As Christians, we are called to give. We are educated on the fact that what we have (although earned through our hard work) has graciously been given to us by God above. He supplies our health, our jobs and our wages and the least we can do is give 10% back to Him. The bible is littered with references to tithing. Some teachers take these passages literally and some say that they were relative only in the time which they were spoken. I have heard many televangelists speak on 'sowing seeds', donating above and beyond the 10% and watching God blow up your bank account. I feel very sorry for the innocent people who are swindled by that teaching...who give away their mortgage payment expecting God will miraculously pay off their house. This type of teaching is a lie and these types of 'preachers' are one of the many types of false teachers harming the name of Christ in today's world.
Here's how I personally feel about the issue of tithing. I am not a theologian nor can I translate the original scriptures from Hebrew or Greek but here's what I've learned and what I believe to be true based on solid teaching an good old fashion experience.
The tithe shows up many times throughout the Old Testament. It first appears in Genesis 14:20 then again in 28:22. In Numbers, God commands that the Israelite's tithe be brought together in support of the Levites and the Levite's tithe went to the Priests (NUM 18:21-26). There's also mention of gathering a tithe for celebrating in Deuteronomy 14:23-29.
When I worked for a church back in 2003, the below scripture was often quoted prior to the tithes and offering part of the Sunday morning program:
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:10
I'll be honest. I worked for the church and didn't tithe. I never remember making a choice not to, I just honestly never thought about it! I had just turned 20, Jay was a pretty new Christian and we didn't tithe. Aside from the Malachi scripture being quoted on Sunday mornings, the issue wasn't discussed. We were never approached about the subject...not putting the blame on anyone else but I wonder what my response would have been if I was made aware of my ignorance back then. In all fairness, we went to a church where 90% of the attendants were homeless, poverty stricken and members of drug addiction programs so tithing was never a message topic, understandably so. Jay and I went about 3 years without even thinking about tithing at all. We gave directly to people in need from time to time. We always gave of our time and opened our home to those who needed hospitality but for the most part, tithing was not part of our day to day existence.
It wasn't until we settled into genesischurch.tv that we started to realize how important the discipline of tithing was.
The New Testament talks a lot about giving but the tithe is not really mentioned or focused on outside of Matthew 23:23 & Luke 11:42, where it is referenced as not being as important as love, justice and mercy. It's true, there is no where in scripture where the tithe is declared as the necessary percentage to be given to the local church but even so, I believe in tithing and I'll tell you why.
It isn't because I believe you'll never have financial problems if you tithe. In fact, in those three years that Jay and I never tithed, we had WAY more money than we have now. I remember specific situations in which God miraculously blessed us both financially and in other areas. We ate out all the time, went to concerts, we even saved a considerable amount of money during our first year of marriage. There are plenty of stinking rich people who remain stinking rich their whole lives who never give a dime to anyone...I know, I play music for them every Friday and Saturday and they don't tip me...Giving the tithe does not mean you will reap earthly riches...in fact, what I have found is that when we tithe we are more often than not 10% poorer than we were before. Gotta be hoenst. In the last two years, we have hit more financial hardship than I care to discuss and we've been regular tithers...I don't believe our troubles are because of our tithing but I don't believe they will suddenly go away because of our tithing either. I'm not bitter about lacking money in the midst of financial faithfulness because I know that 'giving to get' is not what it's about. The Malachi verse isn't about reaping physical riches on earth.
It's about discipline. It's about honoring God and trusting Him and the reward that comes from a deeper relationship with Him and a planet that is better for your giving. It's about doing our part to abolish Hell on Earth. God has been revealing that to me a lot lately...that Heaven and Hell are not just far away distant lands...they exist here in the now. Just like Christ taught us to pray, "Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven." The bible says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." It's accessible and available for us to experience in the now, even in the midst of this fallen place. In the same way that Heaven exists, Hell does too. Terrorized nations where men, women and children and tortured, raped, abused, murdered...that's Hell and exists on the planet, today. There's Hell in our own city...and we believe our church is one of many that is working to abolish some of that, one soul at a time.
So Jay and I give ten percent of our lower middle class income...sometimes to the children's ministry at our local church, sometimes directly to people in need who have been hit from the right and the left and could really use a break...sometimes to organizations that are doing their part to abolish Hell on Earth like the Innocence Project (a program that frees innocently convicted people from prison and the death penalty) or the Magdalene Project (a program that is working to end the child sex trade overseas). Part of our tithe goes to support a little boy named Chrispine in Zambia who was born the same day as Caden but has much less than he does. We don't always give in a way that is trackable or tax deductible, and only God Himself can see it and know it's true but we do it because we should...and sometimes we can pay the bills and sometimes can't. That's life. We often have to choose between giving or saving so we give. Probably not what a financial advisor would suggest but even so, it's the right thing to do.
I am so tired of hearing the argument about tithing...about why we should do it and why the number should be 10% and yadda yadda yadda.
Why 10%? Why not!
The theme is pretty evident throughout scripture so I think it's a good starting point and if you can give more, give more! But don't expect a cheque in the mail. Do it because even when you have to pull from savings to pay the utility bill, at least you have a savings to pull from...at least you have utilities...at least you have breath in your lungs and the ability to fight for those who can't fight for themselves.
So there it is. I never wrote this to toot my own horn. Lord knows we went long enough being ultra greedy and truthfully, if we worked our personal numbers a bit better we'd probably be able to do much more for the planet.
I know this probably is not a very intellectual collection of thoughts but I felt compelled to write them down. Thanks for reading.
7 comments:
Well said! Thanks.
You can calculate ten percent of your income but can you discern the words in the book. He said to bring the fruit of the land into the storehouse. Just as He said to put an ephah (tithe) into the manna pot. If you do the one, you must do the other, that is, put money into the manna pot.
If we were as passionate about giving as we were about proving we don't 'have' to, the world would be a better place.
My opinion: Everyone should give because there is always someone less fortunate, and the tithe seems like as a good a place as any to start.
That may not be an intellctual interpretation or a God breathed revelation, but these are:
Proverbs 21:13
Proverbs 22:9
Proverbs 3:9
Proverbs 19:17
Malachi 3:8-11
Matthew 25:34-46
Luke 21:1-4
Acts 11:27-30
2 Corinthians 9:6-12
James 2:15-16
It is God that said "these are shepherds that do not understand, who are looking for their own gain." THis is Isaiah 56 where the link to the law on exchanging the tithe (Deut. 14:25) for money points to this verse through the 'strong drink'. They will not quote these verses in tithing churches for it condemns them. SO does Abramam's oath to not 'take to a shoe' of which the prophet Amos makes commentary, saying like Isaiah "They take to a shoe from the poor and righteous." The danger is that it becomes all about the money and not the bread (Christ). You have heard it many times I am sure. "He that pays the tithe loves God and he that does not pay the money does not love God." This is the commandment of man and is a false doctrine through which many vainly worship God.
---"You have heard it many times I am sure. "He that pays the tithe loves God and he that does not pay the money does not love God."
I've actually never heard that taught before in my life. I would never be affiliated with a church that taught such a thing. I apologize for the experiences you have had with corrupt teachings and the abusive leadership that has led you on this passionate stance against tithing.
I only ask that if you are going to respond to what I have written, PLEASE actually read what I have said. Your rebutals don't really line up with what I have written about and I think your argument may be one you have used frequently and directed at people with a stance other than my own.
My stance is for GIVING, something the Jesus spoke passionately about. I choose (remember, I have said openly that this is a cognitive decision on my part based on how I personally feel led) to give ten percent because it is a theme commonly suggested (by God himself) in the bible as offerings onto Him.
There is no verse in scripture that dictates that a tithe be submitted to the local church. I know that churches have interpretted themselves as the 'storehouse' but I am not sure I agree with that interpretation.
I'll tell you what I give to:
When I give to my church, I give to the children's ministry that is helping my son learn about Jesus every week. They need crayons, scissors, glue, paper, snacks, movies, books...these things cost money, my family takes advantage of the program and it is an investment in the future of God's people, one of which is my three year old son. I believe strongly in this and so, I give to it.
Periodically we take that 10 percent and give it to an individual or non-profit organization that is struggling financially and could really use the aid.
Trust me, I know there are false teachers out there, asking people to 'sow seeds', promising riches will follow like some kind of money-back guarentee and this type of teaching makes me sick. But encouraging people to give, the same way that Jesus encouraged us to give, is in no way evil...it is taking part in the teachings of Christ and allowing His will to be done in the earth.
The bird starts out sounding like a crow but is now singing like a canary. We have gone from tithing to giving. Thank you for pointing out the abundance of false teachers whose base of teaching is 'tithing'. So now you are on the same mission as I am.
The New Testament says that the ark had a pot full of Manna. Notice it does not say the ark had a pot of tithe even though it was a tithe. As an exercise, try calling the tithe of the Old Testament by its true name. Always say 'fruit of the land' instead of 'tithe'. Eventually you will come to understand the mind of God on the subject. It will lead you to focus on the 'bread of life'. You will begin to see Jesus and not the money in people's pockets or accounts.
God Bless
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