There has been increased interest in kingdom matters by those
who may or may not belong to the fold. Of all the subjects on social media in
recent times, tithing is fast becoming the most discussed and analysed.
Much as I don't want to join the unnecessary debate, I feel
compelled to make my stand known on the raging but absolutely needless
controversy.
First, matters of faith, worship and doctrines are personal. If
some persons embrace and indulge in certain practices, that shouldn't be
anybody's concern or headache provided such do not abridge the right of others
or pose any threat to law and order.
To the best of my knowledge, everything about the Christian
faith is voluntary. Pastors may occasionally emphasize certain subjects if they
feel necessary or led to do so. But I'm yet to be informed that any Pastor shut
the doors of the Church against members who didn't pay tithe or demand for the
details of members' financial transactions to ascertain the correctness of
their tithes.
Tithing was first commanded and practiced in the Old
Testament.Many of the promises and covenant privileges we enjoy as believers
are in the Old Testament. Incidentally, tithe is mentioned in the New Testament
too. None of the "No tithes" advocates has shown me where God ordered
the discontinuance of tithing in either the Old or New Testament.
I have been a Christian, and in fact a Church boy almost all my
life. I started from my family Church, Methodist Church Nigeria, Okossi where
my father was a steward. I was under the tutelage of Hon. Bassey Bassey
Anduang, Late Mr Esu Emene, Late Bishop Otohotoho and other men of faith. I was
baptized by the Very Rev.(Later Bishop) Edunam, father of Chief Dr. E. E. B.
Edunam at Methodist Church, Oyoku Assang in the present Okobo Local Government
Area in the 80s as a primary school pupil.
I was the first to embrace pentecostalism in my family. That, I
did as a young boy in Junior Secondary School when some missionaries brought
Africa Bible Church(Later Bible Church of Nigeria) to Oyubia where my mum was a
teacher. The Church held its services in Central School, Oyubia. My Pastor was
Rev. Henshaw Edumoh and that was when I knew Rev. Robert Uloh(Even though I was too young for him
to have noticed me).
The gospel was sweet, pure and neither the Church nor the Pastor
was materially wealthy. I learnt a lot about God and how to walk with Him.
Now, the point I'm trying to make here is that both my family
Church, Methodist and that seemingly "poor" Pentecostal Church which
couldn't afford to hold service outside open primary school classrooms received
tithes from members. So, why are we talking as if tithe was recently invented
by some crooked modern day Pentecostal Pastors?
That a Pastor is wealthy doesn't mean his wealth was sponsored
by the tithes of Church members just as the poverty of a Pastor doesn't mean
his ministry doesn't receive tithes.
Furthermore, Church members aren't impoverished by tithes.If
they were, it won't take your advocacy for such awareness to dawn on them.
Please, let's leave matters of the kingdom to its members. If
you are a member of the kingdom who for whatever reason doesn't believe in
tithing, it's within your right to do so and forfeit the benefits as stated in MALACHI
3:10-12. To embark on a campaign against other peoples harmless faith practices
is uncharitable and provocative, to say the least.
This campaign would have been justified if tithes were collected
at gun point or under any form of duress. If Tithers aren't complaining, why
should Non-Tithers become this worried and concerned? When did we become this
caring?
While you are condemning 10% tithe as stipulated in scriptures
and rightly taught by Pastors, some believers are voluntarily paying between 20
and 90% without going broke. It's a matter of faith( Man and his God)please.
Each person knows certain things about Himself and his God which may motivate
him/her into certain seemingly unreasonable actions. If you ask, he may tell
you.
I pay tithes for several reasons. The most important of them is
that if God didn't give me, I won't have. And my life hasn't grown worse
because of tithing.
I haven't seen anywhere in the Bible where God either condemned
or abrogated the practice of payment of tithes.
In MATTHEW 23:23 and LUKE 11:42 which some commentators use as
the basis of their argument against tithing, our Lord Jesus Christ never
condemned tithing. My little understanding of basic English tells me that he
was condemning a situation where the people neglected other important aspects
of the covenant to focus mainly on payment of tithes.
If there are Churches which preach tithing more than other
matters of the Christian faith, my own Church isn't part of it.
Please I prefer to be wrong trying to please God than to be
wrong trying to serve myself. I will continue to tithe until someone shows me
where God condemns tithing in scriptures.
If you don't see the need to tithe, please enjoy your money
without trying to portray some of us as foolish and gullible. Please, we still
think and reason.
When Pastors were poor, you mocked them and now that God has
blessed some of them, you accuse them of being responsible for the poverty of
the whole world. What do you really want?
What percentage of the society attends Church? And what
percentage of those who go to Church pays tithe? Are those who don't pay tithe
automatically wealthy?
Omen Bassey.
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