Is tithing mandatory?

[Hank77]

True. It was also a tax.

I never thought of it as a tax but as a contribution to support the Levites. Maybe because tentmakers, stonecutters, carpenters, etc. did not pay tithe.

 

[Gregorikos]

Note: Abraham and Jacob both paid tithes to God before there was any such thing as a Levite.

Genesis 14:20
Genesis 28:22

 

[Strong in Him]

tithe is biblical mathew 23:23

Who is Jesus talking to here?
Pharisees!
He's telling them that they gave their tithes of mint and cummin, (as Jews under the law, this is what they did) - but that they were neglecting the more important matters of the law; justice, mercy and so on. Matthew 23:23.

That the word "tithe" is mentioned in the NT, does not mean that Jesus was commanding his Gentile followers to practice it. Again, look at the goods that Jesus said the Pharisees were tithing - spices. Crops, not money.

 

[Hank77]

I heard a good take on the widows two mites. The popular view is her self-sacrifice and therefore commendable; but I saw another side to it which showed the legalistic bondage the hypocritical Jewish religious leadership had over the people that the poor widow was so intimidated and in bondage that she felt compelled to give the last bit of money she had and as a result all she could look forward to was to starve to death because she had no more money for food.

I worked for a budgeting service, and it was sad to see clients who were deeply in debt, didn't have enough to feed and clothe their children because their welfare benefit or low wages were insufficient to meet their basic daily needs, and yet they belonged to a church that demanded a 10 percent tithe of their before-tax income. This is a type of spiritual abuse of vulnerable people by misusing the Scripture to give power and authority to their evil demands. To use Scripture in this way to extort money from poor people is a doctrine of devils. And churches like these are just the same in the sight of
God as the evil, hypocritical Pharisees and Religious leaders of Jesus' time.

These godless religious hypocrites might as well enjoy the money they steal from these vulnerable poor folk, because they won't be able to spend it in hell where they are going!

They don't even teach the tithe as it was in the OT. The poor, those who didn't have a tenth didn't pay any tithe at all. For example, if a farmer didn't have at least 10 sheep he didn't pay any tithe at all. The count was every tenth one that passed under the rod.

 

[Strong in Him]

Note: Abraham and Jacob both paid tithes to God before there was any such thing as a Levite.

There's nothing wrong with giving 1/10 of your income to God or the church if you want to.
But it is not commanded and not compulsory - the NT practice was to give everything, Acts of the Apostles 2:44-45, Acts of the Apostles 4:32.

Genesis 14:20

Abraham gave Melchizadek 1/10 of the goods that he had recovered from the 4 kings; goods that had belonged to the people of Sodom, which included his nephew, Lot, Genesis 14:11-16.
Not quite the same as saying that Abraham gave 1/10 of his own income to God.

 

[Hank77]

Jacob made a deal with God and God had to come through on His part before Jacob would give a tenth of his herd. That's a tenth but not the kind of tenth/tithe, that some preachers are asking for. Did Jacob ever come through on his end? Maybe, he built an altar for sacrifices. Tithes were not for sacrifices. As far as the pillar being built as a house of God, that didn't happen, Jerusalem was God's choice.

Gen 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
Gen 28:21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
Gen 28:22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

 

[crossnote]

hmmmm..... in the first few chapters of ACTS, in those who were truly saved,

were there ANY non-givers at all ?

Were there any where this applies...
'Some people use this verse to say, if they don't feel like giving they don't have to.'
...in the first few chapters of Acts? Because that's who I was referring to.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Were there any where this applies...
'Some people use this verse to say, if they don't feel like giving they don't have to.'
...in the first few chapters of Acts? Because that's who I was referring to.

well, they all gave all they had, not calling anything their own. (this was also a standard Hebrew Way of Thinking as Yahweh Owns All, even our hearts and minds, hands and feet, clothes and dishes, bulding, homes and tools, animals and children, all are His without any dispute ...

but THEY WILLINGLY agreed and gave all - ONLY what the WANTED to give, they gave -

if they did not want to, there was no need to , no order , law, or statute that coerced them to give what they did not want to give (re ananias and saphira/ what they were told/ taught) ....

 

[Bobber]

Did ALL the members in the assembly in Jerusalem neglect tithing when they ALL "considered nothing their own" and quickly met anyone's need who was present ?

Because they showed such liberality among themselves does not speak to the tithing issue. It doesn't speak in favour of the decree or against it. One can give far more than a 10% level of income and still not believe the actual 10 % for everyone is a must.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Because they showed such liberality among themselves does not speak to the tithing issue. It doesn't speak in favour of the decree or against it. One can give far more than a 10% level of income and still not believe the actual 10 % for everyone is a must.

Perhaps you have a good point.
Also note, as someone else noted from or in line with all Scripture earlier,
that not everyone was required to tithe in Israel, and that it was not always or not usually money that was tithed.

 

[brinny]

i LOVE to tithe.

The bottom line is that we can NEVER EVER "out-give" God. What He promises in His Word is true, and that is that when we freely, and with a thankful heart give to God, He will open the storehouses of heaven and pour out blessings upon us too abundantly to contain.

He also invites us to come and "reason" with Him, as it is written.

It is also written that when we heed Him and His Word, that He will chase us down with blessings so that they will overtake us.

Now i dunno about anyone else, but i just find this delightful. It's like a "blessings missile" with our name on it that is directed to come and "find" us and then "explode" blessings all over us hahahaaaa

If y'all want the actual verses, let me know, and i'll post them.

 

[Olorire]

To my own best of knowledge of scripture, i want to say is a matter of choice. Actually, bible said it in the book of Malachi that we should bring all tithe to the house of God, also the bible gives us many laws to obey, but base on human choice we disobey Gods instructions though to our own detrement. Likewise tithe, so anybody that want God"s blesing attached to the payment of tithe must pay it, otherwise reject paying it.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

They should find a legitimate church and give their money there. My post was about giving to God, not giving to the devil. I don't know where you got that from what I said.

Giving to a church that is liberal and does not believe in a personal God, or the resurrection of Christ is not a Christian church but a synagogue of Satan, so giving money to it is the same as giving it to the devil.

Charismatic churches that preach the prosperity doctrine, that we are "gods" and other screwy doctrines are also not Christian and therefore any money that is given to them is not given to God at all.

Don't tell me that God can use the devil's money to aid His purposes. He has enough resources of His own to even think about doing that.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

They don't even teach the tithe as it was in the OT. The poor, those who didn't have a tenth didn't pay any tithe at all. For example, if a farmer didn't have at least 10 sheep he didn't pay any tithe at all. The count was every tenth one that passed under the rod.

So how come the Temple leaders allow that widow to put her last little bit of money into the collection box? If they had any compassion at all, they would have not only given her back her money, but given more so she could be adequately fed and clothed.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

To my own best of knowledge of scripture, i want to say is a matter of choice. Actually, bible said it in the book of Malachi that we should bring all tithe to the house of God, also the bible gives us many laws to obey, but base on human choice we disobey Gods instructions though to our own detrement. Likewise tithe, so anybody that want God"s blesing attached to the payment of tithe must pay it, otherwise reject paying it.

In more simple words: whoever is stingy, there whole body is full of darkness. Whoever is generous, there whole body is full of light.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

So how come the Temple leaders allow that widow to put her last little bit of money into the collection box? If they had any compassion at all, they would have not only given her back her money, but given more so she could be adequately fed and clothed.

She paid willingly, trusting NOT those wicked men (nor even good men), but trusting the Father in heaven.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

In more simple words: whoever is stingy, there whole body is full of darkness. Whoever is generous, there whole body is full of light.

In actual fact, the "house of God" was the Jewish Temple. Now that there is no Temple, and for the New Covenant believer, his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (that's a good thought! The presence of God in the Person of the Holy Spirit is no longer in a man-made temple or church, the presence of God is within us. When we gather for worship, we all bring the presence of God with us into the fellowship and so He is among us and we don't have to have hyped up music and other stuff to bring His presence, because He is already there - in us!)

So, because there is no Temple to receive our offerings (because tithing went into history with the destruction of the Jewish state in 70AD), we need to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit (in us!) to whom we should give financial and material support to - whether it is to our local church, or to anyone we know who is in need.

Jesus said that if we do something to a fellow believer, we do it to Him, therefore if we give money to a fellow believer who has been made redundant in his job and he is struggling to feed his family, then we are giving it to Jesus! Even if we give as little as a glass of cold water to a thirsty believer, we are giving it to Jesus.

I know of people who contribute to their local school's breakfast programme, to feed the children of poor parents who cannot afford to give their children a decent breakfast. They are giving to God just as much as if they put the money into the church offering plate.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

She paid willingly, trusting NOT those wicked men (nor even good men), but trusting the Father in heaven.

That could be quite possible. Although, because of the intimidating nature of the Pharisees, she might feel compelled to do it.

However, I don't think that was the main issue that Jesus was talking about. He was comparing the level of sacrifice - that the wealthy people gave out of their abundance, so it was not much of a sacrifice. But that poor widow gave all she had and that was a major sacrifice for her.

If that was the case, she may have been sincerely giving her last little bit of money to God, and then trusting God to meet her needs. We are not told whether she had her material needs met as the result of her sacrifice because that was out of the scope of the principle that Jesus was giving by telling the story.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

That could be quite possible. Although, because of the intimidating nature of the Pharisees, she might feel compelled to do it.

No. Jesus said specifically.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

No. Jesus said specifically.

My previous post pretty well spelled out the principle that Jesus was explaining. It was all to do with the level of sacrifice. It's like the pig and the chicken walking down the road and the chicken says, "Let's cook breakfast for our master! We'll cook bacon and eggs!" The pig replied, "For you it would be a contribution; for me, a sacrifice!"