There is no scriptural basis for requiring Christians to tithe

Congratulations on a more fiesty rebuttal! Great thoughts and insights. GIVING BECAUSE YOU WANT TO I think my opponent brings an interesting point up in the fact that there are many Christians who give to their churches without being asked or demanded of. They believe in the the cause their church promotes and the mission of the leadership of that organization. They like having a place to worship together with friends and strangers, and they don't mind paying for what that costs. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with this sentiment. But, that is not tithing - that is donating. The concept of tithing is that of a mandatory, consulsory offering necessary for pleasing God and financial blessings. That's a far cry from what he is describing. MALACHI 3 Now, concerning Malachi 3, we have to be careful not to twist the scripture. The accusation here is that the people were saying that "it its futile to serve God". It does not say that they believed it was pointless to TITHE (although you could probably include that in serving God under the law). Let look at Malachi 1:7 Mal 1:7 "Ye offer pollutedH bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible." So, my opponent's statement, "God really didn't care if their food were rotten", is a false statement. It was apparently a core issue. It also proves that the people WERE in fact tithing, which changes the meaning of Malachi 3 from what most preachers teach. However, I do agree with my opponent in the premise that there was more to the issue than the tithes, which God was certainly responding to. Yet, in many churches, a person could be doing everything else "right" except for tithing and they are told that they are under the CURSE - one that Jesus freed us from on the cross. By the way, Cain and Abel offered God a different type of offering, which was never referred to as a tithe. FOR THE SAINTS My opponent has also made a grave mistake in this debate. He defined saints as the LEADERS of the church. The scripture defines saints as ALL BELIEVERS. The amount that was being collected in Jerusalem was not for Paul's livelihood - he had a tent making business. It was to return to Jerusalem with money to help the poor there and help fill needs within the church. I agree with my opponent that the early church was not at all interested in covering pastoral salaries or church building costs. However, today's church is no more deserving of this. The current church model needs money because of the way it is being done. If we did church like Acts 2, home to home and person to person, we would not need to give billions to pay for pastoral salaries, building funds, and elaborate decorations. The fact is, being an ex-pastor myself, churches spend more than 80% of the tithes and offerings on maintenance of facilities and staff salaries. Most are lucky if 1% makes it to the poor, the widow, the orphan, or saints in need. THE WIDOW'S GIFT Jesus did share the story of the widow who gave more than all the others. He was illustrating a matter of the heart. This widow, even in her need, was willing to give to others even when it was all she had. This in no way substantiates the tithe. GIVING ALL I agree with my opponent with on modification - we should consider all we have as God's and see ourselves as stewards of those things. If you have a big house, share it with others and show hospitality. If you have a lot of money, share it with those who are struggling and need a break. That is the Christain way of giving. The Bible states: Luk 6:38 "give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." The context of this is far from giving to the church. It is about fulfilling the needs of your BROTHERS and NEIGHBORS. It is about the fact that if you take care of people, in your time of need, people will give back to you our of gratitude. It's not about tithing or giving money to a spiritual leader. This entire chapter is about how you should act towards your brothers. That is the key to giving outside of being bound to the law of tithing.