Is tithing your expectation when giving?

[Xeno.of.athens]

Many Christians choose to give 10% or more for their church's work but do you NEED to tithe according to the scriptures?

 

[Always in His Presence]

No - worshipping God with what he has already given me is my expectation when giving.

 

[Bob Crowley]

No - I use ten percent as an ad hoc benchmark. It gives me a stardard to aim for, but we're not giving that much at the moment.

Some churches seem to push giving in a big way, others don't. The Catholic Church doesn't push very hard in my experience.

In the early days of Australian Catholicism when the dominant religion was the Anglican Church, I think Australian (often Irish) Catholics used to give a lot more as they identified more closely with the church. But not so much these days.

 

[jas3]

To answer the question in the title, tithing has always been my expectation when giving, and my diocese's guidance for parishes says 10% is the expected norm for parishioners.

 

[Always in His Presence]

When something is done for the very first time - it sets precedent.

The precedent for tithing is found in Gen 14

Gen 14:19 And he blessed him and said:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And he gave him a tithe of all.
​

Notice two things here. Blessed be Abram (his pre covenant name). Because of this - the tithe predates the Covenant, before the Law.

Tithing is not Old Testament - it is pre covenant.

Notice the motivation for the tithe - it was an expression of gratefulness and worship for a blessing he had already received.

 

[RandyPNW]

Many Christians choose to give 10% or more for their church's work but do you NEED to tithe according to the scriptures?

No, the Law of Moses utilized rigid laws. Christian Law is firm, but flexibly applied apart from a book of 613 rquirements. An agricultural system is different from today, with modern industrial conditions. Tax laws that we have today were not part of the calculus back in Moses' day. Retail would go bankrupt if they paid 10% of their take in, because much of the take in has to go to pay wholesale costs.

It's stupid to bind yourself to requirements that God never made in the NT Scriptures. We don't have a priesthood the size that ancient Israel did. But we should support our ministers and our churches. The bills don't pay themselves. Generosity is a mark of the true Christian. We were saved when we didn't deserve it. We should love those who don't deserve it. Be generous with your love and with your things, if you are able to do so "cheerfully."

I'm agry because I don't know of a single pastor who has ever trumpeted there is no need for a 10% commitment. Pastors want to bind people to a financial commitment because they lack faith that they will be cared for otherwise. Bad to oppress people in this way. But pastors should spell out the need for Christians to support their local churches, ministries, and mission work.

 

[bling]

All your time, money, thoughts and energy should go for the cause.

 

[Strong in Him]

Many Christians choose to give 10% or more for their church's work but do you NEED to tithe according to the scriptures?

No.
Sorry, but I don't want to watch a 44-minute video.

 

[Strong in Him]

Notice the motivation for the tithe - it was an expression of gratefulness and worship for a blessing he had already received.

It doesn't say that Abram gave a tenth of everything that he owned.
Abram had just rescued his nephew, Lot, who had been captured. It could have been 10% of Lot's possessions that were given to Melchizedek.

The NT says that believers should give as they have decided in their hearts because the Lord loves a cheerful giver.
The early church gave all their possessions. Ananias and Sapphira were not condemned for not giving everything - Peter said their money was theirs, to do with as they pleased - but for giving only part of it and lying that they had given the full amount.

 

[Always in His Presence]

It doesn't say that Abram gave a tenth of everything that he owned.

I did not say he did - I said it was an expression of gratefulness and worship for a blessing he had already received.

 

[Strong in Him]

I did not say he did - I said it was an expression of gratefulness and worship for a blessing he had already received.

You quoted Gen 14 and highlighted that Abram gave 1/10 of all.

 

[Guojing]

When something is done for the very first time - it sets precedent.

The precedent for tithing is found in Gen 14

Gen 14:19 And he blessed him and said:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And he gave him a tithe of all.
​

Notice two things here. Blessed be Abram (his pre covenant name). Because of this - the tithe predates the Covenant, before the Law.

Tithing is not Old Testament - it is pre covenant.

Notice the motivation for the tithe - it was an expression of gratefulness and worship for a blessing he had already received.

Physical circumcision is also before the Law (Genesis 17:14)

 

[Always in His Presence]

You quoted Gen 14 and highlighted that Abram gave 1/10 of all.

Context is so important

Gen 14:13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. 14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

Whose goods? He brought back the goods of his enemies - a great victory through the Grace of God.

 

[Strong in Him]

Context is so important

Gen 14:13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. 14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

Whose goods? He brought back the goods of his enemies - a great victory through the Grace of God.

Yes, absolutely.
But I thought you were using that passage to show that we must tithe because Abram tithed. I don't agree and I don't think that is what it is teaching.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Yes, absolutely.
But I thought you were using that passage to show that we must tithe because Abram tithed. I don't agree and I don't think that is what it is teaching.

I have said it twice. And it is no where close to what you are assuming.

Notice the motivation for the tithe - it was an expression of gratefulness and worship for a blessing he had already received.

I did not say he did - I said it was an expression of gratefulness and worship for a blessing he had already received.

 

[Strong in Him]

I have said it twice. And it is no where close to what you are assuming.

ALL giving should be an expression of gratitude and worship to God - for who he is and the many blessings he gives us.
That doesn't mean it has to be a tithe. You wrote about tithing; not surprisingly, since that is the subject of the thread.

 

[Always in His Presence]

ALL giving should be an expression of gratitude and worship to God - for who he is and the many blessings he gives us.
That doesn't mean it has to be a tithe. You wrote about tithing; not surprisingly, since that is the subject of the thread.

Thank you for your opinion.

 

[Dan Perez]

Thank you for your opinion.

And many say 10 % and that what many were taught , But !!

2 Cor 9:7 says this !!

Each one just as he PURPOSES in the HEART , not from sorrow or out of necessity , for God loves JOYOUS GIVER !!

dan p

 

[Always in His Presence]

And many say 10 % and that what many were taught , But !!

2 Cor 9:7 says this !!

Each one just as he PURPOSES in the HEART , not from sorrow or out of necessity , for God loves JOYOUS GIVER !!

dan p

I cannot control what many say.

2Cor sure sounds like worship

 

[Dan Perez]

I cannot control what many say.

2Cor sure sounds like worship

It maybe part of worship and can mean any per cent , I do say !!

If I remember , Israel had to tithe more than 23 per cent , Lev 27:30-32 and in Num 18:21-24

dan p