The reason I respond against articles supporting the tithe is because it is so abused among God's people! Look at the comment by lgtaylor in the beginning of these comments. He is struggling to meet the needs of his family(as he rightly should) but is told if he doesn't give the Church 10% he is in error. Burdens placed on his shoulders that should not be, in fact it is the Church that is in error by not helping him!

The teaching around the tithe is also erroneous in that it teaches blessings (prosperity, health etc.), but also implies and sometimes outright teaches curses. Do we really want to curse our brothers and sisters in Christ because they do not give to our Church! Reminds me of Indulgences, when the Catholic Church sold forgiveness of sins for money!

I am not against anyone deciding to give 10% or 100% if they feel God is telling them to, as long as they are meeting the needs of their family FIRST, but I am against them demanding that I do so. That's between me and God!

It is a very good article. Why do we as believers in Christ need to find fault at everything just like the world, who we're not suppose to be like? Yes, tithe is OT, so that would be a starting point! I get very clearly from NT, that we're to give sacrificially; just as our perfect example Jesus did! We are to be images of Him to this world. Why can't we just read & be thankful for the encouraging word to the Body of Christ. The overall message is very true. Do we as Christians always need to be politically correct or show that we are in unity of One Holy Spirit as Jesus & the Father are One? If we can't love each other, how can we love the lost?

If this article had been titled, "Why it's important to keep GIVING in tough economic times" then I would have appreciated the word of exhortation, said "Amen" and let it go at that. But the application of OT verses on tithing to the Church needs some response. Take Malachi 3 for example- What basis do we have in scripture for making the "storehouse" equal "the Church"? Was there a literal OT storehouse? Is it OK to spiritualize it for NT use? We always use the blessing part of Malachi 3 to encourage NT believer's to give tithes so why don't we use the curses that are said to come on those who don't give the tithe as a motivator?
Let me throw out the challenge this way. Tithes were commanded- they were not optional. Offerings were optional. For NT believers, we need to use 2 Corinthians 8-9 as a template for our giving. Tithing is never commanded in the NT. All of our giving is gracious- a response to God's grace in our lives. It's time to lose "tithing" from our vocabulary.

Deuteronomy 14:
22Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year...
24And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
25Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
26And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household

It's God's Word concerning the tithe..try converting your tithe into wine or strong drink and consuming it at Church..won't go over big I assure you, yet it is part of the commandment concerning the tithe. If the tithe is commanded then so is this!? :)

I appreciate the spirit in which this article is written...and the biblical principles of financial stewardship which would motivate someone to get out of debt and handle money in a biblical way. BUT, I'm exploring this concept of the tithe and wondering why we adhere so closely to a potentially obsolete old testament directive when the actual tithe is not mentioned by Jesus, Paul, or any other New Testament authors as a directive for followers of Christ.

In fact, the New Testament standard may at times be more rigorous than 10 percent (e.g. the rich young ruler).

One of my main concerns however is that our soap box sermons on tithing are quite self-serving when they come from an institution which spend 80 to 90% of monies raised (tithe etc) on staff salaries, facilities, and maintenance. A paltry amount of that hard-earned tithe ever makes its way past the grubby needy hands of the institution.

Maybe that's just the dozen or so churches I've attended or served as a pastor at?!

Cortni's article is right on target! It's well-written and it's solidly backed by the Word of God and many years of experience. Economic times like this year present us with excellent opportunities to see for ourselves the reality of God's promises. My grandparents went through the Great Depression tithing and seeing God's faithfulness over and over again. They even fed the transients(hobos)that came through their town. My grandparents giving habits were picked up by my Mom who in turn passed them on to me. We Christians have a wonderful Savior, who not only saves us from Hell but from recession and high gas prices! The non-Christians don't have this benefit. This is why I don't ever quibble about things like tithing on the "gross" or the "net". I always like to give God the benefit of the doubt. He always does that for me...

Excellent blog referral P50116. Also, tithing is in the New Testament (Matt 23:23 & Luke 11:42).

I am appalled at the number of people who leave feedback about the church using guilt trips to get money out of us.

Read this: http://drjohnroller.blogspot.com/2008/02/robbing-yourself_28.html

And besides what Dr. Roller says, I have my own question: If you would deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ (Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23), why do you still have a death-grip on your wallet?

I'm appalled that someone would accuse God of extorting His own money out of us by making us sick. I can't help but wonder what manner of teaching this person is sitting under.

Funny how the only outdated OT law that churches still hold on to involves guilting money from members.

I prefer to follw the NT command to give cheerfully whatever the Holy Spirit commands me to give

concerning tithing and keeping the whole ordinances of old and new testament would mean that we would have to sacrafice lambs also. and if Christ blood shed did away with the requirements of the law why do we pick the ones that convenient our cause

Prior to the Law, where in the OT was anyone commanded to tithe? Where Genesis or Job was it recorded that anyone tithed more than once? Prior to the erecting of the tabernacle, to what did the patriarchs tithe?

Now on to the New Testament. What does it say in regards to giving? Where does it discuss tithing in such a way that it is incumbent upon Christians as an obligation?

As regards Church History, why was it not always a practice in the Catholic Church (for centuries the only Church in existence) to tithe, although it had a functioning priesthood, and viewed the Mass as the equivalent of the O.T.sacrificial ritual?

Anecdotal evidence about cancers and bankruptcies for those who did not tithe is hearsay, and is countered by the abundant evidence of people who tithed and yet died of various diseases, or struggled financially. It is also contradicted by the evidence of those who did not tithe, yet did just fine.

Tithing is not in the New Testament; prove otherwise.