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I wonder what your likes are looking for here? Dogma. Guyana eat a lot of church slaves that depend on others. Do not murder your free will, tithes are not for Nigerian. Do whatever you like with your money, it is your money but do not compel others to act foolish under false pretense. Tithe today remain an act of stealing by method.

@TayoD, i didn't mean to fight with you as a person. i got upset by your seeming disregard for other people's reasons. this has gone way beyond your personal beliefs. what we are doing here is exchanging ideas persuasively. your deliberate disregard for the points raised on this issue tends to drag the subject to a nonsensical extent. your method of names calling for opponents is also unencouraging. we are not fools or jobless people here. we are talking about honesty and morality. i perceive you are a pastor. we are expected to relate the truth of God's Word to the laity. the truth as it is. so gbo? u be my brother in the Lord, in the flesh and in the blood, abi?

Most churches I have been to teach rather emphatically that Christians should “tithe,” that is, give 10% of their income to their church. I have even heard some ministers say that if you don’t tithe, God will not bless you. What does the Bible say about financial giving?

“What does the Bible say?” is always the “bottom line” in life, but that vital question needs a qualifier: “To whom?” The Bible, the Word of God, most certainly does speak about financial giving, and a good case can be made that it is one of the five most basic activities for a Christian, the others being prayer, Bible reading and study, fellowship with other Christians, and telling others the Good News about Jesus Christ.

The question must be: “What does the Bible say to Christians about financial giving?” Why? Because what God says to Christians about financial giving is different than what He said to the Jews of the Old Testament about it. The sad news is that today very few Christians understand the difference, and, as a result, many are unnecessarily living under emotional and financial stress. For a more detailed exposition of this subject than we can set forth in this FAQ, I recommend our audio teachings The Joy of Giving, and Financial Stewardship: God’s Heart Concerning Money and Possessions as well as a book we carry titled The Tithing Dilemma, by Ernest L. Martin.

And, as is so often the case in examining a biblical issue, that takes us to the subject of the administrations in Scripture. Unless we understand what parts of God’s Word are written to Jews, what parts are written to Gentiles, and what parts are written to Christians, we can neither understand nor apply its truths in our daily lives.

We are currently living in what the Bible calls the Administration of the Secret (Eph. 3:9), which began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff) and will conclude with the Rapture of the Church (all living and dead Christians meeting the Lord in the air—1 Thess. 4:13-18). The primary curriculum for Christians (i.e., people born again of God’s incorruptible seed) is found in the Church Epistles: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians. It is there that we must look to find God’s specific directions for us today, and the issue of financial giving is given two chapters worth of ink in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9.

There are also some pertinent verses in other Epistles, and the message of Scripture to Christians is that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, we do not live under the Mosaic Law, during which tithing was instituted and commanded as part of the Law. Therefore, tithing as a commandment of God has no relevance to believers today.

At this point, it is important to distinguish between tithing and giving. Although tithing per se is not relevant to Christians, giving most certainly is. As a member in particular of the Body of Christ, each Christian is to determine in his own heart how much he gives and where he allocates his resources among his brothers and sisters in Christ (2 Cor. 9:7). The Epistles metaphor by which material giving is strongly encouraged is that of sowing and reaping—the more you sow, the more you reap (2 Cor. 9:6). “Tithing” is never mentioned.

We are working on a booklet on this subject, and it may be titled, In Response to a Blessing, because that is the biblical basis for giving. Under the Law, Jews were to give out of their produce, that is, what the Lord had provided for them. Just like the Word says, “We love God because He first loved us,” so we give because God has given to us. When we understand what God has done for us in Christ, and that the material blessings we have come from Him, and that He promises to bless us back for what we give, giving cheerfully is a joy.

Even in the Old Testament, believers understood that when they gave to God, they were opening a door, if you will, for Him to bless them in return. This is, of course, still true, but the idea has been distorted by some Christians who teach that one must give to God before God can bless him. Thus, too many Christians are giving in order to get. No, God always gives first.

Also, He does not specify just how He will bless us. If we sow, we will reap accordingly, but it may not be money for money, etc. Some Christians have become disillusioned about giving because when they gave money to their church, etc., they did not receive money back. They may have even failed to notice the blessing that God did give them. When we give in response to a blessing, and not so that we will get blessed, we can be cheerful and contented givers.

Making known the truth about this subject is critical, because the vast majority of Christians are told, and thus believes, that it is God’s will for them to “tithe,” which means to give one-tenth of what they earn. Many of the more “fundamental” Christian groups are adamant about this, and accompany this exhortation with a warning that failure to tithe will result in consequences of various kinds, usually having to do with a lack of prosperity.

In many groups, this has become little more than ecclesiastical extortion, with church leaders using the lever of people’s sincere desire to do what God says is right to squeeze money out of them. Such leaders proclaim that what God says is right is that you give at least ten percent of your income—to their organization. As a result of such pressure, financial giving has, for too many Christians, become a joyless, mechanical act of “bribing” God to avoid the consequences of not giving, and an attempt to earn His favor (something they already have!).

For many other Christians who once gave cheerfully, financial giving is no longer an act at all. They have stopped doing it altogether, either because they got sick and tired of the pressure being applied to them, or they really could not afford to tithe, or they saw the money they gave misused and feel that they were cheated when they did give.

Neither of these attitudes—giving joylessly or not giving at all—is biblically right, neither is the will of God, and both are therefore detrimental to a believer. That fits with John 8:32, where Jesus said that experientially knowing the truth, that is, practicing it, will make one free. Conversely, error regarding the Bible (the truth) will put people in bondage. And financial giving is a category in which countless Christian people are being subjected to the bondage of guilt and put through an emotional wringer they do not deserve.

If you feel that the above describes you, take heart, because you can be set free by the truth of God's Word. Then you can also share with others the treasure you have found. In our economically driven world of today, having the right attitude about money and material things is a huge asset in life. Knowing and practicing what God's Word says about financial giving will enable you to experience the joy of giving, and it will enable others in the Body of Christ to experience the joy of receiving and therefore having their needs met, so that together we can reach out with the Good News of God to a dying world.

A study of the Old Testament will show that tithing was instituted as part of the Mosaic Law to Israel. Some Christians point to Genesis 14 and/or 28 in a misguided attempt to prove that tithing was instituted prior to the Mosaic Law and is therefore relevant to Christians today. Their rationale is that because Abram gave ten per cent of the spoils of war to Melchisedek, and because Jacob chose ten per cent as the amount to give to God for watching over him on his journey, this is the prescribed amount God would have all people give. This is not sound biblical scholarship.

The Genesis 14 record takes place approximately 2000 years after Adam and Eve, and during all those years there is no biblical reference to tithing. Nor is there any record that Abram ever tithed as a result of some biblical law that told him to do so, and he certainly was “making money.” When he did give one tenth, it was not of the increase of his flocks and herds, which was the tithe prescribed by the Law, but rather of the spoils of war that he had gained by defeating the army from Mesopotamia.

In Genesis 28, Jacob told God that if He would keep him safe on his journey, keep him clothed and fed, and bring him home safely, he would give God a tenth of what he had. That was certainly not the Mosaic tithe, which was commanded whether or not those things happened. Both Jacob and Abram gave in response to a blessing.

Even in regard to Israel, for whom the tithe was specifically instituted, nothing was said about it until the beginning of the second year of their exodus. Prior to that, in Exodus 25, for the building of the Tabernacle, Moses instructed the Israelites to give “as their heart prompted them.”

You often hear proponents of the tithe say that surely Christians would do no less than what Jews did in the Old Testament, as if every Israelite gave ten per cent of his income. A detailed study of the tithe is beyond the scope of this FAQ, but suffice it to say that the idea that each Israelite gave ten per cent of his income (and therefore each Christian should do likewise) is far from the truth.

For example, an Israelite who had fewer than ten cattle born to him in a year did not have to tithe on them because the requirement stated that only the tenth animal that passed under the rod was to be tithed (Lev. 27:32). A farmer who had only eight cows born was therefore exempt from the tithe.

The tithe was basically on animal and agricultural products, and was paid in kind (i.e., the product itself). If one did not wish to pay his tithe in agricultural products, and decided to give money as a substitute, he was penalized and had to add a fifth part of its estimated value to the amount he paid (Lev. 27:31). Such a law was obviously not intended to encourage payment of the tithe in money.

The main purpose of the tithe was to support the Levitical priesthood. The Levites were responsible to minister to the people, and were prohibited from owning land, which obviously limited the ways in which they could earn income. God’s plan was that their support came from those to whom they ministered, much like the direction of Scripture for the Church today (1 Cor. 9:1ff; Gal. 6:6ff, etc.). The tithe also provided welfare for widows, orphans, etc.

One reason why there was no command to tithe until the Mosaic Law was that until then there was no Tabernacle (Tent of Meeting) and no Temple, no regular sacrifices commanded (the daily sacrifices alone commanded by the Law required more than 700 animals a year), and no class of Levitical priests to support. None of these would be relevant to a Christian today, even if they did exist.

Should a Christian today tithe? One is free to give 10% if he chooses, but we are not commanded to give any particular percentage or amount. Sad to say that many Christians, once misled and often emotionally coerced into tithing, stopped giving altogether when they learned the tithe is not required. 2 Corinthians 9:6 and 7 make it clear that the more generously we “sow” with the right attitude, the more abundantly we will reap.

For some believers who do not earn much, giving generously may not mean a large amount. For others, it may mean millions of dollars, and far more than 10%. Each Christian’s situation is different, and that is why God does not prescribe specific amounts that we should give, but allows us to make our own decisions. Remember, we are “fellow laborers” with Him, and He loves to work with us in determining how much and to whom we should give, and He loves to bless us with more so that we can give more. That kind of giving makes for an exciting element of the Christian life.

You may say, “Well, what about Malachi 3:6-10? That says people who do not tithe are ‘robbing God.’” Those verses have been used innumerable times to prod Christians into giving, but wait a moment—to whom is Malachi written? Well, in verse 9 of chapter 3 it says “the whole nation” is under a curse. What nation? The USA? No, the book of Malachi is specifically addressed to the nation of Israel, and more specifically to the priests (see 1:6,10-13; 2:1,7 and who were badly mistreating God’s people. To use verses from Malachi as if they are talking to Christians is at best poor scholarship and at worst dishonest.

So what should Christians do about financial giving? 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 is the first place to go to find the answer to that question, and the heart of the message there is expressed in 9:7: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” If, for you, that’s ten per cent, great.

Beyond that, Scripture directs us to give to those who are genuinely ministering to our spiritual needs. When we do, we are making a sound investment in (that is, sowing into) a work that is bearing good spiritual fruit. Although there is no way we can help everyone who asks us, we are also encouraged to give to those in need, and we can seek the Lord for wisdom in doing so.

For a Christian, giving from the heart is all about knowing that we have a great, big, wonderful God, and also understanding who we are in Christ. Speaking of the attitude of the believers in Corinth about financial giving, Paul said: “This they did, not as we hoped, but even beyond that, first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us, by the will of God” (2 Cor. 8:5). As Christians, each of us has been “bought with a price.” We (let alone our material possessions) don't even belong to ourselves. When you know that you belong to the Lord, and that everything that you have belongs to the Lord, and that he is responsible to keep his promises to care for you, then you can truly be a cheerful giver.

, so we are all agreed then?

@winteric,

There are also some pertinent verses in other Epistles, and the message of Scripture to Christians is that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, we do not live under the Mosaic Law, during which tithing was instituted and commanded as part of the Law. Therefore, tithing as a commandment of God has no relevance to believers today.

You just don't get it do you? Tithing predates the law. It was brought into the law to keep alive a practice of faith that we first witnessed in the father of faith - Abraham. Abraham wasn't under the law but knew he should pay his tithe once he saw a priest - melchizedek.

I chose to rest on this topic since babyosisi made an excellent input, but it seems some will not just let it rest. Please note that I never insulted anyone on this thread. The one who first came on board with sarcasm was Hnd_holder, whom I have discovered from other threads as well isn't so much bothered with what the Bible says, but would rather go by tradition. Then you came on board with a total declaration of war against my person for choosing to stand in opposition to others with respect to the payment of tithe. Anyway, since you are the one who declared war, I am glad you have also chosen to end this one-sided assault.

By the way, I am not a Pastor and I do not have a calling into any of the five-fold ministry. I am one who believes in the Bible and tries with the strength of God's Spirit in me to live by faith founded on the scriptures. There is nothing I have said here that I do not practice, and I have being immensely blessed through it. Much of what I have shared are not things I learnt from anyone, but what I have come to understand form my personal study.

I do not disregard other's points, but I just feel that they have been narrow minded. I am aware of all they say and have learnt from their inputs, but it still does not annul the revelation about tithing. That is my take.

Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of sincere effort intelligent direction and skillful execution, it represents the wise choice of many alternatives. Tayo D, Ihope you read about pastor King. When it comes to faith you need not be so blind. Bible was translated from Greek, Aramic and Hebrew yet, Irish went to war with England over interpretation of it.

Tayo D is a fact that you call people names,  this seems to be your style of weaken your opponent, we are not fighting here to win a point but you display your characters
By their fruit we shall know them

winteric:
@TayoD, i didn't mean to fight with you as a person. i got upset by your seeming disregard for other people's reasons. this has gone way beyond your personal beliefs. what we are doing here is exchanging ideas persuasively. your deliberate disregard for the points raised on this issue tends to drag the subject to a nonsensical extent. your method of names calling for opponents is also unencouraging. we are not fools or jobless people here. we are talking about honesty and morality. i perceive you are a pastor. we are expected to relate the truth of God's Word to the laity. the truth as it is. so gbo? u be my brother in the Lord, in the flesh and in the blood, abi?

@Hnd_holder,

Can you show me where I initiated the name-calling?

Search your posts your self and change for better. If you feel you feel OK is up to your for such rational decision.

@hnd_holder,

Don't you feel you are making an accusation that you cannot back up with proofs? Or do you feel that what you say is right irrepsective if you are accurate about it or not. You have accused me of something I deny and you are telling me to prove to you that I am guilty. Doesn't that put a strain on logic to you?

TayoD:
@winteric,

Please note that I never insulted anyone on this thread. The one who first came on board with sarcasm was Hnd_holder, whom I have discovered from other threads as well isn't so much bothered with what the Bible says, but would rather go by tradition.

@hnd_holder,

Is that the best you can come up with? I rest my case.

those not pay tithe, their lives is always tight.

PREACHER STICKER

sticker:
those not pay tithe, their lives is always tight.

PREACHER STICKER

It is compulsory for a christian to pay tithe. I don't know why some people are bothered about how tithes are being used by the pastors. If the pastor of the church where you pay your tithe is fake, leave that church as you can not enjoy the benefit of paying your tithe and look for a good church.

Read the postings before now, since you look new on this topic you  just arrived so that you can know details.

Hnd-holder:
Read the postings before now, since you look new on this topic you  just arrived so that you can know details.

Thank you Brother HND-holder.

Sister Julee,  Welcome. May I also add that received tradition, force-fed doctrine and MOG veneration don't go down very well on this forum. Please bring what you've read, researched or received direct.

He said "Who do men say that I the Son of Man am?
He turned to His disciples and said, "but who do you say that I AM"?

God bless

@TV01 and HND Holder
I have read through some posts and I don't have the time to read through all of them.
I am only saying what is right .If you are not paying your tithe, fine and stop complaining about people who are paying and those who receive it.
I don't have time for arguments.

Julee:
I am only saying what is right .

Actually Sister Julee, you are saying what you think is right (or maybe what you were told is right). Some may beg to differ.

Nobody is complaining about those who choose to tithe, we are merely stating our position on the scriptural basis for doing so, or not doing so as the case may be.

Glad to hear you have better things to do with your time than argue. Feel free to continue with the discussion.

God bless.

And I said Sister Julee go ahead and give out your money but leave me out of it since my own understanding of tithe is Agric produce which Israelites offered to levities and levities in return offer 10% of it to God, and feed the poor from it. But the old priests use up  this and never send any offering to God or the poor, Malichi  was used by God to warn those priests to stop stealing from God house. This tithe of a thing is not for Nigerian. I am not complaining about those who choose to tithe, my position on the scriptural basis.
I hope you read about pastor king?

@hnd
Reading about Rev. King will not stop me from paying my tithe cos I know where I pay it. Those who payed their tithe in his church have wasted their money cos I can't pay my tithe in a church like his or any other headed by a fake pastor.

All churches depend on one type of gift or harvest to survive, most electronic churches survive on the so call tithe. How will you determine the fake one as they all claim to be original with miracles all over in signs and wonders?

Hnd-holder:
All churches depend on one type of gift or harvest to survive, most electronic churches survive on the so call tithe. How will you determine the fake one as they all claim to be original with miracles all over in signs and wonders?

[center] . . . by their fruits, you shall know them![/center]

@Otolorin
Thank you my brother.

Hi Donzman, Please have a read when you have the time. You may well have something insightful to add.

:d

God no understand o - give unto ceaser wat is ceasers ,

I think winteric from benin did a good job on his post.

Julee:
@hnd
Reading about Rev. King will not stop me from paying my tithe because I know where I pay it. Those who payed their tithe in his church have wasted their money because I can't pay my tithe in a church like his or any other headed by a fake pastor.

Can you tell me of any pastor that is fake in nigeria?? Tell me the pastor's name. All of them appear to be genuine, but it is only God that knows who is who. Shine your eyes sha o!! may be your church pastor na fake pastor (Dagbo man), because you never can tell.

It is written in the bible to tithe so there is no agrument about that

rezzy:
It is written in the bible to tithe so there is no agrument about that

And it is also written in the Bible that "a man can Divorce his wife and marry another woman" and also " Remember to Keep the Sabbath day holy"; abi??

ishmael:
Can you tell me of any pastor that is fake in nigeria?? Tell me the pastor's name. All of them appear to be genuine, but it is only God that knows who is who. Shine your eyes sha o!! may be your church pastor na fake pastor (Dagbo man), because you never can tell.

It is very easy to know.

Very easy.

The Bible says " By their fruit, ye shall know them"

One of the easiest way is look at the way they perceive money, through this you can filter about 75% of them.