Can't Tithe; Can't Join

[keita nsi]

Giants said:

Here is where I have a problem Why is it that in the area of the tithe we are ready to make a willing distinction between the OLD and the NEW testament but we will readily quote and stand by OTHER Old Testament scripture WITHOUT QUESTION?

For me, the short answer to that would be context and covenant. Imho, as new covenant believers, we both lay claim to and dismiss out of hand a lot of things in the bible that we ought not.

So in my book you cannot treat the word of God like a CHinese Buffet dinner.. take what you like and leave the rest.

I so agree with you about that! Yet, in many cases, I believe that is EXACTLY what is being done with much of the teaching and practice of tithing.

Now I have posed this question to numerous saints and no one has every responded to me yet..

As long as by "responded to", you don't mean mean "agreed with", much of this thread should be changing that.

I also ask this question..

God said that the tithe was HOLY as unto the Lord.

Indeed He did! But again I would say, context and covenant matter... a lot. Remember one of elderbeck's questions, "WHO was God speaking to?"

Exactly where did God say in the Word he NO LONGER wanted what He declared HOLY unto Him ??Bible clearly shows that the blood of bulls and goats was a temporary thing, fulfilled in JESUS. However I do not see this regarding the tithe.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I think answering that requires an understanding of context and covenant. When we understand (and accept) that the tithe was most primarily established as part and parcel of supporting the old covenant Levitical priesthood and temple, imho, God's ending of that priesthood should and does eliminate any need or requirement for its support. I believe the new covenant royal priesthood, which scripture says we are, is to be made up of free givers who support the work of the Church.

We can't have it both ways.

Now if God's word is true... we are not talking about the pastors or leaders but GOD's WORD. If GOD said we are cursed for our lack of obedience, why do we think that because we are saved and disobedient there is no curse because of JESUS.

I know that he delivered us from curses thats true, however if I continue to sin after coming into the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains any sacrifice for my sin.. Does that not apply to any obedience. Does God no longer judge ? I would say not.

I find no scriptural evidence and do not believe that a new covenant believer who does not pay tithes is in any way being disobedient or in any danger of God cursing them. Frankly, I would be far more concerned for those who persist in telling them that they are, especially given the highly questionable motives of many who are doing so.

[keita nsi]

I appreciate and absolutely agree with much of what has been said about the financial practices of a whole lot of African Americans. BUT...

on behalf of all the black folks past and present who could expertly teach a course on how to make $1.00 out of .$99, and then squeeze it 'til it cries real tears, please be careful with the generalizations and stereotypes. (That's my Bill Cosby smilie, LOL!)

[keita nsi]

TEACH, ybrown!

[nina]

"Exactly where did God say in the Word he NO LONGER wanted what He declared HOLY unto Him ??Bible clearly shows that the blood of bulls and goats was a temporary thing, fulfilled in JESUS. However I do not see this regarding the tithe."

I believe that all the "issues" regarding OT and NT are resolved when we understand the real meaning of sacrifice, not only a lamb sacrifice, but the sacrifice of God's Lamb, the only HOLY and WORTHY and acceptable forever, because "In the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and the word was with God"...

That awesome selah, upon Jesus death, in all of creation, above and below, and His resurrection, resolved everything.

God gave, He did not pay, so do we, out of love, like He did., in the name of Jesus, that's what makes anything we do holy...
If I can hear God's heart, then I will go and do what He has purposed in my heart, and it will reflect on everything I do, including my finances.
That's my two cents understanding

[auneeqsol]

Alright , alright, dont think this sista just cut out for good, Im here, and Im watchin and readin.....lol I see some serious stuff goin on here.

Okay first of all I want to say that if a person chooses to tithe, and does it from their heart sincerely, there is no way God is not going to honor that. Now on the other hand, I want to say, if a person believes in giving abundantly to the kingdom whatsoever they have "purposed" in their heart, and soweth bountifully, guess what, God honors that big time as well, because guess what, the scripture says they will reap bountifully!!! What can you say about that ,its there in a nutshell just like that.

Now for the ppl who have said that the NT never said "not " to tithe, so therefore it hasnt ceased, I want you to show me where it does say "TO" tithe, and make sure it was talking to the NT believer. Oh but please dont come with that account in Hebrews. Come on now, just because you see the word "tithe" in there doesnt mean that was a commandment from God to tithe...... :- Let's see what it was really talking about:

Let's start with umm the 13-20 verse in Hebrews Ch. 6.
Now basically this was referring to the promise that was made by God to Abraham, which God was willing to put 2 immutable things on the line to assure the promise. The two immutable things (unchangeable realities) are not Tithes and Offering, its actually God's own nature (Who he is) and his own promise (his own words) because he swore by himself because there is none greater. Okay now the writer was driving home how God cannot lie, that's why our hope can be built on Jesus' love and righteousness which is a sure and stedfast promise by God. And he is that "hope" that was made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec, because he atoned for our sins. Therefore the promise was revealed to Abraham as a sure thing.

Okay now who was Melchisedec? Was he some supernatural being ? No , it was just that his profile was compared to that of Jesus in certain areas. Okay Melchisedec- King of Righteousness
of Salem- Jerusalem.(Peace)

Okay and he was a type of King-Priest of Salem, which had no record of his parents, his descent, no record of his birth, nor death, but made like unto the Son of God, having his legacy as Priest continue.
Okay now Jesus
Jesus- King of Righteousness (as well)
of Jerusalem- Peace (he is the prince of peace)
Our High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. Because it states no where in the scriptures where Melchisedec came through the bloodline of Levi, because Levi wasnt thought of at that time. So this was clearly not the Levitical priesthood, and Jesus did not serve in the Levitical priesthood neither, he was called by God. Jesus was conceived supernaturally and not by man's seed (no earthly origin) but born of a virgin. And he died and rose again and lives for ever more, to him there is no end. So we can see how they compare.

Okay I said that to say this: The writer of Hebrews was driving home , if Abraham the patriarch of faith, one of the forefathers, gave King/Priest Melchisedec a tenth of the spoils, he apparently was worthy of honor and stood in greatness. (Actually for you "tithing was before the law" saints, during the time of Abraham, giving a tenth was a common practice among ancient nations. People gave a tenth to those they honored and respected and esteemed highly.)
So the writer asks, how much more should we recognize Jesus as King and High Priest unto us, which he made the ultimate sacrifice, so that other sacrifices wouldnt be needed ever again? And he shed his blood once and for all, to atone our sins. He has the power to atone without the blood of animals but he shed his own blood (which he was a Perfect sacrifice) to atone our sins once and for all. We just have to acknowledge and accept the work he did and walk therein.

Now that was the whole ordeal with the comparison with Melchesidec and Jesus, it had nothing to do with tihes and offering......... The writer wanted us to know Jesus is authorized to be who he is, and he has all power in his hands, Period. So the Jewish Priesthood (Levitical) was inferior to Melchisedec's priesthood which was ordained by God. He was Priest of God in Salem long before the nation of Israel and the levitical priesthood began.

So once again show me where tithing is given as a commandment to the NT believers......

Sorry I had to go through the whole bible study thing, I just wanted to make sure you got an understanding.

[auneeqsol]

Oh yeah and by the way, to clear up the story of when Abraham gave a "tenth" to Melchisedec we need to dig deeper than what we skim over in reading.


Now let's go there in Gen 14:14-24:

The basis of the whole thing is not that Abraham gave him the "tenth" of all the spoils, it's not about that.
Now he rescued Lot and the ppl and their goods.
And the King thanked him and all, and just asked for the ppl back. He didnt care for the goods, he was actually trying to give them to Abraham,

But Abraham did give him a tenth of "spoils of war" Be mindful, that Abraham was already a wealthy man prior to this incident, so God had already prospered him before hand.

So the reason why Abraham gave him "tithes of all" can be two-fold.
1) Because of Tradition, Abraham was showing him the respect he deserved as being King and Priest, by giving him "a tenth" of the spoils of war, because ancient pagan nations even practiced that as well . It was common in that day.
2) Because in vs 23 he was saying that he will not even take from a thread of his sandal, or anything that is the King's because he doesnt want it to be said that King-Priest Melchisedec made him rich!!!! (not that it was an eternal commandment from God, or a timeless command) Wow, what a different side of the story this is! Not the norm of what we hear being preached mostly.
See Abraham recognized even in vs. 22 that the Lord the most high God , the possessor of heaven and earth, supplied all of his needs, and prospered him abundantly.

So in conclusion, the first account of "tithe paying" wasnt anything like we make it out to be. So Abraham gave a "tenth" of the spoils of war to King-Priest Melchesidec, and told him to divide the rest of it with the men who helped him conquer the armies that held Lot and the others captive.

When you really read it for yourself and study, you can really see the "true" meaning and reasoning of things

Personally I believe in grace-giving. Giving from the heart, being cheerful about it, not worrying about stipulations and requirements, just freely give. I mean why use 2 envelopes for Tithes and Offerings, it's all going to the same place, do you really actually believe that God is concerned that you used 2 envelopes to distinguish the tithe from the offering?

Okay , Okay, that's enough, Im not trying to bash anyone, but I just have a lot of thoughts about certain things, and reasons why ppl say and do certain things.

But these are just a few things to consider ....

[Bee]

I have always found it puzzling in this that in discussions like these it tends to be the pro tithers getting angry on behalf of God and spiralling further and further into senseless debates which goes further and further from convincing anybody because of a total lack of back up.

Many people who do not tithe myself and my family and my church are actually doing really well and enjoying the benefits of what the word of God says we could have.

Most african churches shd be cursed by now the way u guys carry on but they are not matter of fact it is the contrary so please stop ranting and raving and pray for we who are seemingly on the road track for the Spirit of the Lord to convict us instead.

Pheew it almost feels like Beirut in here

[GiantsDODie ns]

ybrown said:

Giants said:

Here is where I have a problem Why is it that in the area of the tithe we are ready to make a willing distinction between the OLD and the NEW testament but we will readily quote and stand by OTHER Old Testament scripture WITHOUT QUESTION.

We will QUICKLY say..

I am the head and not the tail above only and not beneath. But God never said that to NEW testament saints.

Blessed in the city, Blessed in the Field.. but God did sat that to NEW Testament saints.

So in my book you cannot treat the word of God like a CHinese Buffet dinner.. take what you like and leave the rest.

Now I have posed this question to numerous saints and no one has every responded to me yet..

Deut. 28:
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth: 2 and all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy beasts, the increase of thy cattle, and the young of thy flock. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

This passage is from the OT, but those things do apply to us. They are promises and declarations that apply to both OT and NT believers because those blessings which God pronounced are for the OBEDIENT. Those are particular privileges that the faithful shall receive, so they are for BOTH OT and NT believers.

The only thing that has changed is that instead of requiring believers to follow hundreds of different laws, God now only require us NT believers to be obedient to two.



He didn’t say he no longer wanted it. Our giving back unto Him is still Holy.



ALL of the curses that would have come upon ALL of us for ALL time, for not tithing were ALL put on Jesus on the cross. Every single one of them; that’s why they are no longer ours to bear.

There are two Biblical passages which speak of a tithe being given before the Mosaic Law was instituted, and both of them involved two of the Jewish patriarchs, Abraham and Jacob.

In both instances, Abraham and Jacob gave freely and voluntarily. Abraham to Melchizedek, presumably as an expression of gratitude to God for enabling him to rescue Lot who had been taken captive.

This is the only tithe mentioned in Scripture that Abraham ever gave and there is no evidence that his tithing was his general practice. In addition, this tithe came from the spoils of victory that he acquired by military might.

With regards to Jacob and his dream about the ladder, God made a promise to Jacob that He would be with him, and keep him wherever he would go and bring him back to the land. In response, Jacob vowed that if God kept his promise, he in turn would give God a tenth.

Again, we have to observe exactly what the text does and does not say. Nowhere are we told that God commanded Jacob to give Him a tithe. And again, along with Abraham's example, it appears that the giving of this tithe was voluntary on Jacob's part. These two examples are the ONLY examples of tithing to be found in the Old Testament before the Law was given.

However, those tithes are very different from the tithes under the Mosaic Law. The tithing system under the law was NOT voluntary and was required by God, no if, ands, or buts about it. It wasn’t just a tenth. When we read that over-emphasized Malachi passage very carefully and in the context in which it was written, it says:

Malachi 3:8-12: "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed Thee?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it may not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes, says the Lord of hosts. And all the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land, says the Lord of hosts."

Here we are told that by withholding tithes a man is actually robbing God. Basically its saying that he is withholding something which is not his own, but really belongs to God. Under the Old Covenant, tithing was mandatory and to withhold it was to become a thief.

Notice also that God says the people were robbing him in "tithes." It does not say "the tithe", but in "tithes" (plural). These "tithes" refer to ALL the different tithes required of God's people (Levite Tithe, Festival Tithe, Poor Tithe). In addition, that passage doesn’t just say tithes, but “tithes and offerings.” These offerings refer to the offerings specified in Leviticus 1-5, such as the burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, and guilt offering. These offerings were constituted primarily of animal sacrifices.

Now, an important question surfaces at this point. Why is it that we recognize animal sacrifices to be obsolete under the New Covenant, but not tithing? If we are obligated and required to pay tithes today as in the OT, then certainly we are still obligated to offer animal sacrifices. God lumps them both together and says that His people were robbing Him by withholding both of them.

And Giants, you’re right, we can't decide to pick and choose what the follow and what not to follow in the bible. That also goes for this issue. Either we must offer both tithes (all of them, which some calculate to be about 33%, not just 10%) and animal sacrifices (offerings) or both these gifts as stated in the OT have been abolished by Jesus’ fulfillment of the Mosaic Law.



PTL, Giants! It’s a blessing that God told you about tithing before you were saved. He knew how to draw you to Him. While writing this long post (sorry) the HS revealed to me that it’s no accident that He took you to Malachi. There are two reasons for that.

Firstly, it deals with the subject that drew you to him in the first place, your finances. The second reason can best be answered with a question: when you’re having trouble learning something, what does the teacher do? He sends you to a tutor. That’s what Malachi 3:8 and all the other OT laws are – they’re tutors.

We know this from Galatians 3:24-26 which says:

24 So that the law is become our tutor [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now faith that is come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.

Our Father led you to the tutor because you needed it. You didn’t have the faith knowledge. Tutors are meant to teach us the things that we struggle with. Once we get what the tutor has been trying to teach us, we move on. We graduate. I think now, my brother, you no longer need that tutor. You have the foundation and the rudimentary skills down now. You know how to give and be faithful. The tutor did its job.

See:

Galatians 3:24-26: 24 So that the law (Malachi) is become your tutor to bring you unto Christ so that you would be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith is come, you are no longer under the tutor 26 For you are now a Son of God, through faith in Jesus Christ.

You’re a good man.

The other thing that boggles my mind is that saints get caught up about the tithe and for some reason neglect the SEVEN different blessing God HIMSELF says He will provide for ONE simple act of obedience..

I find that unbelieveable.

Amen. There are benefits and promises built into our giving and we only access them when we give.

Thank you for actually taking the time to answer the question and not selective pick apart what I discussed and answer the parts that were convenient.

Now in response to that, I still ask.

What exactly is the problem with Tithing? Why do folks have a problem with it ? Why do people not see that it is an act of worship and devotion to our God? Why does most of the church act like it is a means of control?

You recognize the blessing in Deuteronmy 28 as a promise to both the Old and New Covenant believers for being obedient and that we have access to them.. Great...

Now If the Word of God with is truth and ALL TRUTH is parallel which it is. The does not THIS word from the very same scripture also not apply ?

Deut 28

15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.

18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out

Now are we saying that there is blessing when we obey GOD but there is NO penalty when we DISOBEY God. No I dont believe we can say that or that we are saying that.

Most anti-tithe arguments I have read ( and I am not assuming what " side " of an argument you are on ) tend to focus solely on the issue of the curse and how we are no longer under a curse. However the scripture tells us that the curse causeless does not come, meaning simply that curses CAN happen even in the life of the saved Christian believer if the door is opened to them.

I would like to point out these things in Malachi as well.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

This is the ONLY place in the Bible where I have found God actually say.. PROVE ME..TEST ME... TRY ME !!!! basically saying I DARE YOU to try it and see if I will not do these things..

There are SEVEN separate blessing attached to ONE act of obedience..


open you the windows of heaven,

pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

will rebuke the devourer for your sakes

he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground

neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field

And all nations shall call you blessed

ye shall be a delightsome land

Now here is where I am.. God promised Blessing in the OT Deut 28 for an act of obedience and if I actually DO what God said to do then I have the promise FROM GOD for access to ALL the other blessings.. We have no problem with that we accept it FREELY without question.

Yet when I get to Malachi which is in the OT and God promises certain blessings for one act of obedience with promises attached to that we rationalize it and debate whether it applies to us ?

You know why I believe it does for many.

because it involves money

[GiantsDODie ns]

Oh and I still havent seen the scripture that says that God no longer wanted or requires the tithe.

[keita nsi]

...nor the one which says that He does.

And for that reason, I think to approach this from the perspective of finding some scripture which specifically says, "A new covenant believer shall (or shall not) pay tithes." is a fruitless pursuit. I think that applies to many things that the Church both does and does not do.

I think some instances call for more of a "Come let us reason together" approach. I believe the question of whether or not God requires tithing from new covenant believers is one of them.

Imho, in the absence of the Levitical priesthood, to require tithing, and teach folks that God does too and will curse them if they don't, just makes no scriptural sense. Even in the Abraham and Melchizedek instance, I see the foreshadowing of the changed priesthood. That all-important change is the primary basis for my argument, which is not against tithing, but the teaching of it as a requirement for new covenant believers.

And no, I don't think the issue is money for many of us who question and or do not accept the teaching and practice of tithing. Like some have already shared, my giving actually and very cheerfully increased when I stopped paying tithes and became a free giver.

[Nikkol]

Just thought that since we are discussing how Christ was made a curse for us, we should have the whole scripture (specifically reading the whole sentence):

Galatians 3:6-18
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.



It would appear that possibly the curse that we were redeemed from allowed Gentiles to recieve the promise.... at least based on the punctuation between the two verses.

[Jasmine]

I am for tithing, however I dont let post like this get under my skin. Its just a conversation we all our having. I dont think any one is angry.

I said what I said..and I stand by it. Even though you are giving over and beyond 10% with your offering, it can still be considered a "tithe and an offering" but you don't call it as such.

keita wrote:

on behalf of all the black folks past and present who could expertly teach a course on how to make $1.00 out of .$99, and then squeeze it 'til it cries real tears, please be careful with the generalizations and stereotypes. (That's my Bill Cosby smilie, LOL!)

We can call it stereotypical, but it is a proven fact that most african americans think like consumers. Why do we think commercials are geared like they are? There have been many days where I have made my dollar stretch. Bill Cosby is the main one talk about AA. come on now ..LOL


Now let me pose a question. We are speaking alot about curses, and how Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Why do we still believe in generational curses?

Exodus 34:6-7 - "And He [the Lord] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 'The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' "

[auneeqsol]

Okay....I really didnt get your point Nikkol...

( ;D)

That's why we were redeemed from it , or we would not have had a chance. And that's why I don't see how ppl can use the scriptures in Malachi 3 to promote or to command tithing as a NT practice either.

As for continuing the discussion of "To tithe or not to tithe":

It specifically said if you do not tithe and rob God you are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me "even this whole nation" He was referring to the nation of Israel Specifically. There is not doubt about it, because of the COVENANT (the old covenant) that he made with that nation. We have a new covenant now. We have been shown a more excellent way. God said he would write his laws on our hearts, instead of us having to keep the letter of the law ourselves.

To argue and push the issue of NT believers having to tithe is just like pushing the issue of one not worshipping on the sabbath and violating the 4th commandment (i believe its the 4th) of God by not observing the sabbath in its entirety.

Some people just dont want to see some things, even when they are clearly stated in the word. If you do some indepth study then it will become clear. There is nothing mentioned of tithing under the New Covenant, in the NT. If it was really a direct commandment from God, dont you think one of the Apostles would have taught it? I mean someone would have caught a revelation, Peter, Paul?? Because the instructions that they gave were essential for spiritual growth and more, so does anyone even wonder why none of them pushed the issue? And you have to remember if it were to be done as a commandment they would have taught it because the gentile converts did not practice tithing under the law because they didnt live by the law, so they would have had to be instructed in these things.

Have anyone ever considered these things?

[Giants DO Die ns]

With all due respect and its fine if others dont agree, I am more interested in seeing the dialogue because I realize no one can convince the other. I see a scripture where GOD clearly says the tithe is HOLY as unto the Lord. He says the tithe belongs to HIM. Now I do not see a scripture where He says He no longer declares it holy NOR do I see a scripture where He says he no longer requires it. I see lots of opinions but no scripture.

And once again it seems as if like I often see people gravitating toward the curse issue INSTEAD of the ONLY promise recorded in the Bible where Gods says to test HIM, Prove HIM and try HIM and then makes seven different promises for doing what He as God instructs for those who have covenant with HIM to do. I have said and will say repeatedly that tithing is an act of obedience, honor, reverance and worship unto the Lord.

I believe we are called to be steward over what God has given us. We are not the owners over everything as a man of God once said owners of nothing, stewards over all. I believe the Word of God calls us to honor God with the tithe as He says it belongs to HIM, for me that is a non negotiable point. Offering however is up to the individual and should be given as God has instructed AND as how God has blessed. We should seek to bring GOD the best offering we can give.

Some see tithing and they see bondage, and I dont disagree that many people have falsely manipulated tithing to get people into a position of bondage, and this for some has created a negative backlash. What I hope to achieve is to show simply that tithing honors God and He honors those that tithe.

Now some people will say that they are blessed even though they dont tithe. I will simply say that may or may not be true. I cant judge that. I dont know your situation and I am not the judge. God is. What I will say is that I know that GOD GUARANTEES what He will do because of obedience to His Word in this area.

I believe we should take God up on HIS word.

[Nikkol]

Hey girl........ we need to catch up.... ;D

(The point of the scripture was showing the context by which that scripture was used.)


The "issue" (used very lightly) is that in all honesty, many of the things that we say applies to us was spoken to Israel or particular people. However, as the Word of God, we say that we have been grafted in. Additionally, I think that if we pick and choose what part(s) of the OT we say is still for today and not others, the question could be asked "why"? For food and sacrifices, we know that there has been a "change", if you will. We were told paraphrased "You can eat pig" "No need to kill animals; Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice" .....

But from those who say they give freely, it appears that you are at least giving 10% and therefore whether you (general) call it a tithe or not, it's still a tithe. A tithe is still a tithe no matter what one calls it. ;D



In reference to your post:

It specifically said if you do not tithe and rob God you are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me "even this whole nation" He was referring to the nation of Israel Specifically. There is not doubt about it, because of the COVENANT (the old covenant) that he made with that nation. We have a new covenant now. We have been shown a more excellent way. God said he would write his laws on our hearts, instead of us having to keep the letter of the law ourselves.

So was Deut 28, 2 chr 7:14...... the list goes on and on. Does the fact that the law is written on our hearts negate us keeping the law?

To argue and push the issue of NT believers having to tithe is just like pushing the issue of one not worshipping on the sabbath and violating the 4th commandment (i believe its the 4th) of God by not observing the sabbath in its entirety.

Not at all:

Colossians 2:16-17
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, F10 or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Some people just dont want to see some things, even when they are clearly stated in the word. If you do some indepth study then it will become clear. There is nothing mentioned of tithing under the New Covenant, in the NT. If it was really a direct commandment from God, dont you think one of the Apostles would have taught it? I mean someone would have caught a revelation, Peter, Paul?? Because the instructions that they gave were essential for spiritual growth and more, so does anyone even wonder why none of them pushed the issue? And you have to remember if it were to be done as a commandment they would have taught it because the gentile converts did not practice tithing under the law because they didnt live by the law, so they would have had to be instructed in these things.

So would you say that ANYTHING that isn't mentioned in the NT is no longer necessary?

Additionally, for those (especially of Jewish descent), discussing tithes in detail wouldn't be necessary because they already knew about tithing. Besides that, the church were all selling what they had and giving to each other as necessary. I also don't know if I would go so far as to say that since there wasn't a "special teaching" on tithing in the NT, that would mean that it wasn't done. We do know that the apostles were still going to the temple.