Is tithing mandatory?

[yeshuaslavejeff]

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.

No, it was not because of her sacrifice.
We are told in Scripture: Once I was young, and now I am old,

and >>>>>>>> NEVER !
have I seen the righteous forsaken.

Also: Hebrews 13:
3 Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings.

4 Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous.

5 Let your a]">[a]character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and

be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have];

for He [God] b]">[b]Himself has said,

I will not in any way fail you nor c]">[c]give you up nor leave you without support.

[I will] not, d]">[d][I will] not,

[I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor e]">[e]let [you] down (f]">[f]relax My hold on you)! [g]">[g]Assuredly not!]

6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

From the heart/ spirit/ trust......

Not from outward pressure nor feelings nor intimidation nor greed, nor for show.



========================== she
αὕτη (hautē)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 3778: This; he, she, it.

out of
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's Greek 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting

.................................from the interior outwards. <<<<<<<<<<

A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

her
αὐτῆς (autēs)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

poverty
ὑστερήματος (hysterēmatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's Greek 5303: From hustereo; a deficit; specially, poverty.

has put in
ἔβαλεν (ebalen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 906: (a) I cast, throw, rush, (b) often, in the weaker sense: I place, put, drop. A primary verb; to throw.

all
πάντα (panta)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

she had
εἶχεν (eichen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

to live on.”
βίον (bion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 979: A primary word; life, i.e. the present state of existence; by implication, the means of livelihood.

 

[JacksBratt]

i really don't know

Do what you feel is right.

I will say that my father always told people, when he was asked how he could afford to give 10% off the top..

His simple answer... " I can't afford not to"..

I adopted this same position and found that money, even when tight, was easier to manage when I tithed... There was usually more money left at the end of the month.. not month left at the end of the money.. so to speak.

 

[Tania11]

I don't think so. Maybe if you're a Jew in the OT.
..but it would be nice to tithe.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I don't think so. Maybe if you're a Jew in the OT.
..but it would be nice to tithe.

Some churches try to impose tithes as an obligation; this does involve confusing Old Testament and New Testament conditions in my humble view. The tithing system was all part of the Levitical set up in the Old Testament. The question which can be asked rather loudly is, Where are the Levites today? Hebrews 7.12 shows that the priesthood and the law was changed; and what the New Testament believer now has is better than the law (Hebrews 7.19).

But if before the Lord someone wants to give freewill offerings of 1/10 or even more than 1/10, then more power to them; it's just that it's not part of the Old Testament system any more (never mind clergy who feel they have a vested interest in supposedly maintaining an Old Testament set up).

 

[Tania11]

Some churches try to impose tithes as an obligation; this does involve confusing Old Testament and New Testament conditions in my humble view. The tithing system was all part of the Levitical set up in the Old Testament. The question which can be asked rather loudly is, Where are the Levites today? Hebrews 7.12 shows that the priesthood and the law was changed; and what the New Testament believer now has is better than the law (Hebrews 7.19).

But if before the Lord someone wants to give freewill offerings of 1/10 or even more than 1/10, then more power to them; it's just that it's not part of the Old Testament system any more (never mind clergy who feel they have a vested interest in supposedly maintaining an Old Testament set up).

You're reply makes total sense. I think I heard someone explain it like the way you did before but I forgot. Thanks.

 

[dqhall]

If you attend a church, you should help support the church by donating money.

In one church I visited the pastor was preaching. From what he said, I understood if I gave $40 I was giving more than most of the people in the congregation. That was about 15 yrs ago. In another church I visited once, the preacher was preaching and looked directly at me. He said, "You are not tithing." I only gave $50 that service. It was less than 10%. Some members greeted me after the service. I liked them, but lived far away and did not go back.

 

[Hank77]

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.

What she gave was alms, not tithe. Tithe was NEVER money.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

What she gave was alms, not tithe. Tithe was NEVER money.

So, you agree, that churches that demand a money tithe of 10% under the thread of robbing God, is actually extortion and robbing the people instead!

 

[Hank77]

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.

There is a difference between freewill gift, as in this scripture and a tithe/tenth.
Luk 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
Luk 21:2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
Luk 21:3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
Luk 21:4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin,

 

[Hank77]

So, you agree, that churches that demand a money tithe of 10% under the thread of robbing God, is actually extortion and robbing the people instead!

I believe that demanding a tithe is no longer Biblical and even if it was they are teaching it falsely. Tithes were grain, wine, oil, and herd animals.

Not only that the tithe could only be brought to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year. The Jews do not pay tithes because there is no temple for them to bring them to.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

There is a difference between freewill gift, as in this scripture and a tithe/tenth.
Luk 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
Luk 21:2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
Luk 21:3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
Luk 21:4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin,

So it seems that Jesus was directing His comments to the hypocritical Pharisees and religious leaders, rather than to the common people.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I believe that demanding a tithe is no longer Biblical and even if it was they are teaching it falsely. Tithes were grain, wine, oil, and herd animals.

Not only that the tithe could only be brought to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year. The Jews do not pay tithes because there is no temple for them to bring them to.

Many churches who demand tithes under threat, would be more honest if they included in their membership policy that in order to become a member, payment of a yearly subscription would be a condition. This would put them in line with any other sports or social club that one needs to pay a subscription to join. After all, most churches are nothing more than religious clubs for the exclusive benefit of their members.

 

[Hank77]

So it seems that Jesus was directing His comments to the hypocritical Pharisees and religious leaders, rather than to the common people.

I don't see him condemning rich people but to men of the law/Pharisees and religious leaders, he was saying that paying their tithe was not good enough if they were not showing mercy and compassion for those less fortunate.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I don't see him condemning rich people but to men of the law/Pharisees and religious leaders, he was saying that paying their tithe was not good enough if they were not showing mercy and compassion for those less fortunate.

I think, or read a long years ago,
that when Jesus says "Woe to the rich"
it means the same as "(censored) = roughly condemned" are the rich ... because they have had their comfort now. (and neglected / rebelled against/ the poor, and God) ?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

So it seems that Jesus was directing His comments to the hypocritical Pharisees and religious leaders, rather than to the common people.

Jesus did as the Father said, as the Father's Word always says, and looked out for the poor. (and humble)

 

[Hank77]

I think, or read a long years ago,
that when Jesus says "Woe to the rich"
it means the same as "(censored) = roughly condemned" are the rich ... because they have had their comfort now. (and neglected / rebelled against/ the poor, and God) ?

We were talking about specific scriptures, maybe you would like to address them?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I don't see him condemning rich people but to men of the law/Pharisees and religious leaders, he was saying that paying their tithe was not good enough if they were not showing mercy and compassion for those less fortunate.

This is what I was replying to - both specific Scriptures, and Jesus' dealings with the rich specifically and generally.

 

[Stone-n-Steel]

I doubt he would have kept it as laid down in Deuteronomy 14:22-29 - he had no fields and did not grow food.

I suspect much happened from "Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." until He went in to the ministry at the age of 30. He would have most likely followed in Josephs steps and became a carpenter. This profession would have given him reason to tithe.

 

[Stone-n-Steel]

Please show any income recorded in Scripture, any crops grown, by Jesus, on which He could have tithed.

There is of course none mentioned. What do you think he did from the time he was obedient to his parents until he was 30?