Cheerful giver.

[Esaias]

From another thread:

Originally Posted by Esaias

I think a lot of folks simply use the term "tithe", or " tithes and offerings", to simply mean donations to the church/ministry. So when these people hear "No tithe is taught in the NT!" they assume, or interpret, it to mean "No giving of money, no supporting the church/ministry, is taught in the NT!"

So, maybe a more productive approach (generally speaking) may be to promote unselfish giving of whatever resources one has available, and teaching the agricultural tithe of Israel as a example and principle of community support for 1) teaching and propagation of the Word, 2) orphans, 3) widows, and 4) pilgrims/foreignors visiting the community. As well as the concept of vows and obligations persisting across generations, the idea of representative ("federal") headship, land ownership and the landlord-tenant relationship between God and the nation, etc.

[diakonos]

Originally Posted by Esaias

From another thread:

Excellent! I think some of these pastors are afraid they’ll starve if they don’t teach a tithe, followed up with a curse if you don’t shell out 10%.

[Apostolic1ness]

How many hours a day or week should be spent by a Pastor praying, studying, preparing to preach, counseling, visiting the sick, reaching the lost, etc.

Im not sure about other Pastors but I know that my Pastor spends hours daily at the church praying and studying and feeling after God for direction for the Church and still he feels like he is not spending enough time communing with God.
I cant imagine him holding a 9 to 5 at this point and would actually be apposed to it considering the size and ability of our church to provide for him and his family.

I do not think its wrong for a pastor to hold a job and at times is needed. However I also see nothing wrong with a church thats able to support the Pastor, I actually see great benefit.

So what is the suggestion of how a Pastor should receive an income? Work? donations? salary from the church?

[coksiw]

Originally Posted by Apostolic1ness

How many hours a day or week should be spent by a Pastor praying, studying, preparing to preach, counseling, visiting the sick, reaching the lost, etc.

Im not sure about other Pastors but I know that my Pastor spends hours daily at the church praying and studying and feeling after God for direction for the Church and still he feels like he is not spending enough time communing with God.
I cant imagine him holding a 9 to 5 at this point and would actually be apposed to it considering the size and ability of our church to provide for him and his family.

I do not think its wrong for a pastor to hold a job and at times is needed. However I also see nothing wrong with a church thats able to support the Pastor, I actually see great benefit.

So what is the suggestion of how a Pastor should receive an income? Work? donations? salary from the church?

[Act 20:33-35 NASB] 33 "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. 34 "You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my [own] needs and to the men who were with me. 35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

[1Co 9:14 NASB] 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

According to the scripture, options are: working on a regular job, and getting your living from the church. They are both valid good ways of living while proclaiming the gospel.

Take into account that the churches in the new testament used to be small, with little overhead. So, all the donation they used to get was sufficient. And also the pastors could be living in part from the donations and in part from their self-employed profession (as Paul did while traveling and preaching).

The Southern Baptist Church doesn't teach tithing, yet they are still making it. Here is a good list of organizations and churches that don't teach tithing and still make it: https://www.tithing.com/those-who-di...-with-tithing/

[Rudy]

Originally Posted by Apostolic1ness

Not sure who is measuring God's giving by or with money. You know all of our substance belongs to God, I see nothing wrong with financing the kingdom of God. It's not good to be greedy. To God be the glory our church just pledged last night to give an Evangelist $14,000 to help him and his family get a better RV to travel in.

now surely God will give back more than $14,000.



Why are we greedy? How do you measure that?

[Rudy]

Originally Posted by hometown guy

You act like you want us to give scripture but the fact is you know what scripture that we will say and you think you have some great response but it’s hog wash. If you want to burn in hell then keep your 10% and keep robing God by just giving your offering. that’s your choice. I love giving to the ministery, church, missions and wherever else God leads me to give.....Why don’t you give us scriptures that the apostle don’t think it’s a necessary to tithe anymore.

Show me a command to tithe money for the church.

[Tithesmeister]

Originally Posted by Apostolic1ness

How many hours a day or week should be spent by a Pastor praying, studying, preparing to preach, counseling, visiting the sick, reaching the lost, etc.

Im not sure about other Pastors but I know that my Pastor spends hours daily at the church praying and studying and feeling after God for direction for the Church and still he feels like he is not spending enough time communing with God.
I cant imagine him holding a 9 to 5 at this point and would actually be apposed to it considering the size and ability of our church to provide for him and his family.

I do not think its wrong for a pastor to hold a job and at times is needed. However I also see nothing wrong with a church thats able to support the Pastor, I actually see great benefit.

So what is the suggestion of how a Pastor should receive an income? Work? donations? salary from the church?

Something tells me you’re not going to like the idea of him drinking out of the creek and crows feeding him. After all that happened in the Old Testament (kinda like tithes).

Working with his own hands seemed to work pretty well for Paul in the New Testament. His results hold up pretty well if we are comparing results.

I’m for a system that doesn’t include lying about scripture, manipulation of scripture, extortion of money at the threat of losing your salvation, coveting something that scripture gives preachers no entitlement to and other such similar situations.

If that is a salary I’m okay with that.

I’d prefer the New Testament Church model where they had a plural eldership and the administration of the church was shared by many. I think that would be best. The problem is Apostolic churches won’t try it. It seems to work just fine for the Church of Christ, (as does no tithing).

[diakonos]

good grief

[Ehud]

Originally Posted by diakonos

A question to non tithers. Do you give a percentage of your income to church offering? Do you set anything aside specifically for the pastor?

Not to interrupt the diatribe that has taken over the thread, but...

My wife and I give ~10% of our gross checks to our local assembly. We label our checks as 'tithes' but only as a distinction between the general fund and the building fund, youth, etc. (Our pastor is salaried, and does not receive all tithes. During lean times, he has refused his salary in order for church bills to be paid first.) When we are able, we try to give directly to the pastor and his wife as well.

[diakonos]

Originally Posted by Ehud

Not to interrupt the diatribe that has taken over the thread, but...

My wife and I give ~10% of our gross checks to our local assembly. We label our checks as 'tithes' but only as a distinction between the general fund and the building fund, youth, etc. (Our pastor is salaried, and does not receive all tithes. During lean times, he has refused his salary in order for church bills to be paid first.) When we are able, we try to give directly to the pastor and his wife as well.

Thank you. Appreciate the reply.