TITHING

TITHING  –  BASIC TEACHING:    4/5/19       By:   Ken Smith<><

My position is that tithing is not a new testament principle.

Because:
Nothing is said in the New Testament about tithing for the Church.   Not one verse…..  The New Testament starts with Pentecost in Acts.   The Gospels are in transition from LAW to GRACE so one must be careful as the time was still under the LAW as Jesus had not yet been crucified and resurrected.  The Disciples became saved in the Upper Room in believing on the resurrected Christ Rom. 10:9-10,  but the Church was started under the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

10% leaves 90% on the Table and either Jesus is LORD of all or not LORD at all.  When we come to Jesus we give it all to HIM as LORD.    The letter of the LAW kills,  the Spirit give life.

So for me, tithing would put me in a box and take the joy out of giving.  Most churches today do not use their funds effectively.  Most goes to support their minister, special denominational box or building.  The original “Store House” was the Temple but that is no more as that system was cursed and destroyed.  

Funds given in the Early Church were used only for Evangelism and to help the poor.  Ministers were self supporting.  No building were built.  Church was in the HOME and larger gatherings were in places that were available for free like the Temple till 70 AD.  Not to take down the church buildings today or get into a fight about it…  Good to use what ever is available without condemnation only that there is a “Better Way.”  The Better Way is to be totally guided by the Holy Spirit in every thing that we do and especially in giving.  Simple Church can be very healthy without big building overhead or paid ministers.

And I am offended when ministers pull Old Testament verses out of context and present them to a congregation in order to lock them down under the LAW to extract tithes.   Jesus died to deliver us from the LAW.  

The verse I use to support my position is:

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.