Is Tithing Now A Bad Thing Because Men Abuse Tithes?

IS TITHING NOW A BAD THING BECAUSE MEN ABUSE TITHES?

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No! Because tithing wasn't a bad thing to Jesus.

For Jesus said:

Matthew 23:23 (KJV)

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

So this saying clearly shows that Jesus the Master Himself wasn't against tithing, but what He was against was the tendency of the Pharisees to omit or sideline the majors of the Law such as judgment, mercy, and faith because of a minor matter as tithing.

So that is exactly where I also stand on the tithing matter, that it never get emphasized to the point where it begins to take preeminence over the most important things, because that would inevitably lead to abuse of tithes, amongst other corrupt practices, which the majors are meant to prevent.

Therefore I'm not against tithing as some here may have wrongly assumed, because as a matter of fact I believe that tithing works, and I have some personal experiences while I still tithed and preached tithing to back that claim.

Tithing somehow seemed to be the first revelation from my own study of the Bible, after I first repented and began my walk with God. I was so convinced about it to the extent that I couldn't keep it to myself but had to preach it to someone then, and that person was my mum. And my preaching was appeared convincing enough for her to give it a shot. And it worked for her as afterwards she kept telling me that ever since she started tithing, that she noticed that her purse never dried up. So the idea of tithing really proved itself to her that up til date about twenty years later, she doesn't still joke with her tithes.

Another experience associated with tithes, was one testimony I already shared here when I still used to tithe many years ago, but at the time it was sixty percent I gave as tithes not ten. My tithe was at the side pocket of my traveling bag, when some armed robbers invaded the room I was with five other guys. At the end, everyone in the room was robbed of some money and valuables, except for me for nothing belonging to me was lost or taken from me, even though the side pocket I kept the tithes was the most exposed thing in the wardrobe that the robbers took most things from.

The full story can be gotten here:

https://www.nairaland.com/5478528/one-important-lesson-church-members

So I do really believe that tithing works, however I don't believe that tithing (ten percent) ought to be the standard of the church, which I believe ought to operate at the standard of the kingdom of God which is a hundred percent as was illustrated on this occasion:

Acts 4:32, 34-35 (KJV)

32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Hence it could observed that giving in the church that Jesus built wasn't at the level of tithes (ten percent), but a hundred percent which is the standard of the kingdom of God. And this was why Jesus had taken His time to acknowledge that poor widow who gave her everything before His disciples, because that was the standard of the kingdom of God.

Mark 12:43-44 (KJV)

43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

So a hundred percent ought to be the standard of the church as it was in the beginning of the church when they had already given a hundred percent of themselves to God, so that meant everything they possessed already belonged to God, hence no one considering what he possessed as his own. But considering that the standard of the church has crashed and is now a far cry from what it used to be at the time when it was a hundred percent, does that now mean that those who are not able to give God a hundred percent, should not give Him anything?

That's where tithes (ten percent) comes in, at least that's better than giving God zero percent.

So that men abuse tithes, doesn't mean that we should altogether throw away the idea of tithing, because it is still very useful and plays an important role for God's work here on Earth. It has also shown itself to be very useful in provide for the poor and needy when not abused but well managed.

Therefore instead of doing away with tithing, i suggest we all put our hands on deck to ensure that church leaders and those in authority are held accountable for the tithes they receive, so that the mismanagement and abuse of tithes would be brought down to the bearest minimum if not completely eradicated, while we hope and pray for the day that God would give us the kind of church that would give him the hundred percent that He deserves, and also the kind of leaders that wouldn't abuse it but would use it to God's glory and to the benefit of everyone in the church as it was in those days.

NEITHER WAS THERE ANY AMONG THEM THAT LACKED: FOR AS MANY AS WERE POSSESSORS OF LANDS OR HOUSES SOLD THEM, AND BROUGHT THE PRICES OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SOLD,
AND LAID THEM DOWN AT THE APOSTLES' FEET: AND DISTRIBUTION WAS MADE UNTO EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HE HAD NEED. {Acts 4:34-35 (KJV) }

God bless.