Posted on 04/09/2006 9:39:42 PM PDT by ScubieNuc
Are Christians required to tithe?
No. It does help the local church keep the doors open, though. Please see the widows mite.
parsy, who got it straight from you-know-who up above.
By sowing seeds, I'm just using a metaphor for giving.
I sow seeds (in this case money) into the Kingdom og God
I also sow seeds of service, time, love etc.
I use the metaphor because in Genesis, we have the promise that as long as the earth remains, there will be seed time and harvest.
This means I can expect a harvest. And seed reproduces after its own kind. That's all.
If you're more comfortable, I could say that I still give financially to support the Kingdom of God. That's all I meant.
Will
Thank you I thought that might be what you were saying...
Cheers!
I always find it interesting that many churches that do not emphasize the literalness of scripture always feel it is literal when it comes to verses about giving money.
If robbing God is to your liking, then don't tithe. (Malachi)
2 Corintians 9:7
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
Most of those that were aborted come from the younger generations. By aborting 40 million children and then continuing to rack up debts, you have forced the survivoring younger generations to pay even more in taxes.
What the New Testament says about Christian giving.
While the Church and Christians are not under the Law regarding tithing (as you aptly defended), nevertheless, the New Testament has a great deal to say about the believer and New Testament giving. I believe this is important because some may read your article and wrongly conclude that because Christians don't have to tithe, they therefore do not have to give at all! A conclusion that is patently unbiblical and I am quite confident not what you had in mind.
Again, thank you for your sound hermeneutics and biblically based reasoning regarding the topic. I look forward (Lord willing) to reading the addendum regarding "The New Testament and Christian giving".
God loves a CHEERFUL giver. He doesn't love a GREEDY and HYPOCRITICAL giver. So, the givers need to clean up their act, and be CHEERFUL...
Good post. Jesus used the law, including sections on tithing, to convict sinners of their sin in order that they might understand their need for a savior. Once a sinner has come to faith, they are no longer under O.T. law.
My point was there were fewer here on earth to share the taxes!
And even though the American worker all pay their share of taxes, most of the burden comes from the left who divided away all of the revenue to non tax payers!
It was the will of the Nation not the individual!
Just like you are an individual and the left have doctored the numbers and the right (politicians) never seems to forced the issue on the table, and those who did are put through the libeeral wood chipper!
No, I paid the debtors and tithed at the same time. The miracle was that I always had money left over to pay my bills down.
Scubie -
Why are you so intent on separating the commands of the OT from the NT. Neither can be examined in isolation.
All things in Scripture are God-breathed. Should we just ignore parts of Scripture because it does not fit into our view of God or our life style?
God gave very detailed instructions as to how his chosen people should live. Many of the civil and ceremonial laws that were instituted provided safety, security, and harmony within the Jewish tribes when they were obeyed. We can learn from these instructions and they are yet a fantastic guide for our lives today.
Are we to still live under these same cultural and ceremonial laws today? Of course not. Will our lives be more harmonious and God-serving if we maintain the spirit of these laws? Obviously. As you have already discerned, if you had obeyed the commands about staying debt-free, your troubles would be fewer.
You are correct in saying our salvation is not earned by tithing nor is it sustained by our tithe. Tithing is merely a first step in obedience from which we learn to trust and depend on God for all things. Most people who learn to tithe, soon find that God's blessing allows them to give even more. Tithing is a step of faith - a fairly small step in the grand scheme of things. But if you poll all "Christians", you will find a very small part that fulfill even this small step of faith.
You need to ask yourself why the idea of tithing is abrasive to you. Do you think a tenth of your possession is too much to give to God? Too small? Not that I know you well, but my first instinct is that you are searching for a legal loophole that will justify your actions. Are you truly trusting God when you withhold your tithe until your debt is fully paid? It sounds like you are giving nothing to God until your debt is gone - can you support that behavior with Scripture?
I would certainly commend you to give your ALL to Christ. Since that is not yet the case (and will not be until your dying breath), I suggest a tenth is a great start...
My mother always said, "I take all my money and throw it in the air. He can keep what he wants....I'll keep what comes back to me."
Of course she said it tongue in cheek.
It appears you have managed to twist my quote to your own liking rather than the spirit in which it was delivered originally and with my passing on the words.
Forgive me if I have offended your theology.
LOL!
Thank you for sharing that. What a great example of faith. I have also enjoyed God's blessings each time I have chosen to give and to trust that he knows what is best for me. I sometimes struggle with putting my life completely in God's hands. I don't know why because each time I do, he always comes through for me. Your story helps me to remember this.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.