.I got questions about tithing. Could u respond when u get a chance? Ministry tithe, poor tithe, and feast tithe....r we supposed to keep all 3 on a yearly basis and if so what percentages? Also, how is the ministry tithe supposed to b used? To live on? or to do ministry? Or both? R the poor allowed access to the poor tithe? I hear different teachings from different sources.....im curious what r your thoughts on the topic.
The tithe is a tenth of what you earn. The tithe is given to your church to use for the ministry...to support the pastor, staff (depending on size of church), facilities, and the church should help the poor. An offering is generally in addition to the tithe...above the 10 percent. You may choose to give for a specific cause such as missions or the food kitchen, etc.
This might get me in alot of trouble but here goes..
From the Old testament days, the was a continued form of worship at the temple in Jerusalem that was presided by the Levites. The purpose of the tithe back then was to sustain these people as we all know by know that the Levites where specifically choosen to carry out the daily worship.
There's no problem with upto that point. lol!
Then Jesus came, died on the cross and the curtain that covered the holy place tore and there, we intepreted that to mean that all had access to heaven without go-betweens ie the high priest.
No problem.
What is the church?
Well accepted answer: Community of believers.
Infact, it says somewhere in Acts "How can the Almighty God live in temples built by human hands?" and later Paul says that God doesn't live in temples built by human hands when addressing the athenians.
Now here's the crazy thought:
We know clearly that upto date and since Christ died as the once and for all sarifice for atonement and as a way to the Father that there is and has not been any temple worship and the work of the Levites doesn't go on anymore.
Then what is the importance and relevance of (first) the word "Tithe"? (Bearing in mind, Paul talkes of gifts when asking for help for the believers in Jerusalem)
Secondly, what's the backing of the compulsory percentage of income contribution to the Pastors and church workers? Should it be a free gift of any kind?
Don't you think Pastors should work just like everyone else because very many people have heard of the good news already?
Don't you think that tithing gives a false sense of security and comfort in knowing that ok i've 'done this for God' so atleast i should be going to heaven if not getting something back from the 'windows of heaven'?
God's promises are still effective, and He does bless those who pay tithe, I've heard too many miracle testimonies to believe otherwise. As far as how "required" it is, I'm not entirely sure, but I would say it's definitely recommended.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others."
I think that Jesus is implying there that our first focus should be on faith and love and fairness, but also that there is some beneficial aspects of the lesser points of the law as well. Bottom line is, God will bless you if you pay tithe, He has promised to do so, and I can testify that He does. You might not get rich, but you'll probably notice money coming in that you didn't expect, exactly when you need it, or better health, or your possessions lasting longer. God says He will "rebuke the devourer" for those that return tithe to Him.
Malachi 3
6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even 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.
Great question! The tithe is supposed to help financially those in ministry. The Levites were supposed to get their supply of food (since they had no lad as inheritance, G-d was the inheritance) and when Y-shua sent out the disciples he told them to take no money their preaching will earn their keep. (My paraphrase but you can look it up).
Tithing was established before the Law back in Gen. and goes all the way to the New Testament
Genesis 14:1-20 Abraham gives a tithe to Melchizedech � �Priest of the Most High God� in gratitude for Melchizidech�s blessing and God�s protection of him and his relatives after having been attacked by other tribes and winning the battle.
Genesis 28: 10 � 22 God appears to Jacob in a vision of the ladder to heaven and reaffirms the Covenant that God had previously made with Abraham: the promise of land, descendants and protection. In gratitude for God�s gift, Jacob promises to give back a tithe to God: �out of all that you have given me, I will give a tenth to thee�.
Leviticus 27: 30-34 After the descendants of Jacob have settled in the land, God reminds the people of the promise made by Jacob to give back a tenth: �All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord�s; it is holy to the Lord.�
Deuteronomy 26: 1-14 God commands people to give the �first fruits� of the crops and livestock �the tithe of your produce� to support the temple worship and to feed the poor, widows and orphans.
Malachi 3: 8-10 God, through the prophet, upbraids the people of Israel for �robbing the Lord�. They ask �How are we robbing thee?� God�s answer: �In your tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the window of heaven and pour out an overflowing blessing.� Mark 12:41-44
Mark 12:41 -44 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, �Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything�all she had to live on.�
I do not know where 10% came from. I do know G-d commanded the first fruits at certain times and He also said I one want a person to give to give as they want to give (a free will offering).
In Torah the tithe could be up to 33%... 10% does not seem so bad�lol. I know for myself I have never not tithed, but one year after my taxes I could not deduct my tithe because I had more deductions if I did not itemize. After that my heart changed I began to justify why 10% was just enough (my tithe was not from the heart any more)� I can�t get a write off� later that year I lost my job. When I was praying I said to go I cannot tithe anymore without a job and He brought to my remembrance that obedience is better that sacrifice from the book so Samuel). See my heart quit being right; money, even though I tithed, I would not give a cent more than 10% because it financially didn�t benefited me.
