Tithing

[society]

According to the holy bible tithing is a spiritual law encouraging one to give a portion of their earned income. Practicing this habit helps one find abundance, fulfillment, and gratitude in their everyday lives.

When a person tithes, the universe that works under the spiritual law of tithing says - 'if you have that much to give, then you are open to receive more'. As we fulfill our part of the covenant by giving, then God fulfills his part by continually blessing us.

What is your opinion on tithing?

[jomifl]

GA. ' Born-again believers are not subject to the Old Testament laws.' ............otherwise you would all be in prison. Whilst I can see the logic in your position, where does it say in the new testament that the old testament laws should be ignored.

[Mosaic]

Whatever is sent out from thee, shall return three times three.
Good karma isn't the preserve of the Judaic religions.

[naomi24]

Funny how all the teachers of any religion that the faithful don’t subscribe to are preaching the wrong message. I despair at the human intellect at times – I really do.

[naomi24]

Jom, I’m not sure it actually states definitively that the old Covenant is cancelled – Jesus taught his disciples to keep the law. St Paul, who never met Jesus, took it upon himself to tell Christians they were no longer bound by some of the old laws - for example God's clear requirement that all men be circumcised was abandoned - and like Paul, some theologians, rather than accepting the new Covenant as additional to the old, do seem to have made use of it - and stretched it - for their own purposes.

[idiosyncrasy]

Tithing was part of a body of laws given by God through Moses to the ancient nation of Israel. Twelve tribes of Israel were required by law to support a 13th tribe, the priestly Levites, who had no land inheritance. This enabled the Levites to concentrate on the spiritual needs of the nation. God’s command on tithing was a serious matter. There was no stated penalty to be applied to a person if he failed to tithe, however he was under a strong moral obligation to tithe. When the people became negligent the priesthood suffered, as it meant the priests and Levites were forced to spend their time in secular work and as a consequence their ministerial services were neglected. Such unfaithfulness tended to bring about a decline in true worship. Sadly, when the ten tribes fell away to calf worship, they used the tithe to support that false religion.

Certain religious organisations insist on taxing their members a tenth of their annual income for the support of their respective church. This is said to follow the demands given to ancient Isreal.

[jomifl]

Naomi, If Paul never met jesus, was never given any tablets with the 'word' of god inscribed thereon, why are his words so revered. Isn't he just another 'chancer' like jesus?

[naomi24]

Jom, I wouldn’t say Jesus was a chancer – rather a human being on a political mission - but Paul spread the word – Paul’s word that is – among non-Jews, and he gave them what they wanted. Imagine telling them they had to be circumcised! I don’t think he’d have got many takers! Most Christians don’t seem to realise they’re not Christians at all, but 'Paulines'.

[idiosyncrasy]

Naomi //I’m not sure it actually states definitively that the old Covenant is cancelled //

In Jeremiah it talks of the old covenant being replaced by a new covenant. A law that was to be in heart rather than a written law that was taught by the priests. This old law was replaced with the new law with the death of Christ.

Jeremiah 31 verses 31 - 34.

In fact Luke 22 v 20 mentions that Christ himself said that his sacrificial death represented the New Covenant.

[GaryArnold]

Where does it say in the new testament that the old testament laws should be ignored? Well, let's see.

Hebrews 8:13 (KJV) - In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Colossians 2:14 (KJV) - Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Galatians 5:18 (KJV) - But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Galatians 3:19 (KJV) - Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. In other words, until Jesus came and fulfilled the law.

Galatians 3:23-25 (KJV)
23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Need more?

[mibn2cweus]

I make every effort to see that no less than 90% of my earnings are returned to their creator. So far the taxman has made every effort to see to it that I fail miserably in that endeavor.

[society]

I think preachers, pastors, priest etc. they all use tithing as an excuse to swindle money from people.

Have you ever paid attention to how high-on-the-hog these 'leaders' live?

[naomi24]

idiosyncrasy, yet another old testament prophecy conveniently fulfilled. A simple process for later writers - and editors. This isn’t the first example of ‘Luke’s’ handiwork.

GaryArnold, thank you. Since Jesus told his followers to keep the law, unless the bible is contradictory, since all three books you mention are attributed to St Paul (Hebrews being, in some quarters, questioned), your post serves to confirm my earlier comments regarding that prolific author.

[GaryArnold]

@naomi24 - WHO did Jesus tell to keep the law - THOSE WHO WERE UNDER THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW. Jesus was born, lived, and died under the OLD Covenant. Of course He told them they needed to keep the law.

There were 613 laws when Jesus was here on this earth. Do YOU keep all 613 of those laws, or do you just pick and choose which ones you want to keep? NO ONE keeps ANY of the tithing commands today. NO ONE. It isn't possible. God commanded the tithe come from crops and animals raised on the Holy land - NOT money, and NOT from anyone's income.

Some of you crack me up when you "think" you are actually following the tithing commands shown in the scriptures. Who are you trying to fool, anyway?

THE FIRST TITHE
Leviticus 27:30-33 defines this tithe as a tenth of crops and animals in herds and flocks.
Numbers 18 gives the ordinances, or instructions, for this tithe, and commands this tithe be taken to the Levites.
Purpose of this tithe: to support the Levitical Priesthood.

SECOND TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:22-27: aka The Festival Tithe - a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take to the yearly feasts.
Purpose of this tithe: “that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always”

THIRD TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:28-29: aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe - a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.
Purpose of this tithe: to feed the poor.

Now please tell me all you law keepers - exactly which of the above tithing commands do you follow? NONE OF THEM. What you follow is what church leaders came up with in 1870 - you take a tenth of your income to the church. You won't find that commanded in the scriptures.

[naomi24]

GaryArnold, // Jesus was born, lived, and died under the OLD Covenant. Of course He told them they needed to keep the law.//

So whose ‘law’ are you keeping? And you call yourself a Christian?

//Do YOU keep all 613 of those laws, or do you just pick and choose which ones you want to keep?//

I don’t claim to keep the law. I think it’s a load of hogwash.

[GaryArnold]

In the New Testament, born-again believers are given guidelines for living a good life. The only so-called law or command we are under is that of love. If one is truly born-again and possess the Holy Spirit, then one knows what he is supposed to do by listening to the Spirit. Those who have not been born again might need laws to tell them right from wrong.

[society]

Welcome to AnswerBank, GaryArnold!
Hope you like it here, you are fitting in nicely. :)

[naomi24]

GaryArnold, No answer to my question then?

//Those who have not been born again might need laws to tell them right from wrong. //

.... and then again, they might not. Only the weak need other men's laws to tell them right from wrong. Check out all the humanist organisations around the world that work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of their fellow man.

The last Born Again Christian I fell into conversation with lamented the 'fact' that her parents would not be received into heaven because they were not 'Born Again' – which was tantamount to claiming that she knew the mind of God. Frankly such pious, sanctimonious, arrogance makes me utterly sick!

[FredPuli43]

Whichever rules you abide by, do any of you hope to get to Heaven in consequence? If so, why? What is so attractive about it, as distinct from having your life end at death and your body being recycled by other living organisms?

[birdie1971]

GaryArnold - “... If you don't believe the scriptures are truth, why bother reading them?...”

Because I find them totally intriguing. To me, they demonstrate everything that is wrong with the human race and that is a fascinating subject.

[birdie1971]

GaryArnold - “... Where does it say in the new testament that the old testament laws should be ignored? Well, let's see...”

Interesting. Do you also think that the creation story in Genesis is no longer valid? Is this retraction of the teachings of the Old Testament only concerned with its 'laws' and not its stories?