I began to think back on all my years of tithing and offering and how many times the church had failed to come through when I needed them. I’m not talking about individuals, but the pastors and church leaders who were never concerned during a crisis. I decided at that time to give my tithe to elderly family members since the “church” was not being the “storehouse” for them nor should it because it’s my responsibility to care for widows and orphans if they are in my own family.

I am now in a different church which is closer to my home and the pastors there have full knowledge of who is tithing and who is not. They regularly send out letters and envelopes showing your giving report and the needs of the church. I have felt judged from them yet feel I am doing what God would want me to do for my family. I am considering changing churches because of all of this. I have been made to feel guilty, a “robber” of God who won’t receive His full blessings.

Some say that, because Abraham gave ten percent of his spoil to Melchizedek, we are obligated to pay ten percent of our salary, income, etc to the local church or somewhere, although I could not find one place from Genesis to Revelations where workers (merchants, carvers of timber, cutters of stone, craftsmen, fishermen, tent makers, smiths, etc.) were told, asked or even volunteered to give ten percent of their money earned to anyone: or where anyone else made a practice of giving ten percent of their spoil to a High Priest.

Tithing is a very good way to finance the church. If your church demands you to give ten percent of your income, are they willing to take care of the poor, the fatherless children and widows indeed? Are do they also want ten percent of their assistance from the government, social security, etc.?

I have given tithes for over forty years, but I do know that the Bible does not obligate me to pay tithes to anyone, and that Jesus became a curse for us, therefore people who do not pay tithes are not under a curse. You volunteer to give tithes, you don’t pay it.

It is a lack of faith to demand people to pay something because you do not feel that you will get as much money from them if you do not put them under bondage.

Will someone have to give an account to our Lord for leading His sheep into the confusion that I see among the saints of God?

We tithe a set amount each month (for easier budgeting) and give offerings (church children’s home, homeless offering, mother’s day offering, father’s day offering, etc) when we have a little extra. Any bonus, tax refund, or money that comes in that we didn’t expect we IMMEDIATELY give 10% of the gross amount to the church and put the rest toward our debt. I participate on church committees so I see exactly where our tithe is used. When you are in a good church and “see” how God uses you and the members to help His people it is easier. Once we are out of debt we will increase it.

I don’t think there is anything from the OT that just ‘ended’ in the NT, if anything the requirements were increased but with the empowering of the Holy spirit. Examples of this are OT sacrificing animals vs. NT sacrificing Jesus himself; OT do not murder vs. NT do not murder or hate, OT teach the law to your children vs NT make disciples of all nations. The NT is characterised by above and beyond what the OT required not because we have to but because of our thanksgiving for our undeserved reconciliation with God. If the Pharisees could give God 10% in the blind hope of God’s mercy, how much easier is it for us to give that and more with such an assurance of the mercy of God in the cross. I wouldn’t say we have to give because we don’t have to do anything under grace. But knowing what Jesus has done and the OT mandate I can’t not give!

I don’t buy the financial give and you shall receive interpretation, that implies that you can earn blessing or that we actually deserve something out of our own efforts which doesn’t fit with the Gospel imo. I think we received more than enough in Christ for us to give without expecting anything in return.

Sorry for the rant but I honestly don’t see where the controversy lies. We can never use grace as an excuse to avoid righteousness.

Since then, we moved to a smaller town and subsequently left that church in May 2007. We have not found a new church we like yet, and so we havbe not been tithing either.

As soon as we find a church we like and enjoy attending, we plan on resuming the tithing. Not sure where to give my tithe to in the meantime!

Having said that, I’ll probably donate 10% of my next tax return as well.

I list the names not to brag but to show how I give to organisations that work in fields I am passionate about helping like international aid, homelessness, education, cancer.

I do try to find Catholic organisations first but if I feel another denomination or non-secular organisation does the job better than my money goes to them.