Can You Split Your Tithe?
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That's the point. Give as God directs. God may not want you to tithe or give to your local church because they a) already have enough, b) basically self-funded or supported (eg Hillsong, making $$ from music) or c) Wants someone else to do it (not you), or d) mis-manage finances (and therefore best to give elsewhere). Not just called to give, but also to be faithful with worldly weath, small riches, and wise stewards of finances. That means not just that you give, but be careful to whom you give it to.
Tithing never changed from the the OT to the NT. Tithing is not voluntary, it is a mandate of 10% of your gross profit, your gross income and right off the top of your gain. The word tithe means a tenth part (Num 18:24) starting from (Gen 14:20) with Abram right through to (Luke 18:12 and Heb 7:5-10). Jesus said that tithing should not be left undone in (Mt 23:23, Luke 11:42). Offerings (or freewill offerings) are over and above the tithe and are voluntary to meet specific needs. They are not mandated but are necessary because of need. In (Mk 12:13-17, Lk 20:21-25) Jesus answered the Pharisees and told them to render that which belongs to Caesar and render to God the things that are God's. I don't think He was referring to a free will offering. When we give tithes and offerings we are to cheerfully and without grudging (2Cor 9:5-7).
Many give of their abundance and want to be recognized, but Jesus commended the widow who gave all that she needed to live on (Mk 12:42-44) and that money she gave was not given back to her, even though she needed it. The widow gave out of need and necessity and not out of wanting something in return. She had a conviction and though she only had a little, she gave all of it. She did not give out of preference to those she wanted to bless. She was giving back to God what He had blessed her with. She was not interested in blessing people but wanted to bless God with all her 'mite'. I wonder what some of us think of that kind of giving these days!
Read these passages that have to do with the NT church and what believes thought of their possessions (Acts 2:42-47, 4:34-37). If we practiced this king of giving in the church we would be mocked and scorned for being so reckless with our possessions and negligent toward our families. Can you imagine that all the believers had ALL THINGS COMMON and realized that such as they had was not their own (Acts 4:32). Some have spoken of offerings as a 'free will offering'. How many of us that believe in 'free will offerings' are willing to give it all? The widow did and those that got saved in the book of Acts did. Is our salvation any different? Do we really see any NT church or groups of believers really living as they did in the book of Acts?
Just think of some of the messages we hear today about giving and having prosperity. Those believers in the book of Acts didn't need to hear about giving because they gave it all over and over again. THEY HAD ALL THINGS COMMON! The rich gave it all. The poor gave it all. The middle class gave it all. Every believer gave it all and laid it at the apostle's feet. Do we really understand as believers what Christ was teaching in (Mt 5) in His sermon on the mount? Do we really believe that message?
Many give of their abundance and want to be recognized, but Jesus commended the widow who gave all that she needed to live on (Mk 12:42-44) and that money she gave was not given back to her, even though she needed it. The widow gave out of need and necessity and not out of wanting something in return. She had a conviction and though she only had a little, she gave all of it. She did not give out of preference to those she wanted to bless. She was giving back to God what He had blessed her with. She was not interested in blessing people but wanted to bless God with all her 'mite'. I wonder what some of us think of that kind of giving these days!
Read these passages that have to do with the NT church and what believes thought of their possessions (Acts 2:42-47, 4:34-37). If we practiced this king of giving in the church we would be mocked and scorned for being so reckless with our possessions and negligent toward our families. Can you imagine that all the believers had ALL THINGS COMMON and realized that such as they had was not their own (Acts 4:32). Some have spoken of offerings as a 'free will offering'. How many of us that believe in 'free will offerings' are willing to give it all? The widow did and those that got saved in the book of Acts did. Is our salvation any different? Do we really see any NT church or groups of believers really living as they did in the book of Acts?
Just think of some of the messages we hear today about giving and having prosperity. Those believers in the book of Acts didn't need to hear about giving because they gave it all over and over again. THEY HAD ALL THINGS COMMON! The rich gave it all. The poor gave it all. The middle class gave it all. Every believer gave it all and laid it at the apostle's feet. Do we really understand as believers what Christ was teaching in (Mt 5) in His sermon on the mount? Do we really believe that message?
So much rationalization about tithing. If you don't have a local church that God has called you to be an active participant or you refuse to be part of a local church, then you can easily rationalize away tithing. Tithing is what belongs to God and it's 10% of your gross income or any gain. God give you 100% and all He is asking you to give back is 10%. A tithe doesn't go to other charities, it belongs to God and His church and the work of the ministry. If you give your tithe to TBN instead of your local church and the work of that ministry, it is not right, it's not decent and it is not in order. If your local church has need of your offerings, you give there and not to some other ministry. Read (Prov 3:9,10). There is no lack of need. Someone is always asking for money because of a need. Don't mistake how you are effected in your emotions and call it a leading from God. God has called us to obey Him and His commandments because that is the whole duty of man (Eccl 12:13). Some people don't want to be told anything because they are ornery they are going to do it their way and it doesn't matter what you think or what's written. Go right ahead and be a stubborn mule. You want to kick against God's word, well He might just kick you back and put you on your backside. Be prepared. Don't try to screw up other believers just because you have some weird understanding about tithing.
BLC you claim to live under grace yet on this matter of finances you live under law. You either under law or grace can't have it both ways.
10% doesnt belong to God, 100% does.
The question is, which local church? The Catholic, presbyterian, AOG, baptist? Today is alot different from the book of Acts.
If christian charities and organisations do God's work (and most do more good and evangelism than many local churches) give to a charity.
10% doesnt belong to God, 100% does.
The question is, which local church? The Catholic, presbyterian, AOG, baptist? Today is alot different from the book of Acts.
If christian charities and organisations do God's work (and most do more good and evangelism than many local churches) give to a charity.
The fact that we have anything to give, even a 10% tithe, is all because of grace. We are under grace and not under law. We can serve the law through grace with no condemnation if we fail it in any way. That is the beauty of God's grace. Grace doesn't do away with tithing or the giving of offerings, and if you think it does then you are mistaken and you don't know the scriptures. God calls the believer to be member of God's body, the church. Every believer is called to serve and participate in a local church. If you do not have a local church, you need to find one because you have a calling to do so. You just can't be an independent believer with no local church, no edification, no teaching and no fellowship with others. That local church you give your tithe to is the one God has called you to be a joint participant. You serve others there, you minister and pray for one another there, you forgive one another, love one another, build one another up, you worship God in Spirit and truth with one another, your kindly affectionate to one another, your kind and tender hearted to each other and you participate in the work of the ministry with one another and you give to that work with your tithes and offerings. That's Bible, that's being a Christian and that is what the body of Christ is all about. Christ is the head of His body and if you are not part of a local church that is serving God then you are detached from the head, Jesus Christ.
You claim so, but then you say tithing is mandatory which is law. You can't claim to live by and under grace whilst also making a rule about tithing. Giving in the new testament was voluntary.
It's simple logic. Before Moses no one tithed according to law. After the law of Moses, no one tithes according to law. If they do, and you want to keep part of the law of Moses, you are obliged to keep all the law of Moses. You can't pick and choose. Go ahead and keep the Sabbath as well if you want to. But Christians are of the faith of Abraham.
The christians in prison or travelling missionaries must be in trouble then.
And then the tithes and offerings get put into the next unnecessary building project, in many instances. It's a nice ideal you described, but I know few local churches like you described.
That's more of a Roman Catholic concept. But the Church is a spiritual organism, and Christians are already in Christ's church and under the Head if they are baptised into the one Spirit.
It's simple logic. Before Moses no one tithed according to law. After the law of Moses, no one tithes according to law. If they do, and you want to keep part of the law of Moses, you are obliged to keep all the law of Moses. You can't pick and choose. Go ahead and keep the Sabbath as well if you want to. But Christians are of the faith of Abraham.
The christians in prison or travelling missionaries must be in trouble then.
And then the tithes and offerings get put into the next unnecessary building project, in many instances. It's a nice ideal you described, but I know few local churches like you described.
That's more of a Roman Catholic concept. But the Church is a spiritual organism, and Christians are already in Christ's church and under the Head if they are baptised into the one Spirit.
E
To Mahogany Snail and others who dont believe in the tithe, would you please explain Matthew 23:23. Why would Jesus tell us to tithe if it doesnt apply today? Do we ditch the 10 commandments too and everything else in the old testament because we "are no longer under the law" as some use as their argument? This is a slippery slope of deciding what applies today and what doesnt. Where do you draw the line? How did you decide? Isnt Gods word the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow?
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[a] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things" Matthew 23:23
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[a] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things" Matthew 23:23
could you please take note who Jesus told this to, "scribes and Pharisees," jews who were under the law , why don't we circumcise our male children any more on the eighth day, because it was told to the jews just as Jesus was talking to the jews here!!! why don't we honor saturday instead of sunday as the Sabbath, as was told the Jews, because we are not jews under the law!!!!
Ga 5:6For in Jesus Christ neither CIRCUMCISION availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Ga 5:6For in Jesus Christ neither CIRCUMCISION availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
First we have to establish whether Jesus told us as gentile christians, to tithe. As Thaddeus said, this was spoken to Jews, Pharisees in fact and the Jews. Tithing was how their community functioned. So where is the temple today? where are the levitical priests? Who collects the tithe? When you think about it, you can't really keep Jesus's command in Matt. 23:23. Even Jews themselves can't today.
Do gentile christians have to live by commands given to Jews? Simple answer, no. Law of moses was given to the Israelites. I'm a gentile. Even Orthodox Jews don't expect Gentiles to follow the law of Moses, so why should Christians such as yourself. Even Jews themselves stopped tithing when their temple was destroyed in 70 AD. And since the lineage records were burnt, they can't really determine who are and aren't real Levites anyway. Don't just follow the scriptures blindly, think about the context, who it is spoken to.
Matt 23:23 was talking about tithing spices etc. Question: Do you tithe your spice rack or curry powders espresso? If not, you aren't tithing properly and aren't really obeying the law anyway.
Re: 10 commandments. These were and are a summary of the whole law of Moses. You can't keep the law on tithing whilst breaking the law of the Sabbath and all the other 600 commands. You break one, you break them all. It's one or the other, law or grace, there is no in-between. There's no such thing as a hybrid Christian-Jew who lives by grace through faith (not of themselves) and yet also is careful to keep some of the Law of Moses such as tithing or the 7th day sabbath.
Actually, tithing has never really applied since first centuary Christianity. Must like the Sabbath. Originally, church workers supported themselves through various trades, following in the tradition of the apostles such as Paul who was a tent-maker and mostly supported themselves by the labor of their hands. This was so that no non-Christians could speak evil of them or accuse them of preaching the Gospel for money or worldly wealth, unlike the Greek philosophers and other preachers of the time. I believe the tithe we know as today was introduced in the middle ages.
N
i like this topic cos i used to have the same thoughts in fact even now. my reason being that the is a lot of places in ministry we are not taking care of even church is not taking care of the same so i believe you can give your tithe to such places.i have already practiced and i feel OK with it. just do what the voice of God tells you as long as you are not trying to avoid the obligation just do it and do it honestly.
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