Tithing Study Guide
Tithing and Symptoms of Moral Decline
What does “right in their own eyes” mean in Judges 17:6?
What was Satan’s attempt at manipulation of Jesus in the wilderness in Luke 4:10?
What are the warnings of 2 Timothy 4:1-5?
What are the warnings about false prophets in 1 John 4:1?
What does Jesus call His Church in Matthew 5:13-14?
What are we commanded to do in Matthew 28:19-20?
What are we told to do in 1 Timothy 4:16?
What is the ultimate cure to the symptoms of moral decline?
What are six common primary fallacies seen in Floyd’s study on tithing?
What does Floyd identify as the cure to lowering financial giving?
What is the suggested cure for moral decline?
How does Floyd’s focus on the symptom of giving lead to manipulation to tithe?
The Fallacy of Making Descriptive Texts Prescriptive
What is the difference between descriptive and prescriptive texts?
Reflect on this statement: “Our view of God as Creator, Owner, and the Sovereign One over all things will determine if we are willing to trust Him with the finances He has entrusted to us.”
Reflect on this true statement: God made and owns everything and He “gives what is His to whom He chooses.”
What does Floyd suggest is our “path of security”?
What does Floyd suggest is “living out this truth”?
What is the danger of the fallacy of making descriptive texts prescriptive?
The Fallacy of Proof–Texting
Read Genesis 1:26-28 and reflect on the true statement, “we own absolutely nothing.”
Read I Corinthians 4:1-2. How does Floyd’s definition of “faithful” differ from the text?
What is the difference between financial stewardship and doctrinal stewardship?
Read Matthew 25:14-30. How does Floyd’s use of “talents” differ from the text?
How does Floyd’s story about “good service” resulting in tangible rewards contradict his earlier statement on intangible rewards?
How does this contradiction present tithing as BOTH a work (tithing)/reward-based requirement with a verifiable financial reward for obedience AND a requirement with a verifiable non-financial reward of things such as “peace” and “contentment”?
How does this contradiction provide support for the “prosperity gospel”?
Read Matthew 6:19-34. What is the context and meaning of “seek” and “all these things” in v. 33? How does Floyd’s presentation differ from the text?
Read Luke 12:22-40. What is the context of “require” in v. 38? What is the context of “ready” in vv. 35 and 40? How does Floyd’s presentation differ from the text?
How does Floyd’s statement, “God seeks to bless the one who seeks to bless God,” differ from these texts?
What is the danger of the fallacy of proof-texting?
The Fallacy of Piecemealing Old Testament Laws
What is the Hebrew Roots Movement?
Read Hebrews 11:1-17. What is the source and reward of faith? How does this differ from Floyd’s presentation?
Read Ephesians 2:8-9. Why can tithing not be connected to salvation?
Read Leviticus 27:30-34. Who did God give the
requirement to tithe?
Read Numbers 18:20-29. What is the Levitical Tithe?
Read Deuteronomy 14:22-27. What is the Worship Tithe?
Read Deuteronomy 14:28-29. What is the Welfare Tithe?
If the required tithe for the Jews totaled around 23%, then on what grounds does Floyd insist on a 10% tithe?
Read about Abraham’s tithe in Genesis 14:17-20 and Jacob’s tithe in 28:20-22. Were these tithes required or done by choice?
Read God’s introduction to His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, His giving of it in 15:18-21, His reaffirmation in 17:1-8 and renewal of it with Isaac in 26:2-5 and with Jacob in 28:10-17. Why is there no mention of tithing if it is required?
Read Genesis 17:9-14. What was the only requirement God made of His people here?
Read Matthew 23:23. Was Jesus requiring all of us to tithe here?
Read Matthew 5:17 and Luke 22:20. How did the New Covenant fulfill the Old Covenant?
Read Deuteronomy 28:1-2. Why can’t we separate tithing from the other laws?
What are examples of the crucial difference between the Old (what goes in matters) and New (what comes out matters) Covenants?
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. Does the New Covenant require specific amounts for giving?
Read Luke 10:5-7 and 1 Timothy 5:18. What does “a worker deserves his wages” mean?
How are the financial needs of a local church met without a required amount to give?
Read Deuteronomy 14:22-23. How does Floyd’s misquote of v. 23 distort the actual description of tithing in the text?
How does Floyd’s switch from his consistent use of the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) to the New Living Bible (NLB) allow him to further his agenda here?
How does Floyd introduce the “guilt trip” by
referencing Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?
How does Floyd address the issue of tithing on gross or net income? Is this supported in Scripture?
Read Mark 12:17, Romans 12:1-3, Psalm 37:21 and 1 Timothy 5:8. Do these Scriptures instruct us to ignore the financial taxes/debts we owe to others and overlook the needs of our own households for the sake of maintaining strict adherence to a 10% tithe?
According to Dave Ramsey, “The natural byproduct of a Jesus lover when they have money is giving.” Why is this a true statement?
What is the danger of the fallacy of piecemealing the Old Testament?
The Fallacy of the Guilt Trip
In his use of the guilt trip in regards to tithing, who does Floyd set up as the victim and who is the perpetrator?
Refect on Floyd’s correct statement, “We give time to what we deem as important, and we spend money on what we truly value.” Why is this true?
How does Floyd equate not questioning the Word of God with not questioning tithing?
Read Malachi 3:7-12. How is the tithe discussed here?
Read Nehemiah 13:5-9. What were the “storerooms” and how were they used?
Read Nehemiah 10:37-39. Who actually brought the tithe to the storehouse and how much of it did they bring?
If the storerooms couldn’t hold the entire nation’s 10% tithe and only the priests were required to bring a portion of these tithes, how do we explain the context of “robbing God” and “bring your whole tithe” in Malachi 3:8-12?
The priests were required to bring the tithes to the storehouse, which was connected to the Temple.
Why does Floyd insist that we all must bring our tithes to the local church?
Why is it wrong to make the use of a distribution system by the early church to get help to those in need a required example to follow today? Why does Floyd not insist we follow other methods of operation used by the early church?
How does Floyd introduce giving more than the required 10% with the phrase, “plus contributions”?
Read Malachi 3:10. How does Floyd misuse “floodgates of heaven” and “not be room enough to store it”?
Read Malachi 3:11. How does Floyd misuse “rebuke” and “pests”?
Read Acts 4:32-5:2. Does Floyd’s assertion that “feet of the Apostles” means to bring the tithe to the local church match its Scriptural or historical context?
What is Floyd implying by stating, “Storehouse tithing flips the mental switch from “blessed to be a blessing” to “being a blessing is the path to blessing.’”
Using the “shovel” concept, how does Floyd suggest we abandon our source and focus on our act of giving?
What is the danger of the fallacy of the guilt trip?
The Fallacy of Compulsive Giving
How does the Scripture differ from the world on the issue of generosity?
How does generosity live in the life of a believer?
What does “openhandedly” mean for a lifestyle of generosity?
What is “over and above giving”?
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-10. Reflect on Floyd’s correct assertions, “God is able,” “Grace is overflowing” and “God meets your needs” and “Anything we give, it comes from what God gives us anyway.”
Reflect on Floyd’s quote of Alcorn: “’Tithing isn’t the ceiling of giving; it’s the floor.’” How does this directly contradict these correct assertions?
How is it wrong for Floyd to suggest that tithing 10% is enough, but not good enough- you must give more?
How is it wrong for Floyd to suggest Paul did not mention tithing one time in 2 Corinthians 8-9 because Paul did not need to repeat something established elsewhere in Scripture and he was addressing over and above giving here rather than tithing?
Read Luke 6:37-38. What are we told to give here? Why does Floyd insist this verse refers to tithing?
What is the danger of the fallacy of compulsive giving?
The Fallacy of Equating Everything with the Great Commission
Why do some groups attempt to make
everything a “gospel issue”?
How does Floyd make tithing a “gospel issue”?
Reflect on Floyd’s true assertion: “An improper understanding of biblical stewardship will result in money and resources becoming stumbling blocks in your personal walk with Christ.”
Reflect on Floyd’s correct statement: “Living out biblical stewardship stretches between two bookends: On one end, God owns everything, and on the other end is living in obedience to reach every person for Jesus Christ across the entire world. In other words, we have Good News for the whole world, and we must do all we can with all we have to see this Good News given to every person, everywhere.”
Read Philippians 4:10-20. What does Floyd suggest by his correct assertion to “reset”, “realign” and “renew”?
If the church at Philippi were tithing, why didn’t Paul recognize this in thanking them for their gifts to him?
Reflect on Floyd claim: “When we give God’s way, we are in partnership with God to bring every ethnicity to saving faith in Jesus Christ.” (p 100) What does he mean by “God’s way”?
What is the danger of the fallacy of equating everything with the Great Commission?
Tithing in Perspective
What does the Didache say about those who stay too long or ask for money?
What was enacted at the Roman Catholic Council of Tours in 567 and the Council of Macon in France in 567?
Reflect on the assertion that “tithing did not emerge historically until the church became powerful in the secular realm after Constantine made Christianity the official church in Rome in 311. It was not until 777 that Charlemagne, or “Charles the Great,” allowed churches to legally collect tithes.” Why is there a historical link between tithing and political power in the church?
Tithing was addressed and rejected by baptists in 1873, not mentioned in the original 1925 or the updated 1963 or 2000 SBC Baptist Faith and Message and was not directly mentioned until the 2013 SBC Resolution, “On Tithing, Stewardship, And The Cooperative Program.” Why?
Reflect on these conclusions: 1) Jesus did not affirm tithing (Luke 11:42, 2) Matthew 23:23), 3) Abraham’s tithe was a choice and not binding today (Hebrews 7:2), and 4) Tithing was not mentioned in I Corinthians 9:13-14 and Philippians 4:10-20 because it didn’t apply.
What are the differences between the SBC Baptist Faith and Message (BFM) and the Resolutions of the SBC?
Why is the BFM considered binding and Resolutions are not?
Read Acts 15:5-11, 19-21. What are the four requirements for Gentile converts?
Why didn’t the Apostles consider tithing a requirement for Gentile converts? Was it not mentioned to them because they were already familiar with tithing and it would be redundant or because it was not considered a requirement?
Read Acts 5:3-11. Why were Ananias and Sapphira punished? Not tithing or lying?
Is it a sin to not tithe?
If tithing is so crucial, then why has it not made it into the Baptist Faith and Message and is merely only in a recent Resolution?
Is it possible to suggest that the 2013 resolution on tithing is merely a reflection on the thoughts of the convention at that time and does not reflect an actual doctrinal statement of faith?
How did the local churches “survive” before the fairly recent insistence on tithing?
Reflect on the statement, “It appears that the modern local church spends more funds on “having” things such as salaries, land, buildings, etc. than on “doing” anything.”
Reflect on the question, “Why doesn’t anyone seem to want to address the issue that the actual “need” for an ever-increasing level of funds to pour into the local church has more to do with maintaining these budgets than providing for the minimal basic sustenance of our leaders and those among us with little or no resources?”
Reflect on the question, “Did God not provide the funds needed by the local church for nearly 2,000 years because of their lack of continued tithing?”
Reflect on the question, “Did God reward His church with growth and expansion as a result of the restoration of tithing in the local church or did the financial needs of the local church increase as a result of their desire to find funds for these over-burdened budgets?”
Reflect on the statement, “There is nothing inherently wrong with using generously given local church funds for salaries, audio-visual tools, building programs, etc.”
Reflect on the statement, “Floyd is suggesting that local church pastors spend six weeks attempting to manipulate their members to engage in a required at least 10% tithe WITHOUT even mentioning that the majority of received funds will likely go towards the salary of the leadership and the maintenance of their building(s).”
Reflect on the statement, “If we read these statements, we can only conclude that the best way to bring more funds into the local church is to constantly browbeat attendees about giving more while dazzling them with a song-and-dance laser light show and pyrotechnics.”
Reflect on the statement, “Remember, if God is our source of giving then all of the attempts at compelling marketing gimmicks are pointless. But, as we have already identified, Floyd seems to wants to “switch” from focusing on a reliance on God as our source to focusing on us “being a blessing.”
Read John 16:13. What does the Holy Spirit guides us into?
Read Hebrews 4:12-13 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. How do the Scriptures guide us?
Reflect on the statement, “It is not the responsibility of the local church to manipulate people into forking up more funds to support the local church. God is our source for all giving and God will provide for the needs of both the giver and the local church with the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.”
How does Floyd’s presentation of an at least 10% required tithe compare to the summation: “No reliance on descriptive texts as prescriptions. No proof-texting. No piecemealing of Old Testament Laws. No guilt trips. No compulsive giving. No equating with the Great Commission. Generosity, with no compulsion.”?
What is the “serious dilemma” for the SBC leadership.”
What is the “growing divide between the local church membership and executive leadership within the SBC regarding how to handle this moral decline reflected in lowering financial giving.”
What are some issues local congregations have with the ERLC?
What is the Cooperative Program?
What is the difference in response by the SBC national leadership to churches/leaders leaving the SBC?