Teaching on generosity
In a world of monthly budgets and automatic transfers, the biblical practice of first fruits stands out as something radically different: it is not a calculated slice of the whole, but the very first and best portion offered in grateful trust. Rooted deep in Old Testament soil, this principle finds fresh life in the New Testament church, not as a rigid agricultural law, but as a living expression of dependence on God and honor toward those He has placed in apostolic oversight.
The practice of first fruits, known in Hebrew as Bikkurim, was commanded by God as a tangible way for Israel to acknowledge Him as the source of every blessing. It required farmers to bring the earliest and choicest yield of their harvest straight to the priest at the Temple before any of it could be eaten or sold. The farmer was literally forbidden from touching his own new crop until the offering had been presented.
Accompanying the offering was a heartfelt recitation from Deuteronomy 26:1-11. The giver would stand before the priest and declare: "My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt… But the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand… and He has brought us to this place and given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey." In that moment, the offering became far more than produce; it was a living testimony of God's faithfulness from slavery to abundance.
It is important to distinguish first fruits from tithing. While both were required under Mosaic law, they served distinct purposes. Tithing was the steady, ongoing gift of exactly ten percent of all increase throughout the year. First fruits, by contrast, was an annual, seasonal offering of the initial part of the harvest. One was a regular baseline of obedience; the other was the celebratory "first and best" that declared, "Everything I have comes from You, Lord."
When Jesus rose from the dead, the entire concept of first fruits was lifted from the fields of ancient Israel and planted into the heart of the gospel. Paul called the resurrected Christ "the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20). Just as the waving of the barley sheaf guaranteed the full harvest to come, Jesus' resurrection guarantees the future resurrection of every believer. He is the first and the best, the guarantee of the greater harvest still ahead.
James 1:18 describes believers themselves as "a kind of firstfruits of His creatures," set apart for God's glory. And in Romans 8:23, Paul refers to the indwelling Holy Spirit as "the firstfruits of the Spirit," a down payment and foretaste of the full redemption that awaits us in eternity. The New Testament therefore does not abolish first fruits; it transforms it into a spiritual posture of offering our very first and best to the One who gave us everything.
The earliest Christians understood this transformation practically. The Didache, one of the oldest Christian documents outside the New Testament, gives clear instruction on first fruits. Believers were taught to bring their first fruits to the apostle or prophet who served as the spiritual father or overseer of their church family in the city.
By giving the first and best portion of their increase to that leader, believers were simultaneously honoring Jesus' priesthood and supporting the ministry that fed, taught, and equipped their church family. It was practical, relational, and deeply theological.
First fruits giving is the practice of offering the initial and best portion of your income, business profit, or harvest to the apostle or prophet who leads the ministry of your local church family. For a farmer, it might still be the first bushel of wheat. For a business owner, it could be the first portion of quarterly profit. For an employee, it is often the first paycheck or the first percentage of a raise or bonus.
The key is the order: God receives the first and the best before personal use or other expenses. The giving is not merely financial support; it is an act of submission to Christ's headship expressed through His delegated authority. It declares, "Jesus is my Priest, and I honor Him by blessing the one He has placed over this spiritual family."
When practiced with a cheerful heart, first fruits releases radical trust, breaks the spirit of mammon by refusing to let money dictate priorities, and directly fuels apostolic ministry. As you consider this ancient-yet-ever-new practice, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what your "first fruits" looks like in this season. Then obey with joy.