I have “tithed” for years. I started with 10% of whatever was written on my paycheck – as well as 10% of every birthday check, Christmas check, wedding or funeral honorarium – and then bumped it up every year after that, trying to increase the percentage (not just the amount) by a little more. God has always been faithful.

It’s not about giving to get. It’s all God’s anyway, right? If your mom bakes you a birthday cake, do you not give her at LEAST one slice from that whole cake as a way of saying thank you? Do you really need to eat that whole cake yourself? Tithing is a thank offering, recognizing God’s gracious bounty extended to you, and recognizing that God always gives us more than we truly “need.”

I tell my congregation that there are tithes, gifts and offerings. If we do not recognize the distinctive natures of each, then we deprive ourselves of some of the blessings of giving. (I don’t claim that these terms are authoritative – other people may use different terms).

Our tithe is our way of saying thank you to God for His gracious abundance towards us. In returning 10% to God – no strings attached (i.e., not designated for a specific purpose) — we are witnessing in a very practical way that God has provided us with more than we need. It is the foundation and the first giving for a Christian, and it is given to the Church, not to a charity, etc.

An offering is what is collected/given in order to contribute towards a need – Katrina evacuees & victims, e.g. This is over and above the tithe, because the motivation and aim is different. We are helping those in need, giving to others out of our abundance just as God does with us.

A gift (just like a birthday or Christmas gift) expresses our personal appreciation for a person or something else. Wealthy people give huge gifts to universities because they appreciate the work those schools do. Someone may give a gift to the youth fellowship for the witness they made over the summer, or to the band or choir for the worship leadership they provided during the revival.

Each of these is a way of stewarding our bounty in a faithful and joyful manner. I think that keeping the distinctions clear in the minds of the congregation goes a long way towards warding off the mentality that would see the weekly offering during worship as the payment of “membership dues.” But apart from the questions above concerning the biblical basis (or not) for tithing – AND apart from the very important, but different, questions of how the pastor asks for money and how the church stewards the money it receives — returning to God 10% (or more) of what He gives you is a very simple, sensible and (I believe) faithful act of thanksgiving for His bounty.

I personally do not believe in tithing. I believe in the laws of seeding and of giving. I think why so many people are passionately expressing their distaste for the way tithing is presented in a lot of modern day churches is because they are not fortunate enough to have a church that actually collects and distribute tithe according to the text in which they invoke. Very little taking care of the poor, or widows, or distributing amongst those in need right there in the church. What we mostly see is tithe being collected for means other than the furthering of the gospel. You can argue that a television spot or new church lighting plays into furthering the gospel, but most of us know better. Also, I have personally heard my own pastor say that if you do not tithe you are not in covenant with God and will not go to heaven. Something is really wrong with the church and I pray we get back to studying in order to present Christ who is the Word in the correct light and not based on this other stuff we have added to God’s word. Remember the warning for those who do add or subtract from the Word?

For most of the gross/netters, the notion of giving to get is really big to them. However whoever gives with the express intention of getting more back in my opinion need a serious character adjustment. This goes against the grain of everything Christ in His selfless sacrifice attempted to teach us. It is not about us! Our money nor our lives are our own and should both be given in service to God and each other. But feel good Christians should also not fail to know God’s Word. He would not want us to be ignorant. As a people grafted in we are in no way under the law, nor as brought out in Charley’s post required to be held to the same law as that of the Jewish nation. As indicated in the New Testament, if you are going to attempt to live under the law you must fulfill all of its obligations; the only one who was able to do so was Christ. If you feel you are up to the challenge, well then by all means knock yourself out.

There was one who stated he wish to err on the side of giving the tithe rather than not giving it. I do not believe you will or will not go to heaven based on this church hang-up, but I would caution that if you are erroneously dividing God’s Word on this issue what else might you be doing that is not of God but of the Religious thought of the day (Pharisaic)?

I think that tithe is a cop out for many lazy saint’s who don’t want to take the time to truly give of their talents and fruits to furthering the kingdom. For some it’s the equivalent for giving $30 to Feed The World organizations in order to ease your conscience when passing by the homeless downtown. Truth is Christ envisioned a Kingdom where nothing belonged to one, but it belongs to all; no one is super wealthy while others are impoverished. It’s the argument for national health care, or welfare, or any other entitlement. Because we all give if we can, but even if we can’t we will all eat, and sleep on a bed, and be free to worship together.

I love God’s Word, in it we are not just sheep, we are also friends of Christ and joint-heirs. We don’t have to just believe what we hear from a pastor, but we can inquire of Christ Himself without a middleman.

Many testify that they paid tithes and I now have a 6 figure salary, for every story like that I can give you one, where someone paid tithes and lived a life in debt and died in debt without anything very significant in the form of worldly riches at all. Tithe is not the key to Kingdom living. If we have that understood then tithe or don’t tithe all you want

How much do you want God to bless? Do you want Him to bless all of it or only some of it?