Do You Consider Social Security to be Income That You’d Tithe On?

Do you consider social security to be income that you’d tithe on? How should we look at tithing as Christians?

Excerpt From The Answer

“Old Testament tithe began at 10% and would include other offerings with a total tithe of 20-22%. This is rarely taught in churches. The pious Jew gave not just a 10th of all harvests, animals, and income but also free will offerings, sin offerings, festival offerings, and the costly Passover offerings all above and beyond.

In the New Testament, from Jesus’ teaching and through the early church we learn of “giving out of grace” that replaces the 10% tithe. Whether the so-called widow’s mite or the church in Antioch giving “above and beyond their ability,” the emphasis is gracious generosity. Now there is nothing wrong with a 10% tithe (and many believers refer to tithing not strictly 10%) but the emphasis of giving out of grace or graciously speaks more to the heart of the believer who chooses to give, not legalistically or rigidly.  

This is like the old question, do we give/tithe based on our gross or net income? Paying taxes or contributing to social security is not giving to the Lord. Yet if we gave/tithed based on the gross income, we could reason that we already gave on this income. For me, it gets a bit rigid or legalistic to parse my giving this way. But I have no issue or judgment how anyone measures or chooses to give.”

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