Tithing - Top 10 reasons I don't

[Littleboy]

The Lord say's,
Don't let one hand know what the other hand is doing when you give,(a secret even to you)
so that what you have given in secret, May be rewarded openly to you by your Father which is in Heaven...

Was their still 11 tribes that gave a tenth to the Levite Preist, While under Roman Rule ?

Is their a differance between Tithing and Alms?

The Lord alway's said to go and give unto  the poor & the widowed, fatherless...
I believe we should give it to worthy shepards, that will use it for that purpose.
NOT for stained glass windows & statues, ect. ect. ect.
Love Duane
P.S
Remember, when you have given unto one of those that love him,
you given unto him, Unfortuntly many will hear on that day "I Never Knew You",
Matt 7
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then WILL I PROFESS unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

MATT 25
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an HUNGRED, and ye gave me meat: I was THIRSTY, and ye gave me drink: I was a STRANGER, and ye took me in:

36 NAKED, and ye clothed me: I was SICK, and ye visited me: I was in PRISON, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, WHEN saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 WHEN saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or WHEN saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these MY BRETHERN, ye have done it unto ME.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I WAS an hungred, and ye gave me NO meat: I WAS thirsty, and ye gave me NO drink:

43 I WAS a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it NOT to one of the least of these, ye did it not to ME.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Theirs to many church's in america for their to be so many poor people here,
someone will be held accountable, God required accountability of ones own actions!
Love Duane

[nChrist]

Amen Brother Duane!

We do have some filthy RICH preachers these days who serve as examples of "love of money". They also confuse many of their donors who are struggling just to get necessities of life. If I was one of those rich preachers taking money from the poor, I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. BUT, the ones I'm talking about don't have any guilt and just keep taking more and more money.

We can and should be picky about how our offerings are used. The Scriptures you posted also indicate many ways that we can serve GOD. If we pray about things, GOD will help us find the best places for our offerings of money, time, and effort. Bluntly, it won't be for preachers living in multi-million dollar mansions and staying in $10,000 a night hotel rooms. GOD can give us guidance about what is and what is NOT being a good steward of offerings intended for GOD'S Work.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Ephesians 3:11-13 NASB
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

[ludwig]

dear everybody  just one more thought.  There is an argument by those who advocate tithing and that is that Abraham tithed at a time way before Mosaic law came into place.  so tithing is a concept existing before mosaic law and therefore though we are not to obey Mosaic law we still have to stick to tithing as an obedience of God's Word.

[Shammu]

A person who has faith in Jesus Christ does not worry about whether tithing is commanded in the New Testament. A person who is transformed by Christ to be more like Christ is generous. Such a person wants to give as much as possible to support the gospel and to support needy members. Christians should give generously but, giving is a result of their relationship with God, not a way to earn it.

Some people act as if Christ liberates us from the law so that we can keep more for ourselves. That is false, he liberates us from the penalty of the law so that we can be free to serve him more, as loving children and not merely as slaves. He frees us so we can have faith instead of selfishness.

When it comes to money, the real question is, Is your heart in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you putting your money where your heart is? You can tell where your heart is by seeing where you are putting your money. Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

[HisDaughter]

We do have some filthy RICH preachers these days who serve as examples of "love of money". They also confuse many of their donors who are struggling just to get necessities of life. If I was one of those rich preachers taking money from the poor, I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. BUT, the ones I'm talking about don't have any guilt and just keep taking more and more money.

Amen to that Brother Tom.  I'd never send money to a preacher on TV.  There is always my own church and my favorite homeless shelter.
Speaking of TV preachers, I heard...gosh what's his name now, Jerry Lee Lewis's cousin.... anyway he's always turning on the tears but at the same time cheating on his wife....anyway he said in his program years ago that God told him that if everyone would send money to his ministry, God would pass over America during Armageddon!
Gosh, I just can't think of his name right now.  But he made me sick!

[Soldier4Christ]

gosh what's his name now, Jerry Lee Lewis's cousin.

That would be Jimmy Swaggart.

[HisDaughter]

That would be Jimmy Swaggart.

Yes!  His name just would not come to me this morning.  I haven't seen or heard of him in a long while though.  I hope he is off the air.

[Littleboy]

A person who has faith in Jesus Christ does not worry about whether tithing is commanded in the New Testament. A person who is transformed by Christ to be more like Christ is generous. Such a person wants to give as much as possible to support the gospel and to support needy members. Christians should give generously but, giving is a result of their relationship with God, not a way to earn it.

Some people act as if Christ liberates us from the law so that we can keep more for ourselves. That is false, he liberates us from the penalty of the law so that we can be free to serve him more, as loving children and not merely as slaves. He frees us so we can have faith instead of selfishness.

When it comes to money, the real question is, Is your heart in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you putting your money where your heart is? You can tell where your heart is by seeing where you are putting your money. Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

My sentiments Exactly Brother..

[Soldier4Christ]

Yes!  His name just would not come to me this morning.  I haven't seen or heard of him in a long while though.  I hope he is off the air.

Nope, he is still on the air.

[Littleboy]

Not for long...
God promises theirs a day coming were he's not going to just keep looking away,
and bring swift destruction upon them! AMEN!

What about that guy in the late 1800's that would sell his white robes every year saying that the Lord
is returning and when the Lord did'nt show up that year, he would do the samething the next year
and people kept coming every year....OUGH BOY!!!
I take alot of comfort in knowing that God is going to deal with all this!

[nChrist]

dear everybody  just one more thought.  There is an argument by those who advocate tithing and that is that Abraham tithed at a time way before Mosaic law came into place.  so tithing is a concept existing before mosaic law and therefore though we are not to obey Mosaic law we still have to stick to tithing as an obedience of God's Word.

Hello Ludwig,

How do you feel about this, and what percentage of your income do you give to the LORD'S WORK?

[sjoara]

Oh, I love Jimmy Swaggart and his son Donnie.

Dynamite preaching!!!!

[daniel1212av]

If you preach 10% tithing, you might get 2%, but if you really preach the cross, and all that it entials, uo ought to get 100% of the person (the pocketbook comes with them) to the Lord. 

(2 Cor 8:5)  "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

Like that of the 7th day Sabbath (http://forums.christiansunite.com/index.php?topic=17759.15), the absence of any reiteration of the command to tithe, except for the example of the free will offering of Abraham, is notable, especially where the Holy Spirit explicitly deals with giving in 2Cor. 8, 9), and in there we see it is to be sacrificial,  and according to what a man has, not according to what he hath not. This is more just, as Bill Gates giving 10% is not the same in God's sight as a poor man with 7 kids. And a poor soul who gives just 10% sacrificially by faith, will have more of a reward than a man who gives more, but not sacrificially in faith.

And the Bible does promote tithing - that of 10% being the minimum - in that "except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Mat 5:20).  And i think Jews were to give upwards to 35% (both in money and goods) according to a study i heard by John MacArthur.

Hezekiah "rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him (2Chrn. 32:25) after getting just a 15 year extension on his physical life, and how much more shall we be deemed to be unresponsive to receiving the gift of eternal life, if our focus is on making a 10% minimum, rather than seeking to live on 10% for our temporal needs and comforts, so that we can use the rest for the more formal work of the Lord. 

Such requires surrender and consecration to the Lord on our part, to make everything a means to the end of realizing Christ's righteousness and kingdom, and thus we will seek to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1Pt. 4:10) in temporal things, as well as seeking His likeness and the advancement of His work.

This applies to churches and ministries who seek to meet their needs by frequently preaching on money, which they seldom give a physical account of, as if the "laity" were employees, rather really preaching the cross, and full surrender to Christ, and seeking to live  by the faith we preach, trusting God, that if He called us into ministry, then He will provide for us without they having to plead, or lean on people.  And by treating the laity as worthy to know where their(God's)  money goes, and not fostering an employer/employee type mentality, but rather being both the army and family that the early church was (and if we are not one then we are neither).  And in this i certainly come short.     

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

I usually speak vaguely when this topic comes up because it's a matter of contention. However, I many times feel guilty when I don't speak the whole truth. This is one of those times. Please take this or leave it, and know that I won't debate it. Say whatever you wish to counter what I say and I won't answer. You will have the last word. Finally, I don't post this for hate or division.

1 - We're not under the Law, and we're not Israel if we are Christians. We live under the GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD.

2 - "GIVE" is the key word here, not "TAKE". "TAKING" is like taxes and that's what "Tithing" was. We should "GIVE" freely in joy and gladness, but "GIVE" is what it is because there is no command to Tithe by GOD in this Age of Grace.

3 - Our GIFTS to GOD'S WORK are the same as our good works. They won't be recognized by GOD if they are done as a duty, begrudgingly, for recognition, for rewards, for bragging, or for any other reason than love and gratitude to GOD.

4 - Matthew 22:36-40  NASB  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."   -   This was spoken by JESUS CHRIST before the CROSS. It's important to note that CHRIST was born under the Law, lived under the Law, and died on the CROSS to fulfill the LAW that no man was ever able to fulfill. HE fulfilled it perfectly and "GAVE" HIS life freely. It had to be freely because no man was able to take it from HIM. JESUS CHRIST and the CROSS was and is the greatest GIFT GOD has ever given to mankind. It is a GIFT, and GOD doesn't force any man to take it.

5 - Colossians 2:13-17 NASB  When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day -- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.   -   This was written after the CROSS and pertains to the Age of GRACE - not LAW.

6 - Our "GIVING" is not just to the local church we attend. It would include the poor, missions, charity, the sick, etc. "Mat 6:2-4  "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

7 - Our giving and gifts are just that in the Age of Grace. There is a tremendous contrast between Grace Giving and Law Taking. If we want to see this contrast most accurately, we will go to the writing of the Apostle Paul. Why do I say this? The others were Apostles to the Jews and they lived under the confusion of the LAW. The Apostles to the Jews didn't know about the mysteries of CHRIST'S CHURCH until the Apostle Paul taught them.

7a - Philippians 4:15-18 NASB  You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.   -   It's rare for the Apostle Paul to mention anything about giving to him. Instead, the Apostle Paul spends nearly all his time in talking about giving thanks to GOD and the GIFTS from GOD.
 
Brothers and sisters, there is no tithe and no command to give any percentage of our income to GOD'S Work. There is "GIVING", and we are most certainly to do that as part of our love of GOD and others. However, it is "FREE WILL GIVING" because we want to give, not because we're told to, must, or commanded to do so. GIVING is part of our love and joy. Our joy will be more full when we give as GOD has enabled us, remembering that it will only be acceptable to GOD if it is given in love and gratitude to HIM with joy and gladness.

The most important thing for us to know about GIVING in this Age of Grace is love, joy, and gratitude to GOD. Otherwise, it isn't GIVING and GOD isn't pleased with it. There is NO TITHE, NO TAX, and NO COMMANDED PERCENTAGE to give. What we GIVE is a matter of love and joy between us and GOD. This is part of our personal relationship with GOD. It's no man's business what we make and what percentage we give to GOD'S WORK. That's GOD'S Business and a highly personal part of our relationship with HIM. Above all, our giving should never be a matter of bragging or to receive personal recognition. It isn't LOVE GIFTS if we have other motives for giving.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable GIFT, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour Forever!

[steward]

Top 10 Reasons Why Tithing is Not Required

1. The Holy Spirit is our new teacher, not the Mosaic law (Romans 12:8; Galatians 5:18-25)

2. There is no command for the New Covenant Church to tithe (Genesis - Revelation)

3. Tithing was used for the temple storehouse & ceremonial system (Nehemiah 10:37; Deuteronomy 12:17,18)

4. 10% giving is not an eternal principle nor a character trait of God (Romans 8:32)

5. The church is not commanded to follow the ordinances of Abraham and Moses (John 7:21-24)

6. A tithe only consisted of agricultural increase (Leviticus 27:30)

7. Tithing is not the minimum amount mentioned in scripture (Romans 12:1; Matthew 25:24-28)

8. An OT ceremony paralleled the future Church with a freewill offering (Deuteronomy 16:10)

9. We have new commands of giving (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Galatians 5:18-25)

10. I will leave out #10 and see what many of you come up with