Ask a Pastor Column

Q: Would you explain about the tithe? Is tithing just to the church or do donations towards shelters, hospitals, etc. count too?

A: By all means! Let’s take a closer look at tithing. When we say a “tithe,” it literally means a tenth of something (In fact, the New King James Version translates the same Hebrew word as tithe and tenth in Leviticus 27:32). “Tithing” means to offer a tenth of something to another.

We can trace the concept of tithing clear back to the Patriarchs. Abraham offered a tenth of the spoils of battle to Melchizedek, because he was a priest of God (Genesis 14:18-20). His gr...