the world. Jesus lived the perfect life that we can’t. He never rebelled against God, never chose his own way over God’s way, never sinned. Yet by his death on the cross, he took our penalty. His death covers our sins, and he paid the price of our sin for us.

God raised Jesus from the dead to rule the world

By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – 1 Pet 1:3

God’s plan did not stop at Jesus’ death, however. Three days after Jesus died, God raised him from the dead. Jesus conquered death and now sits at the right hand of God as ruler of the world. One day, the Bible tells us that he will return to judge it.

Which way will you choose?

The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him. – John 3:36

So which way will you choose? You have two options:

Our way. You can continue trying to live life your own way, in rebellion of God. The end result of this choice is death, judgment and eternal condemnation.
God’s way. You can choose to accept the gift of salvation available through Jesus. You can submit to his rule, and let his death be the payment for your sins. The end result of this choice is to be forgiven by God, and to receive eternal life.

If you want to choose God’s way of salvation through Jesus, then that is awesome! Do the following:

1. Pray to God. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and ask Jesus to be the ruler of your life.
2. Read the Bible. The Bible is God’s word to us; it’s how we learn about him and about how to live in ways that are pleasing to him.
3. Find a church. We need others to help us live for Jesus. Find a local church that takes the Bible and the gospel seriously, and get involved! In fact, we would love for you to join us at Northwind!

If you have further questions about this, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help you fully understand what Jesus did for you.