Tithing…Is it a command?

[anon5]

Originally Posted by jfrog

If you would believe just as strongly in free will giving then it would work just as well for you.

Sometimes I think god rewards faith even when the faith is misplaced...

I DO believe in free will giving. No one can force tithes from you. Even if they brow beat and manipulate you into doing it, you are STILL doing it of your own free will. No preacher can take you to court to have your wages garnished.

The idea that an emotionally abusive spouse is forcing the other to do things certainly doesn't fly in todays society, so I don't see how the bullying preacher idea would hold water.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by anon5

Also, what wasn't included in that post your responded to was Jesus telling them that they should have done the former and not neglected the latter. In other words, they were totally right in tithing down to the herbs, but messed up when it came to the sufferings and needs of their fellow human beings.

Jesus TOTALLY endorsed tithing. 100% Yet he stayed poor and got crucified. Therefore tithing must be bad?

My friend, if you want to cite the tithing laws as support for tithing and Jesus commendation on the Pharisees for following it then please take some time to actually learn what was lawful to tithe of and whom It was lawful to tithe to. When those questions are answered I think you will understand our point of view.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by anon5

Also, what wasn't included in that post your responded to was Jesus telling them that they should have done the former and not neglected the latter. In other words, they were totally right in tithing down to the herbs, but messed up when it came to the sufferings and needs of their fellow human beings.

Jesus TOTALLY endorsed tithing. 100% Yet he stayed poor and got crucified. Therefore tithing must be bad?

If you are a Jewish Pharisee and you are under the Law of Moses, it(tithing) is not bad at all...

[OneAccord]

Originally Posted by Sean

Jesus was talking to PHARISEES, that were STILL under the law of Moses(chewing them out). You can only apply this to you if YOU are a Pharisee, and under the Law....ARE YOU?

That's exactly what Jesus chided the Pharisees for. They observed the tithing law in minute detailed, while ignoring the more important details of the law (i.e., judgment, mercy and faith). Sorta like highlighting only chosen parts of a verse, while ignoring the more important part: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Besides... I quoted the NIV by saying: Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. If I felt "the law" compels us to pay tithes, I certainly wouldn't have included this verse. I never said it was a command, I said the giving of tithes is a fair and equitable privilege by which the work of God can be supported by all people equally.

If you'll stop for a minute...go back and read what I said. I began my post with these words: "I don't see the giving of tithes as a command as such..."

There...feel better?

[Sean]

Originally Posted by OneAccord

That's exactly what Jesus chided the Pharisees for. They observed the tithing law in minute detailed, while ignoring the more important details of the law (i.e., judgment, mercy and faith). Sorta like highlighting only chosen parts of a verse, while ignoring the more important part: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Besides... I quoted the NIV by saying: Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. If I felt "the law" compels us to pay tithes, I certainly wouldn't have included this verse. I never said it was a command, I said the giving of tithes is a fair and equitable privilege by which the work of God can be supported by all people equally.

If you'll stop for a minute...go back and read what I said. I began my post with these words: "I don't see the giving of tithes as a command as such..."

There...feel better?

Much better.....LOL (I thought they got you for a minute...whew)..God bless!



Now if you will just throw away your NIV and use only a KJV I will really be better, I mean FANTASTIC!!!....LOL

[anon5]

Originally Posted by Sean

If you are a Jewish Pharisee and you are under the Law of Moses, it(tithing) is not bad at all...

Well okay then. Just do what you want on the subject, which I support anyway. There was.a question here on tithing, and I put in my own personal experience with it and how it never failed to bless me when put into practice. Others here say either no it doesn't really work, or Jesus doesn't want us to do it after all. Still others say it's not really tithing at all, or something to that effect.
All I know is I'm blessed when I do it. No one here needs to argue with me on it to justify why they won't/don't do it, but if it alleviates your conscience then okay. Jesus says to give. Not JUST money, but ten percent of my money is cheap and easy to do. I feel if I can't even be trusted with something so small and effortless as THAT, then why would God trust me with anything else.

You guys go ahead and fo want you want. I know I will.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by anon5

Well okay then. Just do what you want on the subject, which I support anyway. There was.a question here on tithing, and I put in my own personal experience with it and how it never failed to bless me when put into practice. Others here say either no it doesn't really work, or Jesus doesn't want us to do it after all. Still others say it's not really tithing at all, or something to that effect.
All I know is I'm blessed when I do it. No one here needs to argue with me on it to justify why they won't/don't do it, but if it alleviates your conscience then okay. Jesus says to give. Not JUST money, but ten percent of my money is cheap and easy to do. I feel if I can't even be trusted with something so small and effortless as THAT, then why would God trust me with anything else.

You guys go ahead and fo want you want. I know I will.

Thats fine, just a side note. I was appealing to several pastors in our area on this subject before I officially started my sabbatical from their churches. That to "save face", they could just recommend tithing merely as an O.T. principle(with absolutely no N.T. connections), as a "comparison" of suggested giving to those that are (able) to give with no threats or across the board demands...they would not have to apologize to the congregations, just relax the rhetoric.

Folks would just veiw it like as if the pastor was relaxing his standards a bit and not make a big deal about it.

Jesus will bless anything you give away, as long as it is not "Law Based" giving.

[OneAccord]

I'm an old KJV man from way back. I only used the NIV in this post for the youngsters among us who haven't quite grasped the "Kings language".

[Sean]

Originally Posted by OneAccord

I'm an old KJV man from way back. I only used the NIV in this post for the youngsters among us who haven't quite grasped the "Kings language".

Amen to that...I found a dictionary to be a "safer" way to explain some words than using the NIV.

The NIV is a disastrous translation of the Bible. If you are interested, I will give you more info on what I mean.....God bless

[shazeep]

ya, you're preaching to the choir there--but trust that ol' K James had an agenda, too. He brought you Easter, after all...