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Is The Bible Against Tattoos

Mothers And Sons: Being A Godly Influence

Are Tattoos and Cremation Against the Bible?

Rhonda Stoppe describes her early motherhood challenges of raising a son, which was intimidating to her. She found help through group of older women mentors. She urges moms to see their role as ministry in shaping sons to be good and godly men. Rhonda outlines several practical suggestions to moms about spiritual training, how to communicate with boys, and supporting the father-son relationship as a wife.

What Does The Old Testament Say About Tattoos

Moses enacts around 613 laws in the first five books of the Bible. Many of these laws deal with the sacrificial system and priestly duties, others refer to the lifestyle of the Jewish people, and still others deal with their governmental system.

In Leviticus 19:28, Gods law prohibits tattoos for the Israelite people, as well as cuts on your body for the dead. However, just one verse earlier, the law also forbids that they cut their sideburns . The Jewish law additionally prohibits eating pork and wearing garments made out of mixed materials . Christians nowadays normally dont follow those rules.

Many laws would continue to be beneficial today, and, of course, all Christians should follow the Ten Commandments. However, there are other commands, like the infamous You shall not boil a goat in its mothers milk, that are entirely contextual to Israels situation .

So how do we decide what to keep?

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Tattoos According To The Bible

Tattoos have been around for millennia, but the writers of the Hebrew Bible forbade tattooing in the ancient Middle East.

The Bible verse that mentions the inscription on Jesus thigh is Revelations 19:16, On his robe and his thigh he has this name written. Many misinterpret this to mean that its not specifically a tattoo or forbidden by God himself to have one.

The Hebrew Bible forbids tattooing because it was viewed as an act of idolatry, while people who were tattooed during Biblical times were seen as outcasts or rebels. Exodus 21:28-30 states, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free men and slaves to be marked on the right hand or the forehead so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark.

In the Bible, the first printing on the body was done by God in Genesis 4:15 that is the mark on Cain extending grace to the murderer. Bible Scholars often tag this as a sign of divine Grace.

Other Bible verses about tattoos in the New Testament are often viewed as a sign of shame. At times, people would tattoo themselves with words to indicate their disgrace or that they were slaves. Acts 16:17 says, And it happened that she followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.

Bearing Fruit For God

NRA

Ask that question when you go to get a tattoo: Is it bearing fruit for God? That is the kind of question to ask. Or here is a third question. Is there a counterpart in our experience today to the compromise with the nations around Israel? Is our choice to get a tattoo influenced by the desire to be like the nations who do not love God? A person should seriously ask: Why am I doing this? Do I want to look like the nations who dont love God? Or am I in some way governed and controlled by an alien spirit rather than by the spirit of the gospel? Then the next thing I would do is look to the New Testament teaching on adornment. What is at play in these teachings that Paul gives is that being a follower of Christ makes a difference in how you dress and how you do makeup and how you do hair. It is really plain. In fact, it is plain in the Old Testament, too.

Ask that question when you go to get a tattoo: Is it bearing fruit for God?

The question, then, for women and I think, by implication, for men as well men would come under all these same things with regard to the things that they wear and the jewelry they use and stuff they put in their hair and all kinds of stuff. This is all for men and women, because the principles are the same Is this tattoo an expression of those good works? Is it a heartfelt expression of godliness? Is it part of a gentle and tranquil spirit that is resting in God and is content with Gods goodness to her or him?

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Bible Verses About Our Bodies

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. ~ 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:27

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ~ Romans 12:1

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:18

It is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:44

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:10

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ~ Romans 6:13

Why Did God Prohibit Tattoos In The Old Testament

Some commentators say the statement forbidding tattoos only refers to pagan customs for the dead. For example, the writers of the Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary believe that there is nothing morally wrong with tattooing, but that these practices then, and also now in some places, were parts of heathen ritual .

Other commentators disagree. The Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, for example, says in reference to this verse, The prohibition of tattooing had no reference to idolatrous usages, but was intended to inculcate upon the Israelites a proper reverence for Gods creation. The Jewish understanding of this command is that the prohibition against all forms of tattooing regardless of their intent, should be maintained .

To gain a more complete perspective, lets consider how other passages and principles relate to this subject.

Our Creator tells us: Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God . Consecrate means to be purified and set apart from the worldas clean and holy people in service to God.

Tattooing has a very long history among the pagan cultures of the world, for different reasons at different times. But God called His chosen nation to come out from the world and be different in many ways.

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What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos

Taboo tattoos

Torah Scroll. What is said about tattoos in the Bible? Leviticus, the third book of the Hebrew Bible, prohibits them without giving an explicit reason. Why does the Bible prohibit tattoos?

What does the Bible say about tattoos?

Leviticus 19:28 says, You shall not make any gashes in your flesh for the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Although this passage clearly prohibits tattoos, it does not give an explicit reason why. This begs the question: Why does the Bible prohibit tattoos?

In his Biblical Views column Unholy Ink: What Does the Bible Say about Tattoos? Mark W. Chavalas, Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, examines the taboo on tattoos in the Bible. Not only does he analyze traditional explanations for this prohibition, but he also investigates what tattoos signified to ancient Near Eastern peoples, including the ancient Israelites, which suggests the real reason why tattoos were taboo.

Leviticus 19 denounces idolatry and several pagan mourning practices. Some have thought that because of the proximity of the taboo on tattoos to the prohibition of other pagan mourning practices in Leviticus, tattooing must have been a pagan mourning practice. However, we find no evidence of this in ancient texts from the Levant, Mesopotamia or Egypt. As far as we can tell, tattooing was not an ancient mourning practice in these cultures.

Unholy Ink: What Does the Bible Say about Tattoos?

What Does The Hebrew Show Us

Bring It On-Line: Christians and Tattoos

The word translated as tattoo entails two words in Hebrew: ktovet and qaaqa . Both words occur only here in the Bible. The first, ktovet, is derived from the common stem/root k-t-b which means to write or engrave or mark.

The second, qaaqa, is much more difficult to pin down. The standard scholarly dictionary of biblical Hebrew defines it as tattoo but notes, the exact meaningis unknown it could even be a simple decoration . The Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains defines qaaqa as a marking of skin by incision, as a non-verbal sign of mourning.

This leaves us in a bit of a quandary. Were not even certain that tattoo is the correct translation of that Hebrew word. A literal translation of the latter half of Leviticus 19:28 might be, A writing of tattoo you shall not give yourself. Or it might be A writing of incision you shall not give yourself.

Therefore, we cannot speak with 100% certainty as to what this writing or marking looked like.

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Is It A Sin To Get A Tattoo

It depends on who you ask. There are some Christians who believe it is a sin. The verse in the Bible that most Christians make reference to is Leviticus 19:28, which says,”You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.” So, why is this verse in the Bible? God’s desire is for His people to be set apart from other religious practices, like pagan worship and sorcery. If you look at this verse in context, you can see that it is specifically dealing with pagan religious rituals.

Does this verse have any relevance for us today? Absolutely! Anyone getting a tattoo really needs to ask themselves, why am I getting this and what is the meaning of this tattoo? Is the tattoo an expression of witchcraft, idolatry or pagan symbolism? If so, as Christians, we need to reconsider…

When I consider the context of Leviticus 19, I lean toward the belief that it is not forbidding all expressions of tattoos. Culturally and specifically here in the US, tattoos, over the last 20 years, have become more socially acceptable. A recent study by Pew Research, claims roughly 40 percent of Millennials have tattoos. It’s no longer just the outcasts of society or sailors with tattoos suburban moms, doctors, attorneys, entertainers, even pastors can be found with tattoos.

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The Prohibition In Leviticus

The pertinent passage is Leviticus 19:28, You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.

Lets look at this passage in context, both its immediate and broader context. Lets also take a peek at the Hebrew behind the English translation to see what light it sheds on the verse. Well begin with the Hebrew.

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Can Christians Kiss Before Marriage

ROMANS VIII XXXI What, then, shall we say in response to these things ...

If you planning on kissing more for the enjoyment and pleasure than it being a pure act with love, then it can probably be considered a sin. And of course, that goes beyond a simple peck too. If it’s a long kiss, French kissing and especially if it goes further, if it starts with lust, all of it is sinful.

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The Bible Says Not To Mark Or Cut Your Body

The Bible warns us against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 which says, Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord.

I know some will have a hard time receiving this teaching because tattooing has now become an accepted practice in our society. However, just because society approves of something does not make it right in Gods eyes. Our society at large, also approves of abortion and divorce as well. However, the Bible makes it clear that God does not approve of these things.

There are many dedicated and sincere Christian people who have tattoos. This article is not meant to say they do not love the Lord. God not only can use them, but does use them. The issue is not whether God can use someone, but rather should Christians pursue getting tattoos? Just because something is popular does not mean it is right. We should always examine things by the roots and the fruits of the thing in question.

Tattoos Arent Sin But Some Symbols Could Be

Another thing worth mentioning is that the symbols people tattoo should also be relevant to the religion. For example, people who tattoo potentially insulting or Satanic symbols could be considered sinful, as they are marking their body with symbols that directly go against Christianity.

Thats why its important to wonder about what the symbol youre trying to ink will represent in your life. For example, if youre going to make a tattoo of a pagan symbol, youre likely making a tattoo against Christianity, same if you are going to tattoo a sign that potentially hints at witchcraft or glorifying some other religion.

In the end, getting a tattoo with a Christian or some other symbol comes down to whether its your personal preference or not. If you think that getting a tattoo goes against your moral beliefs of something else, perhaps you shouldnt get it.

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Mutilate The Physical Body

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Apostle Paul described the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is different from the Temple of Aphrodite at Corinth. The temple is known as a place of worship. The Holy Spirit owns the body of every believer as the Holy Spirit lives in us.

Consequently, our bodies are not for our use but of God and the Glory of God.

When we borrow a friends car, we make every effort not to dent or damage it. Its the same as saying we dont have the right to do whatever we want with our bodies.

At the Cross, Jesus Christ paid for our sins so that we could be His. Have you ever purchased something knowing how valuable it is to us? Jesus paid it all, all to Him we owe.

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Here’s What The Bible Really Says About Tattoos And Piercings

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What Does This Mean And Can Christians Get Tattoos

For those whose bodies already bear the marks of a pre-Christian past, take comfort: they are still part of personal testimony. In conversation with others who sport tattoos, they provide a natural avenue to discussing the gospel and demonstrating that the important change has taken place inwardly, where Christ has exquisitely and tenderly marked the inner person.

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