Truth About Tithing

mrmccormo said:

I tithe, and I am willing to share how and why I tithe:

To me, the principle of tithing has more to do with honoring God with your money and giving Him your "firstfruits" than with a strict 10%, as others have pointed out. As such, I try to place a stronger emphasis on taking my tithe out FIRST from my paycheck as opposed to sticking to a strict 10%.

However, I still do stick to a 10% or more policy. Why? Because I can afford it. I have never been able to NOT pay a 10% tithe, even when I was unemployed and scratching together odd-jobs. 10% of my income is a good reminder to not be caught up with earthly possessions, because every time I make the choice to tithe I think "well, if I don't tithe I would be able to by this, this, and this with the extra money". It is a principle of disciplining myself to honor God with my money.

Therefore, when I give I tithe (and I often fail to give a tithe because I am selfish and sinful just like anyone else), I stick to it. I don't try to give less just so that I can buy some toys I want. I want to honor God with my money, even if it means I can't buy certain things.

Above all, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. You don't have to proclaim how much you give or justify yourself in front of other people. When I tithe, I don't write my name on the envelope and I don't take a tax deduction. It is my aim to make sure that no one except my wife knows how much I am giving.

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I think honestly it would be better to take your 10% and give it to those who are in need of it.

The Biblical tithe was NEVER the first of anything. Firstfruits has NOTHING to do with the tithe.

The Biblical tithe was a tenth of the crops (NOT the first tenth) and every tenth animal in herds and flocks (the LAST ONE out of every ten, not the first).

The firstfruits went to the Temple for the priests while the tithe went to the Levites in the Levitical cities. The tithe could NEVER come from the firstlings.

The Biblical tithe ALWAYS came from God's miracles and NEVER from man's income. Your income is not Holy; thus, you cannot give a Holy tithe from your income. Church leaders have cheapened God's tithe from His miracles to man's income. How sad. Man has REPLACED GOD with himself in the tithing formula!

It must be an insult to God for man to claim a tenth of his income as God's tithe, but God is a forgiving and loving God and He looks at the heart.

Those who think they are paying the Lord's tithe are only fooling themselves. I guess it makes you feel good to think you are tithing. Fact is, you aren't paying the Biblical tithe at all. You are merely giving a tenth of your income to man.

Nanopants said:

I think honestly it would be better to take your 10% and give it to those who are in need of it.

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My fellow man is in most dire need of hearing the Gospel, so I am more than happy to meet that need. One way I do it is by supporting the church I attend.

Just as I would hope that a pastor or priest would be kind enough to help a stranger on the street during a time of need, I am more than happy to financially support a pastor or priest who has taken up the duty to share the Gospel and who has real financial needs, also.

Or do you believe that giving support to missionaries is also wrong?

Many aspects of the natural law were given for ( a sign) of the greater (spiritual things) to come. Just as the law of the tithe was to symbolize the ingathering of Gods Holy portion of his people for those who can recieve it. It is this Holy Portion of the people who would make up Gods Nation of kings and priests.

But understand the dangers of allowing someone to (bind you) by the (natural law).

Galations 5:1;"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the (yoke of bondage.")

Galations 5:4;"Christ is become( no effect) unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are (fallen from grace.")

This is a dangerous trap by the deciever, to bind the weak in Spirit.

mrmccormo said:

Or do you believe that giving support to missionaries is also wrong?

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Those who attend church services have a moral obligation to support the church in all ways, including financial. That has nothing to do with the Biblical tithe. The Biblical tithe was a payment. The church should be supported by free-will gifts.

GaryArnold said:

Those who attend church services have a moral obligation to support the church in all ways, including financial. That has nothing to do with the Biblical tithe. The Biblical tithe was a payment. The church should be supported by free-will gifts.

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And that is exactly what I am giving. I cannot speak for anyone else here, though. Just because I choose to give roughly 10% does not automatically mean that I am NOT giving it as a free-will gift. Go ahead and try to prove it, but you're really just making baseless assumptions and judging my motives if you think I give 10% because I am "forced" to or that I believe I "must" give that strict amount.

Something that people here are missing: there is such a thing as spiritual discipline. We are commanded to "Love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength". Part of my strength is my finances. I want to show the Lord - by my own free will - that I love Him.

I strongly caution everyone here who is preaching against tithes. I know you might mean well and you think that you are "liberating" fellow Christians who have been "blinded" by some sort of evil tithe doctrine, but the Bible says that if you lead someone into sin, you are guilty. The Bible says that if someone abstains from something or does something on account of their conscious, you should not force them to do otherwise. James says "Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin". So, please do not lead your fellow Christians into sin by trying to convince them to stop doing something that they view as good.

mrmccormo said:

I strongly caution everyone here who is preaching against tithes. I know you might mean well and you think that you are "liberating" fellow Christians who have been "blinded" by some sort of evil tithe doctrine, but the Bible says that if you lead someone into sin, you are guilty. The Bible says that if someone abstains from something or does something on account of their conscious, you should not force them to do otherwise. James says "Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin". So, please do not lead your fellow Christians into sin by trying to convince them to stop doing something that they view as good.

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You I am not worried about. Considering that your post is in response to a new christian who does not yet believe that it is right to pay a mandatory tithe to the church, the same can be said of you.

mrmccormo said:

And that is exactly what I am giving. I cannot speak for anyone else here, though. Just because I choose to give roughly 10% does not automatically mean that I am NOT giving it as a free-will gift. Go ahead and try to prove it, but you're really just making baseless assumptions and judging my motives if you think I give 10% because I am "forced" to or that I believe I "must" give that strict amount.

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You aren't "tithing." You are GIVING a tenth of your income. That is NOT "tithing" so why must you continue to use the WRONG TERM? You are using man's definition of "tithing" instead of the Biblical definition. When you use the term "tithing" you are implying the Biblical tithe, and what you are doing has NOTHING to do with the Biblical tithe.

Pastors LOVE confusion, and they keep it going with their "tithing" lies.

GaryArnold said:

You aren't "tithing." You are GIVING a tenth of your income. That is NOT "tithing" so why must you continue to use the WRONG TERM? You are using man's definition of "tithing" instead of the Biblical definition. When you use the term "tithing" you are implying the Biblical tithe, and what you are doing has NOTHING to do with the Biblical tithe.

Pastors LOVE confusion, and they keep it going with their "tithing" lies.

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The word "tithe" as we see it in the Old Testament is the word ma'aser, which literally means "tenth". Therefore, as I am giving a tenth of what I earn, how again am I not tithing? Stop trying to twist Scripture and brow-beat to suit your own agenda. Nothing worse than a Christian with an axe to grind...

Nanopants said:

You I am not worried about. Considering that your post is in response to a new christian who does not yet believe that it is right to pay a mandatory tithe to the church, the same can be said of you.

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Where did I say "YOU! NEW CHRISTIAN! YOU MUST TITHE!" exactly? Please, I would love for you to point that out. All I was doing was sharing my own personal viewpoint on the matter amidst a rather fiery thread where a few select posters are trying to convince the OP that tithing is evil. Since I have full confidence that the OP can investigate the matter on his/her own without my help, I gave no commands but simply stated where I personally come down on this issue.

mrmccormo said:

The word "tithe" as we see it in the Old Testament is the word ma'aser, which literally means "tenth". Therefore, as I am giving a tenth of what I earn, how again am I not tithing? Stop trying to twist Scripture and brow-beat to suit your own agenda. Nothing worse than a Christian with an axe to grind...

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The word "tithe" means a tenth. Correct. But the word "tithing" does NOT mean giving a tenth or you could say you are tenthing.

The KJV uses the word "tithe" with Abram in Genesis, but in Hebrews 7, the KJV uses tenth instead of tithe when speaking of Abraham, yet uses the word tithe when referring to the Levites.

The word "tithe" means a tenth UNTIL God gave His definition of His tithe. From that point on, the KJV no longer uses the word "tithe" to just mean a tenth.

The word "tithing" is only used in ONE VERSE in the KJV, and that is in Deut 26:12, where it is referring to God's commands to tithe, and God was specific as to what His tithe consisted of.

Most later versions of the Bible do NOT use the word "tithe" in Genesis, but rather the word tenth.

In Genesis the word "tithe" is a mathematical term that has NOTHING to do with giving to God. God's command to tithe in Leviticus 27:30-34 and Numbers 18 has everything to do with God's definition and His instructions.

To say that Abram "tithed" is not correct. Abram gave a tenth.

This is very technical, but important to understand.

GaryArnold said:

The word "tithe" means a tenth. Correct. But the word "tithing" does NOT mean giving a tenth or you could say you are tenthing.

The KJV uses the word "tithe" with Abram in Genesis, but in Hebrews 7, the KJV uses tenth instead of tithe when speaking of Abraham, yet uses the word tithe when referring to the Levites.

The word "tithe" means a tenth UNTIL God gave His definition of His tithe. From that point on, the KJV no longer uses the word "tithe" to just mean a tenth.

The word "tithing" is only used in ONE VERSE in the KJV, and that is in Deut 26:12, where it is referring to God's commands to tithe, and God was specific as to what His tithe consisted of.

Most later versions of the Bible do NOT use the word "tithe" in Genesis, but rather the word tenth.

In Genesis the word "tithe" is a mathematical term that has NOTHING to do with giving to God. God's command to tithe in Leviticus 27:30-34 and Numbers 18 has everything to do with God's definition and His instructions.

To say that Abram "tithed" is not correct. Abram gave a tenth.

This is very technical, but important to understand.

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The cruel irony of all of this is that - on the one hand - you're warning me against legalism and being led astray by man-made rules.

But at the same time, you're here giving me an in-depth "lesson" about the meaning of a word and declaring that it is very important that I understand it.

I think I'll just leave you be.

To the OP: Congrats on becoming a Christian. I pray the Lord says to you "well done, good and faithful servant" on the Day of Judgement.

How a word is used in the Bible is very important. We can't just look at a definition, or take the word usage out of context.

The word "tithe" just means a tenth part UNTIL God gave His definition for His tithe in Leviticus 27:30-33. From that point on, the word tithe no longer merely means a tenth. Now it tells us what the tenth applies to.

Another example is the word "Levites." When the Bible refers to the Levites, it is referring to all members of the tribe of Levite UNTIL God designates the Levite family of Aaron and his sons to the the priests. At that point, every time the KJV uses the word Levite(s), it is EXCLUDING Aaron and his sons, as from that point forward they are referred to as priests.

mrmccormo said:

Nothing worse than a Christian with an axe to grind...

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Nothing worse than a church that gives reason to grind those axes, in my opinion.

Where did I say "YOU! NEW CHRISTIAN! YOU MUST TITHE!" exactly? Please, I would love for you to point that out.

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By your example - you don't have to state it to imply it.

How is it that you came to the conclusion that you or anybody should give 10% to the church?

mrmccormo said:

The cruel irony of all of this is that - on the one hand - you're warning me against legalism and being led astray by man-made rules.

But at the same time, you're here giving me an in-depth "lesson" about the meaning of a word and declaring that it is very important that I understand it.

I think I'll just leave you be.

To the OP: Congrats on becoming a Christian. I pray the Lord says to you "well done, good and faithful servant" on the Day of Judgement.

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We are called to be followers of Truth. So, you are right not to accept his word as truth, but you may be wrong for not considering the truth of what he says.

Nanopants said:

By your example - you don't have to state it to imply it.

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So now you feel that you have the authority to judge my motives?

Nanopants said:

How is it that you came to the conclusion that you or anybody should give 10% to the church?

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It was already stated in my original post.

Nanopants said:

There's a verse in one of the NT epistles that says the apostles had the right to pass the hat around

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Actually there's a passage focusing directly on this situation saying that the church has a responsibility to support the teacher's needs. The teacher is working, he should be supported financially by the church, and not simply a subject of charitable giving.

That's the responsibility of the church, and you're a part of Christ's church if you're a believer. It's not 10%. It's not limited to 10%.

Genesis predates the Mosaic Law. 10% is not simply a requirement of the Law, it precedes Moses.

mrmccormo said:

The cruel irony of all of this is that - on the one hand - you're warning me against legalism and being led astray by man-made rules.

But at the same time, you're here giving me an in-depth "lesson" about the meaning of a word and declaring that it is very important that I understand it.

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Being legalistic and taking words out of context in the Bible have nothing to do with each other. When reading the Bible you are reading man's translation. If you take the usage of a word out of context, you can easily change the meaning.

Another example: firstfruits offerings. Pastors love to confuse by using the term firstfruits to mean the first of your income. Yet in the KJV, every single time firstfruits offerings is mentioned, it has ONLY to do with the first of the crops. NEVER income.

Pastors pick out certain words like tithe, firstfruits, etc. and use them out of context when referring to money. THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. Money has corrupted pastors the same as it has corrupted politicians, and man in general.

mrmccormo said:

So now you feel that you have the authority to judge my motives?

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Wherein have I judged your motives? I call it as I see it.

It was already stated in my original post.

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I see an explanation of why you do it, but no explanation of how you came to the conclusion that you should.

Those who say that 10% preceded the law are correct. But be careful when using Abraham as an example.

The number ten symbolizes a whole item, and also completion.

From Christian Resources Today, “Ten : 10 - Biblical Meaning of Number: deals with completeness that happens in a divine order or completed during a course of time. There's nothing that is left wanting within the complete cycle the number ten has just completed.”

That would be the reason for a tenth and not 2 tenths, etc. One tenth would symbolize completeness; a complete transaction.

I count just over 300 occurrences of the words ten or tenth in the KJV of the Holy Bible. 95% occur before Calvary. The number 10 has much significance in the Old Testament but virtually no significance in the New Testament. In fact, some of the few times those words appear after Calvary it is in reference to the Old Covenant.

At Calvary, the Old Covenant came to its completion. There is nothing after Calvary to suggest that the number ten represents completion.

In the New Testament, God wants 100% of us. Since we are now under grace, rather than use percentages or guidelines for giving, God will look at our heart. Many will have a false sense of security by following the Old Testament tithing law as a guideline when maybe God wants that person to give 50% or more. Using the Old Testament law as a guideline is opposite to using the Holy Spirit.

Let’s look closely at Abram’s tithe. First, the goods that Abram gave the tenth from didn’t even belong to Abram:

Genesis 14:21 (KJV) - And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

Notice in verse 21 the king of Sodom didn’t ask Abram if he would give back to him the people, but rather said GIVE ME the people and keep the goods for yourself. The way that is worded indicates that the king of Sodom was claiming that the people and the goods belonged to him, but he offered the goods to Abram.

It would normally have been the custom that the victor owns the spoils, but normally the spoils would have belonged to the enemy. In this case, Abram was RECOVERING goods belonging to the King of Sodom.

NOTE: The king of Sodom had an original right both to the persons and to the goods, and it would bear a debate whether Abram’s acquired right by rescue would supersede his title and extinguish it; but, to prevent all quarrels, the king of Sodom makes this fair proposal (v. 21).
--Should the Church Teach Tithing by Dr. Russell Earl Kelly, pages 24-25

Genesis 14:22-24 (KJV)
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
24Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

Notice in verses 23 and 24 Abram also acknowledges that the goods belonged to the king of Sodom. But the king of Sodam offered that Abram could keep the goods for himself. Abram declined the offer. He didn’t want man to take credit for his wealth. By not accepting any of the goods for himself, Abram was putting all his faith in God to provide for him rather than man.

Therefore, it is clear that both the king of Sodom and Abram acknowledged that the spoils of war did NOT belong to Abram, yet he gave a tenth of the spoils to King Melchizedek. This would seem that Abram did something wrong, if not even illegal, but Biblical historians agree that it was custom in Abram's day to give the king a tenth of the war spoils. Had Abram not given the tenth, he would have gone against custom.

Conclusion: Abram did NOT give a tenth of his income, or his wealth. Abram gave a tenth of the spoils of war that didn’t belong to him and declined to keep the goods offered to him. That is NOT an example of tithing for Christians to follow today. By declining to keep any of the goods for himself, Abram showed his faith that God would provide. That is the example of faith that Christians should be following. Furthermore, the law did NOT require a tenth of war spoils to be given, so to say that tithing was before the law and then in the law is not true. What Abram did was NOT even codified into the later law. The law under Moses didn't require a tithe on war spoils but rather about one percent, not a tenth.

Hebrews 7:9 -- "One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham ..."