19 min read

Giving in the Bible: What Scripture Does and Doesn’t Say (50+ Verses)

Joshua Gordon

Last updated on Dec 4, 2024

QUICK SUMMARY

Any pastor who asks their members to support the church financially MUST have a solid grounding on what the Bible says about giving. In this article, discover four Biblical truths, plus four mistakes to avoid, and 50+ bible verses about giving. Dig in!

TABLE OF CONTENTS What is Biblical Giving? What does the Bible Teach About Giving? Four Mistakes That Could Derail Your Church Fifty+ Bible Verses About Giving

When it comes to giving in the church, everyone has an opinion, and those opinions are usually pretty strong. As pastors, we must base our understanding of giving on scripture... and there is a PILE of verses on giving in the Bible.

Giving is an important, practical aspect of how our churches function. Scripture clearly states that members have an obligation to support the church's work with their finances. That being said, how we teach about giving is also super important. Don't do it poorly.

In this article, we’ll cut through the noise and get to the heart of what Scripture really does—and doesn’t—say about giving.

Author's Tip

Part of handling member finances with responsibility and wisdom is ensuring that the tools we use in our church giving are robust, secure, and promote transparency. My team and I have researched and ranked the top church giving tools available today. With one of these software solutions, you’ll immediately level up your church giving infrastructure.

This is an important topic, considering how the percentage of Christians who tithe or give to the church has been steadily decreasing over the years. Here, you'll find a list of over 50 verses to guide the way.

Ready to dive in? Let’s set the record straight.

What is Biblical Giving?

It all starts with why we give in the first place. Biblical giving is simply taking the money and resources God has blessed us with and devoting a portion of it back to him in reverence. This act is very similar to the instructions and blessings God talks about in Deuteronomy 14:28-29.

The idea of Biblical giving is often reflected in the Christian community as church members give tithes and offerings to their spiritual home. For us pastors, God gives us the responsibility to facilitate and teach churchgoers about stewardship in the Bible. Many times, this teaching is seen in our short offering messages that precede giving segments of church services.

What does the Bible Teach About Giving?

Exercising faith over fear in the realm of finances and giving is tough. Before you ever go on stage or to the pulpit to ask for offerings, dive into the Word and understand what the Bible says about giving.

These four core Biblical truths are here to help if you’re looking for a great place to start.

Giving is honoring God.

Hebrews 13:16 teaches that the Lord Almighty is pleased with the sacrifices we offer when we share what we have with others. We see that giving what we have honors God in this way throughout the Bible, like Abraham in Genesis 14 and King David and the Israelites in 1 Chronicles 29.

One of the simplest ways to honor God is to honor him in our finances, much like Adrian Hildebrand talks about in the wonderful Faith in Finance podcast.

Giving is trusting God.

God often asks us to do tasks that aren’t easy; they can often be accompanied by concern or fear. But true sacrifice often feels that way. Giving when we are struggling financially has the beautiful gift of causing us to trust God, much like the widow did in Mark 12. Giving even when it hurts is an extraordinary and necessary step of faith that shows we trust God amidst this financially unstable world. Trusting God in this way will directly reflect when you are tracking your church’s metrics, showing exactly how he is blessing your church.

Giving is furthering the Kingdom.

Jesus talks about in Matthew 28 to spread his name, love, grace, and promise of eternal life beyond Israel and our local community to every nation and person. Giving is one way to build this heavenly kingdom and teach the church members genuine discipleship for the Great Commission. Be it through the local church or missions in faraway locations, giving can help to further the kingdom and God’s people.

I recommend looking into what Tara Chaudry Kovalski from Clothed in Christ has to say about the matter.

Giving is loving God and our neighbor

Jesus tells us in Matthew 22 that the greatest commandments of all boil down to two aspects: loving God and loving our neighbor. So much of giving has to do with donating to your local church or mission, but it goes beyond that. Whenever we share the shirt on our back, take a homeless person out to lunch, or even offer our precious time to support someone for hours, we are directly showing them love through giving.

This doesn’t just love our neighbor, either, as it shows our love to God, as Jesus Christ shows in Matthew 25. I highly suggest taking a look at Jill Foley Turner’s deep dive into how giving is a form of worship.

Four Mistakes That Could Derail Your Church

Giving is a tricky subject. Unfortunately, there is room to make mistakes that can cost your church dearly, and I don’t just mean in a monetary sense. There are four errors you can make that will negatively impact your congregation and completely miss the point of giving in the first place. Avoid each one of these common pitfalls at all costs.

Error #1: Prioritizing giving above a person’s heart

Giving is not about the money at all, but the heart behind it. Put the heart first above all else. Avoid making your language about the money and more about the person’s heart, instead. Don’t teach giving as a meaningless ritual of obedience, but ensure every church member knows it’s about the state of their heart, as Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 9:7. This is how you truly start to build discipleship for the Great Commission.

Error #2: Preaching about giving as a way to get more money for the church

Biblical giving isn’t just about the giver’s heart but yours, too, as church pastors and leaders. Giving to the church is important (and only four out of ten practicing Christians actively tithe) but that’s not all. If your heart and intention are all about more money and resources, you are going about this all the wrong way. God makes it clear in verses like Matthew 6:25-26 that he will provide, but if you are greedy and going about it the wrong way, how can you expect God to bless that?

Error #3: Failing to address that giving is about our motives

Intentions, intentions, intentions. All of our actions and words should be motivated by what God says. This idea even plays into our giving. We don’t give to check off a box of good Christian things to do, nor do we do it to expect prosperity and an avalanche of blessings.

Our motives should be to honor God with everything we have and show our respect for him with giving as the means. If we fail to make this clear to the church, we are missing the entire point Jesus made about our hearts when the widow gave her only two coins in Mark 12. This is crucial to understand so your church can make money in a Godly manner.

Error #4: Making giving too routine

A common mistake I’ve noticed at churches I’ve attended is they make the offering and tithes too much of a routine. This otherwise extraordinary act loses its entire value when we treat it this way. As such, we should never forget the meaning of giving and it is up to us as church leaders to learn to handle and address common criticisms like this mistake. Instead of going through the motions, so to speak, you should remind your church to be cheerful givers like Paul noted in 2 Corinthians 9:7.

Our Top 3 Recommended Software Tools to Facilitate Giving

Recommended resources for church giving

As pastors, how we address giving is crucial. It’s also important to consider the strengths and weaknesses of our online financial infrastructure. To that end, I’ve compiled a handful of resources you may find helpful with all of this:

Fifty+ Bible Verses About Giving

Below, you’ll find more than 50 of the verses directly from the Bible, including the Old Testament and New Testament alike, using the NIV translation. I often read and reference these scriptures to re-center myself when it comes to giving.

Genesis 14:19-20 - “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.²⁰And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
Genesis 28:20-22 - “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lordwill be my God ²²and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”
Leviticus 27:30 - “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 - “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Deuteronomy 14:22-23 - “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. ²³Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.”
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 - “At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, ²⁹so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
Deuteronomy 28:12 - “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.”
1 Chronicles 29:9 - “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.”
1 Chronicles 29:14 - “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
1 Chronicles 29:17 - “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.”
Psalm 112:9 - “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.”
Proverbs 3:9-10 - “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;¹⁰then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”
Proverbs 3:27-28 - “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’— when you already have it with you.”
Proverbs 18:16 - “A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.”
Proverbs 28:8 - “Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.”
Proverbs 28:27 - “Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”
Matthew 5:42 - “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Matthew 6:3-4 - “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:21 - “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:25-26 - “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
Matthew 10:8 - “Freely you have received; freely give.”
Matthew 23:23 - “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
Matthew 25:34-40 - “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’⁴⁰“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Mark 12:41-44 - “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴²But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.⁴³Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.⁴⁴They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’”
Luke 3:11 - “John answered, ‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.’”
Luke 6:38 - “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 11:37-41 - “When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.³⁹Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.”
Luke 11:42 - “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”
Luke 12:33-34 - “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Luke 14:13-14 - “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Acts 2:45 - “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
Acts 20:35 - “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Romans 12:6-8 - “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
Romans 12:13 - “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Romans 13:7 - “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
1 Corinthians 13:3 - “If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
2 Corinthians 8:2-5 - “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. ⁵And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.”
2 Corinthians 8:7 - “But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
2 Corinthians 8:11 - “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.”
2 Corinthians 8:12 - “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 - “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
2 Corinthians 9:7 - “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 - “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:11 - “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
Galatians 6:6 - “Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.”
Galatians 6:9 - “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Ephesians 4:28 - “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”
1 Timothy 5:3 - “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19 - “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
Hebrews 13:2 - “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:16 - “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
James 2:15-16 - “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”
1 Peter 4:10 - “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 John 3:17-18 - “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

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