Once again about church tithes. Russian history in Cyrillic

Dada tithes to the cathedral church The Most Pure Mother of God from all her reign, and from every ships tenth, and is bargaining tenth week in all cities, and from every herds for every summer the tenth, and from every life for every tenth year, to the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, and to His Most Pure Mother Theotokos, and to his father metropolitan Kyiv and all Rus'." (16, 65)

The contradiction can be explained by the assumption that church tithes from Kyiv and the Kyiv region went to Anastas, and Metropolitan Leontes managed church property throughout the country. Initially, the story was associated with Anastas and went back to the chronicle Tithe Church. But later the scribes stood up for the undeservedly silenced Metropolitan Leontes and made him the main character of the story.

St. Joachim of Korsun founded the Tithe Monastery in Novgorod. By analogy with Kiev, we can conclude that this monastery received tithes from the income collected by the governor of the Novgorod land. The same procedure for collecting funds should have existed in other lands. Indeed, further in the Nikon Chronicle it is reported about the construction of cathedral churches in all dioceses, which became centers for collecting tithes:

“Behold, throughout all the Russian land in all principalities there are cathedral churches do for the bishops, according to the previous Greek nomocanon, and all ecclesiastical courts, and all the justifications of the church according to the former Greek nomocanon holy church Most Pure Mother of God and his father metropolitan.

And there is no way to carry out these commandments, neither from his family, nor from his boyars, and from everyone else, until the end of the world, there is no way for the church and the saints. And put it down by writing oath in the holy divine church, where I stand Leonto Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus', and the bishops of Photea the Patriarch, and the Russian bishop, and the presbyter and monk, and his prince and boyars, saying: “If anyone judges this institution of mine, even as I have established according to those who were before us Greek nomocanons, may he be damned." (16, 65)

The Metropolitan acts as a colleague of the Grand Duke in the establishment of the Russian Church. In this case, some Greek collections of laws were used -"former nomocanons", no longer active in the era of chroniclers. Tithing was introduced as part of the church charter, which listed crimes subject to church court.

The spread of Orthodoxy was associated with large expenses for the construction of churches and their farmsteads, the maintenance of priests and parochial schools, almshouses, workshops and other institutions. To satisfy church needs, tithes were introduced - the deduction of a tenth of state revenues. It consisted of judicial and trade fees, as well as part of the harvest and offspring of livestock. The church retained the duties for church courts. This was the only type of income that came not from the grand ducal tax collectors, but directly.

Similar provision for the church existed a century and a half later. In the story from the Nikon Chronicle about the construction of St. Andrei Bogolyubsky of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir-Zalessky we read:

“Having given it (the church. - V.G.) a lot of property, and settlements bought and given, and the best sat down, and tenth in their flocks, And tenth auction" (16, 211)

“And gave to the Lord God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the holy Church ea Dormition of the Cathedral, decorate it wonderfully, with a lot of acquisitions, and estates, and power and settlements were bought from Danmi, and villages were bought from Danmi, and in tenth week trade, And in everyday life, And in stages And tenth in everything. Although here there is not exactly (not only. - V. G.) a great reign, but also sacred and divine metropolis, and excuses, and saint's duties according to the Greek holy charter and according to the blessed and holy establishing Grand Duke Vladimer should be approved. May it be established and established by the Lord God, and by His holy apostles, and by holy fathers, and by pious Orthodox kings, and by the holy and blessed Grand Duke Vladimer, consecrated and entrusted to the Lord God and His Most Pure Mother Theotokos forever and ever unshakable and irresistible." (16, 221)

The tithe continued to include funds from church courts. If at the beginning of the establishment of Orthodoxy church courts covered only part of the population, then over time this source of church income increased. This may explain the gradual exclusion of funds from the general civil courts from the tithe.

The tithe came from trade duties, the offspring of livestock from the prince's herds, and from the harvest of the volosts and settlements he bought. Duties in favor of the church were also imposed on some other rural settlements.

In the letter of Patriarch Luke Chrysovergo to St. Andrei Bogolyubsky is mentioned as part of the tithe "and pounds and scales and measures". (16, 223) The correct use of commercial weights and measures and the associated fees gradually became the concern of the church. This state of affairs was enshrined in the Charter of Vladimir at the end of the 12th century. (22, 31) The phrase in Luke's letter may have been inserted later, but it reflects the real processes of change in the composition of the tithe.

At St. Andrei Bogolyubsky's tithe in Vladimir-Zalessky consisted of income from church courts, part of state taxes, and deductions from the prince's personal income. The model was the tithe of St. Vladimir, to whose regulations the chronicler refers.

For its time, St. Andrew's tithe was most likely an anachronism. Its appearance is associated with an attempt to reform the local church. Thanks to generous funding, it was planned to establish a metropolis in Vladimir-Zalessky. St. Andrew, who had great personal wealth, could afford to return to the precepts of his ancestor. In other principalities, the types of income that make up the tithe were already significantly cut.

At the beginning of its introduction, the tithe included the same items from government revenues as under St. Andrey, with the addition of income from general civil courts. In addition, Vladimir the Saint, like his descendant, donated part of his personal property to the church.

The tithe did not affect the common population, since it was not associated with the introduction of new fees, but with the redistribution of existing ones. During the Christianization of Poland and Hungary, direct church taxes were levied on the population. As the church strengthened, this tax burden increased. As a result, in the first half of the 11th century, both countries were shocked by powerful pagan uprisings, during which most of the priests and churches were destroyed. In Rus' religious wars didn't happen. Pagan disturbances affected only certain areas.

In the era of St. Vladimir the pagan reaction was expressed in increased robberies:

“And Volodymer lived in the passion of God, and multiplying violently, and solving bishops of Volodymyr: “Behold, the robbers have multiplied, why don’t you execute them?” He said to them: “I am afraid of sin.” They decided to him: “You have been ordained by God for execution by the evil, and with mercy for the good. Worthy of a tee execute the robber, but with a test." Volodimer from the first faith and began execution robbers, and deciding bishops and elders: « There are a lot of troops. Auger vira, then be on arms and on horseback" And V(l)odimir said: “Wake up like that.” And lively Volodymer according to the arrangement of the day and" (18, 57)

Bishops expressed concern about the intensified robberies. This means that the main targets of attack by dashing people were priests and laypeople who converted to Orthodoxy. The struggle for the faith of their ancestors was accompanied by the plunder of the property of Christians.

Phrase "from the first faith" caused difficulties among chroniclers. There's a word missing here. In the Moscow Academic List of the Radzivilov Chronicle, the beginning of the phrase is replaced with the word "hardened", which can be understood as conveying the thought of affirming faith. In the Laurentian Chronicle the entire phrase is replaced by the phrase "rejected the beliefs". Here the idea is being raised about toughening punishments - replacing monetary fines with the death penalty. The phrase does not correspond to the further text. Virs were not rejected. They were used for military purposes. Considering the seniority of the text of the Radziwill Chronicle, it is possible to restore the damaged text: "rejected the first faith".

The mention of the first faith, that is, paganism, and the legislation of the pagan ancestors of the Grand Duke, speaks of a failed attempt to use traditional law to fight the pagan military freemen. To curb the unrest, it was necessary to establish the death penalty for certain crimes, which had not previously been used in these cases. Was introduced new order, which was tougher than the previous one.

The death penalty for crimes against the state and for heterodoxy was practiced in the Byzantine Empire. Neighboring Poland could serve as an example. Thietmar described the laws that reigned there under Bolesław I:

"Anyone who is known to be I ate meat during the 70-day fast, severely punished, pulling out teeth. After all, the law of God, having recently appeared in those parts, is better strengthened by such power, how post assigned bishop. There are also customs even worse than these, which are displeasing to neither God nor men and are used only to intimidate" (27, 165)

Pulling out teeth for eating meat during Lent and more severe punishments served the purpose of intimidating the pagans. Bloody princely reprisals were, according to Thietmar, more effective than church punishments of Catholic bishops. The Poles learned such cruel treatment of their relatives from the Germans, who mercilessly exterminated the neighboring pagan Slavs.

The introduction of tithes reduced funding for the army and the grand ducal administration. Indeed, after the baptism of Rus', military campaigns against neighbors ceased. The exception is the war with the Volga Bulgars, and military assistance to Byzantium.

In the Nikon Chronicle, the campaign against Bulgaria is dated 6505:

« In the summer of 6505. Hodi Volodymer to Bulgarians Volga and Kama, and, having overcome, capture them" (16, 66)

The next two articles have dates that are rejuvenated by two years compared to similar news from older chronicles, that is, they are dated according to the “era of 5510.” The previous two articles also date from this era. The founding of Belgorod (994) is marked with the year 6504, the Pecheneg War (993) with the year 6503. Consequently, the account of the Bulgarian war is included in the text, which has the "era of 5510" and is dated 995.

But earlier in the text there is another message about this war:

"In the summer of 6502. Hodi Volodymer to Bulgarians, and advocated them a lot win, and return with joy to Kyiv.” (16, 65)

It is placed between stories about the construction of the Church of the Tithes and the return from the Croatian campaign and the Pecheneg war. The site is compiled on the basis different sources with different eras. The story about the Church of the Tithes dates back to 993 according to the “era of 5508”, the Pecheneg War also dates back to 993, but is dated to the “era of 5510”. Tatishchev placed a similar message between the description of the Pecheneg War of 993 and the completion of the construction of the Tithe Church in 997. The text section as a whole is dated to the “era of 5508.” Comparison of news suggests that the campaign against the Bulgars should be dated to 994.

The Volga Bulgars converted to Islam at the beginning of the 10th century. The trade route from the Baltic to the Caspian Sea and further to the southern countries passed through them. Thanks to the advantageous geographical location and trade relations with the Muslim world, a strong Bulgarian state arose. Trade rivalry and competition for political influence over the peoples of the Volga region led to an armed conflict between the two countries. A mutually beneficial compromise was later reached. Tatishchev:

"6514 (1006). Sent Bulgarians(Volskie) ambassadors with many gifts, so that Vladimir allowed them trade in cities along the Volga and Oka without fear of what they need Vladimir willingly deigned. And he gave them seals in all cities, so that they could freely trade everywhere and with everyone, and Russian merchants with seals from the governors would travel to Bolgory to trade without fear. And the Bulgarians have all their goods sell in grades as a merchant and buy from them what you need. Don't go around the village, tiun, virnik, ognevshina and stink, do not sell and do not buy from them.” (25, 69)

The second half of the news goes back to the Russian-Bulgarian treaty. This means that the Rus entered into written agreements not only with the Byzantines. The agreement contained a list of service and tax-paying categories of the population of the Vladimir era: governors, tiuns, virniks, merchants, firemen, smerdas. The news is placed between the events of 1004 and 1007, dated according to the “era of 5508”, which seems to allow it to be attributed to 1006. But this news was not included in the early edition of the work. Tatishchev found it in some source that had not reached us and supplemented his text with it. Considering that in the source used by Tatishchev the news was based on the dating of the treaty, we can accept the “era of 5506” as the main era for this era and date the Bulgarian embassy to 1008.

Rus' focused on defending its borders from the Pechenegs, making peace with its powerful western neighbors and proving its military superiority to the Bulgars. To improve their well-being, people from the military class were given the opportunity to join the Byzantine army as mercenaries.

The allocation of funds to the church infringed on the interests of the ruling stratum, and resistance to the introduction of tithes was to be expected from the nobility. But in Rus' for such economic reform there were favorable conditions.

Vladimir the Holy ruled as a sovereign, and his sons were still young. Possible opposition would not be able to find an authoritative leader among the relatives of the Grand Duke. The only exception could be the powerful family of his uncle Dobrynya. The military nobility, from which the grand ducal administration was formed, enriched itself in foreign campaigns. She could accept a temporary reduction in government benefits. The entry of militant youth into the service of Byzantium in the highly paid overseas corps directly depended on the loyalty of the central government.

The Grand Duke could hope for a flourishing of crafts and trade in the country he had enlightened, which would more than compensate for the temporary reduction in funds for the needs of administration and defense. Time has shown the wisdom of this decision.

However, service people showed their dissatisfaction with the infringement of their interests in favor of the church. The chronicler turned this into a story about the grumbling of drunken troublemakers at the grand-ducal feast. Subsequent legislative reforms indicate the seriousness of the conflict and the significance of the authorities’ efforts to overcome the crisis:

“Behold, when you do this again to your people, you set them in the yard in the gridnitsa all week long feast of creativity: comes boyars yours, and people, And centurion, And tenth, And a deliberate prince, And deliberate people, with the prince and without the prince. And there was an abundance of meat, and of cattle, and of animals, and there was an abundance of everything. And always drunk, And grumbling has begun to the prince, who says: “Evil is to be eaten on our heads with wooden spoons, not silver ones.” Hearing this, Volodimir ordered to forge silver and serve it to the squad, saying: “The imam will not fill (get. - V.G.) the squad with silver and gold, but the squad will fill the squad with silver and gold, like a grandfather mine and my father and his retinue searched for gold and silver.” Be bo Volodymyr loving the squad, and thinking about them arrange the earth, And about ratekh, And about the earthly statute" (18, 56-57)

The anecdotal coloring of the story is the drunkenness of the rebels and the insignificance of the occasion - the desire to eat not wooden, but silver spoons- covers up the real discontent of the nobility. It brought about big changes.

A meeting of bishops and city elders decided to direct judicial rules against the army. Most of these crimes were associated with robberies against clergy and church property. Under the pressure of circumstances, it was necessary to partially abandon previous regulations and transfer robbery cases of crimes against the church and related income to civil authorities. In order to strengthen internal order and the country's defense capability, tithes from civil courts were also eliminated.

The abandonment of the army in favor of the army encouraged the struggle of the crusaders with the rebellious pagans. In addition, vira was perceived as the removal of a punished robber from the property of the clan. Relatives of the criminal could be involved in its payment. Therefore, collecting a tax in favor of the Grand Duke for traditional needs was perceived less painfully than collecting it in favor of a family that was hated by the affected family. christian church. The Church agreed to reduce its income to curb popular unrest.

Changes in church legislation were not the only ones. Vladimir the Holy carried out a general reform of civil legislation, which affected land and military relations. To smooth out the conflict, it was necessary to partially return to the customs of the past, and through reforms to find the missing funds to maintain the church and the service class. As the example of the Cow Settlement shows, a solution was found in the internal colonization of the sparsely populated northern lands.

With generous land grants, the authorities rewarded veterans for many years of service and at the same time created support centers for Christianization and further economic development of the territory. The assignment of lands and lands to the church compensated for the decrease in tithes received. The tribal nature of land ownership was replaced by feudal one.

Large expenses for church needs began due to the widespread construction of churches and the establishment of church parishes. Thus, with the arrival of Greek craftsmen, the construction of expensive stone buildings began. Therefore, the legislative introduction of church tithes should be dated to 993.

The next legislative reform is described in Article 6504. It combines the realities of both 997 (attack of the Pechenegs) and 999 (Hungarian embassy). General legislative reform is included in the 999 portion of the text. What follows is a story about the transfer of vir for military needs and the tightening of punishments for robbery. These particular laws had to precede the general ones in time. It turns out that the story about the events of 999 cut the earlier story about the events of 997 into two parts.

Military needs increased precisely in 997, when, after a number of peaceful years, the war with the Pechenegs continued with varying success. So there was a reason for transferring the virus from the church to the army. Let's restore the original sequence of events.

Under the influence of Pecheneg attacks, pagan reaction and discontent of the service class, in 997 part of the church tithe was returned to the squad. This measure was temporary, since later funds from civil courts participated in the formation of church tithes, and the clergy, referring to ancient laws, actively laid claim to them. (22, 24-26) This partial legislative reform was of a compromise nature. The essentially Byzantine church charter in terms of cases of church crimes was supplanted by the norms of customary Russian law, and customary Russian law in terms of encroachments on the interests of the church was tightened due to Byzantine norms.

In time, this reform was timed to coincide with the particularly solemn celebration in 997 of the Sunday Assumption of the Virgin Mary. All Russian bishops and the capital's nobility gathered for the holiday. At this meeting, an analogue of the Byzantine Synclite and the later Boyar Duma, new laws were adopted.

In 999, Sunday was the Second Savior or Transfiguration. On the Transfiguration of 999 in Kyiv, the memory of the baptism of Russian lands was to be solemnly celebrated. On this occasion, the provincial nobility gathered in Kyiv.

At the festive feast, the chronicler mentions service people down to the foremen - the lowest management level. Higher ranks represented by boyars, deliberate princes, deliberate people of two categories - with a prince and without a prince. The boyars are included in the first group, which consists of boyars, centurions, and foremen. These are residents of the capital. Deliberate princes are governors of lands, vested with princely powers only for a time and only for the performance of official duties. Deliberate people are authorized managers of lower ranks.

Before us is a congress of representatives of all lands, an analogue of the later Zemsky Sobors. This meeting adopted a number of laws, called in the chronicles earthly and military dispensations, earthly regulations. The earthly charter, apparently, has come down to our time as part of the Russian Truth. Land and military legislation has not been preserved.

On the Transfiguration of 997, the miraculous deliverance of Saint Vladimir from the Pecheneg danger took place, soon after which new laws were adopted at the congress of secular and spiritual nobility. At the Transfiguration of 999, a congress of provincial service people took place, and a general reform of legislation took place. The similarity of the holidays and the similarity of actions made it easier to merge two stories from different times into one narrative.

Later, the Russian Church, in addition to state grants, acquired additional sources of income, made up of voluntary donations from the nobility and the population. Dependence on the state treasury weakened, and assistance from the authorities began to be expressed mainly in the form of tax breaks and one-time charitable acts. Therefore, the composition and amount of tithes transformed over time and generally decreased.

Vladimir the Holy pursued a flexible economic policy, which made it possible to avoid serious social upheavals during the Christianization of the country. He managed to convince the military-administrative elite and church leadership of the need for mutual economic concessions. To carry out reforms, he did not spare personal property, setting an example in this for his subjects.

Hello,

Due to the fact that this topic concerns not only you, I'll answer in detail. I would like to touch upon this topic under the prism of the history of Christianity.

Well, the answer to the question will be directly at the end of the text, after the sentence in bold.

The attitude towards tithing in churches is different. There are reasons for this. Some see legalism in it, others believe that if Old Testament people gave so much, then those born again should not be given less. In short, there are many reasons for disputes.

Many Christians recognize tithing as a biblical way of showing loyalty and reverence to God, finding that mention of tithing occurs before the Law (Gen. 14:20; 28:22), in the Law of Moses (Lev. 27:30,31, etc. .); in the prophets (Mal.3:10). Jesus speaks about it (Matt. 23:23), and the apostle Paul mentions it (Heb. 7 ch.). You can also read a lot in Scripture about the firstfruits of the earth given to God.

In my opinion, tithing is an acknowledgment that we are not using for ourselves part of what the Lord has given us, and that we are giving it away as a sign of honor and loyalty to Him. Analogues of this attitude can be found in the Old Testament decrees about the seventh day, about the year of jubilee. I admit that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil carried a similar meaning - not everything that is available to us is ours. Although everything is God’s, there is something that belongs to Him and Him alone.

As long as the church consisted of Jews who believed in Christ as Lord, the issue of tithing was indisputable and settled for them. Modern Christians sometimes argue whether tithing was part of church life?

There is much evidence in church history that Christians did not neglect tithing. The statement that tithing is preached only in a number of Protestant churches, restoring Old Testament institutions, is absolutely false.

Thus, in the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” a monument of early Christian writing at the turn of the 1st-2nd centuries, it is written: “ Therefore, every firstfruit from the winepress and threshing floor, as well as oxen and sheep, having taken (it), you must give this firstfruit to the prophets, for they are your bishops. If you do not have a prophet, then give (the firstfruits) to the poor. If you prepare food, then take the first fruit and give it according to the commandment."(Didache 13 chapter 3-5).

Irenaeus of Lyons considered tithing to be the minimum giving. He believed that Christ did not abolish the commandments, but expanded them, giving requirements of a higher standard: " That’s why the Lord commanded, instead of “do not commit adultery,” not even to have lust, and instead of “do not kill,” not to be angry, and instead of giving tithes, to divide all your property to the poor."(Irenaeus of Lyons. Against heresies. Book 4. 13-3)" Therefore, those (Jews) dedicated the tithes of their (estates) to Him; and those who have received freedom designate all their property for the purposes of the Lord, joyfully and freely giving no less, in the hope of receiving more; so the poor widow gave all her fortune to the treasury of God"(Irenaeus of Lyons. Against heresies. Book 4. 18-2)

The book "Apostolic Constitutions", a work traditionally attributed to Clement of Rome, but possibly written in 380 in Syria, sets out the requirement for the bishop: " Let him spend the tithes and firstfruits given, according to the commandment of God, as a man of God"(Book One:25)

In his commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians, John Chrysostom wrote: " If it was so in the Old Testament, then much more (so it should be) in the new; if where it was allowed to acquire, enjoy, take care of (earthly things), they paid so much attention to helping the poor, then isn’t it even more so (one should do the same) here, where it is commanded to leave everything? In fact, what didn’t the Israelis do? They gave tithes; then they provided other tithes to help orphans, widows and proselytes. Someone told me with surprise: so-and-so gives tithes. Shame on us! Are we Christians surprised at what was not surprising among the Jews? Then it was dangerous not to distribute tithes: imagine what it is like (i.e., isn’t it much more dangerous) now!"(The Works of John Chrysostom, vol. 11 book 1. Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians, Conversation 4:4)

History says that Basil of Caesarea, Ambrose of Milan, and Augustine Aurelius were encouraged to give tithes.

The idea of ​​tithing is inherent to varying degrees in all Christian denominations. It is known that Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich allocated a tenth of his income for the maintenance of the metropolis and the construction of the church, which is where its name came from - the Church of the Tithes. (Construction took place in 990/991 - 996). Vladimir commanded others to bring tithes. During the Tatar-Mongol yoke in Rus', tithes were abolished so that people would not give twice - to support the church and rent to the Tatar-Mongols. But this custom remained. At the episcopal departments, special officials arose - teners. The Council of the Hundred Heads in the 16th century determined the ministry of ten priests, and they performed the ministry of ten priests, collecting tithes from parishioners. These funds were used to maintain churches and support the priesthood. Church tithes were also separated from the receipts of the princely court. The earliest mention of this form of church tithe is in the Brief Truth (XI century). In the Novgorod charter of Svyatoslav Olgovich (1137) it was written that bishops received tithes not only from tribute, but also from criminal monetary penalties (vir) and sales. The 13th century document “The Rule of Church People and Tithes,” which regulated the rights of churches to large material assets belonging to it, linked tithes with the right of cathedral churches.

It is interesting to note that at one time more than 10% of serfs in Russia also belonged to the church, which was a kind of tithe, according to St. Philaret. But times have changed, and under the influence various factors, state church lost many material and economic advantages and rights.

It is interesting to note that according to St. Petersburg priest Konstantin Parkhomenko, today tithing has been officially introduced in two Orthodox cathedrals in St. Petersburg.

Tithing was also present in the Catholic Church. At first, in the Western Church it was the usual voluntary offering of a tenth of income. After the Council of Tours in 567, the faithful were invited to tithe; The Council of Macon in 585 already ordered the payment of tithes under threat of excommunication. Subsequently, Charlemagne introduced it as a duty in 770, and failure to comply with it entailed criminal punishment. Subsequently, starting with the Reformation, and then after the French Revolution, the Catholic Church lost territories where it could collect tithes. Today in the Catholic Church, giving tithes is in the free will of the believers.

Thus, when viewed through the lens of Scripture and Christian history, then in churches in different times Various rules were established regarding tithes. This diversity is due to the absence of a direct prohibition on tithing in the New Testament, and at the same time, controversy over the issues of where, to whom to give the tithe and on what to spend it.

In any case, it clearly follows from Scripture that any giving should not be forced, "For God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7) Therefore, even when giving tithe, it is important to do it not out of coercion or fear of damnation, but out of love for God and a desire to be faithful to Him.

That is why my answer to your question about joining a church where the member commits to tithing is this:

It should be understood that any church association or local church in such practical matters as the conditions for church membership is guided not only by Scripture, but also by the charter of the church and internal decisions. And this must be treated with a fair amount of tolerance.

You can, for example, disagree with what songs are sung in Baptist or Charismatic churches, with speaking in tongues in Pentecostal, with paid ritual services in Orthodox, or the teaching about Mary in Catholic, BUT then what is the point of being where you cannot see health? You still CANNOT change the internal church rules. Sadness will arise in the heart, and relationships with believers or church leadership will become complicated.

For all such cases, it is good to listen to the voice folk wisdom: You shouldn’t go to someone else’s monastery with your own charter! There are churches where, according to internal regulations, financial support of the church is one of the conditions for becoming a member of the church, and there are also churches without such a requirement. In both cases, attending church is not prohibited.

But, if you like the church, and you see that the teaching is sound, the people are pious and the Lord is working there, then why not accept the internal church regulations and become a member of such a church. Especially if you already support the church with a tenth of your income.

May God give you wisdom!

Sincerely,
Denis Podorozhny

“Thou shalt tithe...that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always” (Deuteronomy 14:22, 23).

If you want to receive blessings from the Lord in any aspect of life, give Him first place in the area of ​​finances. The same principle applies to tithing: return ten percent of your income to God.

Here are four verses that explain what God promises to those who tithe, what its purpose is, and where and when to give it.

First, from Proverbs 3:9-10 we learn that God promises those who tithe: “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your increase, and your barns will be filled with abundance, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”. God says that if we honor Him with the first part of our income, He will bless us with money.

My wife and I decided 38 years ago that if we owe anyone anything, it won’t be to God. As soon as income comes to me, the Lord receives the firstfruits. If I earned 10 dollars, I give the first dollar to Him, if 100, the first 10. All this money comes from God, and I want Him to bless the rest of my finances.

Why does God tell us to tithe? Deuteronomy 14:22-23 says: "Tie the<…>that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.”. God doesn't need our money, but He does need what it points to - our heart: God wants us to trust Him.

Where should I tithe? Charitable foundation? Or a brother who hasn’t had a job for 3 years? No. These are all works of mercy, and tithing expresses our worship. Therefore, it must be given to God.

Malachi 3:10 says: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me in this, says the Lord of hosts: Will I not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon you until there is abundance?”. In the Old Testament, tithes were kept in the Temple, but now they are kept in your church.

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When should you tithe? During the service. In 1 Corinthians 16:2 the Bible says: “On the first day of the week, let each of you put aside and save as much as his fortune allows, so as not to have to make preparations when I come.”. When we bring our tithe to God on the first day of the week (Sunday), the first part of our money on the first part of our day, we are saying to Him: “You are number one in my life”.

Notice it says “delays.” So we have to plan for it! You cannot give tithe on a sudden impulse. Planning is necessary because it shows respect for God's plan for tithing and its purpose. Then we will see God blessing, working through us and fulfilling His promise in our destiny!

They always took it from the Church. They took endlessly, without giving back, without much concern for the Church itself. It's time to give her something! After all, the Church of our day provides more efficient use of property than anyone else.

The history of church tithes in Rus' dates back to the times of Vladimir the Holy, Grand Duke of Kyiv. Under Saint Vladimir, the country was baptized by the Byzantines. Most historians believe that the Baptism occurred between 987 and 992. Historical tradition calls the year 988, and this is a very likely date. A lot depends on it in the history of the Russian Church. The process of mass Christianization of the country, which began under Vladimir the Saint, counts its main milestones from her. The Baptism of Rus' is not only the acceptance of faith, but also the acceptance of the Church, since outside of it the life of a Christian is unthinkable, the salvation of the soul is impossible. And the acceptance of the Church also means many political, cultural, and economic transformations.

Christianity presupposes the constant participation of believers in worship services. And for worship to take place, a lot is required. First of all, the temple building, church books, icons and utensils necessary for the priest’s sacred rites. In addition, priestly vestments, bread and wine. Finally, housing for the priest, deacon, their families, as well as everything necessary for them to live normally. In other words, accepting the Church means not only the beginning of worries about the “high”, but also great troubles about the everyday. About what, in the terms of our day, refers to “material support.”

So, before St. Vladimir, there were already Christian churches in Kyiv - for example, the famous Elias Church. But they were intended for a relatively small circle of people. Christianity began to gradually penetrate Rus' in the second half of the 9th century. Since then I have been in Kyiv huge amount Christian merchants Christ's faith were received by members of the grand ducal family and individual warriors. How much was required for the weak and sparsely populated church sphere of that time? But when Prince Vladimir decided to convert the entire people to Christianity, the time had come to take care of the needs of the Church on a completely different scale.

First of all, new ones had to appear large temples. The first and most famous of them was the Cathedral Church of the Assumption Mother of God in Kyiv. It began to be built soon after the baptism of the Kievites in the Dnieper. At the expense of Prince Vladimir, a luxurious building was built, decorated with marble and jasper, decorated with rich mosaics. It was much larger in size than the small Elias Church. The chronicle dates the completion of the work to 996. Perhaps this happened a little later.

But, in any case, we can only firmly say that a new temple appeared in Kyiv in the mid-second half of the 990s. “Icons, vessels and crosses” were brought for him from Chersonesus, from the Byzantines. Further, “The Tale of Bygone Years” reports: after the completion of the work, Prince Vladimir went under the arches of the cathedral and prayed to Christ for a long time; then he said: “I give to the church of this holy Mother of God a tenth of my property and from my cities.” Then the ruler gave a letter (“wrote an oath”), officially approving this source of church income, and ordered people to be convened for a magnificent celebration. Hence the unofficial name of the cathedral, which has become popular among the people: Church of the Tithes. Unfortunately, it has not survived to this day; it perished in the fire of the Mongol-Tatar invasion in 1240. Only its foundation is now shown to tourists by Kyiv guides.

The first rector of the Tithe Church was Anastas Korsunyanin, a confidant of the Grand Duke. For him and for the rest of the temple clergy, special chambers were erected next to the cathedral. Another source of funds needed by the Russian Church was the so-called “church courts.” First, Prince Vladimir the Holy, and then his descendants, in full agreement with Byzantine legislation, approved the right of the Church to judge cases on a very wide range of issues. This included not only the family sphere, but also, for example, the responsibility to ensure that no one spoiled scales, weights, measures of length and volume at the auction. For all this the Church - in fact legally! - deductions in the form of duties were due.

But, of course, the main resource for the existence of the Church in Rus' remained the “tenth” issued by the prince from his “life,” “herds,” “trades,” and other income. This state of affairs turned out to be terribly inconvenient both for the prince and for the Church itself. The ruler sometimes could not, and sometimes simply did not want to, properly provide for the Church, and the church body fell into severe economic dependence on the sovereign. But for the young parish communities of Rus', such a mechanism for collecting tithes was extremely beneficial. IN Western Europe Over the course of the 6th-8th centuries, church tithes became a burdensome tax obligatory on all parishioners. This caused rage and hatred of the priesthood. In the era of the Reformation, such tithes, along with indulgences, simony and other “vessels of defilement,” played the role of a terrible gap in the positions of Catholicism. Here in Rus', for a very long time, only the prince paid tithes. For times of dual faith, the fight against the rebellions of the Magi and other delights of pagan antiquity, this order of providing for the Church was very useful. He removed the basis for the mood of discontent in a society that was wary of the new faith, he got rid of unnecessary conflicts.

In addition to Kyiv, princes of other lands paid church tithes. The lack of historical sources makes it impossible to accurately determine where, when and in what amounts the Church received funds. Information on this matter is fragmentary and fragmentary. But some information has still reached our days. For example, it is known for sure: the holy noble prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, sovereign of Vladimir-Suzdal, gave out tithes according to the rules of Vladimir the Holy, and even granted land to the Church.

The church tithe did not survive the era of the Mongol-Tatar invasion and long political fragmentation. The reason is simple. Ancient, pre-Mongol Rus' was rich in trade, and even more so in duties on merchant transit. She bathed in imported silver. The Rus' of the Vladimir, Tver and early Moscow eras is a beggar in comparison. She did not control large trade arteries, she was regularly devastated by Tatar raids, and finally, she paid tribute to the Horde khans. And the land became its main wealth. Moreover, the land is far from being as fertile as the rich arable lands of the Russian South, but the northern meager land, located in a zone of risky agriculture... Neither the prince himself - no matter what kind: Rostov, Tver, Ryazan, Moscow, etc., nor his subjects They could not devote any significant portion of their income to the Church. What was left? Give the Church land and allow it to take care of itself, establishing a strong economy in its possessions.

And so the bishops' houses, cathedral churches, and especially monastic monasteries began to receive vast estates with villages, salt pans, and fishing industries. Another monastery owned a colossal region. Moreover, a monastic monastery could often dispose of land holdings much better than a secular patrimony. In terms of their literacy and possession of book treasures, the clergy (primarily black) stood above all other strata of Russian society. It developed engineering thought, carried out bold economic experiments, and explored hitherto impenetrable wilds. Of course, some temples and monasteries received “ruga” - a permanent monetary provision from the monarch, a noble family, or wealthy citizens. But still, the land provided the income of priests and bishops much more reliably. From her came money for charity, the purchase of liturgical objects, construction, and simply for the living of priests and deacons.

Subsequently, the state realized: hadn’t the Church received too much? Doesn't she live too richly? During most of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, secular authorities deliberately limited church land ownership, and then began to take away church property for their own benefit. This process took on especially severe forms in the 18th century. The St. Petersburg emperors greedily reached for the riches of the Church, drove the monastic and priestly ranks into service, into the army, and to the plough... This ended with the secularization of church lands, which took place between 1764 and 1788. Instead of the selected possessions, the entire Church from top to bottom found itself on state salaries. From time to time it was paid poorly, sometimes not at all. Many monasteries turned out to be “out of state”, in other words, they were not paid a penny, leaving them at the mercy of local residents. IN Russian Empire The church was poor. Well Soviet power, taking away what was still left of the Church, accustomed it to poverty, executions and suffering.

And now, two decades after Soviet power faded into history, the question is acute: how much money can the huge church body live on? Shouldn't we introduce church tithes in one form or another? For some reason it is necessary to build new churches and repair old ones, pay maintenance to priests, provide for Orthodox educational institutions and cover thousands more daily needs. Of course, there are many voluntary donors in the country, including wealthy businessmen. Five years ago famous writer Mikhail Elizarov, having received a major literary prize, even promised from the stage, as a good Christian, to give the Church a “tithe” of this money.

But the Church could only exist on donations only in early Christian times, when it was driven underground. What now - go to the caves? Hide in the sewers, in the catacombs? Pray in apartments and barns? And - no seminaries, no academies, no Orthodox publications, no mass divine services... What will emerge is a sect, not a Church! Her voice will be barely audible in society.

If the state again, as under Saint Vladimir, officially introduces tithes to feed the Church, then nothing good will come of it. The government will collect something like a “religion tax”, which exists in some European countries. But, firstly, the Church does not currently have, and is unlikely to ever have, mechanisms by which it could control the sending of all funds received from taxpayers specifically for church needs, and not where a cunning official will direct them. Secondly, it would be extremely harmful for the Church to once again fall into complete economic dependence on the state, as happened during the Synodal period.

However, there are at least two ways in which a partial revival of church tithes can occur. First, tithes can be paid by the active members of parish communities - in exchange for the right to receive a full account of the expenditure of this money and influence how it is spent. Secondly, it is useful and correct to seek from the state the transfer of new and new property into the possession or at least operational use of the Church.

For more than three centuries, successive governments mainly hoped to take from the Church anything granted to it before or purchased with the money of believers. And they took it. They took endlessly, without giving back, without much concern for the Church itself. It's time to give her something! After all, the Church of our day provides more efficient use of property than anyone else. Where there is a Church, the land is being cultivated, construction is going on, factories are smoking. There are gardens, vegetable gardens, flower beds, workshops, bakeries, printing houses. And if you move twenty steps away from the church property, noticeable devastation will take over... Where the Church is, there is work, order, and cleanliness. It’s not about oil and gas wells, after all. we're talking about, but about neglected lands, about some kind of production, about houses that are gradually collapsing without attention! The church needs help. And from every Christian, and from our state.

Dmitry Volodikhin, historian, writer

Tithe gradually takes on a different meaning. Moses establishes it as a mandatory tax for the Israelites who received land in Canaan, in favor of the Levites, temple servants who did not have land plots and therefore needed means of subsistence. Tithe in in this case constituted a kind of compensation, allocated to them in place of the missing plot of land. The Levites contributed one tenth of the tithe they received to support the high priest. (Num. 18:21-32). The tithe was understood as a tenth of everything that a person produces through his labor:

But not only tithe was a way of sacrifice to God - there were other types of donations. Thus, in Exodus (22: 29-30) it is written:

The firstborns of people were dedicated to God, and the firstborns of animals were sacrificed to God on the eighth day.

The main point of tithing in the Old Testament is to learn to fear the Lord:

Old Testament people were convinced that the land and its fruits belonged to God, who gave them to Israel as a possession:

This is why the prophet Malachi calls failure to pay tithes “robbing God”:

2. Tithes in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the commandment to tithe is not directly abrogated, but it is not suggested. Christ denounces the literalism of his compatriots:

It’s interesting that the Pharisee from gospel parable:

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"...I give tithes of all my income." (Luke 18:12).

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There are no requirements or instructions for Christians to follow the tithe system in the apostolic letters. However, the Apostle Paul repeatedly writes about the need for material support for the Church, in particular its ministers. Thus, in First Corinthians he says:

It should be noted that the Apostle does not determine a specific amount or part of the income that Christians should collect for the needs of the Church, but suggests:

Such donations must be made voluntarily by believers:

3. Tithes in Church History

3.1. Tithing in the Catholic Church

Before the beginning of the III century. Regular tithing was not practiced in the Church. However, even then the hierarchs expressed regret that Christians did not want to transfer even a tenth of their property to the Church for support. As a duty for every Christian, tithing was established in Western Church in in. Church tithes are mentioned in 14 sermons of Bishop Caesar of Arles. The question is widely presented in the 33rd sermon, created approximately in the year. The sermons substantiate key points - the fairness and expediency of parishioners paying church tithes, their direct benefit for themselves.

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“The harvest is approaching, it’s time to think about paying tithes from all fruits and income to our Lord, for he justly receives it and ... has the right to count on it. What if God says: you, man, are mine, I created you, my land which you cultivate, and my seeds you sow, my animals, which you tire of with work, and slaves, my rains and downpours, the winds, the warmth of the sun, in a word, everything vital elements my own, and when that’s the case, do you really, by putting in only the labor of your hands, deserve at least a tithe? By setting an example of mercy, God leaves us nine-tenths. How can we refuse tithe to someone to whom we owe everything? "

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Starting from the 6th century, tithes became obligatory for serfs, non-payment of which threatened with excommunication: the Council of Tours suggested that the faithful pay tithes, the Macon Council already ordered the payment of tithes under threat of excommunication. Emperor Charlemagne, by decree of the year, introduced tithes into state legislation, extending it only to landowners, while non-payment was considered a criminal offense and was sometimes punishable by execution. At the same time, the laws of Charlemagne provided for the division of tithes into three parts: for the construction and maintenance of churches, for assistance to travelers and pilgrims, and for the needs of the clergy. In the late Middle Ages, Roman Catholic bishops extended tithes to all profitable pursuits, including the most immoral ones. At the same time, church charity was almost completely forgotten, but a significant part of the income went to the needs of the Pope (especially the century, under Pope Alexander III). With the strengthening of royal power, the clergy had to share tithes with them. Due to the fact that the tithe amounted to large incomes, sharp clashes arose between separate categories medieval society (for example, the centuries-old struggle for tithes in Poland between the gentry and the clergy, as reported by Lubowicz in the book “History of the Reformation in Poland”). During the era of reformation catholic church lost in most of the Protestant countries its worldly possessions and income, which now became the property of secular power and the nobility. The secularization of church properties took place. In England, the tithe was preserved, and the attempt to abolish it, made during the first revolution of the century, was not crowned with success, since in the English church the tithe went to support the clergy, and, abolishing it, it was necessary to look for another source of income instead. In Catholic countries, tithes continued to exist as before, and, for example, in France before the revolution, the clergy received about 125 million livres of tithes, which usually remained in the hands of the higher clergy. This year began the era of the abolition of tithes, an example was France, where the revolution abolished tithes, giving the clergy to support the state. In Switzerland and some states of Germany, the tithe, as in France, was abolished without any remuneration for those institutions for whose benefit it was levied, but most of the German states (Nassau, Bavaria, both Hesses, Baden, Württemberg, Hanover, Saxony, Austria, Prussia, etc.) resorted to the ransom system. In the 19th century, tithes remained in England, where in the English year. Tithe Commutation Act in the distribution and methods of collection of this tax were introduced significant changes. In rural tithes (English) prediales) Payment in kind has been replaced a certain amount, which was called English. tithe rent-charge. The quantity of bread, barley and oats was established once and for all (the average quantity over 7 years was taken as the norm) and the cost was officially determined annually at market prices and paid in money. In addition, tithes from fishing, mining, etc. have been abolished. Now in a number of Western countries there is a church tax, which mandatory paid to believers of different denominations.

3.2. Tithing in the Orthodox Church

The roots of tithing come from the practice of providing for pagan sanctuaries. Officially arose in Art. and remained until the 19th century. Church tithes in Kievan Rus appeared after Vladimir the Great adopted Christianity in the year. He gave a tenth of his income for the construction of the Tithe Church (Church of the Virgin Mary) - the first stone church of Kievan Rus. This source of income for the “priesthood” was brought from Byzantium and was based on a long-standing early Christian tradition. The tithe was secured by the 59th apostolic canon of the church charter of Vladimir, which declared that church wealth -

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"Wealth for the poor, churches, monasteries, uplifting deserts, shelter and consolation for the living, memory for the dead."

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In Rus', tithes initially represented 1/10 of the princely income, which was transferred to the benefit of the church (sometimes replaced by money or land). To collect it, there were special officials - foremen, who could be both spiritual and secular people. The duties of foremen, in addition to collecting taxes, also included other duties, mainly monitoring the decent behavior of clergy and the conscientious performance of their official duties. In its pure form, as a princely tribute, tithe existed from until the end of the 12th century. A tenth of the harvest was given by church (monastic) peasants in favor of the monastery, which acted as a feudal owner. This situation could cause discontent among the peasantry. In the city, an uprising took place in Novgorod against the Yuryevsky Monastery, which ended with the murder of the archimandrite, in - g.g. - Revolt of the peasants of the Volokolamsk monastery. By the 16th - 17th centuries, a system of special fees in favor of the church, which was independent of state power, developed. The collection from the parish households (voivodship, patrimonial, hospitable) amounted to 6 money, from clerks, the best people Posadsky - 4, from others - 2 groschen. Since then the system has been officially mandatory for all dioceses. There were additional revenues: duties were established on newly installed persons and churches, the transfer a certain amount parish land for personal cultivation. Orthodox Church special meaning she did not tithe, since her income was already sufficient. Pious Russian princes, merchants and most ordinary people donated large amounts of money for the maintenance of the church without any special coercion. It was not only money, but, first of all, miraculous icons, precious utensils, and lands for founding monasteries. IN necessary cases The secular authorities resorted to financial assistance to the church. However, starting from the reign of Peter the Great, the welfare of the church began to worry the secular authorities, who dreamed of the complete excommunication of church property. First, timid attempt