Christian giving (cha-ching$$)

[Agricola]

Call it what you like, one mans freedom fighter is another mans terrorist, one mans tithe is another mans offering.

Seriously, people should look beyond the technicalities and stop playing lawyer and just look at what God wants, regardless of how you or others dress it up.

God provides, its good to give some of it back. I give back in ways which do not involve giving to my church, nor do I give in money. God gives me opportunities where I come away with more than I need, so I give a load back.

If you have a job, God has allowed you to work in that job, so why not acknowledge that and give some of your wages back to the kingdom of God, give it to a deserving Christian charity or just other Christians in need, and there are plenty of those around today.

How much to give? Thats up to you, 10% if you want, but it can be a lot more, call it a tithe if you like, but if you dont like that word, dosnt matter, just give with right reasons, not with an eye of being blessed and rewarded by God for doing so, if you have that attitude it normally backfires.

 

[SpiritofFire]

What will you do to help reduce the numbers?

If the Lord is willing, I will lay my life down for them.

You cannot fight money with money. Both ends lead to vanity.

 

[SparkleEyes]

I think if you can afford it then go for it. There's nothing better than helping someone in need.

NOt sure what you mean by "if you can afford it". We are supposed to give to Christian endeavors even if WE think we "can't afford it". We are supposed to rely on God for providing.

 

[jb]

You can find a bit of a study Here on tithing in the Scriptures and Church history...

Yahweh Shalom...

 

[dcontroversal]

I think God thinks it is acceptable to give the bulk of your financial support for a particular year to other Christian endeavors instead of the church you are attending. Examples of other Christian endeavors might be missionaries that you know and trust, Athletes in Action, providing scholarships for financially strapped families to send their kids to a church camp, help build a Christ centered safe house for the abused...

What do you think???

Under the law they were required to give 10% gross off the top to the priests and anything over was considered an offering. In Malachi, God makes it clear that under the law you could rob God in (tithes and offerings). In the N.T. we have examples like the poor widow woman who cast in all that she had, which was considered more than all the rest, as they cast in of their abundance. God loves a cheerful giver and to use your offering through the church brings glory to God. Such as, supporting missionaries, other churches in need, the sick of your congregation etc. A lot of people read right over the scriptures that tell us to (labor that we may have to give unto him that is in need).

 

[mustaphadrink]

That would not be accurate. I do, however agree with your first sentence, "It all depends." Something to ponder:

1 Timothy 5:17-18 (New International Version)
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."

Galatians 6:6 (New International Version)
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

Luke 10:7 (New International Version)
Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

1 Corinthians 9:4-14 (New International Version)
Don't we have the right to food and drink? Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain."Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

I am so pleased that you want to be informed by scripture regarding this subject so let me help you out.

Regarding 1 Timothy 5: 17-18 if you extrapolate the word honour throughout the New Testament, you will find that the same word, honour, refers to giving honour to Jesus. Now if it means pay, then we have to pay Jesus for what he has done.

A better rendering of Galatians 6:6 is But let the one being taught in the Word share with the one teaching, in all good things. The good things does not refer to money. It is literal...things.

Luke 10:7 The labourer deserves his wages is spoken in the context of the food served in the house they are staying and what this verse says is that you should not have to pay for it.

! Cor 9:4-14 is talking about apostles, not pastors. The word for pastor is 'poimen' and it does not appear in this passage.

 

[mustaphadrink]

Under the law they were required to give 10% gross off the top to the priests and anything over was considered an offering. In Malachi, God makes it clear that under the law you could rob God in (tithes and offerings). In the N.T. we have examples like the poor widow woman who cast in all that she had, which was considered more than all the rest, as they cast in of their abundance. God loves a cheerful giver and to use your offering through the church brings glory to God. Such as, supporting missionaries, other churches in need, the sick of your congregation etc. A lot of people read right over the scriptures that tell us to (labor that we may have to give unto him that is in need).

Can you help me out here. I cannot find any verses that say you should give to the church (religious organization) so you might be able to enlighten me. Thanks.

 

[mustaphadrink]

Tithe is for the church (C'mon, Pastor's gotta eat). Offerings are for others.

In the New Testament, shepherds (elders) ate without a tithe.

 

[jahsoul]

Under the law they were required to give 10% gross off the top to the priests and anything over was considered an offering. In Malachi, God makes it clear that under the law you could rob God in (tithes and offerings). In the N.T. we have examples like the poor widow woman who cast in all that she had, which was considered more than all the rest, as they cast in of their abundance. God loves a cheerful giver and to use your offering through the church brings glory to God. Such as, supporting missionaries, other churches in need, the sick of your congregation etc. A lot of people read right over the scriptures that tell us to (labor that we may have to give unto him that is in need).

The first part of this is incorrect.

1. Not everyone paid the tithe because
2. The tithe was not income but a 10th of the animals of the field and grain from the ground.

and before you say that it was income, Deut. 14:24-25 shows that the ancient Hebrews had a currency.

Now, on to Malachi, if you read that in its full context and understand how the temple operations went, you could see that Malachi 3 was directed at the priest of the day.

Now, in the New Testament, you hit it on the head. God loves a cheerful giver. That's part of the NT lessons of given. Instead of being told what to give, we are showed how to give.

 

[mustaphadrink]

1Cor 16:2 On one of the Sabbaths, let each of you put by himself, storing up whatever he is prospered, that there not be collections then when I come.

That is the literal rendering of this verse. Here we are told to put by himself, not give to the church, to store it up according to how he has prospered. Now the question is, where is the mention of a tithe? There isn't so it is a figment of people's imagination. If a person is to give according how they have prospered, then it runs to reason if they have not prospered then they do not have to give. For example a businessman has posted a loss for the last month so he has nothing to give. Next month he may make an enormous profit so he gives accordingly.

If one does not use this method of giving, restricting themselves to a tithe, they may be robbing God as a person may be able to afford far more than a tithe.

Finally, the church obviously did not have a weekly offering for the "pastor" as the money put aside was for the church in Jerusalem.

 

[kote]

C'mon the tithe is simply Old Testament taxation that has absolutely no application to the New Testament where people pay secular taxes to a government that provides welfare. Any church that demands a "tithe" based on OT law is a false and heretical church.

All church payments should be voluntary in amount in their entirely, as all other offerings. Anyone who attempts to direct you in what and to whom you should give is acting way outside their authority and should be rebuked, or you might consider going somewhere else.

in my church, people give the "tithe" but we are not a false church, the first tithe that bible shows is the tithe given by abraham, and the "LAW" WAS NOT YET, if you dont give tithe you will not enter into the kingdom of god, because a robber shall not enter in it

 

[mustaphadrink]

in my church, people give the "tithe" but we are not a false church, the first tithe that bible shows is the tithe given by abraham, and the "LAW" WAS NOT YET, if you dont give tithe you will not enter into the kingdom of god, because a robber shall not enter in it

I assume that you are referring to 1 Corinthians 6:10 which says 'will share in God's kingdom. Neither will any thief or greedy person or drunkard or anyone who curses and cheats others.'

The word thief in Greek is kleptes which you might recognise in English as kleptomaniac, one who is driven to steal from others.

From this there is no indication whatsoever that it applies to someone who does not tithe. To suggest that, is salvation by works.

 

[jahsoul]

in my church, people give the "tithe" but we are not a false church, the first tithe that bible shows is the tithe given by abraham, and the "LAW" WAS NOT YET, if you dont give tithe you will not enter into the kingdom of god, because a robber shall not enter in it

Wow......

Well, it you look at the Tithe that Abraham gave, it was a one time occurrence and not everytime Abraham got any increase. Nowhere in the Bible do we see that a believer will not enter into the Kingdom of God for not paying tithes. And as far as robbing, if you are using Malachi as a point of reference, is what the priest of the time was doing. Malachi 3 was very LITERAL. Food in my storehouse really meant food. (you would probably get the side eye if you bring meat and grain into your church now calling it what the bible called it, tithe).