Is the tithe biblical for Christians

I have been a Christian since 1997 and the thing that I have most believed during that time is that the church in most cases, is about enriching those that run the church through the tithe. I have argued the point with Biblical references to support my position just to be told that I am wrong and I will never receive the blessing of Jesus unless I tithe. So I am hoping that in this forum, I can have a rational discussion with Christians about this...using the Bible to understand the truth.

My understanding of the teaching is that as a Christian, I must give the first 10% of what I make or I will be cursed because I am robbing God.

My belief is that when Jesus died on the cross all the laws were nailed to the cross with Him. That included the bringing in of the Tithe and the teaching that Tithe or be cursed is a Yoke that is un-Biblical that is being placed on Christians today. Jesus said..."Give with a joyful heart". The Bible also says "Owe no man anything but the debt of love". I think that by being shamed into tithing, many people do not pay bills and therefore go against what the Word of God says.

 

why does god need money? are there shops in heaven?

 

For any discussion about tithing I refer to

Luke 21:1-4

I know from first hand experience the Catholic Church values works as much as hard coin

 

Like any human endeavor, money is needed to do His work, and the poor certainly need money.

 

So when the OT says that not a jot or tittle of the law shall pass away, it was just kidding.

Kind of like the story of Noah, Adam and Eve, Tower of Babel,

Why kid yourself?

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As my step dad put it, the preachers are saying, "Give me some money for god. I will spend it for him".

 

Here is an informative article on the subject. I'll bring out the main points.

"It does not follow, however, that embracing these practices necessarily means one embraces the doctrine of Christian tithing — it need only mean one embraces the doctrine of Christian giving. The position I am advancing in this article is that giving financially to the church of God is thoroughly embedded in New Testament teaching, but tithing is not."

"The question thus presents itself: Was tithing a part of the unchanging moral law or the obsolete ceremonial/civil law? The answer seems quite clear to me: tithing was a part of the civil law of Israel."

"When this fact is combined with our previous findings from the Old Testament, it would seem that the popular distinction between tithing and freewill offerings in the church is not biblically grounded. All the New Testament talks about in regard to giving is freewill offerings, and certain principles are laid down to guide the practice."

"The doctrine that tithing is New Testament effectively undermines much of what the New Testament actually has to say about giving. The principal New Testament text on financial giving, 2 Corinthians 9:7, tells you that the next time the offering plate is passed to you at church, God wants you to freely determine what you would like to give to His work.



http://www.equip.org/articles/tithing/

 

It seems relevant to note that in Acts, the earliest Christian community required everyone to give EVERYTHING to the common good of all. God struck dead two who held back some of their earnings and lied about it.
Kind of makes tithing seem like a pittance.

 

I think the Mormon Christians believe that

 

It may be that there are small churches in some parts of the world today that must also do this in order to survive. They may be facing persecution on two fronts, just like the early Christians. Poverty may be the norm in their strict class systems, making communal living absolutely necessary.

There are a couple of lessons to be learned from Ananias and Sapphira. First, God's judgment for sin is death. Always has been, always will be. God took their lives, not the apostles. They weren't stoned. Second, the unity and purity of the church is that important. Everyone who ever thinks of becoming a pastor or assuming responsibility in the church should take heed. If you steal from your fellow believers and God, there will be consequences.

 

These days, they do it on a scale unimaginable in the past, but its only in the old days
when anyone died for looking back, laughing at baldy etc.

Ever wonder why?

 

How do you know that?

 

I don't understand what point you're making. You seem to agree with what I posted.

 

How can you possibly deny it?

 

I can't disagree. The two stole from God and their brothers and sisters and God took their lives for it. One thing often mistaken either deliberately or by misunderstanding is differences between something being described in the Bible and something being prescribed. In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, I believe something is being described, not prescribed.

Actually, there is something being prescribed, which is don't steal from God and your brothers and sisters in the church.

 

I don't know that God hasn't abruptly ended someone's life as a consequence of their sin, and used it as a lesson for others. I can't say He hasn't done that.

 

If it was a lesson for others, then you could say! No drop dead, no lesson, nothing to know about.


You can surely, recognize that those bible-things are just stories, to show that one should not behave badly.

Theft of donatiions to churches goes on on a scale that could pay for the entire holy land in those days, and we dont see the "preachers" dropping dead.

 

You have absolutely no way of quantifying the theft of the church coffers. Does it happen? Yes. Does God take lives for it? No one knows. Could He, and is there a Biblical example of it? Yes, and yes.

 

You are being most disingenuous if you think it does not go on on a massive scale.

Jim and Tammy, anyone?

Your "god" is , as presented, merely a capricious and arbitrary monster.

 

I think that as they dropped to the ground, they probably felt it was prescribed.
LOL!

 

socialism (nay, perhaps communism!). something your average american christian has developed a profound allergy to. jesus would hate them.

 

I actually agree with you. I think the unbridled capitalism with the free market as its "controlling" force would be anathema to his way of thinking.

 

It's quite remarkable to note that the gentle, liberal, socialist hippy (especially the commune dwelling variety) is likely to be about a thousand times more christ-like than your average christian. This is an aspect of the faith that never ceases to amaze me - this complete misunderstanding of what conservatism is from the jesus point of view. In fact, it's so profoundly misunderstood that I'm often moved to speculate on who's REALLY behind it.

 

You can't steal what doesn't rightfully belong to others, so you are saying it was absolutely right that they should turn over 100% of their income to the community. It wasn't their money to keep.
Cool.

 

Have you read Amy Chua? If not, you are one of the few here who I think would
be interested and get something from her books.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_on_Fire

 

You do not have to be a tithing member of a church to be a Christian, and nor does it get you into heaven. I am of the position that one does not even have to belong to a church to satisfy the Biblical requirements for salvation.