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Bible and money A response by John of AllFaith, Jan. 2007 |
Questioner: V
Subject: Bible and moneyQuestion:
hello and god bless! I was wondering... does tithing mean gross or net? And also what if we really cannot afford to give the one-tenth? should we just give what we have and not feel guilty about it not being the one tenth? i do understand that god wants tithing as an act of faith. and i personally do believe that we should give something to help others rather than nothing at all...but i wondered about the amounts.
plus, what if we are in debt- should we pay the debts before the tithes since it's money owed or just pay god first like he asks and trust that he will work it out? i suppose i know...we need to trust him! what are your thoughts? any insight would be greatly appreciated!
John of AllFaith's reply
Hi V
A tithe is 10% of the gross because it refers to the "first fruits."
While some Christians will disagree with me on this point, tithing is part of the Mosaic Law. It was a sort of Jewish income tax. Those under the New Covenant are not obligated to observe the Law. For Christians the tithe is not 10% but 100%.
Christians should view everything, including their finances, as God's possessions and themselves as stewards. What is required therefore is being a good steward. Each of us must determine how best to do this.
Hope this helps,
~John of AllFaith
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