What are Your Feelings on Tithes

[Waiting on him]

Ephesians 1:3



Indeed, we are not born again through law-keeping and neither do we maintain our salvation through law-keeping.

Nevertheless, the word of the Lord is timeless; and it says that if we don't give our tithes we are robbing God.

If a child gets an income of $1, it will not hurt them financially to give ten cents out of that dollar. It may even teach them the value of money.

That's what the Lord does when we give the prescribed 10%. He shows us that He can make our money stretch so that we can make ends meet, even when before we began to tithe, we could barely make ends meet on 100% of our income!

I am not going to be legalistic about a specific 10% except to say that the promise given in Malachi of a blessing poured out is based on a 10% gift into the coffers of the storehouse.

Luke 6:38 and 2 Corinthians 9:6 tell us that we can sow more or less financially; and we will also reap more or less financially.

But I believe that tithing the prescribed 10% is God's way of testing our faith as to whether we will trust Him with our finances. See Matthew 6:25-34.

You may not get a financial return on your tithing but you will definitely get a spiritual return (Ephesians 1:3); in that mammon will not have control over you any longer even though you may be able to keep a substantial material blessing.

OK, for the pedantic there is not one verse in the NT that has the word tithe in it that is relevant to the new believer.

Answer: No.

Because the passage was directed to the Pharisees, not to the Christian as you will see in my other entry.

It would be better if you stopped making the scripture fit your theology rather than make your theology fit the scripture. Whilst you keep doing that you will always be led up the garden path and you will never come to discern the truth in its fulness.

it's like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.

 

[Candidus]

Then I said it wrong because it wasn’t meant as condemnation but I was agreeing with you. I never thought you said God failed but instead (unless I misunderstood) you were saying the opposite in we assume there God promises financial security? Your post reminded me of the temptation of the devil in the wilderness when the devil tempted Him to turn stones into bread. And how the cornerstone said “I am the bread” and “you are living stones” ...something the devil didn’t see coming in his temptation. Another would be when they tested Jesus before the crucifix saying if you are chosen of God then save yourself.

I see that who is responding to "who" is becoming convoluted.

I was referring to post #201 where I was told that the Biblical mandate was to "test God" to see if it were true. I obviously confused your post #221 as a follow-on by JBF. That was my fault!

I agree with what you said, but took it as a contradictory argument against what I was just challenged to do!

 

[Waiting on him]

I remember being circumcised as an infant, hurt like hell, I couldn't walk for a year!

 

[Candidus]

I remember being circumcised as an infant, hurt like hell, I couldn't walk for a year!

SMILE!

Now that explains why I wasn't walking at 1 month!

 

[Candidus]

 

[bbyrd009]

The passage deals with Jews, under the Law, who were neglecting a REQUIREMENT to give to support the Levites. The Levites were going hungry because people stopped paying their taxes (Tithe). God caused a drought to punish them, and demanded that ALL the Tithe be brought in! If they did so, He would open up the windows of heaven and bless them. The "windows of heaven" merely means... RAIN! It is not a prophecy that connects that "Latter Rain" to Tithing in the New Testament. Such a theological connection you will not find in the Church for almost the first 2000 years.

you bring up a good point imo, they lived in a Theocracy, and their tithes were maybe more like our taxes, which are roughly 10% after all yeh. If only the rich had to pay them too imo

 

[Candidus]

 

[Waiting on him]

They render unto.

 

[bbyrd009]

it's like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.

i know lawyers huh?

 

[bbyrd009]

narf

 

[Waiting on him]

you bring up a good point imo, they lived in a Theocracy, and their tithes were amybe more like our taxes, which are roughly 10% after all yeh. If only the rich had to pay them too imo

Interesting, were their slaves obligated to pay tithes?

 

[VictoryinJesus]

God caused a drought to punish them, and demanded that ALL the Tithe be brought in! If they did so, He would open up the windows of heaven and bless them. The "windows of heaven" merely means... RAIN!

Isaiah 35:6-10 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. [7] And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. [8] And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. [9] No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there : [10] And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

John 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit:

John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

‘And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.’ Mark 7:33-35 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; [34] And looking up to heaven, he sighed(groaned), and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. [35] And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

2 Corinthians 6:10-11 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. [11] O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

 

[Waiting on him]

Also the Levites were priests, are we not priests?

 

[bbyrd009]

Interesting, were their slaves obligated to pay tithes?

ha, dunno; my understanding is that the head of the house paid all of the tithes back then, but i have no idea where i got that tbh

 

[Candidus]

Also the Levites were priests, are we not priests?

That's why we should tithe to ourselves and not the Church!

(Of course not!) But since we are no longer under a Theocracy, and we do not have Levites to support, you are correct; we are Priests, and therefore, Tithing is no longer required.

 

[Giuliano]

That is what the church does, they go back to quote the Law (like Malachi 3)

And then they neglect to tell people that Israel was allowed to buy strong drink with the tithe as part of their celebrations with others. How many churches do that? What was the tithe spent on?

Deuteronomy 14:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

 

[Candidus]

ha, dunno; my understanding is that the head of the house paid all of the tithes back then, but i have no idea where i got that tbh

No one is ever commanded to tithe a percentage of income that is money; only agricultural "increase."

 

[Candidus]

And then they neglect to tell people that Israel was allowed to buy strong drink with the tithe as part of their celebrations with others. How many churches do that? What was the tithe spent on?

Deuteronomy 14:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

The "Roll out the Barrels" Tithe Celebration is in October!

 

[Candidus]

The "Roll out the Barrels" Tithe Celebration is in October!

Those that demand that Christians are obligated to give 10% by Scripture, utterly ignore that the very same Scriptures tell them where and how these 'Tithes' can be spent!!

 

[Candidus]

And actually, if you look at it even more closely, they were supposed to give their tithe only one out of every three years.

(Don't ask me where that is found; I only know that I read it in there at one time).

That is not correct. The Jews were prescribed a tax (Tithe) of 10% in Lev. 27:10. An ADDITIONAL Tithe was required for the Annual National Feasts and Holy Days in Deut. 14.
And every third year, an ADDITIONAL 10% was required for feeding the Levites and the orphans and widows. (Deut. 14:28-29). Such giving is not a free-will offering, but a mandatory tax!

All-in-all, the annual tax or 'Tithe' averaged roughly 23% a year.

So, as we look at Malachi 3:8-10... you are failing to bring in all the Tithe unless you are giving 23%!!!! You 'Tithers' out there need to stop robbing God and get with the program!