tithing

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Permalink Reply by Theresa on December 29, 2009 at 9:32pm

Hey Betty...I believe in tithing with all of my heart and according to Malachi chapter 3, we can never outgive God and I take this whole chapter very seriously. We tithe knowing that the one hundred percent of our check belong to the Lord and all He is asking a 10 percent. Christians have different view on this, some believe in paying on the gross and some on the net, I believe it is a heart issue and it is so important to give your tithes joyfully and not grudgingly, to give it with a happy attitude, knowing we are obeying our Lord, this should give all of us happy feelings.
You are married, it is so so important to be in agreement and unity with your husband and since God told you the wife to honor your husband, to submit to him,( to me it means to trust in his love and judgement). In this case, you are so blessed, your husband is obeying the Lord wholeheartdly, so rejoice and be glad with him. If it is hard on you to see it from his point, then pray to God and ask Him to give you a willing heart to see it from His point of view ( and your husband's view too) and I promise you one thing, God will honor you and give you peace, joy and direction.
The important thing is to be in unity with your husband( don't put down what he thinks about the matter, respect his feelings and don't make it an issue for you guys to argue ) and submit to him because you love the Lord and because who he is to you and if you do that my sister, you will be blessed beyond your wildest imaginations.
God bless you both, In Christ.

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Permalink Reply by betty j. maye on December 30, 2009 at 12:48pm

Theresa thank you so much on your thought on this matter! i do want to clear up that yes my husband and i have different thoughts on tithing but like you said he is my head and he is wanting to give all to God - so i have never said no or fought him over this. i am indeed blessed to have a husband that wants to please God in this matter. the first time i ever tithed was when i was 16 years old and the Lord laid on my heart to give the money i had in my purse which was all of five dollars. i knew i needed gas for my car and that i had no other money but i gave and trusted. well after church my boyfriend who is now my hubby told me he found the twenty dollars i had lost in his car. he did not know i what i had done and i did not remember losing any money much less this big amount. i know this was God giving back to me and blessing me!! thanks again for responding. God Bless!

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Permalink Reply by Theresa on December 30, 2009 at 7:03pm

Dear Betty...:) Please know I am thanking God for your response to me right now, you are a blessing my sister. We serve a big God, Good God, Faithful God, Loving and Merciful in all His ways and Amen and Amen, when we give, we give to the Lord and not man. What we give is between us and the Lord, yes we are followers of Jesus and also His representatives and ambassadors here on earth.
Thank God for HIS revelation to me :) when we give our tithes, it is not something to brag about that we are giving, oh wow, look at me giving, oh I am all that. Really the tithes does not belong to us in the first place, it belonged to God and all we are doing is giving it back to HIM whether it is on the gross or the net.
I think if you choose to tithe on the net, then you can tithe on your tax return if you get one and if you tithe on the gross, then consider the extra money as offerings, either way, it is awesome and exciting because God is awesome and His Word is true, so true, old and new testament, what God says comes to pass.
Please know my sister that all I shared with you in my earlier response is from experience :) I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit Who lead us and guide us and tell us His people what to do and what to say.
I have a lot of respect for the link LT shared below :) because it is from this precious site AllAboutGod.
God commanded the blessing to fall where there is unity. May God bless you and your husband richly This day in Jesus name.

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Permalink Reply by betty j. maye on December 30, 2009 at 12:57pm

Thank you so much. You have really given me a lot to think about. i so appreciate brothers and sisters taking thier time to respond to my question. God Bless you all!

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on November 27, 2012 at 8:57am

I really enjoyed you girls conversation. It's nice to know that there are those who still follow the Word to the letter. You both are a blessing.

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on December 30, 2009 at 1:00pm

First and foremost I am certain that tithing is an excellent practice by those that do it out of the leading of the Holy Spirit and not manipulations by man made fears.

I do not believe we should use Malachi chapter 3 to teach tithing is for the NT believers.. Israel was a Theocracy. We have dual citizenship and pay taxes to Uncle Sam and give to the church according to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must understand that is better to give then to receive.
The issue of giving is not in question here. There are too many verses calling us to practice giving to enumerate them here, so giving is not in question. The true biblical basis for the New Testament believer to tithe IS what I believe you are bringing UP for discussion here.

I will first give the reasoning of both sides of the coin and later get into the topic a little deeper.
The tithe is literally “tenth” in the Hebrew, is one-tenth of the believer’s income. There is debate whether the gross or net amount should be use. The “first fruits” wording associated along with the tithe makes some believe the gross amount should be use.

The person praying for tithe and offerings will often use the text found in Malachi 3:8-12.
But is that hermeneutically (according to the laws of interpretation/translation) acceptable in view of the historical context involving those verses. In other words, keeping those verses in context can we apply them to us? Some will immediately say, of course, the whole bible is for our counsel, and yes! It is, but yet we all know, some parts of it are relevant to all, but applicable to Israel/Nation only.

I want to address the fact that this is a very controversial topic, seldom talked about in a public forum, because the vast majority of members are not against giving, some simply do not believe that tithing is applicable to N.T. Believers. So how do we justify tithing with a fully honest biblical answer to those members?

We need to cultivate giving for its essential for the benefit and prosperity of each member and the church as a whole.
For the record “I am not against tithing, but will never teach it as a command for the N.T. church.

No one can question the tithe as a practice under the law. Deuteronomy 14:22-29.
But those that argue that tithing is not for N.T. Believers say:

1. Tithing puts us under the Mosianic/Levitical law, hence getting us into the area of legalism. Paul insisted that we Gentiles are not obligated to keep the Law of Moses, e.g., Gal 2:19;3:10, 24-25;5:18; 6:1-4. Paul was not asking that we do away with the moral law. In the O.T. the tax worked as a tax to maintain a Theocracy (government ruled by God). The Levites had no inheritance and needed to be maintained by the tithe. However we Christians already pay taxes to the earthly government, we are citizens of the heavenly kingdom and the earth.

2. Matthew 23:23 should not be use to backup tithing since it should be taken in context. Christ had not yet abolished the law with his death and resurrection. So the Law was still active.

3. Hebrews 7:8-9 this is not to be taken as an example some say for Christian tithing because the theme is not tithing but the supremacy of Christ.

Some use Jesus' statement: “...give unto Cesar what its Cesar’s and unto God what is Gods...", but this is too disputable as well and one cannot insert into the statement with complete conviction that Jesus is referring to tithing.

So how do we teach our brothers/sisters that tithing is for the N.T. believer, well some says by showing:

1. The scriptures that are use by those that opposed tithing are taken out of context. 1 Cor. 16:2 and 2 Cor. 8:12-15 are referring to a special love offering being collected for brothers in financial trouble and not as a practice to replace tithing – these verses referred to offerings.

2. Tithing existed before the Law as is clearly seen in Hebrews 7:8-9 and
Genesis 28:22.

The New Testament church is not commanded by the Law to tithe and Jesus nor the Apostles ever gave clear instructions if the practice should be continuing and follow: so why should we follow it???? Because The Spirit of the Lord gives the conviction to every believer that this is a Spiritual principal that was layed before the Law and it should be practice after the Levitical law is abolished? Is this biblically sound?

I have a lot more to say about the subject but will like others to contribute and do not want to make my post longer than it already is.

Just a last observation here: Churches that do not practice tithing but teach the congregation to give often prosper much more than the ones that push tithing.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on December 30, 2009 at 1:45pm

Betty,

This is a good question and this topic has been addressed in seceral forums previously here on AAG. The link below will take you to one that has 60 responses. I would point you especially to Dr Russell E. Kelly's postings toward the end of the forum. It is the most articulate and concise comments on the topic that I have seen.

http://www.allaboutgod.net/forum/topics/tithe-1?commentId=1383940%3...

David V. has made some good points as well.

Lord Bless,
LT

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Permalink Reply by betty j. maye on December 30, 2009 at 2:05pm

thank you - i should have looked for previous forums before asking this question. i appreciate you pointing out the response you think will be a help! thanks again and God Bless.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on December 30, 2009 at 2:10pm

Betty,

There is nothing wrong with bringing it up anew. Fresh discussion is good. I just refer you to this one because I think he has a solid answer.

Lord Bless,
LT

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on November 27, 2012 at 9:00am

Betty, don't apologize for it hun. LT was just giving you some more views on the subject. Never apologize for wanting to go deeper in the Word & understand what the Lord's will is in our lives.

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Permalink Reply by betty j. maye on December 30, 2009 at 5:22pm

becky i think the world of you and you are a true Christian friend that has been a prayer partner with me over the past year and i respect you so much. this is why i really wanted your views on this subject. i have a lot to study, think, and most of all pray about. i know a little about the financial bind you have been in and i have prayed and hurt for you over this. thanks for sharing. God Bless!

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on December 30, 2009 at 6:40pm

Becky

Beloved in the Lord I am thankful for your impute and a little sadden by your church experience and will pray for you as our Lord leads me.

When tithing is a burden or made into a command for the church I think we have gone what the scriptures allow, so I am happy to read that you decided to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit about the issue.

There are many healthy churches beloved and we should continue to endeavor to fellowship. Becky I like your statement of how many could be fed with the money instead of bigger churches but do in courage you to fellowship beloved.


Hebrews 10
25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching

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