Some preachers proclaim Christians are promised health, wealth and prosperity when they tithe. They say give God ten percent of your (gross) income. In return, God will prosper you. Is this true? Is this biblical? A careful study of the Bible shows that Christians are not promised prosperity if they tithe.

Here are the facts about tithing and prosperity:

1. Biblical tithing did not consist of money. Tithing was an ancient Jewish ritual involving animal and blood sacrifices. Tithes always consisted of agricultural produce. And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord (Leviticus 27:30, KJV).

2. The ancient Jewish people were the only biblical figures who were commanded to tithe. The tithing command was one of 613 commandments of the Mosaic Law. Ancient Israel was promised blessings only if they followed all 613 commandments. But it shall come to pass, if thou will not hearken unto the voice of the lord thy god, to observe all his commandments and his statutes which command thee this day; that all these curses shall come up on the, and overtake thee (Deuteronomy 28:15, KJV).

3. There's no mention of Christians tithing in the Bible. Early Christians practiced giving - not tithing. Furthermore, there is no scripture stating Christians will prosper if they pay tithes.

4. There are millions of Christians who pay ten percent of their income to churches and ministries yet they remain poor, broke or debt-ridden. Yet some of the wealthiest people in the world don't pay tithes.

5. You do not have to tithe in order to prosper. The path to prosperity involves using your God-given gifts/talents to serve humanity. Prosperity also involves saving and investing one's money wisely.

R. Renee is the co-author of The Tithing Hoax. To read a FREE excerpt of the book or to listen to chapter one please visit http://thetithinghoax.com The Tithing Hoax is written from a biblical perspective and answers any questions Christian have about tithing. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com CHRISTIAN WRITER