Imagine explaining our lifestyle to a Christian from the first century. Cars, smartphones, streaming services, and online shopping have turned luxuries into necessities. Our homes overflow with furniture, closets with clothes, and refrigerators with food. Yet, in this age of unparalleled wealth, our giving reveals a poverty that would have baffled the early church. Consider the following statements through the eyes of Jesus’ first followers.
“I can’t afford to give”
There’s no question that many people are struggling financially right now. Inflation is crazy, housing prices are unaffordable, and credit card debt burdens many. And yet the standard of what we “need” to live today would be unrecognizable to almost any other generation in history.
The early church believed that a commitment to Jesus should involve an adjustment in a person’s lifestyle. People sold properties to have more money to give to the work of God (Acts 4:34-35). Even people with very little were commended for the sacrifices they made to give.
Jesus famously praised a poor widow for putting a penny in the offering box – not just because it was so little but because “she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live one” (Mark 12:42-44). Similarly, Paul held up the example of the Macedonians whose “generosity” came from “their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty” and resulted in them “begging … earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints” (2 Corinthians 8:1-4).
To someone who couldn’t afford to give, the early Christians would surely advise them to reduce their expenses, be content with less, and put God first in their finances. Statistics reveal that as income rises, the percentage people give away often decreases. In the end, giving reflects the priorities of the heart.
“I don’t have to tithe”
Statistics say that only 5 to 10% of church attendees give at least a tithe or 10% of their income to God. Some argue: “None of the New Testament letters ever mention tithing.” I’ve addressed this topic before (“Why Doesn’t the New Testament Talk More About Tithing?”) but this feels like a case of being technically right but spiritually wrong.
If you’re going to be precise and talk about the fact that there aren’t any Christian commands to tithe, you also need to note that Jesus said to “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy” (Luke 12:33) and warned that “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). It’s not as if Jesus was urging people to scale back from giving a tithe. If anything, he was encouraging more.
Research shows that Christians who tithe seem to understand this. Most committed tithers go beyond 10%, with 77% giving more than a tenth of their income to God. Once you understand Christian giving, generosity and gratefulness guide the amount.
“I like to give to more personal needs than my local church”
One of the reasons people give for not contributing to the church is that they like to give to other needs. Missionaries make direct appeals, family members want our help, and in some countries a little money can go a long way. Generosity dictates that we try to respond where we can. But to not give priority in your giving to the local church you attend would be a strange idea to the early church.
Even as they saw that the needs were great, rather than everyone independently responding, the first disciples brought their offerings and “laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:35). In the Old Testament, no one would have considered withholding their temple offering to help a relative buy seed for his field." It’s a question of both/and not either/or.
While personal giving often feels more rewarding because of the immediate impact, somebody still needs to pay for less glamorous essentials like heating bills, elevator maintenance, and children’s ministry curriculum. Neglecting the local church in favour of personal giving may feel satisfying, but it ignores the place that the body of Christ is called to play in fulfilling Jesus’ mission.
The early church understood that giving as a Christian is about declaring that Jesus is Lord over every part of life. If we truly grasped their perspective, it would free us from the values that burden us with financial strain and give money such power over our lives.
In awe of Him,
Paul
