Tithing Again

[KevinK]

We used to get paid incentive based on production. It never occurred to me that there was any difference between regular base pay, and production based pay. Thus my question. I don't understand why base pay would be treated differently from production based bonus pay.

It's different when you are the one running the payroll. Everything must be scrutinized and categorized. Different types of bounses are treated differently. What if the bonus is non-monetary, like a turkey at Christmas time? Do you slice off 10% and offer it to the Lord? (Does He like white meat or dark?) How about health insurance? It's part of the overall compensation package, so do you have to tithe it, too? How?

The IRS does consider monetary bonuses as gross income, same as any other income, but the IRS is not God (though they might try to convince you otherwise). So I wanted to know what God wants me to do. (The health insurance premiums are not included as income by the IRS, btw).

 

[Michael74]

I suppose one could make a good faith effort to value the turkey, and give 10% of the estimated monetary value. Health insurance premiums could be approximated by cross referencing benefits with the monthly price of a similar product on the ACA health care exchange web site.

Everything and anything can be tithed if you really want to. Jesus told the Pharisees that they were correct to tithe spices, but they also should have done the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Matthew 23:23 NIV

 

[KevinK]

I think we get too hung up on the 10% figure.

Why do we use the term "tithe" then?

 

[th1b.taylor]

Why do we use the term "tithe" then?

Because men like the idea of works salvation.

 

[KevinK]

Because men like the idea of works salvation.

I mean why do we use a word that literally means "tenth"?

 

[KevinK]

If God wanted me to give him 10% takehome pay he would have given me a job that pays 10% less.

Anyhow i give 20% in tax a week that is suppsoe to go good use. Yea, my 20% helps support people with no jobs on welfare, hospitals, schools and whatever else the govn wants to blow it on like thete salarys and luxury fine dining restaurants.

So i do tithe to help others so im happy with that.

That's actually an interesting point. Would paying your income tax satisfy the tithing requirement (assuming there is a requirement, and maybe there's not)?

 

[Michael74]

That's actually an interesting point. Would paying your income tax satisfy the tithing requirement (assuming there is a requirement, and maybe there's not)?

Not in the OT. The king took an additional 10%, over and above the 3 tithes already extant.

He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 1 Samuel 8:15 NIV

So when they asked for a king, they still paid 3 tithes, plus another 10% to the king. Plus military duty and such.

Also, don't forget the offerings. Malachi said people were robbing God in both tithes and offerings. Offerings were in addition to the 3 tithes.

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Malachi 3:8 KJV

 

[samkadya]

Christian face the same question that faces all religionists: How shall we finance the cause we have espoused? Apart from a few exotic plants, nothing lives on air alone, and even the simplest of human organisation need some support. No system yet devised can equal the even distribution of responsibility that is the genius of the tithing plan. It adheres to the scriptural principle of proportionate responsibility, “according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not,” or, as the N.E.B. more simply expresses it: “God accepts what a man has; he does not ask for what he has not” (2 Cor. 8:12). Where much has been given, much is expected (Luke 12:48); but the common sin covetousness often leads the rich to give proportionately much less of their wealth than the poor give of their pittances, as Jesus pointed out to His disciples as they saw the poor widow give “all that she had” (Mark 12:41-44).

 

[WIP]

The thing I notice in Scripture is when I search the word "tithe" the only references I find are related to Israel. I did not find any reference (yet) in the New Testament that indicates a requirement for tithing. In fact, in Matthew 23 and Luke 11 Jesus scolds the Pharisees for their focus on the 10% and then ignoring the more important aspects of the law - justice, mercy, and faith. In Hosea 6 we read these words, which were repeated by Jesus.

6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

We are so hung up on tithing that we forget the real Christian lifestyle should be generous beyond just 10%. Our greed and selfishness prevents us from truly sharing what God has provided the way we should if we claim the title "Christian." For in the end, no matter how much we give of ourselves and our fortunes, we never do more than is our duty to do.

Luke 17:7-10 NKJV
7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?
8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.
10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

 

[WIP]

I think the message of Jesus is pretty clear. We are to be generous as God is generous.

Luke 6:38 NKJV "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Matthew 6:3 NKJV "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."

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

Luke 12:33-34 NKJV "Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 25:34-36 NKJV "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"

Luke 10:30-37 NKJV Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him,and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV "Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

John 3:16-17 NKJV "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

Our generosity should extend far beyond our pocketbook. In fact, by comparison, it is far easier to give money and much more demanding and difficult to give of ourselves. Imagine the impact of encountering someone on the street that is asking for money to buy food and instead of just reaching into your pocket and giving the loose change, you invite him/her to join you for a full meal at a nearby restaurant or perhaps offer to bring him/her to your home where you prepare a meal for him/her and maybe a shower and clean his/her clothing if needed.

Have I done this? No. Where I live I haven’t encountered people in this situation. Could I do this? I don’t know if I could or not. Would I be too restricted by fear or my own greed? Maybe God will one day put me to that test.

 

[th1b.taylor]

I mean why do we use a word that literally means "tenth"?

Because it has evolved, language, actually does that, to include, in Christian circle, being a duty and men enjoy works salvation. A lie is just more attractive than being dependant. The world is filled with men that want to lie around and suck up the good but they are seldom found inside the Church except their Light Bill is due. It is not logical that they sit and they hear the message of Christ' s sacrifice and still desire a works related salvation but they do.

 

[Kenny_ms]

Because it has evolved, language, actually does that, to include, in Christian circle, being a duty and men enjoy works salvation. A lie is just more attractive than being dependant. The world is filled with men that want to lie around and suck up the good but they are seldom found inside the Church except their Light Bill is due. It is not logical that they sit and they hear the message of Christ' s sacrifice and still desire a works related salvation but they do.

This has nothing to do with works salvation. No one here so much as even mildly indicated, what they gave, how they gave it, whether they chose to pay a tenth because the other stuff sounded wishy washy/no direct answerish to them and they didn't know what else to do or if they gave a certain other amount, would have anything whatsoever to do with their salvation. Sometimes people just have questions because they want to please God...not you, not me, not themselves, just God.

I don't attend Church at all and at this moment in time, I'm thinking, I may not want to..

BTW, my electric bill is payed up, as are all my bills, and usually well before they are due.

 

[iLOVE]

Jesus Is a Priest Like Melchizedek (Hebrews 7 ERV). Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had. We are the seed of Abraham. There was no law at the time this happen. According to the scripture in Genesis, Melchizedek did two things. He blessed and received the tithe from Abraham.

Genesis 14:18-20 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Melchizedek
18 Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, also went to meet Abram. He brought bread and wine. 19 He blessed Abram and said,
“Abram, may you be blessed by God Most High,
the one who made heaven and earth.
20 And we praise God Most High,
who helped you defeat your enemies.”
Abram gave Melchizedek one-tenth of everything he had taken during the battle.

 

[Kenny_ms]

So you think that applies today and people should give money to God.

That would be my question.

Ilove, you post scripture and I know you feel it has something to do with the subject here and you may be right, but it would be helpful if you would clarify what you feel the scripture is saying and why it says that to you.

 

[iLOVE]

So you think that applies today and people should give money to God.

Who should people tithe to?. Give to a "organisation" and another human being who dictates where the coin is spent or do you charitable deeds in secret where thieves cant bresk in and steal.

Also Christ is High Priest and hes not here right now for me to give him 10% so i cant do anything about it.

Unless you think there is another High Priest equal to Jesus on this earth. You can bow down to the pope or someone else if you wish.

The Church you attend is Gods house. You tithe 10% gross every payday on your regular salary. Anything over 10% is a offering. Anything less than 10% of your tithe is not blessed. God demands FIRST. We tithe not because of the law but because our love for God. Bring = tithe. Give = offering. All tithes and offering money stores treasure in heaven (if done with love). If you tithe not with love, God will blow it away as the scripture says. The scripture says a scroll is being recorded by Angels. One Christians record for bringing and giving is recorded in the book of Acts that demanded Gods attention. Tithes opens the windows of heaven that gives direct access to God. We do not tithe for favor...we already have favor. Tithing requires great faith - believing and trusting God. Tithing also blesses your children and grandchildren as the scripture says. The seed of the righteous will be bless.

 

[iLOVE]

Jesus Is a Priest Like Melchizedek (Hebrews 7 ERV). Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had. We are the seed of Abraham. There was no law at the time this happen. According to the scripture in Genesis, Melchizedek did two things. He blessed and received the tithe from Abraham.

Genesis 14:18-20 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Melchizedek
18 Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, also went to meet Abram. He brought bread and wine. 19 He blessed Abram and said,
“Abram, may you be blessed by God Most High,
the one who made heaven and earth.
20 And we praise God Most High,
who helped you defeat your enemies.”
Abram gave Melchizedek one-tenth of everything he had taken during the battle.

Abram had a strong love for God. He had great faith. He knew that his help came from above. This is why He honored God with a tenth.

 

[Kenny_ms]

You tithe 10% gross every payday on your regular salary.

Why?

I actually would like to believe that as it would simplify things so much but, I haven't seen the evidence.

Help me.

 

[iLOVE]

Why?

I actually would like to believe that as it would simplify things so much but, I haven't seen the evidence.

Help me.

To live is to live for Christ only! He is my master and Lord.

 

[Kenny_ms]

I think you misunderstood my post. I was asking for scripture as to "why' the following is Biblical.

You tithe 10% gross every payday on your regular salary.

You have posted some scripture but nothing on why it pertains to us today or to substantiate that comment.

 

[iLOVE]

I think you misunderstood my post. I was asking for scripture as to "why' the following is Biblical.

You tithe 10% gross every payday on your regular salary.

You have posted some scripture but nothing on why it pertains to us today or to substantiate that comment.

Jesus Is a Priest Like Melchizedek forever (Hebrews 7 ERV). Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had. We are the seed of Abraham.