Is it Biblical to make donations to your church via the Internet? Yes!
Blessed is he that giveth offerings through the net that covers the whole earth, and thereby keepeth the Lord’s bride from need. ~Revelation 23:3 (KJV)
How else can one interpret these prophetic words? The net is the Internet and the Bride is the Church.
Okay, for those of you who haven’t already opened your Bibles to read this verse for yourself, THERE IS NO 23RD CHAPTER IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION!!
Of course there is no passage in the Bible that addresses online giving. The Bible was written thousands of years before online giving was even an idea. Could God have inspired the Biblical writers to foresee the giving via the Internet? Of course, but He didn’t.
The Bible is silent on the topic of online giving.
And that’s why some people oppose online giving. They say, “If it’s not in the Bible, it’s unbiblical. Online giving isn’t in the Bible, so we shouldn’t use it.”
My response to that is simple, “There’s nothing in the Bible about offering plates or ushers, but we use those in churches all over the world. There’s nothing in the Bible about air conditioning or central heat. The Bible never advocates the use of electricity, airplanes, automobiles, or even the printing press. So why do so many churches use these ‘unbiblical’ tools?”
The Bible is silent on far more topics than it addresses. It is silent on bow ties, electric razors, deodorant, computing, spatulas, protein bars, theaters, and even tacos. Should all those things then be forbidden? Of course not.
To answer the question about the biblical nature of online giving, we must look at the principles of giving found in Scripture. Here are a few examples:
1.) We should give to God first.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. ~Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV)
2.) Giving should be a joy.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ~2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)
3.) Each of us should give in proportion to what we have been given.
1 Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. ~1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (NIV)
Now consider online giving. Can someone give to their church through the Internet and effectively live out these biblical principles? Absolutely. One can give to God first online, one can give joyfully online, and one can give in proportion to their income online. Thus, it can safely be stated that tithing online is not Unbiblical.
In fact, that should be the question we ask. Instead of “Is it biblical to give online” we should ask “Is it unbiblical to give online.” Not everything can be proven biblical, but it is clear what can be proven Unbiblical.