Two weeks ago, a read in a National daily in Nigeria, that there was uproar in a local church because the Pastor requested members of the congregation to pay their first salary of the year- for the month of January as first fruit offering to the Church.

Yesterday, I attended a Church service, where a similar request was made by the Presiding Pastor. He reminded all working members of the need to give their first month full salary to the Church as first fruit, and for Businesses- the profit of the first month. The Pastor reminded them that this is a Biblical injunction.

I must admit that this is the first time that I heard of Churches requesting members to give their first month Salary as first fruit. Before now the injunction in most Churches is that the first Salary of a new Job should be given as first fruit. And I am aware that most practicing Christians do this

In an earlier post, I outlined the main scriptural passages that dwell on the giving of firstfruits. For the benefit of all those that missed that posting, the scriptural passages are reproduced below:
@ http://christonline.info/blog/?p=2875
For sermons and prayer points visit http://christonline.info/blog

If you have to ask this question on a public forum, then the answer is no. You should not have to.

If you are in the spirit of Giving, Give the less privilegde.  It makes more sense. These guys are just devising new methods of robbing people.

But if it looks like a fraud, smells like a fraud, sounds like a fraud, THEN IT IS A FRAUD.

These criminals are getting more audacious; first fruit ko last fruit ni!

;d ;d ;d ;d ;d

If i have to give my first month salary as a first fruit,i guess its only logical to give it to my parents,not to the church.

is this a one time thing or this must happen everytime i change jobs?

what if i get paid weekly? do i pledge only the first paycheck or the entire month?

With the little I know of the scriptures, the bible, there is no particular place, scene or event where it was mandatory for church members to give their annual first salaries as first fruits to the church, on a general note.

Any pastor can, using the instrument of philosophical theology, make his church members do this.

However, my stand on the issue is that church members must follow their spirits, study their bibles and ask God for direction before parting with their money in the name of church dogmas. There are a million and one pastors in the world today serving their bellies at the expense of church members' ignorance.

Interesting -

Soon or later i will become a pastor - fast way to instant and never ending finances

" i am just passing-by, first friut is not the interest of God now, is man's interest"

Wow, are our pastors misled or they are misleading
The issue concerning first fruit, tithing, Pass over, Feast of the week,Feast of the Tabernable were dealt with in the past base on the fact that, the main source of income of people them was AGRICULTURE. And in Agriculture, you get your produce, first fruit and income once in a year, around August/ september. It is around this time that all this mentioned above are celebrated and the income in form of produce brought to the church, even as tithe, to be EATEN and shered also bulk of which are given to the needy, homeless, widow, stranger, fatherless, poor and friends.
So, this first fruit was never all of your income, it was about Tenth or some percentage of what youu produce or your income. Then, now that you dont get your income yearly but monthly, YOUR FIRST FRUIT WOULD BE A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR INCOME,  Pls read Deuterronomy 16 and Deut 14 as well.

If I will conclude, the money made from tithe should cover the needs of the fatherless, motherless homes, needy, less priviledged and so on. I dont think another donation in the name of Donation for the needy should arise, its a duplication
If you read Deut 14 well, you will realise that 30%  of the tithe should be dedicated to the needy. etc
It says. the first tithe should be brought to the house of God for celebration and donation, the second tithe should be done same way and the third year or third tithe should be dedicated to the needy.  The cycle is started again . One of every three tithe goes to the needy even now that its done in months
Bt, the new testament expect you to give much more, not restricted to the old 10%. and you will be blessed thus, as you give , wisely

You can give it to me, there is no problem. More blessing!

Hi all, I'm here to enlighten you all about the subject matter. First I would state clearly "there can't be finacial prosperity without giving". Many Christians are ignorant of God's word. Someone said he can't find anywhere in the Bible where it is instructed that we pay our firstfruit. Proverbs 3:9 "honour the Lord with thy substance and with the firsfruits of all thine increase: . . ." after the colon comes the resultant effect of obeying this instruction. Your barns (storage places, maybe bank account in our present day) would be filled with plenty and thy presses (lets call that business or job) shall burst out with new wine. God has a financial plan for his kids - be smart to take advantage of it. God bless you. Meshach

@mespips

It is you that's needs enlightenment as first fruit as it is preached and practised today is arrived at through scriptural manipulation and twisting of biblical injunctions to the Israelites. These injunctions which includes your favourite tithe was never adopted as a christian injunction in the new testament but was brought to an end with the law. In any case the law was strictly for the Jews, in spreading the gospel of christ the apostles made it clear that the Jewish laws were not expected of christians how much less the manipulative, twisted version of first fruit and tithes mostly being preached by criminally inspired pastors today.

@op

It's by faith , when you start asking questions, it's no longer of faith. Study your bible. And be convinced. Someone else telling you Yes or No will still not be of help to you.

There is a difference between asking if first fruit is scriptural or applicable . But when you personalise it . Asking if you should give. No one can answer for you. It's like saying "should I eat rice?

All churches are big enterprises.
In any enterprise or business,the main motive is PROFIT.
Nigerians as other people all over the world are mostly poor and as such expect messages of salvation and prosperity.
The prosperity and miracle sprouting churches fufill this need!

The ability of these businessmen called pastors to twist and turn bible quotations to suit their greed never ceases to amaze and amuse me. As someone pointed out earlier is it not more sensible and honourable to give this first fruit to beggers on the streets or to a motherless babies home?
These are modern day shackles created by crooks to keep you in poverty while they smile all the way to the bank!

^^^

All churches are big enterprises.

Are you a christian? Do you attend a church ?

@ joagbaje,I am a free thinker,but I  attended churches, before I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and decided to leave the cave of illusions.Are you a christian and do you attend any church?

I can see your plight. We shall talk later

Plight? Come back here we need to talk right now.
Give it your best shot,pal.

;d

Ministry is about people. Perfecting them. It's not about money.It's mEn of the senses that sees it monetarily.
Jesus was called a dupe. Why don't we look at the positive impact churches are making in lives of people

Did Jesus go around asking for first fruits?
Jesus went all over his constituency healing the sick,but what do your modern day pastors do? They sit on their fat arses surrouned by bodygaurds and ask for tithes,offerings,and first fruits,in order to buy their next hummer Jeep and designer suit.
Jesus taught salvation of the individuals soul and spirit,but these guys are on about prosperity which is none existent to their followers.
The pastors gets richer and fatter while the congregation gets leaner and poorer.Now tell me who is fooling who?

No. Why should you?

The Bible never mandated Christians to give 'first fruits'.

The world would be worth living if pastors would let be what you have stated that tithes, offerings, first and last fruits of church members are collected for the primary purpose of meeting the needs of church members especially the down-trodden masses of the church who do most,

ogbori:

Wow, are our pastors misled or they are misleading
The issue concerning first fruit, tithing, Pass over, Feast of the week,Feast of the Tabernable were dealt with in the past base on the fact that, the main source of income of people them was AGRICULTURE. And in Agriculture, you get your produce, first fruit and income once in a year, around August/ september. It is around this time that all this mentioned above are celebrated and the income in form of produce brought to the church, even as tithe, to be EATEN and shered also bulk of which are given to the needy, homeless, widow, stranger, fatherless, poor and friends.
So, this first fruit was never all of your income, it was about Tenth or some percentage of what youu produce or your income. Then, now that you dont get your income yearly but monthly, YOUR FIRST FRUIT WOULD BE A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR INCOME,  Pls read Deuterronomy 16 and Deut 14 as well.

If I will conclude, the money made from tithe should cover the needs of the fatherless, motherless homes, needy, less priviledged and so on. I dont think another donation in the name of Donation for the needy should arise, its a duplication
If you read Deut 14 well, you will realise that 30%  of the tithe should be dedicated to the needy. etc
It says. the first tithe should be brought to the house of God for celebration and donation, the second tithe should be done same way and the third year or third tithe should be dedicated to the needy.  The cycle is started again . One of every three tithe goes to the needy even now that its done in months
Bt, the new testament expect you to give much more, not restricted to the old 10%. and you will be blessed thus, as you give , wisely

if not all of the evangelism that bring-in the few minority of the rich who later become the friends and fans of the pastors.

Two weeks ago, a read in a National daily in Nigeria, that there was uproar in a local church because the Pastor requested members of the congregation to pay their first salary of the year- for the month of January as first fruit offering to the Church.

Who was this pastor? What was the church?

babalobi:

Two weeks ago, a read in a National daily in Nigeria, that there was uproar in a local church because the Pastor requested members of the congregation to pay their first salary of the year- for the month of January as first fruit offering to the Church.

Yesterday, I attended a Church service, where a similar request was made by the Presiding Pastor. He reminded all working members of the need to give their first month full salary to the Church as first fruit, and for Businesses- the profit of the first month. The Pastor reminded them that this is a Biblical injunction.

I must admit that this is the first time that I heard of Churches requesting members to give their first month Salary as first fruit. Before now the injunction in most Churches is that the first Salary of a new Job should be given as first fruit. And I am aware that most practicing Christians do this

In an earlier post, I outlined the main scriptural passages that dwell on the giving of firstfruits. For the benefit of all those that missed that posting, the scriptural passages are reproduced below:
@ http://christonline.info/blog/?p=2875
For sermons and prayer points visit http://christonline.info/blog  

Of course. I can give you an account number that sends the first fruits straight to God.

Hello Homer. You are a vexer, I am sure.

Andrearose:

Hello Homer. You are a vexer, I am sure.

What is a vexer?

A vexer is a canny kind of fellow, who likes to create contention.

Andrearose:

A vexer is a canny kind of fellow, who likes to create contention.

Hmm that's interesting. I never saw myself in that light. If I may ask, how did you arrive at that conclusion?