Hello World, 
First of all on this Memorial Day holiday weekend, I want to thank the veterans of the United States, many of whom paid the ultimate price for me to be able leisurely write this post this beautiful summer morning…God bless and keep you and your families…
With that being said, I’m a history buff…I love to see how various events, trends, belief systems have shaped the trajectory of history…After reading an article in The New York Times, I am reminded why I tithe…I tithe because I recognize that every cent I earn could not be earned without the gifts, talents and opportunities given to me by the Father(and all of the resources of the world belong to God anyway)…I tithe because I want to demonstrate to myself and others that even with less, I can do more (it’s amazing how this works!)…I tithe because I am supporting God’s ministry through my church and supporting my church…Unfortunately, in Harlem, which has been a national jewel for the black community from arts to worship down through the decades, is experiencing a shift as many black churchgoers in Harlem are moving away and the ones that have remained are not tithing as they once were…And I believe what is going on Harlem is affecting all inner-city churches…
To read the entire article, go here – As Tourists Come and Go, Harlem Churches Lose a 10% Lifeblood.
Why do you tithe, and how has it affected your life?
Any thoughts?
No one tithes per the scriptures today. You can give a tenth of your income to the church if you wish, but to call that tithing infers that giving a tenth of one’s income is somewhat related to the Biblical tithe and it isn’t.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I am all for giving, and for supporting the church. But tithing is NOT how the New Testament scriptures instruct.
God actually commanded three different tithes in the Old Testament:
THE FIRST TITHE
Leviticus 27:30-33 defines this tithe as a tenth of crops and animals in herds and flocks.
Numbers 18 gives the ordinances, or instructions, for this tithe, and commands this tithe be taken to the Levites.
Purpose of this tithe: to support the Levitical Priesthood.
SECOND TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:22-27: aka The Festival Tithe – a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take to the yearly feasts.
Purpose of this tithe: “that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always”
THIRD TITHE
Deuteronomy 14:28-29: aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe – a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.
Purpose of this tithe: to feed the poor.
The ONLY people in the Old Testament that were commanded to tithe were those who INHERITED THE PROMISED LAND WITH EVERYTHING ON IT. They got the land, house, animals, crops, etc. ALL FREE AND CLEAR. No mortgage payment or rent to pay. And THEY were commanded to tithe on the crops and animals and take it to the Levites who INHERITED the tithe INSTEAD OF the promised land with everything on it. No one else tithed. Wage earners did not tithe. Jesus did not tithe as a carpenter. Paul did not tithe as a tent maker. Peter did not tithe as a fisherman.
The New Testament teaches generous, sacrificial giving, from the heart, according to our means. For some, $1 might be a sacrifice, while for others, even giving 50% of their income might not induce a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, ONLY the farmers tithed, and it was a tenth. The New Testament teaches the principle of equal sacrifice instead of a tenth. Equal sacrifice is much harder to achieve, if not impossible, than giving a tenth.
If New Testament giving was taught in the churches today, instead of tithing (which ended at the cross per Hebrews 7:5,12,18), I believe more money would be given.
Interesting perspective Gary, and thank you for stopping by my blog, but I do think that Christians should offer 10 percent of their income to God and the church…