How Much of Our Giving Should Go to the Church?
I want to begin by saying how grateful we are for how much people have given over the past couple of months. We’re thankful that so many of you responded to our call to give.
This is the last in our series on giving, which we started because we think this is an area we need to grow in as a church. I don’t know what individual people give; however, given the average household income of West Jordan, it appears JVC members donate roughly 3-4% of their income. I don’t believe the tithe is required of Christians (see the last newsletter), but I do believe that most Christians should set a goal to give away at least 10% of their income.
In this last newsletter, I want to show why we should prioritize giving specifically to our local church. This doesn't mean we should only give to our local church, but that it should hold the most importance for us.
The primary reason for this comes from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:7-9a:
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”
In other words, those who work in ministry should receive support from their congregations. Imagine an army recruiter finishing his pitch with, “Not only must you be willing to give your life; you’ll also need to cover your own salary and equipment.” Or imagine a farmer who labors over his crops but is not allowed to eat any of them.
Paul then quotes Deuteronomy 25:4: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” You should let the ox eat from the grain he is threshing. It is inhumane to keep a person or animal from benefiting from their own work.
Some commentators have argued the ox in question would have been rented or borrowed. Given that the owner would already have a vested interest in keeping his livestock well-fed, it makes more sense that this command is for someone borrowing an animal. It might be tempting to muzzle the ox so he doesn’t eat your own grain, thus requiring the owner to feed the hungry ox when you return him. This is like borrowing a friend's car and returning the gas tank empty.
In verses 9b-12b, 13-14, Paul continues:
Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
In a surprising twist, Paul applies this passage to those who are laboring in Gospel ministry: Those who benefit from the pastor’s work should use their own resources to support him. If you are receiving ministry from a pastor, you should contribute something in return. Paul is more explicit in verse 14: “those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” Congregations should support their pastors.
Paul cites the same command in 1 Timothy 5:17-18:
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
Most commentators agree that the “double honor” refers to financial compensation. Again, Paul says, ministers deserve payment for their work.
Now that we’ve established the scriptural foundation, let’s apply this to our situation. The bulk of the budget for most churches is salary. This isn’t just pay; it includes insurance, retirement, taxes and more. Many of you receive a brochure from your employer each year showing the total value of the salary and benefits you received. Often it’s tens of thousands of dollars more than what showed up in your bank account. In the same way, the cost of supporting a pastor is more than we often realize.
Paul’s point is that pastors have earned that pay, and it’s primarily the responsibility of the local congregation to shoulder that. A pastor may hold another job that provides or supplements his income (this is similar to what Paul did). Sometimes a local congregation is unable to fully support their pastor for a time and needs outside help. But the normal expectation is that the members of the congregation pay the pastor's salary. In other words, congregations ought to ensure the church’s budget is met. If 30% of your giving is going to the local church, and 70% is going to outside organizations, I’d argue that you aren’t following the intent of God’s command. You are in essence receiving the benefits of a full-time pastor but not giving in response to what you are receiving. It’s like continually borrowing a friend's car and returning it with less gas.
Another reason supporting the local church is important is that it is boring; it has no immediate, visible payoff. It’s an exercise in giving to God out of faith. It’s more rewarding to give to a friend who just lost their job or a family who is struggling with a cancer diagnosis. It feels good to give to campus ministries or to those that bring Christianity to unreached people. I want to be clear, these are important and good things. But these types of gifts are more gratifying for the giver, while the local church’s money goes into a mundane pot to water the grass, keep the lights on, and feed your pastor.
This kind of giving resembles a significant portion of Old Testament giving, the offerings at the temple, which, other than the portions given to the priests, literally went up in smoke as they were burnt on the altar. The benefits were mostly spiritual (to demonstrate love or thanksgiving to God or to express contrition). Similarly, giving to your local church focuses your heart on God. If you only give to causes where you can see the immediate impact of your gifts, thanksgiving to God may not even be part of your motivation. But to GodAnd yet this is one of the key parts of giving.
While our priority should be the local church, we also see a strong scriptural precedent for other types, whether that is to other churches or individuals or humanitarian causes. Our family gives about 10% of our income to Jordan Valley Church and another 5% to other things. This allows us to prioritize giving to our church while also supporting a number of other individuals and organizations we care about. Don’t take our percentages as a rule, but they could be a good starting point as you figure out what is right for you.
Lately, we’ve talked much more about money than we typically do, and there is always a danger of becoming legalistic; the church can unduly pressure its people to give more, or individuals can begin to think more giving means more favor with God. But I’ve realized there is a spiritual danger in not talking about it. In community groups, we recently looked at Philippians 4:17-18, and I was struck by how Paul encouraged their giving; it wasn’t because of the help it provided him, but because of the spiritual benefits they received through giving. I long for all of us to know the grace and joy found in loving God with our money.
Again, if you have any questions on this please reach out to me or any of the other pastors/elders.
In Christ,
Pastor Jon