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Topic: Tithing
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WKUHilltopper
Advanced Member
Member # 5472
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posted
I fiqured this thread would be all over the spectrum. I guess just do what you believe God tells you...
quote:
Matthew 6:21 (King James Version)
21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Posts: 259 | From: KY | Registered: Feb 2006
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
Yes, exactly! Great points Aaron and Timothy! Tim, I am sorry to hear that this is happening in Nigeria.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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Aaron
unregistered
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posted
helpforhomeschoolers is correct. ![[thumbsup2]](graemlins/thumbsup2.gif)
Tithing is unscriptural.
Now, being the Body of the Lord on earth, we are instructed to emulate His giving.
Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
And of those who watch over us? They are our pastors, literally "shepherds". Not the pulpit preachers we've come to call "pastors" but men gifted with directing and guarding saints in their walk with Christ. These are men who would know you intimately and who would be at your door step with haste if you were in need.
They are granted a rule over your life. Godly rule is feared more by the ruler than the ruled for the ruler must give an account of those who are ruled. A very serious matter indeed.
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."
1Timothy 5:17-18 "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward."
At times I am led to honor my elders with financial gifts. Sometimes simply gifts, freely given, for their work of shepherding for my sake.
Bless you,
Aaron
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timspong
Advanced Member
Member # 5240
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posted
IMHO I feel that we are now held to a higher accountability than just 10%. Everything we own and all our time and effort belongs to God.
In the early Church, didn’t they sell everything they had and gave to those who had need? Not give 10% so we can build more churches.
One thing I really dislike about a lot of Churches (and most Christian TV channels) is that they totally overemphasise tithing/giving to the point that it can easily be very off -putting to the most determined of potential disciples. There is always an ugly undercurrent of ulterior motives and churches are often run like big businesses.
Not only that, but Churches often use most of the income for their own ends, like building bigger churches etc. In Nigeria there are literally hundreds of new churches being built while millions of orphans and widows starve.
If Jesus came back today, I think he would be calling a lot of modern church leaders hypocrites etc…………
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Yours in Christ
Timothy Michael Spong
Posts: 146 | From: Lagos, Nigeria | Registered: Nov 2005
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
What priesthood would that be? We are all the preisthood. Not only but we are the very BODY of the High Priest... and HIS Bride as well. We are the recipient of the tithe. The church is supposed to be taking care of the needs of the church (church being people) You can see this in the church of acts.
We are the body of Christ, and if the priesthood is changed now being after the order of Melchizedek then we ought to be looking to what Melchizedek received tithe of... this is really very interesting.
Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek of ALL of the goods and souls that he took from the kings that had taken the people of the King of Sodom.
When Christ adds to the church, he brings tithes into the church in the form of the worlds goods held by those that come out of the Kindom of the world (Sodom) and those goods are to be used for the establishment of the Kingdom.
I wrote something on this earlier: http://thechristianbbs.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003518#000000
This is not of course what we have or see today. If not for the tithe, how would our church buildings be funded; Pastors would have to work maybe... lots of things would be different. Now theres a thought! ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
This is not popular to say that tithe is not scriptural... but this is how I see it. The tithe due Melchizedek is the souls and the goods that belong to those souls when they are brought out of the world and into the church. Then when in the church, the church takes care of the needs of the church that therre is no lack in the church and this is a witness to the world of the power in the Kingdom.... a stark contrast to the kingdom of the devourer.
I dont know if that makes sense and I am tired it has been a long day so I not speaking as clearly as I would normally want to present something, but hopefully you can see what I am saying.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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WKUHilltopper
Advanced Member
Member # 5472
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posted
But who will ensure the financial well being and viability of the "priesthood of the church"?
Posts: 259 | From: KY | Registered: Feb 2006
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
There is no levitical priesthood; Tithing is unscriptural.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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WKUHilltopper
Advanced Member
Member # 5472
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posted
My opinion is, if you are unsure, then do what you believe honors God. So at this point, tithing is that which I feel as the safest play.
Now on the website David provided. The point was those folks were to provide tithes in the form of agricultural product--and because of this agricultural factor, the conclusion is it doesn't apply today. This makes sense, there wasn't a lot of printed money in those days and the primary medium of exchange would have been livestock, wheat, etc. But I don't think it means just because you don't produce wheat in your backyard, one is not obligated to tithe. Wheat, cows, sheep, etc, was a tangible asset--just like cash is today. Then it was a barter economy. People just didn't have a lot of cash like they do now.
Not true today. Currency is the only primary medium of exchange. A tangible asset. A measure of wealth. Only in non-industrialized countries will you find barter as a surviving system of trade. Agricultural success in the OT days was a measure of someone's wealth and thus they gave it back to God. Just like today, our measure of wealth is cash. Perhaps we still have to tithe.
I'm not at all an expert on the subject of tithing--I want to make this clear. But I consider all my assets, etc, belong to God and I'm just the steward. 10% is a sacrifice and act of submission. Plus I think of:
Matthew 6:21 (King James Version)
21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I don't necessarily believe that all things in the OT have been erradicated. I believe the Ten Commandments are still intact and valid.
But please, don't let my post influence any one who reads it. I've thought about it a long time and still don't have confidence in my opinion. I'm not an expert in this area. As I mentioned earlier, for me, it's the safest way I can think of that would honor our Lord.
Posts: 259 | From: KY | Registered: Feb 2006
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redkermit
Advanced Member
Member # 4059
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posted
There are many good studies on tithing here if you do a search.
Some would say this is a reference to tithing in the New Testament:
Matthew 23:23
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. 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.
I've also read where people have taught that tithing in the Bible was not from income, but from what people already had (if that makes sense). But, I wonder how they would interpret this verse, then...
Luke 18:11-12
11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
Some other verses for consideration from the NT:
Hebrews 7:4-6
4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
Regarding the bolded part - I don't know if this is a translation issue, but it is in the present tense.
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I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (Ps. 84:10b)
1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Listen Online:
www.wmuz.com
www.997flr.org
Posts: 604 | From: Michigan | Registered: Nov 2004
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moltenflower
New Member
Member # 4869
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posted
I've been studying this topic for a while now trying to discern what is God's Will.
Though some of my most favorite teachers state that we must tithe, I find that (post Jesus' resurrection and the New Covenant coming into play) we are to give...that the tithe in the O.T. was abolished upon Jesus' resurrection when the New Covenant began.
I've been looking up any verses I can find on the matter.
[The New Covenant and the passing of the old ways] Hebrews 10 (the entire chapter).
I thought this would be a good topic for a Bible Study as we could all learn from each other.
Interestingly enough, many teachers teach on tithing.
Those who teach that we should tithe:
Joyce Meyer
Phil Pringle (Author of "Keys to Financial Success"
Herbert Mather and J. Clif Christopher ("Holy Smoke! Whatever happened to Tithing?") http://www.gbod.org/stewardship/article.asp?id=12672
http://www.christiancourier.com/penpoints/checkUp.htm
All of these people make valid points; however, the New Testament mentions nothing of tithing--just giving and not giving grudingly.
The Book of Hebrews makes it clear that once Jesus died for us and rose again, the old laws were abolished in Him.
The above-listed teachers tend to reflect on the Old Testament (especially Malachi) to state that we are to tithe (give a 10% of our income). If we don't, we'll be cursed as Israel was pre-Jesus.
This is where I am so far on my studying. Any input would be great ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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The eyes are the windows to the soul but out of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Posts: 4 | Registered: Jul 2005
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