Tithe: A requirement for Christians?

[mkh_77]

Finally, HOW is the church supposed to function monetarily? How does a church pay for lights, heat, gas, building maintenance and all the other things that are necessary for any kind of organization to function? One cannot take a "Hallelujah" to the light company to pay the bill....

Well, the church I attend makes money in the following ways:

-run a full time day care for children 6 weeks to pre-K
-run an after school program for children up to grade 5
-run summer camp/Vacation Bible School programs
-charge church rental fees for weddings
-put on a yearly talent show where patrons are chraged for tickets
-hold exercise classes for different age groups

I'm sure there are other things that go on that I'm not thinking of right now, but all of the above mentioned activies generate money for the church. The church doesn't rely on tithes!

 

[PaperClip]

Well, the church I attend makes money in the following ways:

-run a full time day care for children 6 weeks to pre-K
-run an after school program for children up to grade 5
-run summer camp/Vacation Bible School programs
-charge church rental fees for weddings
-put on a yearly talent show where patrons are chraged for tickets
-hold exercise classes for different age groups

I'm sure there are other things that go on that I'm not thinking of right now, but all of the above mentioned activies generate money for the church. The church doesn't rely on tithes!

Unfortunately, no church can rely solely on tithes because everybody doesn't tithe or even give offerings consistently. And, while these activities are noble, how do they help bring souls to the Kingdom of God, which the primary purpose of the church?

 

[mkh_77]

Unfortunately, no church can rely solely on tithes because everybody doesn't tithe or even give offerings consistently. And, while these activities are noble, how do they help bring souls to the Kingdom of God, which the primary purpose of the church?

These activites make people aware of the church and bring them into contact with the chruch. I would think that's pretty obvious, and these activites can be viewed as a form of outreach, thereby helping to accomplish the primary purpose of the church.

 

[Bunny77]

These activites make people aware of the church and bring them into contact with the chruch. I would think that's pretty obvious, and these activites can be viewed as a form of outreach, thereby helping to accomplish the primary purpose of the church.

Exactly! How can one think such activities are irrelevant to bringing souls to God?

I'm sure the Word is being taught or spoken through everything you mentioned. There are probably Bible lessons in all the children's programs, and I'm sure this talent show features acts that are Bible/Christian based.

As for exercise, well, if you want to have soldiers in your army of saving souls, they need to keep their temple healthy!

Church is much more than service only!

 

[PaperClip]

These activites make people aware of the church and bring them into contact with the chruch. I would think that's pretty obvious, and these activites can be viewed as a form of outreach, thereby helping to accomplish the primary purpose of the church.

Interesting answer... expected answer... but interesting nonetheless....

So here's what I began to think about: first, you said the purpose of the activities you mentioned were to "generate money for the church". So which is the primary purpose for these activities: to generate money or to win souls? Can such activities do both? Sure, that's possible.

I go back to a previous inquiry about the necessity of such activities if the church was being supported financially through the church members via tithing/consistent giving. You may not know this answer, but if the activities you mentioned had to cease (for whatever reason), would your church have enough funding to survive to do the primary function of winning souls, e.g., building mortgage, lights, heat, water, air conditioning, etc.?

 

[mkh_77]

Interesting answer... expected answer... but interesting nonetheless....

So here's what I began to think about: first, you said the purpose of the activities you mentioned were to "generate money for the church". So which is the primary purpose for these activities: to generate money or to win souls? Can such activities do both? Sure, that's possible.

I go back to a previous inquiry about the necessity of such activities if the church was being supported financially through the church members via tithing/consistent giving. You may not know this answer, but if the activities you mentioned had to cease (for whatever reason), would your church have enough funding to survive to do the primary function of winning souls, e.g., building mortgage, lights, heat, water, air conditioning, etc.?

Interesting . . . expected . . . necessary?

Why can't the primary purpose of these activities be two-fold: to bring people to Christ and generate income for the church? I believe it's possible for the activities I mentioned to do both, and to do both successfully. My family began attending this church because I initially attended its after school program and then my sister attended its daycare. It was in our neighborhood and the people were very friendly, my parents were looking for a church home, and the rest is history.

Actually, I do know the answer to your question. The church I attend would be able to sustain itself without the activities I mentioned simply because there are a few people who GIVE gifts to the church. These gifts are usually one time deals and they are lump sums of money or endowments (the gift that keeps on giving).

 

[MindTwister]

This is an interesting debate you have going on here. I have only recently gone back to trying to live according to God ways and it's not easy at all but in Jesus Name I will grow bolder and more faithful
Anyways tithe is one of the things I'm having issues with. I'm torn between the two sides and I guess since I have yet to study the bible in depth myself I can't take sides. The arguments I have read to support tithe not being a requirement make a lot of sense to me. I had this debate witha friend of mine for an entire night and she tried to convince me about it being a requirement but I still wasn't convinced. That said at one point she told me that if the word "requirement" bothered me then forget about it and just do it out of faith that God will bless you.
Then I was told last week that tithe and giving is the same thing. I'm just confused by this whole thing and I guess I should turn to God and open my Bible...This is not an easy journey ya'll

 

[NtheNameofJesus!]

i love sunday school...!!!!

so, i asked this very question in sunday school today and my teacher gave the most godly response, and that will end my discussion right here:

my pastor has established a vision for the house that God has placed him over and God has so led him to teach about tithing and request that we as members of the fellowship do so, so i am to do it because it is apart of the vision that God has given my pastor. if i don't like it or agree, then i can move to another fellowship. but i'm under my pastor and that's what he teaches.....God has set him, my pastor, as my covering authority and the vision that he has for the house is what i am to follow and teach, and support.

so...i can't tell u whether or not to tithe, but whatever ur leadership says is really what you're supposed to do. and my teacher expressed from his own experience everywhere that even if churches don't teach tithing, they will hunt you down for your pledges and send you bills, require that you submit how much you make so that they can get 10 percent regardless.....so either way, God's gone get His! ya'll have a blessed week!

 

[Angelicus]

Wow, I am amazed at the quotes that justify the priniciples of not tithing.

Many of you don't know that I am a musician. I play piano, precussion, and brass instruments. I also sing. When i became a Christian, I decided to start a music ministry in my own church and a street ministry in my city. Since the priniciple of tithing, giving first fruits, and offerings weren't taught in my church, I had to play at four different churches to make ends meet. I had to go to four different practices in a work-week.

Even though I was working an office job at the same time, I noticed that the other musicians were performing in bars filled with sin just to make ends meet. This hurt me so much, guys. These people were ministering the word of God in music yet having to play at demon-filled places to make ends meet. Eventually, I found myself in that same situation. I had to stop my music ministry because it just wasn't paying me.

What if everybody in the church tithed? We wouldn't have had to play in cigarette and marijuana-filled bars, with alcohol and gluttonery.

What if everybody in the church tithed? That church could have created mission trips so people could spread the Word (considering that we are supposed to go to all the world and not just at our home church).

If everybody in that church tithed, my pastor could have continued his education of learning practical, biblical guidance for his people... Instead of preaching the same thing every 8 weeks.

If they tithed, we wouldn't have all these great church singers turn into singers of soft porn-type lyrics. We could have kept them in the church of the Lord, singing his praises instead of the praises of someone they had sex with last night.

We could have had a recovery ministry at church so that people could cease looking at pornography the night before and night after church.

God wants us to edify the body of Christ and we cant do it without your financial contribution. Not only is it law, but it's practical. In the bible, Jesus simply despised the Pharisees because they didn't follow the way of the Lord: BUT that the only rule that they actually did right was tithe (they were really anal about that).

When you don't give first-fruits, your tithe, and your offerings, You're not stealing from Him; you are robbing God. You're not a thief! See, a thief is sneaky: he steals in the middle of the night or steal in a sneaky matter. Robbing is totally different. You are stealing publically, like a man with a gun in his hand aimed at you as he steals your purse.

 

[Angelicus]

Leviticus 27:31- If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of value to it. (There was a penalty, or punishment, for paying your tithes in actual money. )

The word "redeem" in the bible does not mean to "pay." In fact, it means the exact opposite. "To redeem" was the same thing as "to steal, or to borrow."

Technically, this verse means "If you rob God (not give to the Boby of Christ) you need to pay 20 percent instead of ten)."

hahahaa, God charges interest!

 

[MindTwister]

The word "redeem" in the bible does not mean to "pay." In fact, it means the exact opposite. "To redeem" was the same thing as "to steal, or to borrow."

Technically, this verse means "If you rob God (not give to the Boby of Christ) you need to pay 20 percent instead of ten)."

hahahaa, God charges interest!

I'm confused by this one... What exactly makes you say that "redeem" in the bible means to "steal, or to borrow"?

 

[Angelicus]

redeem, in that case, means to take back.