when the Bible says give a tenth of our total income to the church, is it literal?
i dun remember bible says give a tenth of our belongings to the church..
1stly there was no church back then...
2ndly it was indeed literal..because all that one person had in harvest,flocks or herds were because of God's grace that such things were allowed to happen.. so all your items of wealth were in fact God given.
however,mordern days churches might have something else in their mind when they collect that same 10%.....
Originally posted by ~b1RD_m4N~:when the Bible says give a tenth of our total income to the church, is it literal?
You may as well ask the same about the rest of the bible, no?
Originally posted by domonkassyu:.......
2ndly it was indeed literal..because all that one person had in harvest,flocks or herds were because of God's grace that such things were allowed to happen.. so all your items of wealth were in fact God given.
.......
I've been wanting to ask this I really don't mean to offend anyone but the Protestants are giving a tenth of their income to whom? God? But it is their rev who got all the money.
How is this God's money going to be spent?
I'm a Catholic and as far as I know(and I know only a little) all the money will be used for the church's purposes. a percentage for the domain church(not the priest), some gets distributed to subsidy other poorer church, a small percentage will go to the Vatican.
It looks that the money I give to the church are spent not for the benefit of the priests.
I'm asking because sometimes the Protestant church can look a bit commercial in a sense that some people might perceive the rev as aftering the money. A bit like selling Jesus in a literal meaning.
But I know(read) some Protestant priests who are really a man of Jesus.
Anyone willing to enlighten me?
Originally posted by Miracles&Prophecies:
I've been wanting to ask this I really don't mean to offend anyone but the Protestants are giving a tenth of their income to whom? God? But it is their rev who got all the money.How is this God's money going to be spent?
I'm a Catholic and as far as I know(and I know only a little) all the money will be used for the church's purposes. a percentage for the domain church(not the priest), some gets distributed to subsidy other poorer church, a small percentage will go to the Vatican.
It looks that the money I give to the church are spent not for the benefit of the priests.
I'm asking because sometimes the Protestant church can look a bit commercial in a sense that some people might perceive the rev as aftering the money. A bit like selling Jesus in a literal meaning.
But I know(read) some Protestant priests who are really a man of Jesus.
Anyone willing to enlighten me?
so give to vatican for what??
besides the law of God that actually a man's possesions are in fact God's graces and to give back to God as a token of appreciation..
the money given to the church or other names should only be used to maintain the building and as some kinda financial aids to other poor brothers/sisters. and for the daily normal living expenses of the leaders as they are dependant on the offerings for a living.but this have to be transparent in that they do not missue the good willed money.
Originally posted by domonkassyu:so give to vatican for what??
besides the law of God that actually a man's possesions are in fact God's graces and to give back to God as a token of appreciation..
the money given to the church or other names should only be used to maintain the building and as some kinda financial aids to other poor brothers/sisters. and for the daily normal living expenses of the leaders as they are dependant on the offerings for a living.but this have to be transparent in that they do not missue the good willed money.
It's the same thing with asking why do you pay your taxes to the government. Well the govt needs the money to run the country on the people's behalf. The Vatican needs the money to manage the Catholic churches all over the world. The priests in Catholic church don't have family to give their inheritance to and they don't accumulate personal wealth that is.
So you are saying that in every Protestant church the use of money is transparent? But is it the case? Do the protestant priests always give to the poor? I've seen quite a few Protestant priests who live a life of luxury. Benny Hin for example. Not that I'm against it but it seems rather odd to spend the congregation's money on luxurious lifestyle while they could be used for other nobler things. It's theoretically God's money right? But God never actually took the money because God never needed them.
Not all protestants preachers are known as priests, mind you. It's highly denomination-dependent. Some of them might take offense at this term, even though you might consider it praise for a person's holiness. I suppose pastor would be a more appropriate term.
Give and you will recieve =) you reap wad you sow.. =)!!
Originally posted by Miracles&Prophecies:
I've been wanting to ask this I really don't mean to offend anyone but the Protestants are giving a tenth of their income to whom? God? But it is their rev who got all the money.How is this God's money going to be spent?
I'm a Catholic and as far as I know(and I know only a little) all the money will be used for the church's purposes. a percentage for the domain church(not the priest), some gets distributed to subsidy other poorer church, a small percentage will go to the Vatican.
It looks that the money I give to the church are spent not for the benefit of the priests.
I'm asking because sometimes the Protestant church can look a bit commercial in a sense that some people might perceive the rev as aftering the money. A bit like selling Jesus in a literal meaning.
But I know(read) some Protestant priests who are really a man of Jesus.
Anyone willing to enlighten me?
just like that catholic priest guy who pilfered some money, and had an affair with some god daughter or something?
how sure are you that every cent is being accounted for in the catholic church? it is such a big organization, 20 cents missing here, 10 cents missing there. hardly anyone will notice.
i think you get my drift.
Originally posted by dumbdumb!:just like that catholic priest guy who pilfered some money, and had an affair with some god daughter or something?
how sure are you that every cent is being accounted for in the catholic church? it is such a big organization, 20 cents missing here, 10 cents missing there. hardly anyone will notice.
i think you get my drift.
Because none of the Catholic priest would keep the money for himself. No Catholic priest would accumulate wealth. I don't know about the higher echelon priests like those in Vatican(whether they have bank account) however but none of the priest actually have a family to feed or care. Yes they have relativs but not family of their own.
But yes I got what you meant.
Originally posted by Miracles&Prophecies:Because none of the Catholic priest would keep the money for himself. No Catholic priest would accumulate wealth. I don't know about the higher echelon priests like those in Vatican(whether they have bank account) however but none of the priest actually have a family to feed or care. Yes they have relativs but not family of their own.
But yes I got what you meant.
priest and pastor wads the difference?
me pastor is rev.kong hee.. he got wife, son leh
Originally posted by Miracles&Prophecies:It's the same thing with asking why do you pay your taxes to the government. Well the govt needs the money to run the country on the people's behalf. The Vatican needs the money to manage the Catholic churches all over the world. The priests in Catholic church don't have family to give their inheritance to and they don't accumulate personal wealth that is.
So you are saying that in every Protestant church the use of money is transparent? But is it the case? Do the protestant priests always give to the poor? I've seen quite a few Protestant priests who live a life of luxury. Benny Hin for example. Not that I'm against it but it seems rather odd to spend the congregation's money on luxurious lifestyle while they could be used for other nobler things. It's theoretically God's money right? But God never actually took the money because God never needed them.
really??cath priests no accumulate wealth??remember joachim kang??hes cmg out u knw..
i dun say protestants are good too..by nw i tot u would have understand me to b neutral among christiandom since my stand is that mordern christiandom is flawed terribly..
i dun knw wtf is benny hin..if not wrong hes the faith healer??aint faith healer supposed to heal faith??wats he curing cancers for?
back then economy was very diff..a man of God with 2 sheeps can have much more very quickly.now a man of God with 2 dollars most probably will lose the 2 dollars to GST immediately.
churches are still collectin money from members to run the church building,pay for their own living expenses.pretty much like monks collectin alms.tats all they need...
church leaders collect much much more and living lives of luxuries frm members money should be shot.
Originally posted by youyayu:Give and you will recieve =) you reap wad you sow.. =)!!
true..even more true in places like city harvest..the more money u give the more Good give u back..so only the rich will get "God's" blessing in this sense..
u know, my cell was discussing about this last week.
haha.
Originally posted by dumbdumb!:u know, my cell was discussing about this last week.
haha.
yoz dd..how are u kid??so wats the results of the discusion?
Originally posted by domonkassyu:
true..even more true in places like city harvest..the more money u give the more Good give u back..so only the rich will get "God's" blessing in this sense..
Jesus said this:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
Jesus knows that the temple jews were money grubbing evil men. Jesus knew that the money would most probabily end up in their pockets and misused.
But Jesus also knew the heart of the giver. He knew the widow's intention is to give to God. I bet the widow also knew that the money would most probably be swallowed up by the greedy pharasees. But her intention is to love God and do the right thing.
And Jesus honoured that.
Originally posted by dumbdumb!:Jesus said this:
The Widow's Offering
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
Jesus knows that the temple jews were money grubbing evil men. Jesus knew that the money would most probabily end up in their pockets and misused.
But Jesus also knew the heart of the giver. He knew the widow's intention is to give to God. I bet the widow also knew that the money would most probably be swallowed up by the greedy pharasees. But her intention is to love God and do the right thing.
And Jesus honoured that.
n i told the city harvest guy that their church is as grand as the temples in JC's days.except i didnt go on to say JC also thrashed them out of the holy temple.
my point is people of God must understand that the material wealth they gave to their organization means that they appreciated the grace of God in that humans have whatever they own becuz of God and his creations..to give back to God means we appreciate that undeserved loving kindness..
however,many people give blindly.or were deceived with the wrong dotrine and twisted words to give freely..
i dont really mean only rich people will receive all the blessing or i would not have put ".."...
Originally posted by domonkassyu:
yoz dd..how are u kid??so wats the results of the discusion?
oh, my cell leader put it in an interesting way.
we don't GIVE our tithe.
we TAKE, we BRING our tithe.
because giving, is as if it's ours to give. but actually, think about it. everything we have, is really God's grace. He can easily make the rich man poor, and the poor man rich. everything's His isn't it?
anyway ya, tts basically what we talked about, nothing new.
but personally, i don't see what's wrong with having a good looking church, so long as they continue to do God's work.
if it's wrong to have a good swanky looking church, then in principle, it's also wrong to give a worn looking church a new paint job etc.
you know?
Originally posted by dumbdumb!:but personally, i don't see what's wrong with having a good looking church, so long as they continue to do God's work.
if it's wrong to have a good swanky looking church, then in principle, it's also wrong to give a worn looking church a new paint job etc.
you know?
i have nth against a good lookin place of worship..nor do i have a prob against a good lookin place of worship with scantly clad hot babes..
i jus have a prob with their teachings and practise/practice..whichever the correct word..
tats my point..its the inside of the place of worship that counts..jus like God only see our insides and judge us frm there..
Originally posted by ~b1RD_m4N~:when the Bible says give a tenth of our total income to the church, is it literal?
Obviously not. Its just a guide. You give according to your means.
Originally posted by dumbdumb!:u know, my cell was discussing about this last week.
haha.
Hey it is a very good discussion.
Originally posted by dumbdumb!:........
He can easily make the rich man poor, and the poor man rich. everything's His isn't it?
........
Hmm you sounded like you have da faith. I mean only true Christians would say everything is His. Last time someone argue about this with me in Sgforum, in eternal hope I think :-). Got to go jogging.