What does God think of tattoos?

[brinny]

I was listening to a message this morning and in the message, tattoos were brought up. I think i get it now, but what do y'all think about tattoos, and what do you think God's take on tattoos is?

 

[.Iona.]

I have read that the Leviticus 19:28 is referring to gentiles and how they would mark their skin in mourning, or in devotion to their idols.

Do others see it more general?

It is not something I have looked into too much. I'm sure that the responses will vary.

 

[.Iona.]

Also, would getting a tattoo before turning to Christ, be seen differently than getting a tattoo when one already identifies as Christian?

 

[NorrinRadd]

I suppose He wouldn't be thrilled with "Satan Rulz" or "Jesus was a warlock." He probably also disapprove of an "EZ Access" tramp stamp. But in general, I don't believe He cares about tats any more than He cares what kind of shoes we wear.

 

[Noxot]

I would love to have a name of God tattooed on me. or a scripture.

 

[brinny]

Interesting responses.....i gotta admit, i didn't have much of a handle on understanding the pros and cons of them...but i'm gettin' there.

 

[LaSpino3]

I think the first thing we should ask ourselves, Am I going to temp, or test the Lord. So would you take Jesus into a tattoo parlor and commence to have your body marked, or inscribed? Lets look at a little history of this practice of tattooing.

Tattooing was prevalent among the uncivilized nations of the world. Its the imprinting of figures of every sort upon the human body.

Lev.19:28, "Ye (the Jews) shall not make any cuttings in you flesh for the dead, not print (tattoo) any marks upon you: I am the LORD."

Ye shall not is the same as "Thou shall not," because I tell you so, for "I am the LORD." A stern warning to the Jewish nation. Now we Christian's are adopted into the blessings of promises made to Abraham. And Gentile sinners are adopted into the Jewish curses. This I know because there is one LORD, and one body.

Tattooing has become universal fad. The term tattooing is of Polynesian origin, and is said to be derived from the verb "ta," which signifies to strike. It was found on Egyptian mummies dating back some 4000 years ago. It has been mentioned by classical authors in relation to the Thracians, Greeks, Gauls, ancient Germans, Britts, Romans etc.

The Romans tattooed criminals and slaves, Germans tattooed every Jewish prisoner as well as others with a number, then took them to the extermination camps, where they had been marked for death.

Tattooing was forbidden in Europe after the advent of Christianity, but the practice remained alive in the Near East, as well as other parts of the world. Many American Indian tribes customarily tattooed their faces, or bodies.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, this was done by Arab females and the different castes of the Hindoos. Impressions being made sometimes by a hot iron, ink or paint. Hindoos bear upon their foreheads, and other areas of their bodies certain sectarian marks in honor of their idols.

In other areas of the world, there was also a strong inclination to tattoo certain marks in honor of an idol, this being practiced in nations bordering ancient Israel. This may be the reason God's warned the Jews not to cut, or mark their bodies. These marks could be considered signs of apostasy, and when once made, they were obstacles that could not be overcome easily.

Note, each of the above concerns a pagan culture.

Allusions to this practice can be seen in,

Isa.49:16, the LORD said, "I (God) have graven (inscribed) thee upon the palms of my hands." Meant as a metaphor. Other llusions can also be found in,

Rev.13:17, "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name," in the right hand or forehead.

Rev.14:1, "I (John) looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him a 144,000 having his Father's name written in their foreheads."

So does this apply to Christian's? We have seen in Revelation, that God will mark those He chooses to serve him, and the beast of Revelation will mark all those who follow after him. Hmmm, My advice, don't get tattooed, or have your body pierced in any way. And if you have already been tattooed, I would break away from this pagan practice.

God has taken time to give us instructions concerning this practice. He uses the phrase, "Thou shall not." This in no way sounds like a casual warning, but a "thou shall not warning," implying there may be a price to pay for disobedience.

My thoughts, Phil LaSpino

 

[brinny]

Thank you for thoughtfully sharing Phil, and the Bible verses.

 

[LaSpino3]

Brinny, glad to help.

Phil

 

[NorrinRadd]

With all due respect, Phil's long post was informative (I guess) but totally irrelevant.

The Law never forbade tattooing per se, but only those body markings willfully and knowingly intended as part of pagan worship.

In Christ, the Obsolete Covenant no longer applies. The old Law is gone. No law applies to us except "Love one another" or "Love your neighbor as yourself." Grace brings liberty.

As for the origins of tattooing, they are as irrelevant as the pagan origins of the names of the days of the week and the months of the year. Getting a tattoo does not imply pagan worship with any more necessity than speaking the word "Tuesday" or "Thursday" or "January" or "March" means that we are vocally honoring Tyr or Thor or Janus or Mars.

 

[LaSpino3]

NorrinRadd, you wrote, "In Christ, the Obsolete Covenant no longer applies. The old Law is gone. No law applies to us except "Love one another" or "Love your neighbor as yourself." Grace brings liberty.

Phil replies, "You say the old law is gone, Hmmm,
Lev.19:4, "Turn ye not unto idols.
Ver.11, "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
Ver.12, Ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God."
Ver.13, "Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him.
Ver.14. Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind. etc. etc.

Let me put it this way. I don't fully understand everything the Lord commanded us to do, but I do understand that God does not mince words.

Now I have a question for you, in all the verses in Leviticus 19, including "Thou shalt not mark your body, is every individual Christian free to pick and choose what part of these laws in Leviticus they can or cannot do? Something to think about. If I chose to let's say in ver.13, Defraud my neighbor, can I claim that this law does not apply to me because Jesus fulfilled it?

I agree with your argument concerning love, but you left out, "Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul."

Loving God means we, as his children are to be obedient, and to do His will. I know Jesus fulfilled all the law, but this does not give us the licience to break even one part of that which he made perfect.

I suppose people have, and will continue to get tattoos, that's their choice, and if they do, I don't care! As for myself, because I do not understand all that is going on in this material world, and its connection with the fallen spirit world, and cunning ways in which the Devil influences people to become his children, I would advise everyone to take ALL that God has warned us, very, very, seriously."

You wrote, "As for the origins of tattooing, they are as irrelevant as the pagan origins of the names of the days of the week and the months of the year. Getting a tattoo does not imply pagan worship with any more necessity than speaking the word "Tuesday" or "Thursday" or "January" or "March" means that we are vocally honoring Tyr or Thor or Janus or Mars.

Phil replies, "You may be right in part; but for necessity, naming the days and months for the convenience of keeping time, has nothing to do with descrating the flesh with vile pictures, names, or sayings. Are we attempting to entertain, or impress God with our picturasque tattoos?

As Christian's, our body belongs to the Lord, for we are his children. Therefore we must keep them from the pollution of this world, and in my estimation, tattooing is to polute the body.

Again, let me ask you, if Jesus Christ, and his Holy Spirit took on the form men and walked with you past a tattoo place, would you ask them to step inside and wait for you while your getting a tattoo of a skull and cross-bones, or a snake, or an occult sign, or Mom-eeee?

My thoughts.

Phil LaSpino

 

[squint]

Squint, rear view, as imagined by some GT posters:

 

[brinny]

We love you squint

 

[ViaCrucis]

I was listening to a message this morning and in the message, tattoos were brought up. I think i get it now, but what do y'all think about tattoos, and what do you think God's take on tattoos is?

I think they are morally neutral. That is, they are neither commanded nor forbidden.

The only commandment against tattooing is found in Leviticus, as part of the Torah, which has no application for Christians. In the same breath, the mitzvot there says men shouldn't shave the sides of their beard. The anti-tattooing crowd is legalistic and legally inconsistent in how it wants to keep Torah--that is, it wants to keep the parts it likes but dismiss the parts it doesn't like, in that sense it's no different than Sabbatarians, Judaizers, and other legalists.

For Christians, there is no commandment against tattooing, and there is no commandment for it. It is therefore a matter of conscience; in the same category as whether to eat a cheeseburger, or wear pants, or listen to Weird Al Yankovic.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[brinny]

thank you for sharing....that's a lot to chew on....

 

[squint]

We love you squint

I object to tattoos only out of the sheer boredom of having to look at them everyday for the rest of your life.

 

[brinny]

hahaaaa good point

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I was listening to a message this morning and in the message, tattoos were brought up. I think i get it now, but what do y'all think about tattoos, and what do you think God's take on tattoos is?

Hi Brinny. I think God does not want people painting graffiti on His temple. That is why he said do not do it, and that is why I never have.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I was listening to a message this morning and in the message, tattoos were brought up. I think i get it now, but what do y'all think about tattoos, and what do you think God's take on tattoos is?

God came back and talked to Thomas with two tattoos in his hands and two in this feet .

 

[Noxot]

Ezek 9:4 (YLT)
And He calleth unto the man who is clothed with linen, who hath the scribe's inkhorn at his loins, and Jehovah saith unto him, `Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Jerusalem, and thou hast made a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and who are groaning for all the abominations that are done in its midst.'

Ezek 9:5-7 (YLT)
And to the others he said in mine ears, `Pass on into the city after him, and smite; your eye doth not pity, nor do ye spare; aged, young man, and virgin, and infant, and women, ye do slay--to destruction; and against any man on whom is the mark ye do not go nigh, and from My sanctuary ye begin.' And they begin among the aged men who are before the house, and He saith unto them, `Defile the house, and fill the courts with the wounded, go forth.' And they have gone forth and have smitten in the city.

looks like if God did not do the mark then it is in vain that the temple is built. God puts to death and God keeps alive. God destroys evil people and God makes the good to be kept alive. this all occurs inside of a person. it is a purification process spoken in parables of God to the angels and angels to the prophets who understand the parables and visions, but men who are of this world/fleshly minded, they see and do not understand, they hear but not with their circumcised heart. they are only fit to be devoured by the sword of God, which is the Spirit of God.

the Lord said:

Lev 19:28 (YLT)
`And a cutting for the soul ye do not put in your flesh; and a writing, a cross-mark, ye do not put on you; I am Jehovah.

we see now a difference in the doctrines of demons and the doctrines of God.

Mark 5:2-5 (YLT)
and he having come forth out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling in the tombs, and not even with chains was any one able to bind him, because that he many times with fetters and chains had been bound, and pulled in pieces by him had been the chains, and the fetters broken in pieces, and none was able to tame him, and always, night and day, in the mountains, and in the tombs he was, crying and cutting himself with stones.

those stones he was cutting himself with:

Ezek 11:19 (YLT)
And I have given to them one heart, And a new spirit I do give in your midst, And I have turned the heart of stone out of their flesh, And I have given to them a heart of flesh.

another example:

Jer 3:9 (YLT)
And it hath come to pass, from the vileness of her fornication, that the land is defiled, and she committeth fornication with stone and with wood.

you see it is sin to not be clinging to the Lord with all you are. our eye must be single so that it will be full of light, our lamps must be full of oil so that we have light for ourselves that we may not fall into a pit. we must not have the stony heart for we belong to God. our land which is ourselves gets defiled when we cling to those wicked trees that do not bare fruit of the spirit and when we cling to those stone hearts of the lower carnal man, he can not enter the kingdom of God, and if you commit adultery with him, you too will become of the nature of a stone heart. for wicked company corrupts good manners. and you know what happens, in time the Lord will, for your good, send you to captivity. and the next thing you know, you are in heaps of trouble, being ruled over by the king of babylon. but the Lord is able and willing to set us all free.

and so: Lev 19:28 (YLT)
`And a cutting for the soul ye do not put in your flesh; and a writing, a cross-mark, ye do not put on you; I am Jehovah.

therefore for me to believe this is speaking of a literal 'don't put tattoos on yourself' would be for me to degrade the word of God and a sin for me. I do not want to commit adultery, because the only one who is the teacher is the Holy Spirit. it is common logic to not cut yourself up, it is common logic to not want to put something on you that would slander the Lord. what is it to anyone, if I, being a free man, desire to put a tattoo of a cross on myself? if i have a scripture written on my flesh, will it not, if I am spiritual and following Christ, would it not display a good sign to others that may not know i'm a christian, and yet they see how good of a person I am, and they see that I love the Lord and they are given a grace, to maybe look at the tattoo and have a seed planted in their heart.

but it will be counted as sin for me if I have written a scripture on my flesh and I am judgmental to others, if I am stuck up and haughty and look down on others. then it is a great sin and multiplied, for I have good things written on me but the inside of me bares the mark of the antichrist. one can only confess Christ by the Spirit of Christ, having the sons and daughters with the lord inside of your land. the sons being the good thoughts and the daughters being the works and good deeds. and so be a good land, full of every fruit bearing tree, for this the Lord commands for he says to the christians "increase and multiply" so let your land not be full of thorns and thistles, least be we found to look good on the outside but wicked on the inside, even the nations of egypt will be ashamed of how wicked you are.

so go whatever you feel the Lord would want you to do, for we walk by the Spirit of God, we do not listen to the tablets of stone, for the law is written on our hearts. we must worship God in spirit and in truth, not in the oldness of the letter, which kills. it kills due to the sinful nature not comprehending the law of God, which is good, but men make it vain with their vain reasoning. we are on a path with the Lord ad we must have a clear conscious with Him. i'm not condemning anyone for getting a tattoo or not getting one, that is for the Lord to judge them. I am only attempting to not place a burden on people. for I have heard of many judgmental christians that scorn others for them having tattoos, as if those people are not guilty of the sin of condemning others based on outward appearances, which Jesus Christ commands us not to do.