You Must Give 10% of Your Gross Income to the Church?

JacksBratt

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The problem is, "You keep using that word, but I do not think it means what you think it means."

God explicitly defined "tithe" in great detail in the Mosaic Covenant After He defined it in the Mosaic Covenant, He never redefined it, nor did anyone in the NT use it in any other way to mean anything else.

That word cannot be used legitimately for any other practice. In fact, Jews don't even use the word "tithe" because they can't do it the way God commanded, therefore they don't claim to do it at all. They do other things, such as a "fairness offering," but they don't call it "tithing."
I could car less what you call it...

I support the church, missionaries, and other people and organizations who are doing God's work in spreading the gospel....

I do this with a portion of my income, that is equal to or more than 10%...

You will have no argument from me... I just feel that this is the least I can do for all the wondrous blessings the Lord has given me...to support His hands and feet on this earth.

My salvation was by faith and grace.... my gifts are outside of that whole issue.
 
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RDKirk

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I could car less what you call it...

I support the church, missionaries, and other people and organizations who are doing God's work in spreading the gospel....

I do this with a portion of my income, that is equal to or more than 10%...

You will have no argument from me... I just feel that this is the least I can do for all the wondrous blessings the Lord has given me...to support His hands and feet on this earth.

My salvation was by faith and grace.... my gifts are outside of that whole issue.

Maybe you could not care less, but the problem is that pastors use calling it a "tithe" to then invoke the OT "curse" along with it...none of which being theologically valid for Christians, but every tithe-preacher does it.
 
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actionsub

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I was visiting a church one time, and I just happened to hit on "tithing sermon weekend".
I forget the sheer amount of illogical, non-sequitur claims he made for why tithing was a command, but at one point in the sermon, he got totally wound up and said "If every Christian tithed, we wouldn't need the government!" and someone in the congregation started cheering.

I said, "that's it!" and discreetly found my way to the door.
 
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JacksBratt

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Maybe you could not care less, but the problem is that pastors use calling it a "tithe" to then invoke the OT "curse" along with it...none of which being theologically valid for Christians, but every tithe-preacher does it.
I conclude... you are of the "no tithe" camp...
God Bless.
 
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JacksBratt

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I was visiting a church one time, and I just happened to hit on "tithing sermon weekend".
I forget the sheer amount of illogical, non-sequitur claims he made for why tithing was a command, but at one point in the sermon, he got totally wound up and said "If every Christian tithed, we wouldn't need the government!" and someone in the congregation started cheering.

I said, "that's it!" and discreetly found my way to the door.
Actually.....

I heard a non Christian financial adviser or economics based speaker state that:

If a country is run efficiently....it should be able to be governed, policed and all the public services should be in place on a 10% tax on all income earned..... ALL income..from the part time burger flipper to the 32 million $ a year CEO.
 
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Newlyrestoredgospel777

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Have you ever heard someone tell you that because Jesus gave His life for you, the least you can do is give Him 10% of your income?

I used to think that way when I was a member of a denomination caught up in legalism. When you look at the statement closely, salvation by works is at its core. It's as though these people expect you to offer Jesus payment for the sacrifice He made. That's not the gospel, but a man-made tactic used to manipulate people into giving money to the church.

I have looked into the Scriptures to see what the Bible really says about tithing. There is no biblical support for the belief that God requires believers to hand over 10% of their gross income to the church. It is a man-made doctrine.

Before you jump on me for saying that, watch the following video.


Next time someone says the least you can do is give Jesus 10% of your income, you can respond: Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (Jn. 14:15). And then ask him or her to show you where Jesus commanded believers to give 10% of their gross income to the church.

They will likely proceed to take certain verses out of context, but if you watched the video above, you will know how to respond to their legalistic teaching.

Should we support those who labor for God? Yes. But it is up to the individual how much he or she gives. It is not for us to weigh people down with false guilt by demanding they give something God doesn't require of them. "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)

If people are making such demands of you—accusing you of robbing God because you aren't abiding by their church rules on tithing, then I suggest looking elsewhere for a place of fellowship.
Then what of Abraham, who tithed 10% to Melchizedek before Israel was established and Judaism for that matter? Why then did Abraham tithe if it is not a requirement of GOD?

It is a requirement to tithe to the shepherd that is feeding you the undiluted WORD of GOD. Do not tithe to the false, but only the true, sent ones, like the Angels of the church Ages, the Apostles and the Prophets. Those that are from the higher Priesthood called the Melchizedek Priesthood you must tithe too. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. We don't tithe for riches on earth, or to get riches on earth, and any who do, do not understand that Heaven is our home, not earth.
 
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woobadooba

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As for me... I tithe and I give above and beyond... My tithe goes to the church that I attend. My above and beyond go to CF, Heart and stroke, other fund raising charities that are not "God's work".
I figure this is the only way that we can pay for a minister, a youth ministry, lights, heat, A/C, the whole operation. It costs money... so I tithe..... 10 %....
What you are describing falls under the category of free will offerings, not tithe. I don't criticize you for giving 10% of your income; it's your choice.

My question for you is do you care if your pastor is preaching the truth? If he is demanding that you give 10% of your gross income to the church, and then accusing you of robbing God if you give less, then he is not being truthful and should be confronted for mishandling the word of God.
 
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woobadooba

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Then what of Abraham, who tithed 10% to Melchizedek before Israel was established and Judaism for that matter? Why then did Abraham tithe if it is not a requirement of GOD?
You are out of context. Ever heard of a spoils of war tithe? The book of Hebrews makes it clear that it was from the spoils that Abraham gave, not the produce of the land or herds (see Hebrews 7:4). In other words, the tithe Abraham gave was not the same as the Levitical tithe. You need to study this out more.
 
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Newlyrestoredgospel777

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You are out of context. Ever heard of a spoils of war tithe? The book of Hebrews makes it clear that it was from the spoils that Abraham gave, not the produce of the land or herds (see Hebrews 7:4). In other words, the tithe Abraham gave was not the same as the Levitical tithe. You need to study this out more.

Death is your enemy. The WORD of GOD which feeds you is Spirit and life. Thus, it defeats death. Every tithe is a Spoil of war tithe. For the WORD saves you from death. GOD calls death your last enemy. Therefore, you are in a constant war against death, until death is defeated.
 
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JacksBratt

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What you are describing falls under the category of free will offerings, not tithe. I don't criticize you for giving 10% of your income; it's your choice.

My question for you is do you care if your pastor is preaching the truth? If he is demanding that you give 10% of your gross income to the church, and then accusing you of robbing God if you give less, then he is not being truthful and should be confronted for mishandling the word of God.
I have not been to a church in Ontario Canada, in my 50 odd years of attendance... that has ever demanded anything of the sort....

I have heard them preach on the concept of tithes and offerings but it has always been the free will of the person to give.

For those that don't contribute regularly.... I ask... How do you pay the mortgage on the church, the heating bill, the electricity, the cleaning costs, the parking lot maintenance and snow removal, for repairs and maintenance of the structure and mechanical items....

Oh ya... who pays the ministers salary... or... does he do it as a volunteer and goes to work the rest of the week at a career that pays money?

If a church congregation was to contribute 10% of their income... each and every one..... do you not think that the church could be a well established sounding board for the word of God? Run youth programs? Have a decent building and clean grounds?

Compare that to the other option... maybe we should just meet at someones house.
 
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Strong in Him

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Then what of Abraham, who tithed 10% to Melchizedek before Israel was established and Judaism for that matter? Why then did Abraham tithe if it is not a requirement of GOD?

Abraham gave Melchizedek 1/10 of the spoils of war - not money from his own pocket out of obedience/gratitude to God.

It is a requirement to tithe to the shepherd that is feeding you the undiluted WORD of GOD.

It says that ..... where?
Paul says that a labourer is worthy of his hire - not that he took advantage of that; he worked as a tent maker so as to provide for himself and not be a burden on anyone.
When Jesus sent out the 12, he told them to accept hospitality from people; not demand 10% of the householders wages in return for bringing them the word of life.

Do not tithe to the false, but only the true, sent ones, like the Angels of the church Ages, the Apostles and the Prophets.

You shouldn't tithe to anyone.
You talk about the undiluted word of God; God's word says that the OT tithe was always produce, taken to the temple and then eaten by the people - not forgetting the priests and the poor.
The tithe was offered to God, then eaten and enjoyed by the people who had taken it - they had a feast.

The tithe, as described and laid down in Scripture, is NEVER taught today. When Pastors talk about tithing 10%, they mean "give the church 10% of your wages". That is not taught in Scripture.
 
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woobadooba

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Death is your enemy. The WORD of GOD which feeds you is Spirit and life. Thus, it defeats death. Every tithe is a Spoil of war tithe. For the WORD saves you from death. GOD calls death your last enemy. Therefore, you are in a constant war against death, until death is defeated.
You can't redefine what God has already defined. Study the subject out carefully and you will learn the truth.
 
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Soyeong

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Have you ever heard someone tell you that because Jesus gave His life for you, the least you can do is give Him 10% of your income?

I used to think that way when I was a member of a denomination caught up in legalism. When you look at the statement closely, salvation by works is at its core. It's as though these people expect you to offer Jesus payment for the sacrifice He made. That's not the gospel, but a man-made tactic used to manipulate people into giving money to the church.

I have looked into the Scriptures to see what the Bible really says about tithing. There is no biblical support for the belief that God requires believers to hand over 10% of their gross income to the church. It is a man-made doctrine.

Before you jump on me for saying that, watch the following video.


Next time someone says the least you can do is give Jesus 10% of your income, you can respond: Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (Jn. 14:15). And then ask him or her to show you where Jesus commanded believers to give 10% of their gross income to the church.

They will likely proceed to take certain verses out of context, but if you watched the video above, you will know how to respond to their legalistic teaching.

Should we support those who labor for God? Yes. But it is up to the individual how much he or she gives. It is not for us to weigh people down with false guilt by demanding they give something God doesn't require of them. "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)

If people are making such demands of you—accusing you of robbing God because you aren't abiding by their church rules on tithing, then I suggest looking elsewhere for a place of fellowship.

According to Ephesians 2:8-10, we have been saved by grace through faith, not by works, but for the purpose of doing good works, not in order to become saved, but because we have been saved. So it is incorrect to view them as saying that you need repay Christ, but rather it is an expression of our love for what he has done for us and an expression of our faith in him to guide us in how to rightly live. God convicts us while Satan uses guilt, so I agree that we should not guilt people into tithing, as God loves a cheerful giver. Someone who is not giving cheerfully might as well keep their money because they are completely misunderstanding the point of giving, but it would be even better for them to give cheerfully in obedience to God.

While it is true that tithing was primarily agricultural, but Israel was primarily an agricultural society, where crops were a farmer's income, so focusing on crops rather than money is a false dichotomy especially because it was possible for someone to redeem their tithe with money. If it makes you feel better, you can give money to a food shelf of spend part of your income at a grocery to store to give away. Our circumstances are not the same, where we are not under a theocratic nation and don't have Levites to support, but we can still follow the same principles of supporting the poor and those who have devoted themselves to ministry. Churches also have many expenses, such a insurance, mortgage, electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling, staff, janitorial, lawn maintenance, parking lot maintenance, community outreach, and coffee, so if you benefit from having these things paid for, then it is appropriate to help shoulder their costs. The video talked about multiple different types of tithes, so they paid more than 10% in addition to their charitable giving, which means 10% of gross income is just a minimal guideline. There is an important principle throughout the Bible of giving to God our first and best. If I recall correctly, giving was the topic that Jesus talked about the most, and as his followers we are straightforwardly required to follow his teachings.

In John 14:23-24, Jesus said that if we love him, then we will obey his teachings, that if we do not love him, then we will not obey his teachings, and that his teachings were not his own, but that of the Father. So while we do not have every everything that Jesus taught recorded, I see no good reason to think that Jesus was in disagreement with the Father and taught anything other than what the Father taught.
 
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The problem for me as I see it, is that the churches are spending my tithe unwisely! I draw clear parallels between the Temple/Sanhedrin in Jesus' time, and the church now: huge sums spent on trimmings/heating/building/paraphernalia/etc., whilst children are dying of thirst and hunger in so many parts of the world. Sorry, but I have cut my giving and now support such charities as "Compassion", "Open Doors", etc. The bottom line for me is "What would Jesus do under the circumstances?" Yes that requires discernment but the closer you get to Him and the space you give Him to speak to you, then you often hear His clear directions.
 
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RDKirk

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I conclude... you are of the "no tithe" camp...
God Bless.

It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality. As it has been written:

The person who gathered much
did not have too much,
and the person who gathered little
did not have too little.
-- 2 Corinthians 8
 
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RDKirk

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Then what of Abraham, who tithed 10% to Melchizedek before Israel was established and Judaism for that matter? Why then did Abraham tithe if it is not a requirement of GOD?

It is a requirement to tithe to the shepherd that is feeding you the undiluted WORD of GOD. Do not tithe to the false, but only the true, sent ones, like the Angels of the church Ages, the Apostles and the Prophets. Those that are from the higher Priesthood called the Melchizedek Priesthood you must tithe too. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. We don't tithe for riches on earth, or to get riches on earth, and any who do, do not understand that Heaven is our home, not earth.

When God explicitly defined "tithe," that over-wrote whatever had been done before.

For instance, Abraham married his sister--the Mosaic Covenant over wrote that. We don't go back to what Abraham did.

Jacob married competing sisters--the Mosaic Covenant over-wrote that. We don't go back to what Jacob did.
 
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Are pastors and elders prophets as prophets are being described in the teaching you have posted? I don't know for sure. It does seems to say that the Spirit will not have the prophet ask for money for himself.

I personally think prophets were like teachers and in that like priests. Namely they are not the same, but they seem to be same in content. And that is why I think that scripture is also about priests.
 
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RDKirk

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While it is true that tithing was primarily agricultural, but Israel was primarily an agricultural society, where crops were a farmer's income, so focusing on crops rather than money is a false dichotomy especially because it was possible for someone to redeem their tithe with money.

Not sure of what you mean by "redeem their tithe with money," but the fact that the tithe was to be only agricultural products is explicitly emphasized by God directing those with money to buy food and then tithe the food. Moreover, when one did that, God directed them to add an additional fifth...a penalty for having shown up with money instead of food in the first place.
 
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