christian tithe on the Bible

[Goinheix]

Is there any text in the entire Bible supporting the christian tithe?
Is it any local church or individual in the entire Bible that did practice the christian tithe?

Christian tithe = to give to the local church in a regular basis some % of our income.

 

[ciel_perdu]

Tithing has a lot of support from Old Testament scriptures, but little from the New Testament.

While the Old Testament was give God 10%, Jesus said well now it's 100%

Don't give God 10% of your possessions; Jesus said forsake all you own, sell what you have and give it all to the poor, i.e. give 100%

God doesn't want the leftovers of our weeks i.e. the sabbath (saturday), he wants us to work for him all the time 24/7, and the work of God is rest, i.e sabbath. Everyday is holy and we give God all of our lives, not 1/7th.

Anyway, it just makes sense. If you were God, would you want 10% or everything?

 

[Goinheix]

Tithing has a lot of support from Old Testament scriptures, but little from the New Testament.

The Old Testament do not support at all the christian tithe. The Old Testament gives few words in reference to the Santuary/Temple tithe; not a lot.

Any how; that OT tithe was not about the 10% of the income as the christian tithe is. It was the 10% of the products of the land alone. All other economical activities and profits were totally free of tithing.

 

[Goinheix]

Jesus said well now it's 100%

Don't give God 10% of your possessions; Jesus said forsake all you own, sell what you have and give it all to the poor, i.e. give 100%

God doesn't want the leftovers of our weeks i.e. the sabbath (saturday), he wants us to work for him all the time 24/7, and the work of God is rest, i.e sabbath. Everyday is holy and we give God all of our lives, not 1/7th.

Anyway, it just makes sense. If you were God, would you want 10% or everything?

Jesus did never teached to give any % to the church; not even the 100%. All that you are saying is not in the NT

 

[Jake255]

The only thing Paul says in the NT is "give what you can", the 10% tithe was never given to us, only the Israelites in the OT.

 

[Goinheix]

The only thing Paul says in the NT is "give what you can", the 10% tithe was never given to us, only the Israelites in the OT.

Give what you can...to whom? when? for how long? It was a specific instruction for a single church that was preaparing a special ofrend for the specific porpose of asisting the brother in Jerusalem, and was for a determined period of time. That instruction seased once the ofrend was closed, and that instruction waqs for no other church or porpose.

Offcourse you are right in that tithe is not at all a christian doctrine or practice. But also was not a doctrine for the jew. Not the 10% of the income. And also it is not any other metoth or practice of collecting money in a regular and continuous manner.

 

[Jake255]

Acts church shared everything and sold their possession and shared the profits off of that.

If God should put something on our hearts to give, then we should give it. God asks some to give more than others, maybe.

Those who are given more are responsible for more.

 

[St_Worm2]

Any how; that OT tithe was not about the 10% of the income as the christian tithe is. It was the 10% of the products of the land alone. All other economical activities and profits were totally free of tithing.

Interesting, so are you saying that farmers and herders alone were responsible for the OT "tithe", for supporting such things as the Levitical priesthood tithe? The blacksmith ... the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker ... and any other employer or employee of a business that didn't involve crops or herds, never had to partake in the whole "tithing" thing?

--David

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

It is written the law was a shadow of things to come but not very image of those things. Meaning the tithe was (a sign) of something else to come in the spiritual sense.

The sign of the tithe of the crops and of the (first fruits) and animals was a sign of the Lords ingathering of his tithe, or tenth part, which are his people. This is the Holy portion that passed under the Rod, and were chosen to be a nation of priests.

It is written the Lords portion are his people.

 

[ciel_perdu]

Jesus did never teached to give any % to the church; not even the 100%. All that you are saying is not in the NT

Hi Goinheix,

I said Jesus taught people to sell everything they owned and give the money to the poor - that they should forsake all that they owned. You'll find these references in Luke 12 and 14.

You might need to read my post again, I was not saying Jesus said to give any % to the church, but I was talking about what we should give to God. Tithing after all is a gift to God, is it not? What I was saying was that in the OT, Jews gave 10%, and while they were busy making money for 6 days of the week, they always had the Sabbath for God (1/7th). Contrast this with what Jesus taught and you will something radically different. Jesus said God doesn't want the left overs of your possessions, of your goods or your life, he wants ALL of it. Give him everything you have, your family, your possessions and your life. Forsake it all, and stop working for money and start working for God EVERYDAY. (matthew 6:24)

Considering that there are specific references to Jesus' teachings, I am perplexed why you would say that ALL of what I am saying was not in the NT. What's even more perplexing is that in your short phiffy response to me, you don't make any reference to the bible at all. Perhaps if you disagree that Jesus wants us to give everything we have to God and not just a little bit, then show me that from the teachings of Jesus. I look forward to seeing it. Thanks.

 

[Goinheix]

Acts church shared everything and sold their possession and shared the profits off of that.

If God should put something on our hearts to give, then we should give it. God asks some to give more than others, maybe.

Those who are given more are responsible for more.

Good human thinking. But human thinking after all. At least you have it clear that the acts church did not practiced tithe.

 

[Goinheix]

Interesting, so are you saying that farmers and herders alone were responsible for the OT "tithe", for supporting such things as the Levitical priesthood tithe? The blacksmith ... the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker ... and any other employer or employee of a business that didn't involve crops or herds, never had to partake in the whole "tithing" thing?

--David

Exactly. Check out the Moses Law by yourselve.

 

[Goinheix]

It is written the law was a shadow of things to come but not very image of those things. Meaning the tithe was (a sign) of something else to come in the spiritual sense.

The sign of the tithe of the crops and of the (first fruits) and animals was a sign of the Lords ingathering of his tithe, or tenth part, which are his people. This is the Holy portion that passed under the Rod, and were chosen to be a nation of priests.

It is written the Lords portion are his people.

Meaning that tithe is not 10% of our income?

 

[Goinheix]

Hi Goinheix,

I said Jesus taught people to sell everything they owned and give the money to the poor - that they should forsake all that they owned. You'll find these references in Luke 12 and 14.

You might need to read my post again, I was not saying Jesus said to give any % to the church, but I was talking about what we should give to God. Tithing after all is a gift to God, is it not? What I was saying was that in the OT, Jews gave 10%, and while they were busy making money for 6 days of the week, they always had the Sabbath for God (1/7th). Contrast this with what Jesus taught and you will something radically different. Jesus said God doesn't want the left overs of your possessions, of your goods or your life, he wants ALL of it. Give him everything you have, your family, your possessions and your life. Forsake it all, and stop working for money and start working for God EVERYDAY. (matthew 6:24)

Considering that there are specific references to Jesus' teachings, I am perplexed why you would say that ALL of what I am saying was not in the NT. What's even more perplexing is that in your short phiffy response to me, you don't make any reference to the bible at all. Perhaps if you disagree that Jesus wants us to give everything we have to God and not just a little bit, then show me that from the teachings of Jesus. I look forward to seeing it. Thanks.

1) I do agree with you in that all of our money belongs to God. Not only the 10%. Tithing is stilling 90% to God.
2) Tithe - as in the Bible - is not a gift to God, but a tax to the Levites.

At the end of the day, what we have is an absolute lack of biblical text teaching christians to tithe. Tithe is not a christian doctrine.

 

[DamianWarS]

Is there any text in the entire Bible supporting the christian tithe?
Is it any local church or individual in the entire Bible that did practice the christian tithe?

Christian tithe = to give to the local church in a regular basis some % of our income.

it sounds like from your responses you already know the answer to your post. The NT doesn't really have any direct commandment about tithing however church economics today pretty much assumes it. To me if you are a member of a church then you need to follow the expectation the church has placed upon you. If that's 10% then so be it. It is from that need that the church presents to you as a member do verses like "God loves a cheerful giver" take on better context. The church usually adopts a similar stance on tithing that the context of 2Cor 9 includes which says "he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Tithing can be a bit of a confusing subject and I think the main problem is we call it "tithing". The word itself means a "tenth" and is very much connected with OT law so it almost seems to point to the law as its source and feels a little disconnected from NT. Perhaps the church should adopt another name that better promotes its purpose and source of NT tithing. Personnly I think it would be better if the church called it something else to create a better connection to NT giving instead of OT tithing. Greek for "tithe" is apodekatoo. Greek for "to sow" is speiro. Greek for "to give" is didomi. Greek for "a collection" is logeia. All I think give better weight to a NT approach to giving or at least point to NT as its source. It would also created a better platform for teaching this concept as well plus I think its kind of cool saying I'm going to church to give my apodekatoo.

regardless of the title, which is sort of locked in place, the concept of giving is not absent from the NT. I would say the clearest passage is in 1Cor 16 which states: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me." This verse shows us that a concept of giving had a focus in the early church in a very scheduled manor. This "collection" is not really fully disclosed and it seems to be of the discretion of the church which is what it is today.

So I say if you want to participate in a church, although it is not forced, giving should be practiced and the amount, also not forced, should be consistent with the expectation.

 

[Goinheix]

As you say, todays churches are human institutions with the own rules. If I decide to join one, I have to accept the rules. It is if I join the "Asocciacion Cristiana de Jovenes" (YMCA) I accept to pay what they charge me. If I join the Partido Democrata Cristiano (political party) I have to colaborate in the financing system they have. The same if I join an Iglesia Ctristiana (church) I have to tax a 10%.

The point that we can not miss is the the Iglesia Cristiana claim that the tithe is a biblical doctrine. The Iglesia Cristiana have full freedom - since it is an human organization - to design the own financing program. What they can not do is to lay and tell the brothers that it is a real christian doctrine based on the Bible and the NT. Because it is not.

The other thing the Iglesia Cristiana can not do is to claim to be the church of Christ of wich we read in the NT. The Iglesia Cristiana can tax 10% because is a human organization. If the Iglesia Cristiana were a God servant church, they have to follow the financing program that God, Christ and the Holy Spirit have designated.

 

[Bear.Fr00t]

I think the point Goinheix is driving at is Christians in the new covenant are not commanded to tithe. However, we know that all scripture is profitable (2 Tim 3:16) and Paul told us to give what we want to give from a cheerful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). So we can look at the entire Word of God and see that 10% was seen appropriate by God in the OT and therefore is a good number to use now.

So yes, we are not commanded to tithe. What hangs in the balance is not salvation but our rewards in the afterlife and perhaps blessings we receive on earth. We are told not to store our treasures on earth but instead, store them in heaven. Just before Paul told us to give from a cheerful heart he said "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (2 Cor 9:6).

In the end, we bring what we bring in faith. It's up to each one of us to make a decision on what is appropriate for us to do as a Christian, including what we bring to the Church.

 

[Goinheix]

I think the point Goinheix is driving at is Christians in the new covenant are not commanded to tithe. However, we know that all scripture is profitable (2 Tim 3:16) and Paul told us to give what we want to give from a cheerful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). So we can look at the entire Word of God and see that 10% was seen appropriate by God in the OT and therefore is a good number to use now.

So yes, we are not commanded to tithe. What hangs in the balance is not salvation but our rewards in the afterlife and perhaps blessings we receive on earth. We are told not to store our treasures on earth but instead, store them in heaven. Just before Paul told us to give from a cheerful heart he said "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (2 Cor 9:6).

In the end, we bring what we bring in faith. It's up to each one of us to make a decision on what is appropriate for us to do as a Christian, including what we bring to the Church.

What Goinheix is saying is that Christians not only are not commanded to tithe; but they are commanded not to tithe. Goinheix is saying that besides the OT being profitable, we dont do or follow or practice any of the Moses Law. Actualy we are prohibited from observing anything from the Moses Law. In fact, churches practicing tithe do not practice any other of the Moses Laws.

The only biblical manner for a christian to give money is in response to an specific need. Christians do not give money, and the pastors administrate it. The pastor bring a need and the christians give for that specific need.