tithing

Sheeagle and Murph, I will just point out a few things.

1. Tithing is never a command except under the Old Covenant (of which we are NOT a part of).

2. There were three 'tithes' that totalled about 24% of one's total wages.

3. Tithing in the O.T. supported the Levites and MILITARY. It was a form of taxation.

4. Jesus applauded the Jews for giving their tithe because they were supposed to. They were still living under the Old Covenant.

5. The N.T. NEVER commands us to tithe.

There, five reasons to reject the STANDARD of tithing. If a person wants to give one tithe, fine. The moment one says that he MUST tithe, a false standard is introduced.

Okay, about my original comment that Sheeagle didn't understand and that you Murph asked me about.

Say a person makes $500,000. He could pat himself on the back and be in good standing in these 'tithe' churches if he gave his custom $50,000. Maybe he goes out on 'faith promise' and gives and extra $10,000 for missions.

Alright, does he/she need to live on $440,000 (minus taxes - less when a Republican is in office)? Of course not. However, if he wants to follow the 'tithe' law, he is just fine.

The Scriptures do not paint such a picture. The Corinthians gave when they had NOTHING to give. The Philippian church wanted to give but lacked opportunity.

Sacrificial giving in ACCORDANCE with what God gives is the Law of Christ (vastly superior to the Law of Moses). When you teach and preach the latter, people start to wiggle. It is so much easier to sit back and just 'tithe' than it is to give ACCORDING to what God has given. I wonder why Paul taught the latter? Actually I don't.

 

This clear and precise instruction by the Apostle Paul has provided a lot of the pure, structural stainless steel in my anchor. It's wonderfully and perfectly resistant to corrosion that is caused by the elements.

Dave

 

First of all, probably most "tithe" churches are teaching about the 10%. The first 10th.

The average working American slave giving 10% IS sacrificial giving.

That is "middle class" income? Hardly a good example to justify the statement that it "is middle-class America's attempt at robbing God."

Try some realistic examples for your premise: A widow who draws $452/mo. from Social Security.

A waitress who makes $20,000/year with a kid to feed (whose husband skipped/walked out for another woman).

A middle manager who makes $40,000/year with four kids and a $1500/month mortgage, whose wife works "part time" for grocery money.

A teacher who makes $36,000/year with a husband diagnosed with Alzheimer's who can no longer work and requires 24-hour care.

A fireman who makes $50,000/year with three kids and stay at home wife.

Welcome to the real world & real trenches where 10% IS sacrifical giving.

 

Sheeagle, you still don't understand.

There is a difference is sacrifical giving, and being made to give an amount that will be a sacrifice.

One is willing. One is forced.

To teach that believers MUST give 10% is not supported anywhere in all of Scripture.

That is why you couldn't post any when I asked.

 

No, I don't understand what you are trying to say. One of us has a communication problem.

 

When one goes out to a restuarant for a meal you usually give a 15% tip. Yet when we go to church for a good spiritual meal people complain about giving God 10%. Lets face it. I've been through this in backslidden parts of my life. My giving was usually in direct proportion to my closeness to God. What would you make of what Jesus said in Matthew 23:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

He is condemning the Pharisees for their pettiness regarding tithing but he says not to leave it undone. Jesus was for tithing.

 

Daniel as usual your posts while being conformant to the letter of scripture are far away from practical christian thought. #1 if you read my post you will notice that I said Jesus taught giving one's all. #2 I never said to force anyone to tithe, God loves a cheerful giver. #3 If you are going to make these blanket statements such as the one you made about the tithe and americans robbing God please be able to substantiate your claim with an average person. Instead you give us the example of a guy making 500k, get real brother. #4 As usual you seem to be far from the real world on some issues, when you state above about it being easy to sit back and just give 10% you are dreaming, have you ever read stats on how few people actually tithe.

Murph

 

Wrong. Jesus was for the Jews still living under the Old Covenant to tithe, as they were commanded to do. Once the New Covenant was cut, the Old was DONE AWAY WITH IN FULL.

 

Wrong. Jesus was for the Jews still living under the Old Covenant to tithe, as they were commanded to do. Once the New Covenant was cut, the Old was DONE AWAY WITH IN FULL. </font>[/QUOTE]Tithing began before the law was introduced. The Law simply regulated the tithe. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek - 400 years before the time of Moses and the Law.

Yippee! We can all go out & covet, commit adultery, have other gods, and do whatever we like - we're under grace!

 

My personal opinion? I would, but that's just my feeling.

As an aside, I'll tell of a "humorous" incident from about a hunnert years ago when I was about 17. I was at our Minister's of edu/music/youth house & his wife brought some cake & ice cream for a mid-afternoon snack. As we settled in to eat, he said, "Should we give thanks for this?"
To which she immediately replied, "If you're not thankful for it, NO."

Needless to say, we all lost it!

To this day, I think of that comment and almost always thank God if all I'm getting is a hand-full of potato chips etc.!

 

It is sad when a new poster has to teach some of us older dogs a new trick. Actually staying on target with a thread, starting a new one if we want to discuss a subject from a different angle and especially showing grace to other posters is not a new trick at all but board policy. Girla I am sorry that you had to experience this and most of all I am sorry that some of us (including me) have disregarded your need for information and instead decided to fight it out. What did Jesus say that we would be known as His disciples by our love for one another? I have removed a couple of posts that followed this one from Girla because they were both off thread and lacking in grace. Please take notice that anything else posted here should honor the points well made by our new friend Girla. You go girl
Murph

 

Thanks, Murph, for doing some house cleaning of this thread. I agree with Girla. Only people who believe in tithing should be participating in this thread. Anything else (as in naysaying) is off the point of the OP.

Good job!