Should a Christian tithe, what does the Bible say

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posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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I certainly agree that the Mainstream preachers were afraid of losing their power and position instead of serving God in the capacity he had created for them. You may very well be right in your assumption regarding this conspiracy. I never thought about it and it really isn't explained as such. But it certainly could have been a trap for the Apostles.

It could also had been a lesson for us that when we take hold of the plow, and volunteer to represent the High calling of the Christ, such blatant, lawless behavior can not be tolerated or accepted.

I once interviewed for a job in the oil patch. The Client, who claimed to be a Christian, interviewed me over lunch and we got along good. At one point in the conversation he explained to me that he had come into some money, inheritance, and wanted to invest in a business.

He said, with a straight face and as matter of factly as a man can say, and I quote: "We thought about getting into Preaching, but decided to go into the oil and gas business instead".

That was twenty five years ago but I will never forget the way he reasoned. I got the job as we were quite poor at the time and my family needed the income. He was 47 years old and died 2 months later of a heart attack out of the blue.

Of course this means nothing, just a personal part of my life. But every time I think of this Acts story, I remember that night, and I think of Cliff.

At any rate, I agree that the Mainstream Preachers of that time we quite ruthless and had no real interest in serving the God of the Bible, and the same would be said about the couple in question, in my view.
yes


what that man said to you was a profound comment on the institutionalized church! i'd have never forgotten such a thing either.

it's true that the whole machination of what transpired is not explained in the text, and it's also true as you say that there are a number of object lessons for us in the account.
what i'm seeing in this though, is that there are clues in how Peter describes what they've done, using the word 'conspiracy' and clues in the placement of the account directly after the run-in with the Sadducees, and the context of what was going on in the city as the Spirit was working drawing together the church. the odd mention of a Levite who sold land. the detail of the young men who carried the bodies away. the significant display of the power of the Spirit and the authority with which Peter spoke.


it's not uncommon for the Bible to give scant information about an event which, if we were writing a history book or a newsreel, we'd include much more detail - for example here:

Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.
(Genesis 38:6-7)

how did Er err? ((see what i did there lol))
the Bible doesn't say. the thing significant to the purpose of the narrative isn't Er's error, but the fact that Er erred.


here, the depth of Ananias & Sapphira's plot isn't explored. the most significant thing is that they lied, that they conspired together to do so, and that the Spirit was in no way deceived by it. but putting this together with all the surrounding text there's actually a lot of information for us to piece together what may have been happening. God wants us to study, to think, to dive into the word and swim in it, to seek Him out in it -- there are certainly moral lessons taught by this event, but treating it like it's 'just about greed' is IMO like only sticking our toes in the water.

it's similar, in a way, about the sabbath, and the Law, where you and i have spent a year throwing sparks. i've never said anyone should not keep it -- just that no one should be judged over it, whether for keeping or for not. observation of it by resting from physical labor is just like sticking our toe in the pool; it's only the surface, and i figure we ought to get all wet. i guess your point has been that we have to get our toes wet before we can get the rest of ourselves in, but you know, if i went ahead and dove, my toe would actually be the last thing that touches the water :)


ain't it funny how now that we're talking about Sadducees instead of Pharisees we're basically on the same page together hahaha
 

ljs

Member
Jan 13, 2018
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Affirming an unbelievers good works and telling them they are doing just fine is not loving them. Sharing the Gospel is true love, yes they don't like it but children don't like bitter medicine either.

My wife is a Roman Catholic, she is a really "good" person loved by everyone who knows her. I don't make her feel good about her goodness, I tell her the truth about her condition and her standing before the Lord.
She doesn't like it, she thinks I'm being mean but I'm not going to make her feel comfortable and affirm her in her fallen state while she's on the road to hell.
Who said I havent told him the Gospel ? I have witnessed to him many many times , but I cant make him accept it , so I love him , as I should
You assume too much
 

Danny1988

Active member
Jun 24, 2018
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If God gives us GRACE, we must bare fruit or He will cut us down and cast us into the fire. So we are required to bare fruit (MONEY) for God, fruit and giving money are synonyms with being a good and faithful servant
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,530
13,094
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You may very well be right in your assumption regarding this conspiracy. I never thought about it and it really isn't explained as such.
it certainly ain't commonly preached as such.
it's commonly preached as "
put all the $$ in the plate or God may strike you dead where you stand"

which... yeah we're kinda seeing the fruit of that kind of preaching here aren't we...
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,555
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If God gives us GRACE, we must bare fruit or He will cut us down and cast us into the fire. So we are required to bare fruit (MONEY) for God, fruit and giving money are synonyms with being a good and faithful servant
Wow... did your pastor teach you this too?
 
N

NoNameMcgee

Guest
If God gives us GRACE, we must bare fruit or He will cut us down and cast us into the fire. So we are required to bare fruit (MONEY) for God, fruit and giving money are synonyms with being a good and faithful servant

.....so much error
 

ljs

Member
Jan 13, 2018
310
443
63

so sad isnt it !!

And he shows absolutely no love at all , which we as believers are called to do , and YES Danny , we are to show love to people who dont agree with us , or who are not saved yet !!!
 

Danny1988

Active member
Jun 24, 2018
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you didnt explain what i asked? guess that means you dont know. might want to think about that.



you mean like Jesus, John B and the 12?


so we can be rich!! like king Herod? now that guy had some money, he issued a death warrant for Jesus, killed John, killed lots of innocent children, killed members of his own family.



lol so now we go to hell if we dont have enough money to give? wow! Jesus said feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, heal the sick, no money ever mentioned, i will stick with what Jesus taught.
You ignore Jesus at your own peril, He will cast into hell fire if you're not a profitable servant. You ignored the parable and you ranted about how Holy the losers are. If you don't use the money God has given you to make lots more then your a loser, and He told us what He does with losers.
Go and study the Bible, find yourself a faithful shepherd to explain what it all means and you may actually begin to understand Gods Word. You will never begin to learn anything while you sit in judgement of God, you must fear Him before you can take your first baby steps.
 
J

jaybird88

Guest
Wow... did your pastor teach you this too?
im sure he did. this is a teaching right out of oral roberts "making money for the Lord" school.
dino do you have a dino? someone asked that and i missed the answer.
 

ljs

Member
Jan 13, 2018
310
443
63
You ignore Jesus at your own peril, He will cast into hell fire if you're not a profitable servant. You ignored the parable and you ranted about how Holy the losers are. If you don't use the money God has given you to make lots more then your a loser, and He told us what He does with losers.
Go and study the Bible, find yourself a faithful shepherd to explain what it all means and you may actually begin to understand Gods Word. You will never begin to learn anything while you sit in judgement of God, you must fear Him before you can take your first baby steps.

Danny , how are we made righteous ? How will we get to heaven ?
By giving money to our church ? By being good stewards of our money ?
Do you believe that some BELIEVERS will go to hell ?
 
J

jaybird88

Guest
You ignore Jesus at your own peril, He will cast into hell fire if you're not a profitable servant. You ignored the parable and you ranted about how Holy the losers are. If you don't use the money God has given you to make lots more then your a loser, and He told us what He does with losers.
Go and study the Bible, find yourself a faithful shepherd to explain what it all means and you may actually begin to understand Gods Word. You will never begin to learn anything while you sit in judgement of God, you must fear Him before you can take your first baby steps.
so according you, real Christians are making money, and lots of it, living the exact same way a rich non Christians lives?

one question, if this is true, why is it none of the early Christians lived this way?
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,530
13,094
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THE POOR, THE HOMELESS, THE REFUGEES, end up in church praying to God, krishna or buddah for mercy and help. Is it ok if jesus answers some of those calls? He can you know.
a guy i know who was an extremely zealous and intelligent atheist actually found himself praying to God, any god, as his father was dying in a hospital bed. he was totally at the end of his little humanist rope, and he found Jesus of Nazareth answering him.

this friend of mine became filled with the Spirit in one of the most abundant ways i've ever seen. for a year he devoted himself to speaking about the wonderful work of God through Christ, before the Lord took him in the death of his body just as suddenly as he had taken him in conversion and belief. to the point that, at his funeral i was talking to the pastor of the church he had gone to afterwards, and that man confessed that my friend was teaching him about the scripture far more than he was able to teach my friend.


it certainly can happen - for He says, He was found by those who did not seek Him, by those who did not know Him.
 
N

NoNameMcgee

Guest
You ignore Jesus at your own peril, He will cast into hell fire if you're not a profitable servant. You ignored the parable and you ranted about how Holy the losers are. If you don't use the money God has given you to make lots more then your a loser, and He told us what He does with losers.
Go and study the Bible, find yourself a faithful shepherd to explain what it all means and you may actually begin to understand Gods Word. You will never begin to learn anything while you sit in judgement of God, you must fear Him before you can take your first baby steps.

you're just making silly rants based off of your own 'lack of' understanding

post some verses

many of Gods children are posting in this thread

and many of us are willing to help you and provide accurate context instead of whatever garbage you have been getting to lead you to this conclusion that money <- helps save someone


we are not redeemed by corruptible things

we are also not redeemed by what we do with them

we are redeemed by Jesus Christ Himself by grace through faith and not of works <- (includes what you call "tithe")
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,555
13,320
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dino do you have a dino? someone asked that and i missed the answer.
I have several in miniature, but not a full-size one. I doubt I'd fit anyway... I'm on the tall side, apparently. :)
 

Danny1988

Active member
Jun 24, 2018
410
124
43
Danny , how are we made righteous ? How will we get to heaven ?
By giving money to our church ? By being good stewards of our money ?
Do you believe that some BELIEVERS will go to hell ?
No believer will go to hell, but all false professors will go there. Jesus said, you will know them by their fruits.

On that day many Christians will come to Jesus and He will say to them, depart into the everlasting lake of fire I never knew you.

The majority of Christians are going to hell, because they are wicked unprofitable servants