1k001:

The new testament as used in Hebrew 9 cannot be a reference to the book 'new testament' as we know it now. Paul refers to the new 'covenant' that Christians make with Jesus who has a right to mediate that new 'convenant' because of His atonement.

I reiterate that Christianity cannot be reduced to John - revelation, those books are by no means an exhaustive account of the doctrine of the gospel of Christ. Yes he fullfiled the law, but not every single thing that existed prior to His coming applied to the carnal law alone. An example is in Hebrews 7 where an old testament prophet is said to have a priesthood  'Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life'. The same prophet it turns out Abraham paid tithe to, coincidence?...

Every scripture is GIVEN by the inspiration of God and it is profitable for TEACHING. Meaning, when you are teaching a subject, you have to look at ALL SCRIPTURES surround that subject. You can't pick just one scripture and sit on it to make a doctrine. That is NOT rightly dividing the word of truth. This is what I meant - I have to authority to reduce Christianity to Acts - Revelation. What it simply means is that, Christianity that started after the death of Christ is not binding by the OT law of Moses. Otherwise, apart from offering sacrifices of goats and bulls, we will all still be killing our rebellious children, we will not marry non virgin, we will still stone adulterers and fornicators to death. Christians were NEVER under the law. Why will false teachers ONLY select tithe that it is binding on Christians while they leave out other Mosiac laws. The truth is Christians were NEVER under the law but under Grace.

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Romans 2:14 KJV

(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, NIV

As for the Hebrews chapter 7. You need to sit down and read it gently and you understand it. If you leave Hebrews 7 in its context, you will understand that the writer was writing to inform the audience that God is done away with OT practices, including tithing. The basis of argument was established in Hebrews 7:11-20. Tithe has been abolished with the OT levitical practices.

Besides, what the heck are we talking about here? It's just as simple as ABC. A Pastor says without paying tithe, you can't go to heaven. Is that in the bible? The answer is NO! Many churches today are established simply because they want TITHE. I have seen it many times. They are not interested in the salvation of souls and the message of God. The only reason they are in business in to collect tithes every Sunday. The word of God does not in a way, not a single verse is it found that when someone doesn't pay tithe, such person goes to hell. Where then does this pastor get that from?

teminoni: Paying tithe is not a condition to enter the kingdom of heaven. But Jesus requested that as good christians, we should pay tithe. And the tithe should be used for the maintenance of the church and for feeding the poor and the old widowed members of the church.

pls where in the bible did jesus say that? with precise verses pls

Ki-Katanga:

Ask your self if the Pastor, Minister or Priest isn't one of the richer people of the area...

I doesn't matter whether the pastor is Richer than the member or not, do what the Bible requires so that you'll please your God, not the pastor, that'ss all!

Ok...i think it's high time i clear the air on this issue of tithing.
#Decrypting...
Paying your tithe is not wrong. To me, it's like sowing a seed in other to reap a harvest. But it all depends on whether you are sowing on a fertile or infertile ground. A true MOG who has been geniunely called by God is a fertile ground. But when you give your tithe to a "self-acclamed" pastor who just wants to enrichen himself, then don't expect any positive result cos it's like sowing on a rocky pavement!
#Decrypted.

When this is true that pastors in Nigeria have private planes, and they take the money from the poor than i do not undestand God. Why they couldnot fly like other people for what they need a privat jet. The pope has no private jet. Here in
Europ, no Bishop has a private jet, a bishop has only one car. What i see is the rich Pastors get richer and the poor people get poorer The pastors should live one month like the poor people in Nigeria and Africa, and sell jets and help the people there. I see that only the pastors get richer and richer, but I know some day God will fight back!!!! I belive in God but what i see under the name of God that is so bad, i can not belive that this is true, i know that this is true but, please people wake up in Nigeria in Africa!!!!!!!!!! Your pastor are Millionaires, they didnot know how it is when you have no money that you can buy food, or when you have a bad home and you didnot have the money that your children can go to school.
Do not give this money to churches and this fake man of God, because Jesus Christ do not want our money he only want that we believe in him. This Pastors and Bishops should live like

Francis from Assisi (this was a real man of god), heard a sermon that changed his life. The sermon was about Matthew 10:9, # in which Christ tells his followers they should go forth and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was upon them, that they should take no money with them, nor even a walking stick or shoes for the road. Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty.

A real woman of god was mother theresa, she also live in poverty.

All the pastors who live like rich people are not real man of God!!!!!!

Please People from Nigeria and Africa who belive in God do not give money to the churches, make this because Jesus Christ didnot want our money he only want that we live like it is written in the bible and when you have money give it to the poor people because

First The parable of the Good Samaritan: "Who is my neighbor?"

The spirit of the Good Samaritan who had compassion determines the life and the use of each Kamillianers and the whole Order.
There was a law teacher, and to make Jesus to the test, he asked him, 'Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him: What does the Act say? What are you reading there? He answered: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart and soul, with all your strength and with all thy mind, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, Jesus said to him: You have answered correctly. This do and thou shalt live.

The lawyer wanted to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

Jesus replied: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by robbers. They stripped him and beat him, then they went away, leaving him half dead. By chance a priest was going down that road, he saw it and moved on. A Levite also came to the place he saw it and moved on. Then came a Samaritan, who was on the trip. When he saw him, he had compassion and went to him, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper and said: Take care of him, and when you need him anymore, I'll pay you when I return.
What do you think: Which of these three proved to be the neighbor to the man was attacked by robbers? The lawyer replied: The one who treated him with mercy. Then Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise!

from: Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 25-37


Second The Parable of the World Court - "Whatever you did for one of my brethren, you did for me ..."

In the poor health of Camillians Christ is himself.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on the right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared which is intended for the creation of the world for you. For I was hungry and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed You, or thirsty and gave thee drink? And when did we see You a stranger and taken, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and came unto thee? And the King will answer them, Verily I say unto you, whatever you did for one of my brethren, you did for me.

Then he will turn to the left of the page and say unto them, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, and I was naked, and ye gave me no clothing given, I was sick and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then they too will reply, 'Lord, when saw we thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not help? Then he will answer them, Verily I say unto you, What you did not do for the least of these, you did it not to me. And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

from Matthew's Gospel, chapter 25, verses 31-46

You put yourself in a little predicament when you ask this on a public forum because 70% of the response you will get will be posts from people who have no clue on the subject but will be trying to make fun of you.

Having said that, here it is. Tithing is a good thing but is in no way compulsory or mandatory. It is funny that tithing is always preached from Malachi in the old testament. The new testament has no instruction on tithing because it is not compulsory. This same new testament has instructions on every other ordinance. Breaking of bread, baptism, prayer, giving of alms, church attendance, etc are all spelt out in the new testament but not tithing. Tithing was only mentioned 3 times in the new testament. 2 of those times, it was not even in a positive light. The third one is in hebrews 4, where paul was teaching about the priesthood of Jesus and used Abraham's tithe to melchizedek to explain the priesthood of Jesus. He never said we should do it. Abraham only had one record of tithing and it was not even from his property. There was no other record of tithing till moses got the law. Even when tithing was instituted in the law, there were 3 different types of tithing to different sets of people. We are in the last days where emphasis is being placed on mammon so you hear a lot of wrong messages. The only criteria to make heaven is to repent and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you will receive the righteousness of God and go on to live a holy life for God.

There is no where in the new testament where the bible says tithing is required for God to bless you. The bible says you have been blessed already if you are born again. if you allow fear to limit you, then that's your problem. Malachi says you are cursed because in the old testament it was a different ball game. You cannot curse a new testament believer. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. You cannot curse a new creation.

Financial blessings are not dependent on tithing else no unbeliever will be rich. Bill Gates does not tithe, neither does many of the richest men in the world. But they are great givers and they are rich materially. Financial blessings are dependent on the works of your hands. If you learn, understand and operate good financial and investment principles, you will be rich. Sure there is also the opportunity factor and Gods favour. What God promises is that he will keep you and guide you but if you don't invest, you will not prosper even if you give 100% of your income. The bible even says clearly, let him that does not work, let him not eat.

The truth your pastor would not tell you about tithes

“And my people shall know the truth and the truth shall set them free” John 8:32

“ will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say where in have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the store house and prove me now here with saith the lord of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, that there would not be room enough to receive it” Malachi 3 : 8 – 10

The above quoted scripture is probably one of the most quoted scripture in the bible. Unfortunately it is being quoted out of context and used as a weapon of mass intimidation, manipulation, extortion, oppression, cajolery and outright lies and deceit by some church leaders to collect ten percent of the gross income of their church members who have been hoodwinked into believing that they are doing God’s will.
Before I go into the details of this discourse, I want to state categorically that I am a God loving, bible believing Christian who as the fear of God in his heart. I am also not writing this article to undermine any church or pastor but to let people realize the truth about tithes and remove the yoke of tithes being placed by some pastors upon them. I also want to state categorically that I strongly believe in giving to the church for the sole purpose of propagating God’s work and the Christian ministry. I would also continue to encourage all Christians to give their all to God as exemplified by the widow’s mite which Jesus Christ himself referred to in the bible.

Now back to Malachi 3 : 8 – 10, the first question one should ask is that who was this message directed at? The answer lies in the book of numbers 18 : 25 -28 which states that “the lord commanded Moses to say to the Levites when you receive from the Israelites the tithe that the lord gives you as your possession, you must present a tenth of it as a special contribution to the lord. This special contribution will be considered as the equivalent of the offering which the farmer makes of new grain and wine. In this way you would also present the special contribution which belongs to the lord from all the tithes which you receive from the Israelites. You are to give this special contribution for the lord to Aaron the priest” from the above it is clear that it was the Levites that were directed to pay a tithe of the tithe they collected from the Israelites to the priest who represents God and not the people of Israel. It was this Levites that were being referred to in the book of Malachi as those who rob God. A thorough study of the book of Malachi would reveal that in those days the Levites were collecting the tithe from the people of Israel and not remitting a tithe of it to the house of God, hence Malachi’s statement which is now being quoted out of context. To understand what tithes really means one would have to understand the social reasons and cultural / religious setting within which it was situated this concept of tithes was properly explained in the bible as stated in the laws of the tithe which can be found in the books of Leviticus 27 : 30 – 34, Numbers 18 : 25 – 31 and Deuteronomy 14 : 22 – 29. Upon reading this passages one would understand what tithes really means, but unfortunately most pastors prefer to neglect these passages that tell us the true meaning of tithes and emphasize on Malachi 3 : 8 - 10 which was directed to the Levites of that time to remit the priest’s share of the tithes they collected to him. It is worthy of note that Malachi does not even define what tithes is and how it should be paid. The definition of tithes as practiced today was manufactured by modern day pastors to suit their purpose as it is completely in contrast with what is in the bible and it only seeks to manipulate Christians to believe that God requests 10 per cent of their gross income from them.

So what is tithes and why did God request it be paid to the Levites? The answer can be found in the following passages : Leviticus 27 : 30 – 32 which states that “one tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit belongs to the lord. If a man wishes to buy back any of it he must pay the standard price plus an additional 20 per cent. One in every ten domestic animal belongs to the lord when the animals are counted, every tenth one belongs to the lord.”  And Deuteronomy 26 : 12 which states that “ every third year give the tithe a tenth of your crops to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat” The above quoted passages clearly tells us what tithes is and the reason why God directed the people of Israel to pay tithes. It is very evident that it was a social arrangement for the less privileged in the Jewish society of that time, it was also meant to take care of the Levites because they have no land or property of their own. (today pastors are amongst the wealthiest property owners in Nigeria). This social arrangement is obviously not relevant to us today. It also states that every third year is the year of tithing not the weekly/monthly tithes being extorted from church members today. Another passage that illustrates the true meaning of tithes properly and also states clearly that tithe is not money is Deuteronomy 14 : 22 -29 which states that “ set aside a tithe a tenth of all that your fields produce each year then go to the one place where the lord your God as chosen to be worshiped and there in his presence eat the tithes of your grain, wine  and olive oil and first born of your cattle and sheep. Do this so that you may learn to have reverence for the lord your God always. If the place of worship is too far from your home for you to carry there the tithe of the produce that the lord has blessed you with, then sell your produce and take the money with you to the one place of worship spend it on whatever you want beef, lamb, wine, beer and there in the presence of the lord you and your family are to eat and enjoy yourselves. Do not neglect the Levites who live in your towns for they have no property of their own. At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in your towns. This is food for the Levites since they own no property and for the orphans, foreigners and widows who live in your towns. Do this and the lord your God would bless you in everything you do” from the above passage, it is very clear that tithe is not money and it is not the exclusive preserve of the Levites (church). It was a religious practice in those days to give reverence to God and to celebrate God in his place of worship. The Levites were only included for the main reason that they have no land of their own and that reason is not relevant in today’s society. Yet some pastors would tell you that you are cursed and would not go to heaven if you don’t give them 10% of your gross income. All this hypocrisy would not have bothered me if all the money being collected was being used to propagate God’s work, but the truth as we all know today is that this money is being used to finance lavish, flamboyant and exotic life styles that is unbecoming of a man who truly claims to serve God as a pastor who is expected to be meek and humble like our lord Jesus Christ was.
As a concluding part to this article, I would want to refer us to the book of Hebrews which was written to the early Christians, this provides irrefutable proof that Christians are not meant to pay tithes as the priesthood of our lord Jesus Christ does not require it. Hebrews 7 : 5,which states that “ and those descendants of Levi who are priests are commanded by the law to collect one tenth from the people of Israel  that is from there own country men even though their country men are also descendants of Abraham” from this verse we can jump to verse 11 - 13 which states that “it was on the basis of the Levitical priesthood that the law was given to the people of Israel. Now if the work of the Levitical priests had been perfect there would be no need for a different kind of priest to appear, one who is in the priestly order of Melchizedek not of Aaron. For when the priesthood is changed, there also has to be a change in the law. And our lord of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe and no member of his tribe ever served as a priest. It is well known that he was born a member of the tribe of Judah and Moses did not mention his tribe when he spoke of priests” The above passage is self explanatory and it’s states clearly that the practice of tithing has no place under the priestly order of our lord Jesus Christ in fact the passage suggests that the collection of tithes is belittling of the priestly order of our lord Jesus Christ. It states that it is wrong for us as Christians to receive or pay tithes and is not relevant to us as Christians because we belong to a superior priestly order.

Once again I would like to state that this article is not meant for us as Christians to revolt against the church or our pastors, it is just meant to establish the biblical truth about tithes and remove the yoke from people who labour to pay tithes ( not required of them by God) while their pastors are living luxuriously. Today many pastors see the church as their personal business and even fraudulent people are opening up churches so that they can have access to people’s tithes and use it for their personal aggrandizement. I encourage all of us as Christians to remain vigilant and continue to serve God in truth and in faith to the glory of his holy name. Amen.

PS:
Another point of note is: how come out of the 613 biblical laws of Moses which were handed out to the people of Israel, it is only an adulterated version of the law of tithe that is still being practised today, apart from the Ten Commandments? How come we are no longer required to offer burnt sacrifices? How come we no longer stone people to death for sinning? The truth is that only tithing was dug out of the laws of Moses because it presents material benefits to the collectors of tithes. Given that most Christians do not study their bibles and depend on their priests to guide them through, it was easy for pastors to pick a passage in the bible (Malachi 3 : 8-10), quote it out of context and use it to manipulate the flock into parting with 10 per cent of their income. Furthermore, it is worthy of note that neither Jesus Christ nor any of the apostles ever preached about or collected tithe. In fact, in the bible, Jesus Christ only spoke about tithes in Luke 11:42 which states that: “But woe unto you Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue all manner of herbs, and pass over judgement and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Here we can see that Jesus Christ is rebuking the Pharisees for laying emphasis on tithes instead of the more important things of the spirit, like our pastors are doing today.

In Acts 15, we find outlined what the apostles all agreed was necessary for the newly converted Gentiles to practise, and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, tithing is conspicuously missing. Yet, what is one of the very first legislated duties taught to Gentile converts by the Church today? It is that they must tithe their annual salaries to the Church. Where did this unscriptural law of Christian tithing come from?

Notice this telling bit of history from the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1963, volume 22, page 253, ‘TITHES’). “Tithes in Christendom—The earliest authentic example of anything like a law of the State enforcing payment appears to occur in the capitularies [Ecclesiasticals] of Charlemagne at the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th century. Tithes were, by that enactment, to be applied to the maintenance of the bishop, clergy, the poor, and the fabric of the church. In the course of time the principle of payment of tithes was extended far beyond its original intention. Thus, they became transferable to laymen and saleable like ordinary property, despite the injunctions of the third Lateran Council; and they became payable out of sources of income [not just farming and herding, but other trades and occupations and salaries paid in the form of money] not originally tithable.”

The Catholic Church knows its own history. Here is how tithing got back into the Church after being absent for nearly five centuries:

“As the Church expanded and various institutions arose, it became necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the clergy. The payment of tithes was adopted from the Old Law… The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the [canons] of the Council of Macon in 585.”—The Catholic Encyclopaedia.

They “extended” their base of tithe collecting to eventually include all forms of income. All Christian scholars know that although money was in wide use in ancient Israel, it was never a titheable commodity. But modern pastors don’t want tithes of goats or oil or corn, they want money–cold, hard cash! God has a word to the “shepherds of the sheep”, and it is the very same message that He had for the Levites in the book of Malachi. And it is this:

“My people have been lost sheep, their shepherds have caused them to go astray” (Jer. 50:6).

Were Israelites aware that they were being led astray by their spiritual leaders? Not most, and neither are Christians today aware that they are being led astray by their spiritual leaders.

The truth your pastor would not tell you about tithes

“And my people shall know the truth and the truth shall set them free” John 8:32

“ will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say where in have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the store house and prove me now here with saith the lord of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, that there would not be room enough to receive it” Malachi 3 : 8 – 10

The above quoted scripture is probably one of the most quoted scripture in the bible. Unfortunately it is being quoted out of context and used as a weapon of mass intimidation, manipulation, extortion, oppression, cajolery and outright lies and deceit by some church leaders to collect ten percent of the gross income of their church members who have been hoodwinked into believing that they are doing God’s will.
Before I go into the details of this discourse, I want to state categorically that I am a God loving, bible believing Christian who as the fear of God in his heart. I am also not writing this article to undermine any church or pastor but to let people realize the truth about tithes and remove the yoke of tithes being placed by some pastors upon them. I also want to state categorically that I strongly believe in giving to the church for the sole purpose of propagating God’s work and the Christian ministry. I would also continue to encourage all Christians to give their all to God as exemplified by the widow’s mite which Jesus Christ himself referred to in the bible.

Now back to Malachi 3 : 8 – 10, the first question one should ask is that who was this message directed at? The answer lies in the book of numbers 18 : 25 -28 which states that “the lord commanded Moses to say to the Levites when you receive from the Israelites the tithe that the lord gives you as your possession, you must present a tenth of it as a special contribution to the lord. This special contribution will be considered as the equivalent of the offering which the farmer makes of new grain and wine. In this way you would also present the special contribution which belongs to the lord from all the tithes which you receive from the Israelites. You are to give this special contribution for the lord to Aaron the priest” from the above it is clear that it was the Levites that were directed to pay a tithe of the tithe they collected from the Israelites to the priest who represents God and not the people of Israel. It was this Levites that were being referred to in the book of Malachi as those who rob God. A thorough study of the book of Malachi would reveal that in those days the Levites were collecting the tithe from the people of Israel and not remitting a tithe of it to the house of God, hence Malachi’s statement which is now being quoted out of context. To understand what tithes really means one would have to understand the social reasons and cultural / religious setting within which it was situated this concept of tithes was properly explained in the bible as stated in the laws of the tithe which can be found in the books of Leviticus 27 : 30 – 34, Numbers 18 : 25 – 31 and Deuteronomy 14 : 22 – 29. Upon reading this passages one would understand what tithes really means, but unfortunately most pastors prefer to neglect these passages that tell us the true meaning of tithes and emphasize on Malachi 3 : 8 - 10 which was directed to the Levites of that time to remit the priest’s share of the tithes they collected to him. It is worthy of note that Malachi does not even define what tithes is and how it should be paid. The definition of tithes as practiced today was manufactured by modern day pastors to suit their purpose as it is completely in contrast with what is in the bible and it only seeks to manipulate Christians to believe that God requests 10 per cent of their gross income from them.

So what is tithes and why did God request it be paid to the Levites? The answer can be found in the following passages : Leviticus 27 : 30 – 32 which states that “one tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit belongs to the lord. If a man wishes to buy back any of it he must pay the standard price plus an additional 20 per cent. One in every ten domestic animal belongs to the lord when the animals are counted, every tenth one belongs to the lord.”  And Deuteronomy 26 : 12 which states that “ every third year give the tithe a tenth of your crops to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat” The above quoted passages clearly tells us what tithes is and the reason why God directed the people of Israel to pay tithes. It is very evident that it was a social arrangement for the less privileged in the Jewish society of that time, it was also meant to take care of the Levites because they have no land or property of their own. (today pastors are amongst the wealthiest property owners in Nigeria). This social arrangement is obviously not relevant to us today. It also states that every third year is the year of tithing not the weekly/monthly tithes being extorted from church members today. Another passage that illustrates the true meaning of tithes properly and also states clearly that tithe is not money is Deuteronomy 14 : 22 -29 which states that “ set aside a tithe a tenth of all that your fields produce each year then go to the one place where the lord your God as chosen to be worshiped and there in his presence eat the tithes of your grain, wine  and olive oil and first born of your cattle and sheep. Do this so that you may learn to have reverence for the lord your God always. If the place of worship is too far from your home for you to carry there the tithe of the produce that the lord has blessed you with, then sell your produce and take the money with you to the one place of worship spend it on whatever you want beef, lamb, wine, beer and there in the presence of the lord you and your family are to eat and enjoy yourselves. Do not neglect the Levites who live in your towns for they have no property of their own. At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in your towns. This is food for the Levites since they own no property and for the orphans, foreigners and widows who live in your towns. Do this and the lord your God would bless you in everything you do” from the above passage, it is very clear that tithe is not money and it is not the exclusive preserve of the Levites (church). It was a religious practice in those days to give reverence to God and to celebrate God in his place of worship. The Levites were only included for the main reason that they have no land of their own and that reason is not relevant in today’s society. Yet some pastors would tell you that you are cursed and would not go to heaven if you don’t give them 10% of your gross income. All this hypocrisy would not have bothered me if all the money being collected was being used to propagate God’s work, but the truth as we all know today is that this money is being used to finance lavish, flamboyant and exotic life styles that is unbecoming of a man who truly claims to serve God as a pastor who is expected to be meek and humble like our lord Jesus Christ was.
As a concluding part to this article, I would want to refer us to the book of Hebrews which was written to the early Christians, this provides irrefutable proof that Christians are not meant to pay tithes as the priesthood of our lord Jesus Christ does not require it. Hebrews 7 : 5,which states that “ and those descendants of Levi who are priests are commanded by the law to collect one tenth from the people of Israel  that is from there own country men even though their country men are also descendants of Abraham” from this verse we can jump to verse 11 - 13 which states that “it was on the basis of the Levitical priesthood that the law was given to the people of Israel. Now if the work of the Levitical priests had been perfect there would be no need for a different kind of priest to appear, one who is in the priestly order of Melchizedek not of Aaron. For when the priesthood is changed, there also has to be a change in the law. And our lord of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe and no member of his tribe ever served as a priest. It is well known that he was born a member of the tribe of Judah and Moses did not mention his tribe when he spoke of priests” The above passage is self explanatory and it’s states clearly that the practice of tithing has no place under the priestly order of our lord Jesus Christ in fact the passage suggests that the collection of tithes is belittling of the priestly order of our lord Jesus Christ. It states that it is wrong for us as Christians to receive or pay tithes and is not relevant to us as Christians because we belong to a superior priestly order.

Once again I would like to state that this article is not meant for us as Christians to revolt against the church or our pastors, it is just meant to establish the biblical truth about tithes and remove the yoke from people who labour to pay tithes ( not required of them by God) while their pastors are living luxuriously. Today many pastors see the church as their personal business and even fraudulent people are opening up churches so that they can have access to people’s tithes and use it for their personal aggrandizement. I encourage all of us as Christians to remain vigilant and continue to serve God in truth and in faith to the glory of his holy name. Amen.

PS:
Another point of note is: how come out of the 613 biblical laws of Moses which were handed out to the people of Israel, it is only an adulterated version of the law of tithe that is still being practised today, apart from the Ten Commandments? How come we are no longer required to offer burnt sacrifices? How come we no longer stone people to death for sinning? The truth is that only tithing was dug out of the laws of Moses because it presents material benefits to the collectors of tithes. Given that most Christians do not study their bibles and depend on their priests to guide them through, it was easy for pastors to pick a passage in the bible (Malachi 3 : 8-10), quote it out of context and use it to manipulate the flock into parting with 10 per cent of their income. Furthermore, it is worthy of note that neither Jesus Christ nor any of the apostles ever preached about or collected tithe. In fact, in the bible, Jesus Christ only spoke about tithes in Luke 11:42 which states that: “But woe unto you Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue all manner of herbs, and pass over judgement and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Here we can see that Jesus Christ is rebuking the Pharisees for laying emphasis on tithes instead of the more important things of the spirit, like our pastors are doing today.

In Acts 15, we find outlined what the apostles all agreed was necessary for the newly converted Gentiles to practise, and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, tithing is conspicuously missing. Yet, what is one of the very first legislated duties taught to Gentile converts by the Church today? It is that they must tithe their annual salaries to the Church. Where did this unscriptural law of Christian tithing come from?

Notice this telling bit of history from the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1963, volume 22, page 253, ‘TITHES’). “Tithes in Christendom—The earliest authentic example of anything like a law of the State enforcing payment appears to occur in the capitularies [Ecclesiasticals] of Charlemagne at the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th century. Tithes were, by that enactment, to be applied to the maintenance of the bishop, clergy, the poor, and the fabric of the church. In the course of time the principle of payment of tithes was extended far beyond its original intention. Thus, they became transferable to laymen and saleable like ordinary property, despite the injunctions of the third Lateran Council; and they became payable out of sources of income [not just farming and herding, but other trades and occupations and salaries paid in the form of money] not originally tithable.”

The Catholic Church knows its own history. Here is how tithing got back into the Church after being absent for nearly five centuries:

“As the Church expanded and various institutions arose, it became necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the clergy. The payment of tithes was adopted from the Old Law… The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the [canons] of the Council of Macon in 585.”—The Catholic Encyclopaedia.

They “extended” their base of tithe collecting to eventually include all forms of income. All Christian scholars know that although money was in wide use in ancient Israel, it was never a titheable commodity. But modern pastors don’t want tithes of goats or oil or corn, they want money–cold, hard cash! God has a word to the “shepherds of the sheep”, and it is the very same message that He had for the Levites in the book of Malachi. And it is this:

“My people have been lost sheep, their shepherds have caused them to go astray” (Jer. 50:6).

Were Israelites aware that they were being led astray by their spiritual leaders? Not most, and neither are Christians today aware that they are being led astray by their spiritual leaders.

pstbolanta: I was invited by a friend to his church last sunday,when the pastor started to preach,he kept on hammering on TITHING,that anyone that does not pay hios tithe will go to heaven and your tithe should not be you basic pay but total gross pay,you need to see the way he was stretching on it assive his life depended on it,i began to start feeling quilty of not paying instatntly,but i know i have some very reliable friends on nairaland to sample their opinion on this TITHING WAHALA,ARE WE BIND TO PAY TITHE

The truth your pastor would not tell you about tithes

“And my people shall know the truth and the truth shall set them free” John 8:32

“ will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say where in have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the store house and prove me now here with saith the lord of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, that there would not be room enough to receive it” Malachi 3 : 8 – 10

The above quoted scripture is probably one of the most quoted scripture in the bible. Unfortunately it is being quoted out of context and used as a weapon of mass intimidation, manipulation, extortion, oppression, cajolery and outright lies and deceit by some church leaders to collect ten percent of the gross income of their church members who have been hoodwinked into believing that they are doing God’s will.
Before I go into the details of this discourse, I want to state categorically that I am a God loving, bible believing Christian who as the fear of God in his heart. I am also not writing this article to undermine any church or pastor but to let people realize the truth about tithes and remove the yoke of tithes being placed by some pastors upon them. I also want to state categorically that I strongly believe in giving to the church for the sole purpose of propagating God’s work and the Christian ministry. I would also continue to encourage all Christians to give their all to God as exemplified by the widow’s mite which Jesus Christ himself referred to in the bible.

Now back to Malachi 3 : 8 – 10, the first question one should ask is that who was this message directed at? The answer lies in the book of numbers 18 : 25 -28 which states that “the lord commanded Moses to say to the Levites when you receive from the Israelites the tithe that the lord gives you as your possession, you must present a tenth of it as a special contribution to the lord. This special contribution will be considered as the equivalent of the offering which the farmer makes of new grain and wine. In this way you would also present the special contribution which belongs to the lord from all the tithes which you receive from the Israelites. You are to give this special contribution for the lord to Aaron the priest” from the above it is clear that it was the Levites that were directed to pay a tithe of the tithe they collected from the Israelites to the priest who represents God and not the people of Israel. It was this Levites that were being referred to in the book of Malachi as those who rob God. A thorough study of the book of Malachi would reveal that in those days the Levites were collecting the tithe from the people of Israel and not remitting a tithe of it to the house of God, hence Malachi’s statement which is now being quoted out of context. To understand what tithes really means one would have to understand the social reasons and cultural / religious setting within which it was situated this concept of tithes was properly explained in the bible as stated in the laws of the tithe which can be found in the books of Leviticus 27 : 30 – 34, Numbers 18 : 25 – 31 and Deuteronomy 14 : 22 – 29. Upon reading this passages one would understand what tithes really means, but unfortunately most pastors prefer to neglect these passages that tell us the true meaning of tithes and emphasize on Malachi 3 : 8 - 10 which was directed to the Levites of that time to remit the priest’s share of the tithes they collected to him. It is worthy of note that Malachi does not even define what tithes is and how it should be paid. The definition of tithes as practiced today was manufactured by modern day pastors to suit their purpose as it is completely in contrast with what is in the bible and it only seeks to manipulate Christians to believe that God requests 10 per cent of their gross income from them.

So what is tithes and why did God request it be paid to the Levites? The answer can be found in the following passages : Leviticus 27 : 30 – 32 which states that “one tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit belongs to the lord. If a man wishes to buy back any of it he must pay the standard price plus an additional 20 per cent. One in every ten domestic animal belongs to the lord when the animals are counted, every tenth one belongs to the lord.”  And Deuteronomy 26 : 12 which states that “ every third year give the tithe a tenth of your crops to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat” The above quoted passages clearly tells us what tithes is and the reason why God directed the people of Israel to pay tithes. It is very evident that it was a social arrangement for the less privileged in the Jewish society of that time, it was also meant to take care of the Levites because they have no land or property of their own. (today pastors are amongst the wealthiest property owners in Nigeria). This social arrangement is obviously not relevant to us today. It also states that every third year is the year of tithing not the weekly/monthly tithes being extorted from church members today. Another passage that illustrates the true meaning of tithes properly and also states clearly that tithe is not money is Deuteronomy 14 : 22 -29 which states that “ set aside a tithe a tenth of all that your fields produce each year then go to the one place where the lord your God as chosen to be worshiped and there in his presence eat the tithes of your grain, wine  and olive oil and first born of your cattle and sheep. Do this so that you may learn to have reverence for the lord your God always. If the place of worship is too far from your home for you to carry there the tithe of the produce that the lord has blessed you with, then sell your produce and take the money with you to the one place of worship spend it on whatever you want beef, lamb, wine, beer and there in the presence of the lord you and your family are to eat and enjoy yourselves. Do not neglect the Levites who live in your towns for they have no property of their own. At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in your towns. This is food for the Levites since they own no property and for the orphans, foreigners and widows who live in your towns. Do this and the lord your God would bless you in everything you do” from the above passage, it is very clear that tithe is not money and it is not the exclusive preserve of the Levites (church). It was a religious practice in those days to give reverence to God and to celebrate God in his place of worship. The Levites were only included for the main reason that they have no land of their own and that reason is not relevant in today’s society. Yet some pastors would tell you that you are cursed and would not go to heaven if you don’t give them 10% of your gross income. All this hypocrisy would not have bothered me if all the money being collected was being used to propagate God’s work, but the truth as we all know today is that this money is being used to finance lavish, flamboyant and exotic life styles that is unbecoming of a man who truly claims to serve God as a pastor who is expected to be meek and humble like our lord Jesus Christ was.
As a concluding part to this article, I would want to refer us to the book of Hebrews which was written to the early Christians, this provides irrefutable proof that Christians are not meant to pay tithes as the priesthood of our lord Jesus Christ does not require it. Hebrews 7 : 5,which states that “ and those descendants of Levi who are priests are commanded by the law to collect one tenth from the people of Israel  that is from there own country men even though their country men are also descendants of Abraham” from this verse we can jump to verse 11 - 13 which states that “it was on the basis of the Levitical priesthood that the law was given to the people of Israel. Now if the work of the Levitical priests had been perfect there would be no need for a different kind of priest to appear, one who is in the priestly order of Melchizedek not of Aaron. For when the priesthood is changed, there also has to be a change in the law. And our lord of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe and no member of his tribe ever served as a priest. It is well known that he was born a member of the tribe of Judah and Moses did not mention his tribe when he spoke of priests” The above passage is self explanatory and it’s states clearly that the practice of tithing has no place under the priestly order of our lord Jesus Christ in fact the passage suggests that the collection of tithes is belittling of the priestly order of our lord Jesus Christ. It states that it is wrong for us as Christians to receive or pay tithes and is not relevant to us as Christians because we belong to a superior priestly order.

Once again I would like to state that this article is not meant for us as Christians to revolt against the church or our pastors, it is just meant to establish the biblical truth about tithes and remove the yoke from people who labour to pay tithes ( not required of them by God) while their pastors are living luxuriously. Today many pastors see the church as their personal business and even fraudulent people are opening up churches so that they can have access to people’s tithes and use it for their personal aggrandizement. I encourage all of us as Christians to remain vigilant and continue to serve God in truth and in faith to the glory of his holy name. Amen.

PS:
Another point of note is: how come out of the 613 biblical laws of Moses which were handed out to the people of Israel, it is only an adulterated version of the law of tithe that is still being practised today, apart from the Ten Commandments? How come we are no longer required to offer burnt sacrifices? How come we no longer stone people to death for sinning? The truth is that only tithing was dug out of the laws of Moses because it presents material benefits to the collectors of tithes. Given that most Christians do not study their bibles and depend on their priests to guide them through, it was easy for pastors to pick a passage in the bible (Malachi 3 : 8-10), quote it out of context and use it to manipulate the flock into parting with 10 per cent of their income. Furthermore, it is worthy of note that neither Jesus Christ nor any of the apostles ever preached about or collected tithe. In fact, in the bible, Jesus Christ only spoke about tithes in Luke 11:42 which states that: “But woe unto you Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue all manner of herbs, and pass over judgement and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Here we can see that Jesus Christ is rebuking the Pharisees for laying emphasis on tithes instead of the more important things of the spirit, like our pastors are doing today.

In Acts 15, we find outlined what the apostles all agreed was necessary for the newly converted Gentiles to practise, and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, tithing is conspicuously missing. Yet, what is one of the very first legislated duties taught to Gentile converts by the Church today? It is that they must tithe their annual salaries to the Church. Where did this unscriptural law of Christian tithing come from?

Notice this telling bit of history from the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1963, volume 22, page 253, ‘TITHES’). “Tithes in Christendom—The earliest authentic example of anything like a law of the State enforcing payment appears to occur in the capitularies [Ecclesiasticals] of Charlemagne at the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th century. Tithes were, by that enactment, to be applied to the maintenance of the bishop, clergy, the poor, and the fabric of the church. In the course of time the principle of payment of tithes was extended far beyond its original intention. Thus, they became transferable to laymen and saleable like ordinary property, despite the injunctions of the third Lateran Council; and they became payable out of sources of income [not just farming and herding, but other trades and occupations and salaries paid in the form of money] not originally tithable.”

The Catholic Church knows its own history. Here is how tithing got back into the Church after being absent for nearly five centuries:

“As the Church expanded and various institutions arose, it became necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the clergy. The payment of tithes was adopted from the Old Law… The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the [canons] of the Council of Macon in 585.”—The Catholic Encyclopaedia.

They “extended” their base of tithe collecting to eventually include all forms of income. All Christian scholars know that although money was in wide use in ancient Israel, it was never a titheable commodity. But modern pastors don’t want tithes of goats or oil or corn, they want money–cold, hard cash! God has a word to the “shepherds of the sheep”, and it is the very same message that He had for the Levites in the book of Malachi. And it is this:

“My people have been lost sheep, their shepherds have caused them to go astray” (Jer. 50:6).

Were Israelites aware that they were being led astray by their spiritual leaders? Not most, and neither are Christians today aware that they are being led astray by their spiritual leaders.

^^^ Mehn! what a lonnnggg sermon

Pastors dwell so much on Malachi when there are other books in the old testament that even says that u are to tithe once every 3 years. Another even says that you are to use it to buy anything that u lost after including strong wine and enjoy it. Pastors will not preach such areas. It is only Malachi they preach.

See the text below to confirm my above statement.

It was this Levites that were being referred to in the book of Malachi as those who rob God. A thorough study of the book of Malachi would reveal that in those days the Levites were collecting the tithe from the people of Israel and not remitting a tithe of it to the house of God, hence Malachi’s statement which is now being quoted out of context. To understand what tithes really means one would have to understand the social reasons and cultural / religious setting within which it was situated this concept of tithes was properly explained in the bible as stated in the laws of the tithe which can be found in the books of Leviticus 27 : 30 – 34, Numbers 18 : 25 – 31 and Deuteronomy 14 : 22 – 29. Upon reading this passages one would understand what tithes really means, but unfortunately most pastors prefer to neglect these passages that tell us the true meaning of tithes and emphasize on Malachi 3 : 8 - 10 which was directed to the Levites of that time to remit the priest’s share of the tithes they collected to him. It is worthy of note that Malachi does not even define what tithes is and how it should be paid. The definition of tithes as practiced today was manufactured by modern day pastors to suit their purpose as it is completely in contrast with what is in the bible and it only seeks to manipulate Christians to believe that God requests 10 per cent of their gross income from them.

Imagine paying ur tithes religiously and u be highway robber....all these Pastors only preach Old testament when it comes to tithes...but new testament mostly....

When a priest here in Europe ask for money in his church than he tells all the people in the church for what he takes the money and some weeks later he tell how much he got from the people and what he wants to make with the money and he is not allowed to take the money for himself.

Christians here in some countries in europa pay a tax for the church and it belong how much he earns every year on salery, it is taken by the goverment and with this money the catholic or other christian churchies have to work have to pay the priest and the pastors and have to look at the buildings they have.

No Catholic priest or the pope or other christian churchies here in europa own a private jet.
The pope from the catholic church has no privat jet. He rent a jet when he makes a journey outside from italy.

Why need a nigerian pastor or bishop a jet. With this money they could help the poor, the people who have nothing to eat.

@Goshen360 I'm not trying to turn this into a bashing or a contest but it seems you ignored the last bit of my post that rejects your assertion that all things that emanate from the OT are done away with. The higher priesthood that was held by Melchizedek in the old testament is the same higher priesthood in the NT. You picked only the things that were indeed fulfilled, the Lord still requires us not to steal, fornicate or bear false witness same as he required from people of old.

It seems your real gripe with Tithing is its misuse by pastors of today. I don't know that the truth of a doctrine should be dictated alone by the way it's practiced by inherently fallible proponents. There is a good and a bad way for tithe to be administered, because it is administered badly doesn't mean the continuing practice of tithe originates from man's selfishness.

Ok you may not agree with that but i will appeal to you via another means; 'the spirit of the law'. It makes perfect sense for deity to demand a portion of our income. We spend many years studying, toiling and working to be able to/ earn an income. There are not many comparable things that we are as dedicated towards as our income. In many cases it defines us and qualifies most of what we do. With it we provide for ourselves and our family the necessities of life. We can buy food, shelter, clothes and provide some entertainment. It's the one thing towards which most of our energies our focused. It is difficult to get any one's income from him without a fight. The Lord thus asks us to prove him and show faith in him by giving up a part of the thing we most desire and work for with a promise that he will provide for all our needs and bless us bountifully. Is doing this not part of the love that God desires we have for him above all else. Remember that He had to give up His beloved son for us and so requires us to give up things for him too.

There are fewer ways we humans can show love for God than by giving up part of what we possess. Tithing is not about money, it's about faith. Faith among other things is required of Christians to enter into heaven. To think that giving up a portion of one's income is not part of Christianity is to ere in the very essence of the religion.

The problem really is to whom are we paying the tithe. Thankfully i am able to pay tithe in such a way that i know for a fact that it doesn't benefit any indivdual but is used to further God's work. I have been blessed as a result and would recommend that every Christian finds where they are comfortable paying tithe and pay it. As the saying goes put your money where your mouth is.

see what some misinformed who refused to study divinity/theology has reduced christianity to* GODLINESS FOR GAIN? I tell my congregation every sunday that offering is optipnal and tithes is not part of new testerment demands. I am a pastor but i am not comfortable with the disposition of some of my co-labourers on the harvest field

fitzkenny: see what some misinformed who refused to study divinity/theology has reduced christianity to* GODLINESS FOR GAIN? I tell my congregation every sunday that offering is optipnal and tithes is not part of new testerment demands. I am a pastor but i am not comfortable with the disposition of some of my co-labourers on the harvest field

OK, lemme ask you now pastor, was tithing introduced in the law of Moses? Did Abraham not pay tithes before the law came? It is a PRINCIPLE. When Jesus died on the cross, he does not abrogate the law, but rather, he fulfills it. The difference is that now, we are not commanded to give any percentage out of compulsion, but out of love and obedience to instruction.

How can we say we love God and cannot give to him. The same thing applies to offerings. My friend, you better teach your people how to give to God, and with a cheerful heart. Look throughout the bible and see if there was any man God loved that didnt give to him, no matter how small, tis the heart that counts. In fact our mindset should be that the entire 100% belongs to God, and can be used by Him whenever and however He wants. If He wakes us up one day and says give all, that is what we must do. This question arises among Christians now for 2 reasons: one, they are stingy and do not want to be compelled to give and two, they may think the money is being wasted. The second can be corrected by the leader (transparency), the first cannot.

But do not teach your congregation not to tithe. Let it be to each man according to his faith. Let those that wish to tithe do so nd let those that do not believe in it, like yourself, hold their money. Simple.

Goshen360:

As for the Hebrews chapter 7. You need to sit down and read it gently and you understand it. If you leave Hebrews 7 in its context, you will understand that the writer was writing to inform the audience that God is done away with OT practices, including tithing. The basis of argument was established in Hebrews 7:11-20. Tithe has been abolished with the OT levitical practices.

My brother, tithing was introduced before the law, so how can it be abolished with the law? Even at that only the ceremonial laws were abolished, the moral laws (like the 10 commandments) still stand.

Tis just like giving. How can you say we should not give to God, just because it was introduced in the law, so also murder and coveteousness, and so many others. These things will still be done, even when we get to heaven. Did you know there will be giving in heaven?

malachi 3:8- .......

Lagos_Boi:

You are too much...topic cleared..I refuse to be a pastors client, if I have to pay my tithe it will go to the needies they are everywhere.

its true that offerings and tithing is been abused in our churchs 2day,but there are still pastors and churchs doing the right thing,they are not the author and finisher of your faith, jesus is, u look into ur bible and do what it says and leave them alone, tithing is covenant practice, u do your part and God will do his part, by rebuking the devourer 4 ur sake. Tithing started from the garden of eden when God said they shldn't eat from the tree of good and evil,that represents tithe, but they where allowd to touch and eat other things, notice, as soon as they broke the law, they were sent out of the garden, the giving of tithe guarantees the rest, if u eat ur tithe u wld pay for it some other way,more than what u bargaind, tithe is simply acknowledgin the place of GOD In ur life. Abraham payd tithe too.

Bible is a big fraud, don't give a penny to pastor, enjoy ur money, u work 4 it, don't let pastors deceive u..

I pay tithe because of my interpretation of the relevant scriptures. My brother does not pay tithe and I can tell you that his generosity and selflessness when it comes to giving is unparalleled by anyone in my family. In fact, I am even ashamed of my giving when compared to him.

Now picture this: my mum was to have surgery some time ago and her fellow "Christians" all refused to donate blood. It turned out that one of my friends who is actually g[i]a[/i]y donated blood to her and she went through that surgery and lived.

Paying of tithe alone is not enough to take anyone into heaven, and I do not believe it is a prerequisite for entrance to heaven. Read the story of the prayer of the sinner and the Pharisee in Luke 18 verses 9 to 14 and let that be a guiding principle to all of us, whether we pay tithe or not.

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Parisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."

That Pharisee paid tithe, but his prayer of arrogance nullified everything he had done and he was destined for hell. So whether or not you believe in tithe, or however you decide it should be paid, is a matter that everyone should pray to God for interpretation on how to proceed. That is my take on this.

teminoni: Paying tithe is not a condition to enter the kingdom of heaven. But Jesus requested that as good christians, we should pay tithe. And the tithe should be used for the maintenance of the church and for feeding the poor and the old widowed members of the church.

@ teminoni, where did Jesus Christ request that we pay tithe. i think u need to go back and read. In lk 11:42 and mt 34:23, Jesus was criticizing the pharisees for tithing everything and leaving the 'weightier things of God'. would that be Jesus requesting that we pay tithe? this tithing issue is a very touchy issue. no pastor wants to hear u trying to say anything contrary to mal 3:10. while they fail to notice that Paul the apostle taught about giving and not tithing.

We are not under the law of ten commandment, but which law do we keep now? Without loving God can you keep God's law? The devil don't want people to obey God's law as much as it concerns the issue of money. God spoke about money in the Bible more than any other thing. Obey the commandment (law) and be enriched. Why do people commit fornication, adultery, hatred, envy,etc and no body ever get worried? If you don't want to pay your tithe don't border yourself.

nora544: 5:18pm

because one gives to the gospel does not mean the person is a child of God. There are many people who were already rich before becoming pastors. How much do you think you can even give to make people rich?

Pay your tithe out of love and not out of fear, if u really wnt 2 knw more abt tithe read Deuteronomy 14:22-29. No pastor will ever read dt bible passage to you because of selfish reasons, all they talk abt is Malachi.

Mahatma Ghandi:

Where did jesus say so ?,ok if jesus didn't you could research the writings of Paul,peter,timothy,and other new testament writers if you find one verse expressly requesting payment of tithe I will be glad not that am against it but am also researching its legality,I will make my points when you reply.

this scripture reference i believe will help u 2 understand issues about tithing
OLD TESTAMENT;MAL3;6-10,LEV27;30
NEW TESTAMENT;MATH23;23,HEB7;8

most christians have issues regarding tithing because they have little or no understanding as to what tithing really means,
firstly,it's not yours as commanding by GOD(mal3;6-10,lev27;30),neither does it belong 2 d pastors,so,whatever its used for in the church shouldnt be ur concern
dont really have much time 2 throw more light on this for now though

studM:

this scripture reference i believe will help u 2 understand issues about tithing
OLD TESTAMENT;MAL3;6-10,LEV27;30
NEW TESTAMENT;MATH23;23,HEB7;8

most christians have issues regarding tithing because they have little or no understanding as to what tithing really means,
firstly,it's not yours as commanding by GOD(mal3;6-10,lev27;30),neither does it belong 2 d pastors,so,whatever its used for in the church shouldnt be ur concern
dont really have much time 2 throw more light on this for now though

hmmmmmm...... so its not my business. Thats a new lesson learnt here today.

Goshen360:

Please teach the truth of God's word and not your preconceived teachings. Jesus never taught anyone to break the law. What am I saying in my previous post? Are we then still under the law? I just said the same thing that Jesus wasn't against tithe then when he spoke in Matt. 23:23 simple because it was still a "matter of the law". I guess you are dodging from the truth of God's word. Again, kindly show God's people from Acts of Apostle to Revelation where Christian are commanded to tithe? Is that too hard for you? If you can't, then you are guilty of spreading false teachings of tithing.

goshen what has the law got to do with tithe?Abraham ur father paid tithe 500yrs before the law,issac paid 250yrs before the law

Roseey0: I dont knw abt you,bt i knw am no longer under any law,all i hav to do is to love God and my fellow man,as 4 tithing,it wil only come wen my spirit is willing,my evrbday offering in church pas one tenth of my earning..none of us wil mk heaven by kiping to any law,christ draws who he wants to draw.AND I KNW HE IS WITH ME,WHETHER I TITHE OR NOT.

what has d law got to do wit tithing?Abraham paid tithe 500yrs before the law,issac also paid 250yrs before the law
ur understanding is unfruitful for now concerning tithe,wen it comes u will,cuz its mandatory if u want covenant wealth

Going to heaven is as simple ad John 3:16. Its so easy,people find it hard to believe.