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As has been pointed out, tithing is not necessary for the Church. When studying the Word of God, we must learn to rightly divide.
If you study all the passages on tithing, you will find several interesting points of interest.
First and foremost, the only times tithing is mentioned in regards to being a command of God, it is speaking strictly of an agricultural tithe. God never commanded anyone to tithe money in His Word. When a pastor stands behind a pulpit and says God requires us to tithe our money, that pastor should be challenged. He is teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.
Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Tithing puts an unnecessary burden on the poor. God did not require the poor to tithe in His Word. Instead, they were to be given tithes. When pastors tell the poor of their congregations that God requires tithes of everyone, that pastor is robbing the poor.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
Proverbs 22:22-23 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
As I said, the only place that one can find commands to tithe is concerning agricultural products, not money.Yes, Abram did tithe the spoils of war, and Jacob did vow to give a tenth of all. (see Genesis 14 and Genesis 28) But those are DESCRIPTIVE accounts, not PRESCRIPTIVE. In other words, God did not command either Abram or Jacob to tithe.
In Acts 15 & Acts 21, we find that the Gentile Believers were not to be required to keep the Law of Moses. The command to tithe is only found in that Law... It was for Israel, not the Church.
Follow your husband on this one. Tithing is not necessary. Instead, the New Covenant Believer is told to choose for himself/herself what he/she wants to give.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
If you study all the passages on tithing, you will find several interesting points of interest.
First and foremost, the only times tithing is mentioned in regards to being a command of God, it is speaking strictly of an agricultural tithe. God never commanded anyone to tithe money in His Word. When a pastor stands behind a pulpit and says God requires us to tithe our money, that pastor should be challenged. He is teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.
Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Tithing puts an unnecessary burden on the poor. God did not require the poor to tithe in His Word. Instead, they were to be given tithes. When pastors tell the poor of their congregations that God requires tithes of everyone, that pastor is robbing the poor.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
Proverbs 22:22-23 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
As I said, the only place that one can find commands to tithe is concerning agricultural products, not money.Yes, Abram did tithe the spoils of war, and Jacob did vow to give a tenth of all. (see Genesis 14 and Genesis 28) But those are DESCRIPTIVE accounts, not PRESCRIPTIVE. In other words, God did not command either Abram or Jacob to tithe.
In Acts 15 & Acts 21, we find that the Gentile Believers were not to be required to keep the Law of Moses. The command to tithe is only found in that Law... It was for Israel, not the Church.
Follow your husband on this one. Tithing is not necessary. Instead, the New Covenant Believer is told to choose for himself/herself what he/she wants to give.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
The modern definition of tithing is a tenth of one's income. But what does the Word of God say He required as tithe? Not money, but agricultural products.
Leviticus 27:30-33 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
Tithing was not just for anyone in israel... only those who had gardens or raised livestock. Yes, they had other jobs in the Old Testament; i.e., fisherman, stonemason, brickmason, tentmaker, etc., but none of these were required to tithe.
Also, a careful study of the Word of God will reveal that the children of Israel were not responsible for tithing to the Temple at all! Rather, it was the Temple staff... the Levites, that were responsible for tithing to the Temple.
Nehemiah 10:37-38 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.
The Levites brought tithes to the storehouse, not the congregation. This means only 1% of Israels agricultural produce and livestock went to the Temple as tithes, not 10%. If tithing were to be done today as it was practiced at the Temple, the Church workers would be the only ones responsible for tithing to the Church... not the congregation member who is not a part of the ministerial staff.
Leviticus 27:30-33 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
Tithing was not just for anyone in israel... only those who had gardens or raised livestock. Yes, they had other jobs in the Old Testament; i.e., fisherman, stonemason, brickmason, tentmaker, etc., but none of these were required to tithe.
Also, a careful study of the Word of God will reveal that the children of Israel were not responsible for tithing to the Temple at all! Rather, it was the Temple staff... the Levites, that were responsible for tithing to the Temple.
Nehemiah 10:37-38 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.
The Levites brought tithes to the storehouse, not the congregation. This means only 1% of Israels agricultural produce and livestock went to the Temple as tithes, not 10%. If tithing were to be done today as it was practiced at the Temple, the Church workers would be the only ones responsible for tithing to the Church... not the congregation member who is not a part of the ministerial staff.
what kind of church are you going to? thjat sounds like the tv preachers who promise you things if you give money. i don't think you have to give money, but you should when you can. there are lots of other things your husband could do like fixing up the church and manual labor if he can't give offerings. you would divorce someone over that? whoa!