Does the teaching of tithing turn people away from Christ?

[SamMcNear]

I think the teachings of tithing as far as it is mandatory for Christians today, makes people turn away from accepting Christ. How One of the #1 reasons people don't want to go to church is because they think preachers only want your money. I know a lot of this comes from word of faith TV shows, it also comes from the teaching of tithing. If the teaching of tithing is truth then it wouldn't turn people away. If the teachings of tithing, as far as it is mandatory for Christians today, is not Gods truth like those TV shows asking for faith pledges or using God kingdom as a den of thieves, then it is only hindering the growth of the kingdom of God.

My question is since the teaching of tithing is not taught for the New Testament believer why do we still push this false doctrine in our churches as such? How can we stop it?

Read this articles by Steve Gregg to understand why I don’t believe in tithing.
http://thenarrowpath.com/topical/Are%20 ... 0Today.htm

[TK]

Sam wrote:

why do we still push this false doctrine in our churches as such? How can we stop it?

well, lets face it-- churches need money. and i dont believe that the great majority of pastors of those churches believe that tithing is a false doctrine. they may be mistaken, but they are not knowingly teeaching false doctrine. I think they genuinely believe that tithing is required. But I would say that Pastors would feel some unease if they read Steve's article. Then they might be convicted about teaching tithing as absolute doctrine.

i agree with you that tithing is not the rule under the new covenant. some mainstream pastors, like John MacArthur, do not teach tithing.

TK

[SamMcNear]

I didn't know John MacArthur, didn't teach tithing. What other mainstream teachers do this?

[TK]

There probably are others, but i cannot think of any offhand.

here is a sermon where John M. discusses his understanding:

http://www.biblebb.com/files/mac/47-58.htm

TK

[darinhouston]

Sam wrote:

why do we still push this false doctrine in our churches as such? How can we stop it?

well, lets face it-- churches need money. and i dont believe that the great majority of pastors of those churches believe that tithing is a false doctrine. they may be mistaken, but they are not knowingly teeaching false doctrine. I think they genuinely believe that tithing is required. But I would say that Pastors would feel some unease if they read Steve's article. Then they might be convicted about teaching tithing as absolute doctrine.

i agree with you that tithing is not the rule under the new covenant. some mainstream pastors, like John MacArthur, do not teach tithing.

TK

Hmmm -- churches don't need money in a way that others don't. Besides, if they focused on spiritual maturity and growth and encouragement to enable its 'members' to live by the spirit instead of being a club to attract all comers in hopes of evangelism, then they might just find their financial needs are easily met without a teaching on tithing. Is marble necessary for the edification of believers? No, but it may be necessary to attract the potential tithers in the community that want to go to chruch for social or cultural reasons.

[mattrose]

If the teaching of tithing is truth then it wouldn't turn people away.

While I agree with you that tithing is not a NT command, I disagree with your thought process here. We should not judge the truthfulness of a doctrine by it's acceptance to the general public. Jesus Christ, taught rightly, is going to offend some people. And, for that matter, if tithing (10%) is offensive, stewardship (100%) certainly will be!

[TK]

amen to that, matt.

TK

[Paidion]

I didn't know John MacArthur, didn't teach tithing. What other mainstream teachers do this?

There probably are others, but i cannot think of any offhand.

How about Steve Gregg? Or is he "sidestream"?

[SamMcNear]

Steve Gregg is mainstream in my eyes! I love that guy!

[SamMcNear]

While I agree with you that tithing is not a NT command, I disagree with your thought process here. We should not judge the truthfulness of a doctrine by it's acceptance to the general public. Jesus Christ, taught rightly, is going to offend some people. And, for that matter, if tithing (10%) is offensive, stewardship (100%) certainly will be!

I agree that Christ taught rightly, but the issue here is the church as His representation on earth. Maybe I have a false believe in my heart but I feel we are the body of Christ and what we say the world thinks it as if Christ said it. In general I don’t accept a doctrine because the general public accepts it, yet some doctrines accepted by the general public I do accept because they are a true Biblical doctrine.

My whole point here is I think people are turning from Christ and churches that are good bible teaching churches (except for the few bad teachings such as tithing), because of the teaching of tithing.

I don't think 100% stewardship would be offensive for them that are honestly looking for truth. Because 100% stewardship is consistent with the rest of Christ’s teaching but 10% or tithing for NT Christians is contradictory. When someone sees something that doesn't seem right or contradicts, they can go to the extreme or run the other way when they see something that doesn't fit. Sometimes they run to the opposite of that teaching like I did when I decided as a older teen to study and practice witchcraft . Thank God He got me out of that and back to His truth .

So in conclusion people look to churches as a representation of Christ (we are His body) and if that body of Christ contradicts itself then people think Christianity is wrong, a weird, fanatic religion that ignores truth. A great example of that is the atheist Christopher Hitchens who looks at the people in Christianity and what they do as reason to not believe. If your interest in seeing this view from Hitchens watch this debate with him. http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?vi ... 6c55fdb819
note: I feel this debate is a unbalanced debate against Hitchens but it gets his views across anyways.

I hope this makes clearer what my concern is about the teachings of tithing for today.

Thanks for your comments, I love thinking at things from all angles.

Sam