Is it wrong to use some of your tithe money to help a family in need?

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  • Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 5

  • @markb7067
    @markb7067 11 днів тому

    Ironically, there's no such thing as biblical "tithe money," at least not from earned wages. There's no biblical obligation for anyone to continuously pay 10% of their money to a religious organization, and there never was. Whether one chooses to do so or not is up to their own discretion.

    • @riversideemc
      @riversideemc  11 днів тому

      We are assuming by your reply that you didn’t actually watch the video. Giving is clearly a Biblical obligation. The principle is the tithe, but ultimately giving is a heart matter.

    • @markb7067
      @markb7067 10 днів тому

      @@riversideemc Yes I watched. A gift can't be a gift if it is an obligation. That's a payment, not a gift. You can't conflate the two. Biblical, compulsory tithes were payments, not gifts, and were accepted from either the tithe of the herd or the tithe of the land. Not from wages. All within Israel. All under Mosaic Law.
      The "principle" of tithing under Mosaic Law was taxation, to allocate consumable items towards the Levitical theocracy, the poor, and for the festivals. The "principle" of giving can't be a compulsory exercise or it isn't a gift. And yes, true giving should be from the heart, which it isn't if it's obligatory.
      We're free to give, not bound to pay.

    • @riversideemc
      @riversideemc  10 днів тому

      ⁠@@markb7067 thanks for your response. Perhaps we disagree on how we would distinguish between obligation and gift. Would I be right to assume you see the word “obligation” as a mostly negative term? If so I could mostly see your point. But I don’t see any biblical “obligation” as a negative. God always has purpose in what he does, and his purpose is always good. The whole purpose of 2 Corinthians 9 is Paul reminding the Corinthian church of their obligation to give. In chapter 8 he says he is not commanding them, but he also states that he is sending Titus to collect. The good purpose of the obligation is twofold: to help the church, and the promise of blessing to the giver.
      If I applied a negative connotation to all obligations in scripture I may decide not to do something because I don’t feel like it (like loving my enemies and praying for them). But right actions always lead to right emotions. I give because there is a principle of giving in scripture, but I also find that the more I give the more I want to give.

    • @markb7067
      @markb7067 10 днів тому

      @@riversideemc Yes, again, I agree in terms of giving, particularly discretionary giving from the heart. The point is that biblical, systematic (required) tithes weren't gifts. They were compulsory submissions of consumable items, specifically purposed. And my "burden" on the topic isn't for me.
      Consider, for the moment, the less fortunate who can't make financial ends meet. Why should they be burdened with the obligation to submit a portion of their income they can't afford to submit? Why should they be made to feel like they're something less (spiritually) than those who can tithe from their income and still have savings? Where in the Bible did we derive the right to impose this burden upon the people we are supposed to be helping? Nowhere. Nowhere in scripture were the poor burdened with the tithe. In fact, they received a tithe (every 3 years). How is today's alleged universal "biblical mandate" for everyone to pay out 10% of their earned wages justifiable biblically when there's no such thing as a biblical tithe received from earned wages?
      That's the concern. Not for me. Probably not for you either. You're probably doing just fine. Jesus emphasized giving to the poor. There's no biblical record of Jesus asking anyone for their money other than the rich young ruler and once again, his challenge to him was to give it all to the poor. So, once again, in giving, true discretionary giving, I agree. Paul encouraged collections for the persecuted in Jerusalem, not for his benefit or anyone else.
      Obligation, particularly a material obligation, encumbers. Love gives unconditionally without expectation. Thanks for the exchanges and blessings in your giving.