Money…Malachi 3:10-12…Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!  Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Is heaven full of money“ (I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it!)

We tend to think all blessings must have a monitory value attached to it

What is money

1 Timothy 6: 9-11

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.…

Timothy is told to run from the evil things that the love of money can bring

Harmful desires

Temptation to wander away from the true faith

Brings many sorrows

Paul urges him to rather pursue;

Righteousness, godly life, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness

The Gospel of Prosperity…Romans 1:10

One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. (New Living Translation)

The same verse from the(King James Version)

“Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.” 

This mention of the word “prosperous” is the first of the only four occurrences of the Greek word enodoo (meaning literally “good journey,” but translated “prosper” or “prosperous”) in the New Testament.

Here it is actually rendered “prosperous journey.”

It is obvious that Paul was not praying for his journey to prosper financially, for the next verse indicates his long desire had been for;

Romans 1:11

For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.

However, the word has come to include any kind of prospering, as when Paul urged Christians in Corinth to provide financial help for other Christians in need.

1 Corinthians 16:2

On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.

 The term can also refer to physical and spiritual health. Its two other occurrences are in

3 John 1:2

I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. (New Living Translation)

The same verse from the(King James Version)…The elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.…Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Unfortunately, certain teachers now a days have taken the biblical teaching of spiritual prosperity to mean financial prosperity, which they teach is the right of every Christian.

But this “prosperity gospel” is so clearly unscriptural that it is merely a testimony to the cupidity of the Christians who believe it.

1 Timothy 6:9 Paul warns

“They that |desire to| be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,”

And to whatever extent God does prosper us financially, it is strictly for the purpose of helping others, not to indulge ourselves.

1 Timothy 6:17-18…Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

Offering Willingly

August 23, 2011

“Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.” (1 Chronicles 29:9)

As the people brought gifts for the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, it is mentioned no less than six times in this chapter that their offerings were willing offerings (once in verses 6 and 14, twice each in verses 9 and 17). In fact, they were not only willing, but also joyful in their giving.

Joyful giving is not the usual response to a fundraising effort for a religious cause. The great proliferation of causes today–not only for churches but for multi-church or para-church projects, usually associated with high-pressure solicitations by professional money-raisers–has developed a growing cynicism in Christians toward all such appeals.

That is not the way it should be, “for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The churches of Macedonia, though going through “a great trial of affliction” and in “deep poverty,” nevertheless “abounded unto the riches of their liberality” and they did so in “the abundance of their joy” (2 Corinthians 8:2). What made the difference was that they “first gave their own selves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5).

No doubt another vital factor leading to the joyful offerings of the people for the building of the temple was the example set by David’s great personal joyful generosity, followed by that of all the other leaders of Israel (1 Chronicles 29:3-8). This encouraged the people also to give “with perfect heart” (today’s verse). They had evidently, like the Philippians of Macedonia, also first given themselves to the Lord. David had led them by example, not coercion, reminding himself and his people as he prayed a prayer of thanksgiving that “all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee” (1 Chronicles 29:14).

“What does the Bible say about Christian tithing?”……Many Christians struggle with the issue of tithing. In some churches tithing is over-emphasized. At the same time, many Christians refuse to submit to the biblical exhortations about making offerings to the Lord.

Tithing/giving is intended to be a joy and a blessing.

Sadly, that is sometimes not the case in the church today.……Tithing is an Old Testament concept. The tithe was a requirement of the law in which all Israelites were to give 10 percent of everything they earned and grew to the Tabernacle/Temple

Leviticus 27:30

 “One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.

Numbers 18:26

“Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you receive—a tithe of the tithe—to the Lord as a sacred offering.

Deuteronomy 14:24“Now when the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe.

2 Chronicles 31:5

When the people of Israel heard these requirements, they responded generously by bringing the first share of their grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a large quantity—a tithe of all they produced.

In fact, the Old Testament Law required multiple tithes which would have pushed the total to around 23.3 percent, not the 10 percent which is generally considered the tithe amount today.

Some understand the Old Testament tithe as a method of taxation to provide for the needs of the priests and Levites in the sacrificial system.

The New Testament nowhere commands, or even recommends, that Christians submit to a legalistic tithe system. Paul states that believers should set aside a portion of their income in order to support the church

1 Corinthians 16:1-2.…Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia.2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.

The New Testament nowhere designates a percentage of income a person should set aside, but only says it is to be “in keeping with income”

1 Corinthians 16:2. Some in the Christian church have taken the 10 percent figure from the Old Testament tithe and applied it as a “recommended minimum” for Christians in their giving.

The New Testament talks about the importance and benefits of giving. We are to give as we are able. Sometimes that means giving more than 10 percent; sometimes that may mean giving less. It all depends on the ability of the Christian and the needs of the church. Every Christian should diligently pray and seek God’s wisdom in the matter of participating in tithing and/or how much to give

James 1:5

 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

Above all, all tithes and offerings should be given with pure motives and an attitude of worship to God and service to the body of Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:7

 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”(Prov 22:8) Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end. (The Greek version includes an additional proverb: God blesses a man who gives cheerfully, / but his worthless deeds will come to an end).

Ons is geneigom op geld staattemaakvironsdaagliksebehoeftes, watonsnodig het om van teleef, die geldelikeuitgawesomonsoorhoofsekosteswatons self aangegaan het tedek. Dan vraonsnogvir God omhierdiebehoefteswat X bedrag is tevoorsien, want dit is die minimum bedragwatonsbenodig want sonder geld kanonsnieleefnie.

“Should a church participate in fund-raising?”……Answer: First, we must define what we mean by “fundraising.” The Bible is clear that the giving of “offerings” is commanded and blessed by God. God loves a “cheerful giver”—one who gives abundantly out of a heart of love for God (2 Corinthians 2:8-9). Paul provides instruction and a great deal of discussion about giving in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9. He also shows great appreciation to those who gave to him at various times to enable him to continue his ministry (Philippians 4:14-20). You also find records of generous giving in the early church (Acts 4:32-37). Fund-raising, then, is something other than the normal giving of a congregation toward the work of the Lord.……If a church does decide to raise additional funds for a specific need, the following cautions are in order:……• Be honest about what the money is for.…• Avoid excessive profit.…• Don’t allow the fundraising to communicate to others that God’s people are not being obedient, therefore the church is hitting up unbelievers for money.…• Be sure the congregation understands it is in addition to, not in place of, normal giving.…• Be considerate of those that have convictions against fundraising – you cannot prove biblically that it is OK, so it could be a doubtful thing for some.……On the other hand, there are benefits to depending upon giving rather than fundraising: (taken from above passages)……• People learn to give because it is a blessing (actual fruit added to their account), not to get something.…• Depending upon gifts of God’s people allows a ministry to learn to work in the framework of contentedness and obedience.…• It is a clear way to give God glory. Fundraisers can bring glory to products or personalities.…• Depending upon the giving of God’s people can strengthen our faith.……Alternatives to supplement tithing:……• Establish special funds with particular goals. Some people will give to special projects above their regular giving. …• Encourage faith commitments through a banquet (not selling meals – but expressing need – accepting gifts) or other challenges.…• Encourage members to take a certain amount of money and invest it over a particular duration – some might put it in a CD, others might buy ingredients for something and then sell their product; the individuals then would all bring their personal gifts as an offering. This avoids the stigma of the church doing a fundraiser, incorporates people, and allows them to use a great deal of creativity.……A Scripture account that might be used to discourage fundraising would that of Jesus and the money changers in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13Mark 11:15-17). Some may conclude that the reason He called it a “den of thieves” was that Jesus was against profit being made off ministry. However, the passage could more easily be understood that He was condemning the dishonest practice of the greedy, hypocritical, and corrupt religious leaders. We also need to take into account that we no longer have temples that involve animal sacrifices; therefore, it would be difficult to compare that ministry to that of the current church model described in Acts and the Epistles.……One should not take lightly the degree of anger expressed by Jesus as He chased the profiteers out; however, it doesn’t necessarily provide a solid proof text against what we consider fundraising.

“What does the Bible say about selling in church?”……Answer: The first Scriptures that come to mind in regard to selling in the church are Matthew 21:12-13Mark 11:15-17; and Luke 19:45-46, all of which describe the incidents (there were two) when Jesus “cleansed” the Temple. When He saw the kinds of activities that were being carried on in His Father’s house, He became very angry. Clearly, this was not what the Temple was built for.……Jesus regarded both merchants and customers guilty of desecrating the temple. Items being bought and sold included “doves” and other animals for sacrifice (John 2:14). Also present were those who exchanged one currency for another. This was needed because Roman coins and other forms of currency were deemed unacceptable for temple offerings. Evidently, both merchants and money changers were charging such excessive rates that the temple marketplace took on the atmosphere of a thieves’ den (vs. 13).……Obviously, selling books, having a raffle, doing fundraising, etc., is different from what was going on in the temple. Jesus was not necessarily angry that they were selling in the temple, but rather that selling was becoming the focus instead of God. Jesus was also angry that the money-changers were taking advantage of people, many of whom were poor, who needed their services. Doves and other animals were required for the offering, and tithes in acceptable currency were also a requirement.……Such is not the case in today’s churches. Purchases in a church bookstore, for example, are entirely voluntary. No purchase is necessary to attend worship. If a church does decide to sell something inside the church, it should make sure that the selling does not receive undue attention and does not draw away from worship and the teaching of God’s Word. Selling should also never be made “high-pressure.”

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

TITHE

tith (ma`aserdekate): The custom of giving a 10th part of the products of the land and of the spoils of war to priests and kings (1 Maccabees 10:31; 11:35; 1 Samuel 8:15, 17) was a very ancient one among most nations. That the Jews had this custom long before the institution of the Mosaic Law is shown by Genesis 14:17-20 (compare Hebrews 7:4) and Genesis 28:22. Many critics hold that these two passages are late and only reflect the later practice of the nation; but the payment of tithes is so ancient and deeply rooted in the history of the human race that it seems much simpler and more natural to believe that among the Jews the practice was in existence long before the time of Moses.……In the Pentateuch we find legislation as to tithes in three places.……(1) According to Leviticus 27:30-33, a tithe had to be given of the seed of the land, i.e. of the crops, of the fruit of the tree, e.g. oil and wine, and of the herd or the flock (compare Deuteronomy 14:22, 232 Chronicles 31:5, 6). As the herds and flocks passed out to pasture they were counted (compare Jeremiah 33:13Ezekiel 20:37), and every 10th animal that came out was reckoned holy to the Lord. The owner was not allowed to search among them to find whether they were bad or good, nor could he change any of them; if he did, both the one chosen and the one for which it was changed were holy. Tithes of the herds and flocks could not be redeemed for money, but tithes of the seed of the land and of fruit could be, but a 5th part of the value of the tithe had to be added.……(2) In Numbers 18:21-32 it is laid down that the tithe must be paid to the Levites. (It should be noted that according to Hebrews 7:5, `they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood…. take tithes of the people.’ Westcott’s explanation is that the priests, who received from the Levites a tithe of the tithe, thus symbolically received the whole tithe. In the time of the second temple the priests did actually receive the tithes. In the Talmud (Yebhamoth 86a et passim) it is said that this alteration from the Mosaic Law was caused by the sin of the Levites, who were not eager to return to Jerusalem, but had to be persuaded to do so by Ezra (Ezra 8:15).) The Levites were to receive the tithes offered by Israel to Yahweh, because they had no other inheritance, and in return for their service of the tabernacle (Numbers 18:21, 24). The tithe was to consist of corn of the threshing-floor and the fullness of the wine press (Numbers 18:27), which coincides with seed of the land and fruit of the trees in Leviticus 27. The Levites, who stood in the same relation to the priests as the people did to themselves, were to offer from this their inheritance a heave offering, a tithe of a tithe, to the priests (compare Nehemiah 10:39), and for this tithey were to choose of the best part of what they received.……(3) In Deuteronomy 12:5, 6, 11, 18 (compare Amos 4:4) it is said that the tithe is to be brought “unto the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there,” i.e. to Jerusalem; and in Deuteronomy 12:7, 12, 18, that the tithe should be used there as a sacred meal by the offerer and his household, including the Levite within his gates. Nothing is said here about tithing cattle, only grain, wine and oil being mentioned (compare Nehemiah 10:36-38Nehemiah 13:5, 12). In Deuteronomy 14:22-29 it is laid down that if the way was too long to carry the tithe to Jerusalem it could be exchanged for money, and the money taken there instead, where it was to be spent in anything the owner chose; and whatever was bought was to be eaten by him and his household and the Levites at Jerusalem. In the third year the tithe was to be reserved and eaten at home by the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow. In Deuteronomy 26:12-15 it is laid down that in the 3rd year, after this feast had been given, the landowner should go up himself before the Lord his God, i.e. to Jerusalem, and ask God’s blessing on his deed. (According to the Mishna, CoTah 9 10; Ma`aser Sheni 5 65, the high priest Johanan abolished this custom.) In this passage this 3rd year is called “the year of tithing.”……There is thus an obvious apparent discrepancy between the legislation in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. It is harmonized in Jewish tradition, not only theoretically but in practice, by considering the tithes as three different tithes, which are named the First Tithe, the Second Tithe, and the Poor Tithe, which is called also the Third Tithe (Pe’ah, Ma`aseroth, Ma`ser Sheni, Dema’i, Ro’sh ha-shanah; compare Tobit 1:7, 8; Ant, IV, iv, 3; viii, 8; viii, 22). According to this explanation, after the tithe (the First Tithe) was given to the Levites (of which they had to give the tithe to the priests), a Second Tithe of the remaining nine-tenths had to be set apart and consumed in Jerusalem. Those who lived far from Jerusalem could change this Second Tithe into money with the addition of a 5th part of its value. Only food, drink or ointment could be bought for the money (Ma`aser Sheni 2 1; compare Deuteronomy 14:26). The tithe of cattle belonged to the Second Tithe, and was to be used for the feast in Jerusalem (Zebhachim 5 8). In the 3rd year the Second Tithe was to be given entirely to the Levites and the poor. But according to Josephus (Ant., IV, viii, 22) the “Poor Tithe” was actually a third one. The priests and the Levites, if landowners, were also obliged to give the Poor Tithe (Pe’ah 1 6).……The explanation given by many critics, that the discrepancy between Deuteronomy and Leviticus is due to the fact that these are different layers of legislation, and that the Levitical tithe is a post-exilian creation of the Priestly Code, is not wholly satisfactory, for the following reasons:……(1) The allusion in Deuteronomy 18:1, 2 seems to refer to the Levitical tithe.……(2) There is no relation between the law of Numbers 18 and post-exilian conditions, when the priests were numerous and the Levites a handful.……(3) A community so poor and disaffected as that of Ezra’s time would have refused to submit to a new and oppressive tithe burden.……(4) The division into priests and Levites cannot have been of the recent origin that is alleged.……See LEVITES.……W. R. Smith and others suggest that the tithe is simply a later form of the first-fruits, but this is difficult to accept, since the first-fruits were given to the priest, while the tithes were not. The whole subject is involved in considerable obscurity, which with our present information cannot easily be cleared away.……The Talmudic law of tithing extends the Mosaic Law, with most burdensome minuteness, even to the smallest products of the soil. Of these, according to some, not only the seeds, but, in certain cases, even the leaves and stalks had to be tithed (Ma`aseroth 4 5), “mint, anise, and cummin” (Dema’i 11 1; compare Matthew 23:23Luke 11:42). The general principle was that “everything that is eaten, that is watched over, and that grows out of the earth” must be tithed (Ma`aseroth 1 1).……Considering the many taxes, religious and secular, that the Jews had to pay, especially in post-exilian times, we cannot but admire the liberality and resourcefulness of the Jewish people. Only in the years just after the return from exile do we hear that the taxes were only partially paid (Nehemiah 13:10; compare Malachi 1:7 and for pre-exilian times compare 2 Chronicles 31:4;). In later times such cases seldom occur (Sotah 48a), which is the more surprising since the priests, who benefited so much by these laws of the scribes, were the adversaries of the latter.……Paul Levertoff