I have made several posts on BaptistBoard about the topic of tithing. I realize that in articulating my point it could be very possible for many to misunderstand and think I advocated a substandard spirit of giving: one that allows people to be lazy in their church and not give enough to support the ministry. If anything I have said regarding this issue has been perceived with arrogant or unpure motive, if I have discouraged anyone from giving abundantly or gave anyone an excuse not to give to the church obediently and cheerfully to meet needs, then I sincerely apologize. Will you please accept my humblest and heartfelt apology. :tear:
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A sincere apology
- Thread starter AresMan
- Start date
mcdirector
Active Member
AresMan said:
Since this was written yesterday and no one has of yet responded, I feel compelled to do so just so you know that I read your post.
I've never felt anything you said about anythingvwas arrogant or said with an impure motive.
No offense here.
I tithe, not because I feel guilty if I don't, but because it is the system that my wife and I decided to use. We also give over and above to other good causes.
I appreciate your views... they have been really helpful since I am currently preaching a series of sermons on stewardship.
BTW, we need to be good stewards not only of our money, but our time, talents and testimonies... but that is another subject entirely.
I tithe, not because I feel guilty if I don't, but because it is the system that my wife and I decided to use. We also give over and above to other good causes.
I appreciate your views... they have been really helpful since I am currently preaching a series of sermons on stewardship.
BTW, we need to be good stewards not only of our money, but our time, talents and testimonies... but that is another subject entirely.
Those posts were a while ago, but I know some people personally who read them and became very upset and felt that I was accusing people of false teaching and leading them away from giving. If people that I know personally can be upset from reading them, then I imagine that people here who I don't know personally may have felt likewise.J.D. said:
I realize that this is a place where people come to debate and challenge each other. Since we don't know each other personally, there is more perceived freedom to make apparent accusations that could bite at the hearts of others. It was not my intent to "attack" anyone or to accuse anyone of deliberately teaching false doctrine. I sometimes say things strongly in order to challenge people to defend what they believe. For instance, if I make a statement like "why are you twisting Scripture out of context?" I don't mean to directly accuse anyone of malicious intent. I used such statements in a hypothetical sense to make someone think deeply and wonder if indeed that is what happens and one didn't even realize it. But of course, motives cannot be deduced from text alone.
I just want you all to know that I just want to be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 who "searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things be so." I want to be able to debate, I want to give truth and I want to learn truth. That is what debating should be all about. I sincerely want to know the truth, and I want to be able to defend the truth with Scripture. I can be wrong or I can be right, but I don't want to be one for believing anything out of ignorance. We have the Word of God, and it is meant to be read and studied, holding nothing back. I don't want to be afraid of any portion of Scripture, and if there is anything that I don't understand, I pray that the Spirit will lead me into all truth. I hope that this is your prayer too.
If you search the scriptures daily as you say, you will see there is no such thing as tithing in the N.T. Yes it could be a way to make people lazy and ungiving. But God set up free will giving for the N.T. If done properly and from the heart people will give more rather than be shackled to the tithe.