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Questions on Wealth, Giving and Tithing

Is money the root of all evil? Does the tithe apply today? Are we required to give to anyone who asks? Generous Giving is committed to answering stewardship-related FAQs thoughtfully, and we have arranged our answers according to topic. While our answers address the many finer points of stewardship, our position statements summarize our general views. Learn what qualifies Generous Giving to answer these questions.

Money and Possessions
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  1. Does the Bible really address the topic of money? Isn’t the Bible just about religious matters?

  2. Is money is the primary topic addressed in the Bible?

  3. Is money the root of all evil?

  4. Is being wealthy a sin?

  5. Why is money dangerous?

  6. If money is so dangerous, then should we try to get along without it?

  7. What is materialism?

  8. What are some things of greater value than money and possessions?

  9. What are some righteous ways of acquiring money?

  10. What are some sinful ways of acquiring money?

  11. If I’ve got enough money, why shouldn’t I live as I please?

  12. Is gambling a sin?

  13. What should I do with gambling or lottery winnings?

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God’s Ownership and Man’s Stewardship
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  1. What do you mean when you say God owns my money? How can he?

  2. What is stewardship?

  3. If God owns everything and I am simply his steward, then what does he want me to do with his stuff?

  4. Is generous giving essential to good stewardship?

  5. Are there non-financial types of stewardship, and do they relate to giving?

  6. Why would God hold me accountable at the last judgment for the way I spend my money now?

  7. Are we responsible for stewardship of the environment?

  8. Are there spiritual benefits to environmental stewardship?

  9. What are some historical examples of the church getting stewardship wrong?

  10. What are some modern-day examples of the church getting stewardship wrong?

  11. What are some historical examples of the church getting stewardship right?

  12. What are some modern-day examples of the church getting stewardship right?

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Prosperity and Poverty
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  1. Will God bless me with wealth if I am a good Christian?

  2. Should I ask God to make me prosperous as Jabez prayed?

  3. Why does God allow poverty?

  4. Why does God allow his own people to suffer financially?

  5. Why does God entrust wealth only to a few when so much poverty exists?

  6. Why do so many evil people prosper?

  7. Do I have an obligation to help the poor?

  8. Won’t giving to the poor simply make them dependent on others rather than help them out of poverty?

  9. Can’t we just raise taxes on the rich until poverty disappears?

  10. Why do I have trouble caring about the plight of the poor (or the fate of unbelievers)?

  11. Does God favor poor people over rich people?

  12. What did Jesus mean by saying it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God?

  13. What is poverty theology or asceticism?

  14. Does the Bible teach poverty theology?

  15. What is “prosperity theology” or “health-and-wealth gospel”?

  16. Does the Bible teach a health-and-wealth gospel?

  17. Does faithfulness lead to prosperity?

  18. Does generosity lead to prosperity?

  19. Does unfaithfulness lead to poverty?

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Contentment
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  1. What is the secret to financial freedom?

  2. How can I avoid being anxious about money?

  3. How can I be content?

  4. What is the difference between frugality and generosity?

  5. Should I scale down my lifestyle in order to increase my giving?

  6. Why not keep striving for more?

  7. How can I determine how much is enough?

  8. If I have more money than I need, what should I do with the excess?

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Tithing
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  1. What is the tithe?

  2. Is the tithe the standard of Christian giving for us today, or was it just the standard for Old Testament Israel?

  3. Didn’t Jesus affirm that Christians should tithe?

  4. Did Jesus really say that faithful tithing wasn’t good enough?

  5. Who would have tithed in the Bible?

  6. Who would have been exempt from the tithe in the Bible?

  7. How much was the tithe in the Old Testament?

  8. Does the Bible teach a tithe on income or on net worth?

  9. Will God really “throw open the floodgates of heaven” if I start to tithe?

  10. If I am not required to tithe, am I free to give whatever I want?

  11. If I choose to tithe, does God expect more than a tithe from me?

  12. If I choose to tithe, what are some healthy ways to use the tithe?

  13. If I choose to tithe, what are some unhealthy ways to use the tithe?

  14. I’m taught that the tithe should go to the church budget. How were the three tithes used in the Old Testament?

  15. What happened to the Old Testament idea of a “tithe meal”?

  16. Where did the idea of a Christian tithe come from?

  17. Historically, how did the church use the tithe?

  18. I don’t work, but I do receive disability compensation. Should I tithe from this money?

  19. I live off welfare money and/or Social Security checks. Should I tithe from this money?

  20. Should I tithe from my take-home pay or my gross income?

  21. Can a portion of my tithe go to secular charities?

  22. Can a portion of my tithe go to other Christian ministries?

  23. Can a portion of my tithe go directly to a needy family?

  24. I currently do not attend church; where should my tithe go?

  25. I recently received an inheritance from a relative. Is it OK to divide the tithe from this inheritance among several churches that he loved?

  26. Can my kids’ Christian school tuition count toward my tithe?

  27. Should I catch up on paying back-tithes? If so, how far back should I go?

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Generosity
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  1. Why should we give?

  2. What is a generous giver?

  3. How much am I required to give?

  4. How much does it take to count as generous?

  5. Is it realistic for anyone to sell his possessions and give all his money to the poor?

  6. Isn’t the Christian free to give whatever he chooses, even not at all?

  7. Where (or to whom) should I give?

  8. What is sacrificial giving, and why is it important?

  9. How can wealthy people give sacrificially?

  10. How do I give cheerfully out of love, not just indifferently out of habit?

  11. Does my level of giving determine my salvation?

  12. Must I always give in secret?

  13. Are there gifts that please God?

  14. Are there gifts that displease God?

  15. Must I always give whatever is asked of me?

  16. If I do not have the spiritual gift of giving, does God still expect me to give?

  17. How can I tell if I have the spiritual gift of giving?

  18. Why doesn’t God always give me what I ask?

  19. Does prosperity lead to generosity?

  20. Does generosity result in poverty?

  21. Aren’t taxes enough? Do I also have to give to church or charity?

  22. What are some wrong motives for giving?

  23. If my motives are wrong, should I stop giving?

  24. Is it OK for me to expect special treatment from a ministry in proportion to the size of my donations?

  25. Is it OK for Christians to accept gifts from non-Christians?

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Funding the Great Commission
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  1. What is the Great Commission?

  2. What is our role in fulfilling the Great Commission?

  3. Why do I have trouble caring about the fate of unbelievers (or the plight of the poor)?

  4. What is strategic giving?

  5. Should I give only to Christian causes?

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Revival and Reformation
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  1. Does generosity produce revival?

  2. Does revival produce generosity?

  3. Does faith lead to generosity?

  4. Are there examples from history of the connection between revival and generosity?

  5. As Christians in a lost world, shouldn’t we be more concerned about evangelism than generosity?

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Eternal Reward
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  1. Will God reward Christians in heaven for good works done on earth?

  2. Are these rewards earned or deserved?

  3. Why does God promise rewards to believers?

  4. What rewards does God promise to give to his people in heaven?

  5. Are there different degrees of reward in heaven?

  6. What is the greatest reward a Christian can receive?

  7. Why should God get all the credit for my generosity and for my good works?

  8. What do you mean by “investing in eternity” and “storing up treasure in heaven”?

  9. Isn’t it presumptuous to expect rewards from God?

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Help Desk

Top Picks

  • Key FAQ


    Topic

  • Money and
             Possessions
  • God’s Ownership and
             Man’s Stewardship
  • Prosperity and
             Poverty
  • Contentment
  • Tithing
  • Generosity
  • Funding the Great
             Commission
  • Revival and
             Reformation
  • Eternal Reward


    Related Resources

  • Bible Study Notes
  • Common Excuses
  • Key Verses
  • Major Themes
  • Position Statements
  • Stewardship Theology
  • Topical Concordance
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