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Tithing
Just wondering if everyone here feels that tithing is a New Testament mandate. I cannot find one example of anyone in the NT who actually tithed. I find a lot about generosity, alms, offerings and giving but nothing about tithing.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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It's not there. There are examples of how they did give such as selling everything & giving it away but as far as a required tithe, there is not one.
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Permalink Reply by Helen Williamson on
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Thanks so much. Giving to others is such a blessing. God loves a cheerful giver but I have come to realize that much of the teaching in the church about tithing is putting people under bondage and may be limiting what God really wants.
Most feel that if they give the tithe they have done their duty and will not be able to hear God if he says give it all.
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I believed it for years. I still give of course but I believed the 10% up in my later years. It's legalism that does bring bondage in my view. If pastors would stop continuing to slam people with it as a command, some pastors & leaders may be surprised at how much the Lord will actually lead them to give.
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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And look at that staircase she's modeling. Can't lead me to believe God won't bless you if you don't tithe.
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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It is my view that when we look at the NT without preconceived ideas that we will not find that tithing is taught as a command. We find the word "tithe" or "tithes" in only 7 verses (NIV) in the NT. 3 are spoken in the gospels to those still under the law and the other 4 are found in Hebrews 7. It would be very difficult to use Hebrews 7 (which is looking back and focuses on the priesthood) as a foundation for NT tithing without other supporting verses in the NT.
Giving, and especially cheerful giving, is another subject, but even that is not a command IMO.
Lord Bless,
LT
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Thanks so much. I have recently come to see this. It is good to know that others have this understanding.
I have been studying this for about 3 months and have received a lot of ridicule and rejection from my church because I said that I did not believe that tithing is in the NT.
I had a class at the church I attend and I was asked me not to teach anymore until I could get this "doctrine of a demon" straightened out. I was told that it was heresy.
I continued to study to see if maybe I had misunderstood and maybe I should recant but the more I study the more I am sure that it is not in the NT.
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I had been raised to believe that tithing was mandatory in order to see God's blessings. Once I was saved, I believed in this because of all the teaching over the years, so I started tithing. When it came to a point of whether or not I could pay rent, I still paid my tithe instead. Then rent was due and I didn't have it. I approached the church but was told they could only help with $250. So I went to family and managed to get the rest. That was the last time I "officially" paid tithes.
It bothered me though. I questioned over and over and kept hearing from members of the congregation and in sermons that God couldn't bless me if I didn't tithe. But then I DID receiving blessings. So I began to search for answers.
Here is what I've found and come to believe:
2 Corinthians 8:12-13 kept standing out to me:
12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:
So here I was paying my tithes in the thousands annually while living in a small leaky cabin unable to pay my rent. I could sense myself a bit bitter over the pastor living in a large 2-story home driving brand new expensive vehicles when I was barely surviving. So I had to tell myself that I couldn't be envious of what he had as I don't know what it took for him to get there. Instead I had to focus on this being a church-wide issue. The church should be living this way but they do not. And yet in this day and age, many come with their hand out falsely, so we also need to be discerning or be taken advantage of.
Perhaps those who feels you must tithe aren't in the wrong and neither are those who feel it's not a command. We're told to give joyfully. If you give out of obligation, guilt or thinking it is the only way you'll be blessed, that's not the intent to giving joyfully.
We're also told that preachers of the gospel need to be paid for their labors. As I can see ours is, I've found I'm more joyful in giving to those who "need" rather than those who aren't in need. So as I have it to give, I considered it a tithe to help out those who are in need at the time, such as buying groceries for someone who needs groceries when I have groceries in my home and can afford to buy more for someone else. Or pay a bill for someone to go to the doctor when they had no insurance and couldn't afford a doctor visit. I also have taken to buying the tissues for the church. I keep the sanctuary stocked with tissues. When we have an evangelist, I feel they've spent the time traveling there and so I give more in the offering those days. Or such as on Mother's Day when we took up an offering for the wives of the pastors of our sister churches. And occasionally, I can afford to so I mark a little something as tithes.
It bothered me for awhile on how the elders would view it, seeing me not tithing, and perhaps exclude me. But that has not happened, and I'm not tithing for them to see what I give but because I have it to give and know when I'm giving towards a good purpose.
Luke 18:12 says “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others."
For a time, I also wondered on this as it's saying they ought to have shown justice and love WITHOUT NEGLECTING TITHING. But then I have to take it in context.
Romans 4:14-16
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
The Pharisees were obeying the law...or portions thereof. And the portions they didn't obey, such as tithing worked wrath from God. But those who believe in Christ are saved by grace and not by performing works.
Since God's commands were summed up into two commands, love God and love others, nowhere is tithing a part of showing love, but how we tithe or to whom and our reasons...that may fall under how we show love.
And being aside from all that, any study of the OT shows that tithes were paid in crops and herds and were brought into the church in order to provide food for the priests, who did not work otherwise and own land, crops and herds. That is not the case now. By helping to feed them that could not provide their own food, that would have been love extended to the priests. And if I had a pastor going without, I'd much rather put my money towards his needs than others who are doing without, which would be the same as feeding my priest.
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For a minute I had thought you were going to say she did what Jesus taught and gave to those in need. I think it's sad when money becomes the way we're to serve God instead of love. It's easy for those who have in abundance to say we have to tithe, but then they use it as a tax write off and didn't actually give 10%. Why do we give waitresses more? Well for one, waitresses don't make much. From Jesus' teaching, which speaks louder than the voices in this secretary's head, He would've given to the one in need. The fancy church building isn't in need. And if the tithe going in isn't used to help the poor members of the church or to preach the Gospel, then it's not being managed wisely according to the Word. Jesus said there will always be poor among you. And if someone needs fed and clothed and all you do is pray then you've been useless.
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