To those who have been asking about tithes, it is not just required in the old testament. Here, Jesus was speaking to the scribes and Pharisees. He was talking about them paying their tithes but neglecting other more important things. However, the last sentence gives us the answer to the question of new testament tithing, i.e. to tithe or not to tithe:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and ommitted the weightier matters of the law - right and justice and mercy and fidelity. Those you ought to have done without neglecting the others." Matthew 23:23

I just thought I would share this and I'd like other Christians thoughts on it as well.

DEUT 14 V 22-END

GOODNEWS BIBLE NEW ENGLISH VERSION

There's never an ending to tithing. It's n eternal principle , just like offering, prayer,worship,etc

Joagbaje:

There's never an ending to tithing. It's n eternal principle , just like offering, prayer,worship,etc

Which tithing exactly are you talking about Joagbaje?

1.Abraham's voluntary giving of 10% of WAR SPOILS to Melchisedek(He refused to take the remaining 90% mind you)

or
2.the Yearly tithing which Isreali families are meant to share and eat in a feast at Jerusalem(Deut 14:22-26)

or
3.the tri-ennial tithing which isreal gave to the levites, widows, fatherless and strangers(Deut 14:28-29) and which the levite gave 10% of to the Priests(Num 18:26-30, Neh 10:37-38)

Which Tithe are you exactly talking about my bro? Dont tell me you dont know there is a difference between the 3 forms of tithe i listed up there because that would be a very DISHONEST statement

awaiting your reply sir

yeah

Candour:

Which tithing exactly are you talking about Joagbaje?

1.Abraham's voluntary giving of 10% of WAR SPOILS to Melchisedek(He refused to take the remaining 90% mind you)

or
2.the Yearly tithing which Isreali families are meant to share and eat in a feast at Jerusalem(Deut 14:22-26)

or
3.the tri-ennial tithing which isreal gave to the levites, widows, fatherless and strangers(Deut 14:28-29) and which the levite gave 10% of to the Priests(Num 18:26-30, Neh 10:37-38)

Which Tithe are you exactly talking about my bro? Dont tell me you dont know there is a difference between the 3 forms of tithe i listed up there because that would be a very DISHONEST statement

awaiting your reply sir

Candour:
Which tithing exactly are you talking about Joagbaje?

Joagbaje was referring to the fraud/greed inspired pastoral version of tithing. The tithe that involves members dashing their pastor 10% of their income. Nothing to do with the with the biblical tithe practices

Zikkyy:

Joagbaje was referring to the fraud/greed inspired pastoral version of tithing. The tithe that involves members dashing their pastor 10% of their income. Nothing to do with the with the biblical tithe practices

my bro, thats why i wanted him to clarify things for us.

maybe i misunderstood him so he should pls clarify

Joagbaje:

There's never an ending to tithing. It's n eternal principle , just like offering, prayer,worship,etc

Pastor Joe; always eager to protect his source of livelihood i no blame you sha country hard

As far as many pastors are concerned, the
most important scripture of all is not to be found in the word of Jesus.
Neither is it even in the New Testament.

That scripture says: “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may
be food in my house, and try 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 such blessing
that there will not be room enough to receive it.’” (Malachi 3:10).

This scripture is drummed repeatedly into Christians on Sundays. However, the
only time Jesus mentioned tithing in scripture, he pointed out that it was not
a weighty matter of the law. (Matthew 23:23). Hebrews says people only receive
tithes “according to the law.” (Hebrews 7:5). It then insists tithing (and
everything else under the law) has been annulled: “The former regulation is set
aside because it was weak and useless.” (Hebrews 7:18-19). Nevertheless,
mercenary pastors continue to insist on the payment of tithes.

Latter-day Pharisees

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for keeping part instead of the whole law. (Matthew
23:23). That is what tithe-collecting pastors do today. If we insist our
congregants must pay tithes, we must also insist that they keep the rest of the
law. James says: “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one
point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10). Therefore, if we insist on tithing,
we should also refrain from eating pork. We should stone adulterers, execute
homosexuals, kill Sabbath violators and restore blood-sacrifices.

Tithe-collecting pastors counter this by maintaining the payment of tithes
pre-dated the law. Here Abraham is cited as the cardinal example of someone who
paid tithes before the promulgation of the Law of Moses, as did Jacob, his
grandson. However, such arguments are disingenuous.

Before the law, tithing was at best an example but not a commandment. Moreover,
pastors fail to mention that Abraham only tithed once in his lifetime. When he
did, he did not even tithe his own money: he tithed the spoils of war. He gave
ten percent of the plunder he took when he rescued Lot to Melchisedec, king of
Salem. But then he did not even keep the rest but returned it (all ninety
percent) to the king of Sodom.

For his part, Jacob also tithed only once. He did this in a “let’s make a deal”
arrangement he offered to God: “Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with
me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and
clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the
LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be
God’s house, and of all that you give me I will surely give a tenth to you.’”
(Genesis 28:20-22). This kind of deal about accepting God only under certain
self-serving conditions should certainly not be a term of reference for any
serious believer.

Lies upon lies

The first lie pastors tell Christians is what some have referred to as “the
eleventh commandment:” “Thou shalt pay thy tithes to thy local church.” But the
bible says no such thing. The storehouse of Malachi was not a church. It was a
place where food was kept.

Pastors hide from church-members the fact that money was not acceptable as
tithe. The tithe was a tenth of the seed and fruit of the land and of the
animals which ate of the land. (Leviticus 27:30-32). That is why God says:
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be FOOD in my house.”
(Malachi 3:10). He does not say “that there may be MONEY in my house.” The food
was used to feed the Levites, the poor, widows, orphans and strangers.

Pastors also conveniently fail to teach the biblical tithe. The principles of
tithing were not laid down by Malachi. They were laid down by Moses. The study
of Moses’ guidelines quickly reveals that the biblical tithe has no application
whatsoever to Christians and is mischievously violated by tithe-collecting
pastors today.

According to the Law of Moses, the tithe was divided into three allocations.
The first year, it was given to the Levite. The second year, it was given to
widows, orphans and the poor. The third year, it was eaten in the company of
the faithful before the Lord as thanksgiving for his faithfulness. (Deuteronomy
14:22-28). In the seventh year, there was no planting and no reaping and
therefore no tithing.

So the next time your pastor asks you to pay tithe, ask him about the
seventh-year reprieve. Also ask him if you can give your tithe to the
orphanage, or bring it as food items to be eaten in church. Believe me; he will
not agree with you because it is your money he is after.

Inapplicability of tithes

Tithing was only applicable to Jews and to the land of Israel. When large
populations of Jews lived in Babylon, Ammon, Moab, Egypt, and Syria, these
lands became tithe-able lands. However, tithes were not acceptable from
strictly Gentile lands. So you need to ask your pastor how come he is
collecting tithes in Nigeria.

Servants or slaves who worked on the land did not tithe because the land did
not belong to them. Since only agricultural and animal resources were included,
a fisherman gave no tithe of his fisheries. Neither did a miner or a carpenter
pay tithes, nor anyone from the various professional occupations. So if you are
not a farmer or a keeper of livestock, tell your 419 pastor tithing is biblically
inapplicable to you.

Moreover, the only people authorised to receive tithes were the Levites.
(Hebrews 7:5). So if your Pastor is a “tithe-collector,” ask him if he happens
to be a Jew. Remind him that, even though a Jew, Jesus could not receive the
tithe because he was not from the tribe of Levi but from that of Judah.

The trick, of course, is for pastors today to claim we are “Levites.” If your
pastor is one such dissembler, ask him if he lives as a Levite. Remind him that
Levites had no land and did not have private property. Ask him also how he
knows he is from the tribe of Levi, which happens to be one of the lost tribes
of Israel. Point out to him that even Jewish rabbis don’t claim to be Levites
today because all Jewish genealogical records were lost with the destruction of
the Temple in AD 70, ensuring that it is no longer possible to ascertain the
true identity of Levites.

Therefore, if Jews no longer tithe because the Levites are a lost tribe, how
can Christian pastors collect tithes when we are not even Jewish, how much more
Levites? If Jewish rabbis, whose terms of reference remain the Old Testament no
longer collect tithes, then pastors who insist Christians are under a New
Testament have no business doing so.

The conclusion then is inescapable. Every pastor who collects tithes is nothing
but “a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1).

By Femi Aribisala

pash4naija: To those who have been asking about tithes, it is not just required in the old testament. Here, Jesus was speaking to the scribes and Pharisees. He was talking about them paying their tithes but neglecting other more important things. However, the last sentence gives us the answer to the question of new testament tithing, i.e. to tithe or not to tithe:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and ommitted the weightier matters of the law - right and justice and mercy and fidelity. Those you ought to have done without neglecting the others." Matthew 23:23

I just thought I would share this and I'd like other Christians thoughts on it as well.

mind you Jesus was talking to the scribes and pharisees, who were still under the law. he was not talking to christians. read Heb