The Error of Tithing in the church

Do you consider tithing to be giving a portion of your prosperity that God has given to you to the poor and offerings given to help build the temple?

Do you know that the temple is being built this very moment and it will continue to be built until Christ come for his body?
Do you understand that the true temple is a spiritual temple that is made up of the lost who have been preached to, to become born again believers who call the Word the Lord of their life? And who will be made in his image for he is the temple and head of it.

The Word of God needs to go forth unto all the world in these last of days to bring spiritual food to the poor(lost without God) and it costs funds to buy TV, Radio and even Internet time and travel expenses. This work is of God and they need offerings from God's people who want to HELP build the temple for the kingdom of God to advance. What better place to spend your treasures than to lift it up to God in an offering in thanksgiving to take the gospel to the poor(spiritually) and to help the poor(physically) of His people with the prosperity that He has given us so that we all have our needs met. For you would have nothing in this earth if it were not given first by God for the earth is the LORD'S and the fullness thereof.
Paul said that we should partner with the man of God who needs funds to take the gospel and that these offerings of faith will add to our account in heaven and come down also as blessings in this life as well. If one is not able or willing to lay down their life's ambition to serve the Word to the lost for the kingdom of God, then at least one can help the one who is ABLE AND WILLING to take no steady paying job and to step out in faith to travel to places for the sake of Christ.

As for the question that I asked above as to what tithes were for, we must recognize that God never changes and that there is a tithe to be given by the NT believers. Even Abraham, before the law was given, whom is our father gave a tenth to Melchezidec who Jesus is in the same order of. Do you know that little collection plate that is passed around on Sun-day that the churches use for their own income for more comfy seats etc...well that collection plate offering is our tithes in keeping with the prosperity that God has given to us each week for the POOR saints in Jerusalem. We don't grow our own food any longer so money is our commodity now.

God says tithing and offerings, in Malachi, are so that His house will have bread in it at all times and God will Bless us. This bread is not only for human consumption for our flesh bellies, but is ALSO for our Bread of life which means for our spiritual consumption being the Word of life who is Christ whom we have been commanded to feed upon.
1 Cor 16:1-3
16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

2 Upon{SUNDOWN SATURDAY} the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered

him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
KJV

Rom 15:25-27
25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
KJV
Phil 4:15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated {GAVE}with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
KJV
Gal 6:6-9
6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate{GIVE} unto him that teacheth in all good things.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
KJV

Blessings

The church i attend you dont have to give anything but most people do

There are categories on the envelope and everyone can chose where their donation goes if they want
- general fund
-building fund
-school fund
-missionary fund
-local compassion funds
-various other projects etc

Then once a month we have a food drive for the Salvation army and it fills up some big trucks to deliver it to them

Whether we give a lot or give a little I think it should be for the local community and the local church .... not for some televangelist so he can have an expensive boat.

We are a small city (pop 13,000) and our church is expanding the building and the christian school .... it will cost $3 million and half the money has been voluntarily donated already.

The christian school has an excellent reputation so parents send there children there ..... and before you know it the parents start coming to church and becoming Christians .... kind of a neat situation

The whole congregation is genuine .... faults and all .... no religious pretenders .... come in blue jeans and sneakers if you want .... no religious pressures ..... and it is amazing how God makes it thrive.

Sorry for the long post .... If i had to summarize it i would say we should just be ourselves and not pretenders .... God can work with people like that

Thanks
Arnie M.

The chruch in the bible gave money back to community, today's church does not do this like they did often times pastors are over paid and their is little left after the bills are paid to go in the community.

clark thompson said:

The chruch in the bible gave money back to community, today's church does not do this like they did often times pastors are over paid and their is little left after the bills are paid to go in the community.

Click to expand...

Yes and most times that is what we do today in the local church .... the members donate money for the things members use .... buildings , employees , ministries etc

At one time local pastors worked almost every waking hour .... all day in the church office , funerals and weddings on the weekends , hospital visitations in the evenings etc. And they were paid less than common school teachers.

Manny suffered burnout and their wives had to run a home on a tiny income .... it was almost abusive what they had to endure , and remember they had to keep up good appearances even when having a bad day.

Funny how we will spend millions on sports arenas and stadiums , pay athletes millions of dollars a year , and nobody cares ..... but the church is criticized regularly.

I am sure glad I am not a pastor.

Yes, the biggest problem in the church today isn't decaying morality, progressive incursions, divorce, pre/extra marital sex, government censorship... it's the tithe.

Last person off the planet shut out the lights, we've finally gone over the deep end.

Its a good thing God didnt plan " church" He would of being sorely disappointed if He had, but it is mans doing, sorry undoing, as all can see,

In all His Love

The OP of this thread addresses the biblical purpose of the tithe, which is to provide food and safe beverages for Levites, widows, fatherless children and resident aliens (Deuteronomy 26:12), as well as food and safe beverages for an annual thanksgiving feast (Deuteronomy 14:22-26).

The Levite men received a portion of the tithe because their duties at the temple prevented them from doing enough agricultural work to keep them and their families fed properly.

The widows, fatherless children and resident aliens were unable (due to no fault of their own) to acquire enough food for themselves to be fed properly. Thus, they also received a portion of the tithe.