Is Tithing required by the New Testament?

[Deborah13]

Leaving those already poor and often desperate people more poor and desperate and what's worse, often blaming themselves because "I must not have had enough faith to receive my blessing"

Sickening.

I have also seen people, and one person in particular, be giving from greed. They became very angry when they did not receive a 10 fold, direct money reward for their continual tithing. I couldn't figure out how they could think that God would bless their sowing when their heart was in the wrong place.
I know a couple of people who tithe because they are afraid if they don't, they will be cursed.

 

[Deborah13]

It doesn't negate that law of God that existed before the OT/OC was written,

What law are you referring to?

 

[iLOVE]

The word of God always say bring the tithe. It never says give because you can't give what does not belong to you. Give means offering. According to the bible there is only two things you can do with a tithe - You can bring it to Gods house or you can steal it.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 NIV

 

[jasonc]

The word of God always say bring the tithe. It never says give because you can't give what does not belong to you. Give means offering. According to the bible there is only two things you can do with a tithe - You can bring it to Gods house or you can steal it.

the tithe, is originally one tenth of the land's produce, cow, sheep etc. not necessarily coinage. the levites didn't eat coinage,nor would that help the poor.

 

[DWJL511]

I believe that under the new covenant tithing is not a law but still valid. God's not going to curse you for not tithing. No church leader should make you tithe or make you feel guilty for not doing so. It's something between you and God. I say it is still valid only because the 1/10th principle (how 10% represents 100% and sanctifies the entire 100%) is an economic principle of God that runs throughout the Bible. So it's like we don't need to say, "God, ALL my money and time belongs to YOU!" That's not practical and God knows it. He just says, "If you give me 10%, that's as good as giving me 100%, and best of all, I'll sanctify and bless the rest because of the 10% you've put in my hands."

 

[Stan1953]

What law are you referring to?

The law of tithing found in Gen 14:20

 

[Stan1953]

the tithe, is originally one tenth of the land's produce, cow, sheep etc. not necessarily coinage. the levites didn't eat coinage,nor would that help the poor.

I agree, but we are no longer an agricultural society as they were then, so money is the resource for most. The principle is still the same.

 

[Deborah13]

The law of tithing found in Gen 14:20

It may have been a cultural law, but not a law given by God.
10% of the spoils of war, and give the other 90% back to the king you took it from.
If one did that with their paycheck, they'd be mighty broke.

 

[Kenny_ms]

I have also seen people, and one person in particular, be giving from greed. They became very angry when they did not receive a 10 fold, direct money reward for their continual tithing. I couldn't figure out how they could think that God would bless their sowing when their heart was in the wrong place.
I know a couple of people who tithe because they are afraid if they don't, they will be cursed.

I'd say the one that got angry got his due from God...his truly fair share..

I feel bad for the ones who probably had so much faith in some man, they allowed him to convince them they would be cursed if they didn't give enough.... assuming that's what happened.

One thing I like about this board, first christian board I ever hung around, was that one of the first things I noticed is everything needed to be proven with scripture and that's what people need to do always. Sure there is still a lot of debate and argument on some things, but on something like the tithe and my seeing that no one else here could bring forth good evidence of it, without going into detail, I feel I'm doing just fine and feel better about things now that I am reasonably sure.

I'm pretty aware of the hucksters but I have a feeling all their shenanigans may have actually affected me over the years because I was at least somewhat sure there was good indication we were supposed to give a tenth of our money but there simply is not. Thing is, once I started figuring out what they were, the only reason I watched them there at the last before I stopped altogether, was to study their ways to know exactly what they are so I'd know them when I saw them, yet a bit of it still managed to rub of on me.

 

[Kenny_ms]

So now I would say, give 10% if you can or less or even nothing or don't bother with percentages at all unless you want to.

Some can give 10% and it won't hurt and an extremely wealthy person could give 90% and be just fine. I'd say give as much as possible but I don't so who am I to talk, but if we did give as much as possible, it's counted as rewards built up for the future in Heaven so, in reality, beats the heck out of sticking it in the bank for the little interest it will draw. It really is the smartest investment we can make if we can just convince ourselves of that.

Of course our security down here counts for something too, and God may well take care of our future needs if we "overgive" but that would take a lot of faith. There may be but I'm not certain there is a scriptural guarantee of that in the word. What if we actually sold all we had, gave it to the poor and followed him as in Luke 18:22? My guess is we would at least be taken care of for the rest of our lives. Again, easy for me to say when I myself don't do that, I just think the possibilities if we did, would be interesting

 

[Rob Cuse]

In my humble opinion, it all starts with your heart. Abel gave God his best and God honored Abel because of that. Paying tithes was an instruction and meant for several things, including obedience in giving back to God the increase He has provided you. Several things in the NT happened that has enhanced this. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit which gives us full access to God, increasing our knowledge and understanding. Now being taught by the Holy Spirit we can give God our all. The Early Church was founded on this principle. Now all this being said, what you give back to God via tithing or what have you is between you and Him. It is biblical to continue to support the local church. However what you give, God measures by the motives and intentions of your heart. Remember the lady who gave 2 mites? Luke 21.

I don't mean to offend but tithing has been a hot topic for alot of Christians. Search your heart and ask God to reveal what you should give from your increase.

Quick story, I had a co worker and friend Jim, who happened to be Mormon. Very good man and loved his family. He worked tirelessly for his local church and was a teacher there. His wife and him fell on hard times financially and his church told him if he didnt keep up his 10% tithe he could no longer teach in the church. Jim was in tears as he explained that his wife's work schedule conflicted with his and they bought a used pick up truck so they could keep working. The increase in debt caused an imbalance in their budget thus creating a serious issue with making ends meet. Jim was extremely depressed as he crunched the numbers and could only find wiggle room with the tithes he paid. Bottomline is I told him to ask God what he should do and know God is looking at his heart not his budget sheet. I also told him maybe offer more time or the truck for service to his local church. My point is God is examining our hearts, not just our outward acts.

 

[Deborah13]

they allowed him to convince them they would be cursed if they didn't give enough.... assuming that's what happened.

There's no assuming about it, these people are personal friends of mine, one is as close to me as a sister, for over 30 yrs.

 

[Mike]

I believe tithing at any percentage is a gift to ourselves more than the Lord, since there is no set percent required of us. In fact, all of the things and ways to live that God calls us to do are for our own benefit in the end anyway, aren't they?

He outlines how we are to remain pure sexually for His benefit or ours? How we should limit our debt for His or ours? How to run our homes, how to rest once a week, how to raise our children, all because He loves us and wants the best for us.

Giving to His kingdom financially doesn't benefit Him. It is Him actually giving to us when we give. It's Him guiding us to the understanding that money doesn't control us or give us meaning. Without giving a meaningless anecdotal story, I'll just say Julie and I learned an invaluable lesson when we were faced with a very difficult financial season. Our collective response was to give more at church. It didn't benefit God, and it certainly didn't make me a hero, but it did take much of the pressure off of us, and we were able to witness the power of God do amazing things afterward that we had no power to do.

I believe everyone can and should give what they can and even more than what they think they can. We may not see a financial windfall as a result, but the freeing of our hearts will be greater than any of that. Not out of obligation and the expectation of something in return, but out of joy as the grip of money's lure is lifted from our hearts.

 

[jasonc]

I agree, but we are no longer an agricultural society as they were then, so money is the resource for most. The principle is still the same.

if one is in the fourth world? so Jesus curses those that don't?

 

[Kenny_ms]

There's no assuming about it, these people are personal friends of mine, one is as close to me as a sister, for over 30 yrs.

I didn't doubt you, you just never actually said how they came to think they'd be cursed so I assumed. So, is the preacher who taught them that someone we might be familiar with?

 

[Kenny_ms]

Quick story, I had a co worker and friend Jim, who happened to be Mormon. Very good man and loved his family. He worked tirelessly for his local church and was a teacher there. His wife and him fell on hard times financially and his church told him if he didnt keep up his 10% tithe he could no longer teach in the church. Jim was in tears as he explained that his wife's work schedule conflicted with his and they bought a used pick up truck so they could keep working. The increase in debt caused an imbalance in their budget thus creating a serious issue with making ends meet. Jim was extremely depressed as he crunched the numbers and could only find wiggle room with the tithes he paid. Bottomline is I told him to ask God what he should do and know God is looking at his heart not his budget sheet. I also told him maybe offer more time or the truck for service to his local church. My point is God is examining our hearts, not just our outward acts.

Rob, unless I'm missing something, why didn't you tell those poor people it was time to find another church? Seems to me, any church leaders that would tell someone they could no longer teach in their church if they didn't tithe or basically pay for the right, don't deserve Jim or his wife as a member.

 

[Kenny_ms]

Giving to His kingdom financially doesn't benefit Him.

You are right in a sense, lets take the early OT tithes in the first verse of this thread for instance...they were actually eaten by the tither in God's presence and I guess all God got out of it was the joy of the obedience and the people got no less than a nice picnic out of the deal, they really weren't required to give anything in the end, just to go through what I would think of as an enjoyable ritual.

God is good like that.

And as far as the monetary gifts we give, they benefit God with joy by seeing that we are what he wants us to be and that the poor for instance are helped but, otherwise, as you say, the benefit is all ours in the end with rewards laid up in Heaven. And I don't mean to keep going on about those rewards as I, and I'm sure many if not all of you, give without any though to those rewards, we do it because God said to and because we get Joy from it, but the rewards are still there for us nonetheless.

 

[JPPT1974]

We need to give from our hearts and souls. Not for the amount. But give like Jesus would want us to do. As the benefit is in heaven. Not the earth.

 

[Rob Cuse]

Rob, unless I'm missing something, why didn't you tell those poor people it was time to find another church? Seems to me, any church leaders that would tell someone they could no longer teach in their church if they didn't tithe or basically pay for the right, don't deserve Jim or his wife as a member.

Sometimes we are not led to give such instruction. Personally, I did not feel led by the Holy Spirit to give such advice. Could be God was using this as a test for him, maybe for the testing of his faith.

 

[Deborah13]

they were actually eaten by the tither in God's presence and I guess all God got out of it was the joy of the obedience and the people got no less than a nice picnic out of the deal, they really weren't required to give anything in the end, just to go through what I would think of as an enjoyable ritual.

I believe all the Laws were to teach something....something that we should try to understand now....
This is what I have come to understand about this one, not very deep, I'm sure some others see more...
That year that they ate the tithe themselves, it was shared with their Levite, servants, sojournors, strangers traveling, everyone within their gates. I think the gates refer to their town, as each family did not have their own priest.
This sounds like the new covenant giving. Sharing what we have with others, not just our pastor, church people, physical family, friends, but the homeless guy that needs help, the unwed mother, the orphan, the elderly. Most of us have all of these in our communities.