Some more interesting discussions recently on christian forums. Mainly with one side going "if you give God will bless you and increase you. Dont you dare speak a word against tithing" and the other side going "lets see what the bible has to say about this "

2 Corinthians 9 6-8 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work

These verses kind of shoot a hole in the emotional and guilt laden trips used by my former church. If I am supposed to give in my heart what I have decided with God, where did they get off telling me if is not good enough.

What makes me cursious though, is tithing actually something for new testament christians, or is it something that churches have latched onto as a means of revenue gathering?

Galations 5 2-3`
Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, it means that Christ is of no use to you at all.3 Once more I warn any man who allows himself to be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the whole Law

Ok, so if a christian wants to tithe as in the new testament, then they are also obliged to follow all of the torah?

The tithes as defined in deteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:22-29 " Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away) 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, and the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands."

Deuteronomy is good, because it speaks about how money can be used in place of produce, live stock etc. However it seems that when we bring it into the place of Gods choosing, we are supposed to by anything we wish and sit down and have a large party (deut 14:26)..... How far we have fallen from what was laid out in the bible