I pay mine without stress, _{but to be sincere most Nigerians don't pay theirs.} so i just wanted to know how many Nairalanders pay their tithes? ? ? ? ?

ol boy that one no concern you,that matter na between us and God,which day you begin pay self?

May be you need to go and read the sriptures very well, tithe is not a bill that you pay but rather GIVE it. There was no where in teh scripture that says pay your tithe, it says bring all your tithe.

Sorry oh!  My tithes are for feeding my family. If extra remain, then we can negotiate.  If you show me the difference in the lives of those who say they pay tithes and those that do not pay, then you can convince me.  No difference between believer and unbeliever.  We are lose loved ones, we all fall sick, we all go die.  So please this is a matter between you and God.  Your bible did not ask for money but a tenth food items and the likes from your house hold.  Our modern day pastors do not want that type. Now you have turned it to a money making venture.  To each his own jare!  That final day we will find out for sure what is desired.  Till then---- to your tents!!!!!!

olutomiwa:

ol boy that one no concern you,that matter na between us and God,which day you begin pay self?

The thread was meant for serious ones not jokers like urself.

I asked a question and wanted reply not the same question back.

as part of my family budget, we sit down and agree what we shall GIVE for that month. as our finances change, we either increase or reduce our giving accordingly.

we also set aside a certain amount to give to other causes as well. do i believe in the tithe as a tenth of my giving? NO!!!!!!!!! why? because once the levites start being in charge of my service to God AGAIN, then i will start to tithe.


GIVE; YES!!!

TITHE; NO!!!!

sorry oh, pardon my ignorance, but where does the tithe money go?

if you have to ask, you are fortunate

thesilent1:

as part of my family budget, we sit down and agree what we shall GIVE for that month. as our finances change, we either increase or reduce our giving accordingly.

we also set aside a certain amount to give to other causes as well. do i believe in the tithe as a tenth of my giving? NO!!!!!!!!! why? because once the levites start being in charge of my service to God AGAIN, then i will start to tithe.


GIVE; YES!!!

TITHE; NO!!!!

Maybe you need to read the scriptures well and you will know that tithes are very improtant to God rather than your offerings or giving.

Aproko:

sorry oh, pardon my ignorance, but where does the tithe money go?

Actually my sister, Tithes are for the futherance of God's work here on earth.

thesilent1:

GIVE; YES!!!

TITHE; NO!!!!

So, where does the "giving" go?

@Masterpwar

Am glad you too ur time to explain a bit to 'em about tithes,

@ Stimulus

Am sure you can look above you and see what he said.

Thanks.

marlet01:

The thread was meant for serious ones not jokers like yourself.

I asked a question and wanted reply not the same question back.

sori o pastor,so my reply pain you,i just hope you like wot u are getn from others,i wonder why you want us to know dat u pay ur tithe,to show off or wot?av you not read in the bible that your left hand must not know wot ur right hand is giving{or somethn like dat}if you are paying your tithe like u want us to believe dont just stop on nairaland,go to BBC,VOA,CNN and others to tell the WHOLE WORLD.

marlet01:

@ Stimulus

Am sure you can look above you and see what he said.

Lol Actually, I saw what he said. I was only pointing out this:

Aproko:

sorry oh, pardon my ignorance, but where does the tithe money go?

So, if one has to question where the tithe money goes, then by extension one has to question where ANY type of giving goes.

I wonder why the issue of tithe is such a controversial issue with so many people; but "giving" or "dashing" is has not gathered as much dust in debates!?

stimulus:

I wonder why the issue of tithe is such a controversial issue with so many people; but "giving" or "dashing" is has not gathered as much dust in debates!?

Me sef I tire for them o!

Anyway, I pay/give/spend/donate/dash my tithes . . . whichever verb you prefer to use.

Thank you.

@goodguy,

goodguy:

Anyway, I pay/give/spend/donate/dash my tithes . . . whichever verb you prefer to use.

Maybe some other vocabs -

I also 'dish out'/'promise'/'automate'/'devote'/'yield'/'render'/'commit'/'submit'/'surrender' my tithes (or givings). . . abi??

All na the same - I let my tithe leave my pocket and pass from me to the collection plate or container!

@ Marlet

Tithes are more than just offerings and are really meant to be given out to God, if you don't know of anyway in the scriputres then refer yourself to Malachai and you will see it there.

@ Olutomiwa

Hmmm! I can see you are ignorant of the scriptures, go back and read your bible. That's all i have to say to you.

stimulus:

@goodguy,

Maybe some other vocabs -

I also 'dish out'/'promise'/'automate'/'devote'/'yield'/'render'/'commit'/'submit'/'surrender' my tithes (or givings). . . abi??

All na the same - I let my tithe leave my pocket and pass from me to the collection plate or container!

True talk o, my brother.

Hmmmm!

Funny isn't it.

masterpwar:

@ Marlet

Tithes are more than just offerings and are really meant to be given out to God, if you don't know of anyway in the scriputres then refer yourself to Malachai and you will see it there.

@ Olutomiwa

Hmmm! I can see you are ignorant of the scriptures, go back and read your bible. That's all i have to say to you.

I might be,but i know for sure dat THERE IS NO WHERE IN D SCRIPTURES DAT SAYS U SHOULD MAKE NOISE OR ANNOUNCE TO PEOPLE DAT U PAY UR TITHE.Could u tell me where it is in the bible PLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

olutomiwa:

I might be,but i know for sure that THERE IS NO WHERE IN D SCRIPTURES DAT SAYS U SHOULD MAKE NOISE OR ANNOUNCE TO PEOPLE DAT U PAY UR TITHE.Could u tell me where it is in the bible PLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Is there anywhere in the Bible that says you should log on to Nairaland?

People just dey pay tithe dey go still nothing dey happen for their lives, them just they enrich some fat pastors all in the name of giving to GOD.

I've heard from some of you about your own opinion, pls i need more.

Maybe you need to read the scriptures well and you will know that tithes are very improtant to God rather than your offerings or giving

i would not have come to my conclusions based on assumption; i like yourself have read the scriptures and have come to the conclusion that i have arrived at. the great thing about humans is that our brains have the amazing capacity to come to various answers on the same question.

i will not argue your position on the matter and feel that if it is your choice and you are at peace with it, then please feel free to carry on.

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.

Lovely sermon!

I think this is better Malachi 3: 7-13

7Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept [them]. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? 8. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9. Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation. 10. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it]. 11. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. 12. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. 13. Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken [so much] against thee?

Thank you.

I do not know where all this is coming from.  I thought we were made to understand that our "God's" love is UNCONDITIONAL? Sounds like a spiritual bribe to me

MILITIA:
Sounds like a spiritual bribe to me

Spiritual bribe?

Eh hen now! Scratch my back and I scratch yours! I give you my money, i get sit for ya kingdom come and go!

ha ha ha --------you make me laugh. I think I recognize that as a "no go area" from you!

I do oh!

Tithing is indeed an OT practice. The NT standard is giving - sacrificially, according to how each has purposed in his heart, on the first day of the week, willingly, cheerfully, according to the giver's ability and not out of compulsion.

Christians must realise that this really means that we can, and should, give more than just 10% of our income. We should give, not what is left but, from off the top - our firstfruits. It is not to an organisation but to God. It might be through your church, another ministry or people in need known to you.