TATOO'S - for CHRISTIANS ????

fffaux

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those are different greek and hebrew words that have a tie to my thoughts about God. I think the best tattoo would be one of the Lords names. or a bible verse, think how many people look at tattoos, it could plant a seed and the seeds of God are so good.

or some kind of symbolic tattoo picture and then when people ask about it you explain the meaning just like angels explain visions to the prophets.

I feel very free in Christ. "to the pure in heart, all things are pure." << another awesome tattoo.

I agree, were i ever to get one, it would be something simple and religious, likely personally symbolic like you were talking about.
 
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Gxg (G²)

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i dont know if we can actually throw the Leviticus verse at them about an old custom they did to appease false Gods for the dead .. seems like it's a different situation altogether to what the verse is referring to.
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If I may add to what you're saying.I find it important for one to study/understand culturally what was going on in the surrounding nations before reading the Mosaic Revelations given...as they again weren't written in a vaccum or in ways that didn't make sense. Indeed, as you noted, what God said in context was that tattoos/marks were not to be placed upon oneself for the DEAD. IMHO, the brand letters/marks were considered wrong when they were done for the DEAD.
Leviticus 19:28
You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.
The other scripture going alongside Leviticus 19:28 would be one found in Deuteronomy, which echoed similar thoughts:
Deuteronomy 14:1
[ Clean and Unclean Food ] You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.



In Biblical times, tattoos were used to show allegiance to particular idols. And the specific Torah commandment is against self-injury during mourning, which were also idolatrous practices. Leviticus 19:28 includes purposeful self-mutilation, cutting, scarification, burning, etc. Note that the psychological self-mutilation issue is very different from these kinds of actions being done for the sake of beauty or idolatry. Tattos and markings were mentioned in unison when it came to the practice of doing so for the dead, in light of Caananite culture.

Some excellent reads on the issue can be found if one chooses to go online/look up the books entitled Israel’s Beneficent Dead: Ancestor Cult and Necromancy in Ancient Israelite Religion and Tradition andJudahite Burial Practices and Beliefs About the Dead (Jsots Series No 123).



On the foundational text of Leviticus 19:28, the context of tattoos/marks seemed to be explictly in regards for the dead. According to John Gills Commentary:
Leviticus 19:28Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead,
&c.] Either with their nails, tearing their cheeks and other parts, or with any instrument, knife, razor Jarchi says, it was the custom of the Amorites, when anyone died, to cut their flesh, as it was of the Scythians, as Herodotus relates, even those of the royal family; for a king they cut off a part of the ear, shaved the hair round about, cut the arms about, wounded the forehead and nose, and transfixed the left hand with arrows; and so the Carthaginians, who might receive it from the Phoenicians, being a colony of theirs, used to tear their hair and mouths in mourning, and beat their breasts ; and with the Romans the women used to tear their cheeks in such a manner that it was forbid by the law of the twelve tables, which some have thought was taken from hence: and all this was done to appease the infernal deities, and to give them satisfaction for the deceased, and to make them propitious to them, as Varro affirms; and here it is said to be made "for the soul", for the soul of the departed, to the honour of it, and for its good, though the word is often used for a dead body: now, according to the Jewish canons F7, whosoever made but one cutting for a dead person was guilty, and to be scourged; and he that made one for five dead men, or five cuttings for one dead man, was obliged to scourging for everyone of them


nor print any marks upon you;
Aben Ezra observes, there are some that say this is in connection with the preceding clause, for there were who marked their bodies with a known figure, by burning, for the dead; and he adds, and there are to this day such, who are marked in their youth in their faces, that they may be known; these prints or marks were made with ink or black lead, or, however, the incisions in the flesh were filled up therewith; but this was usually done as an idolatrous practice; so says Ben Gersom, this was the custom of the Gentiles in ancient times, to imprint upon themselves the mark of an idol, to show that they were his servants; and the law cautions from doing this, as he adds, to the exalted name (the name of God): in the Misnah it is said , a man is not guilty unless he writes the name, as it is said, ( Leviticus 19:28 ) ; which the Talmudists and the commentators interpret of the name of an idol, and not of God: I [am] the Lord; who only is to be acknowledged as such, obeyed and served, and not any strange god, whose mark should be imprinted on them.



Claiming marks in general as a forbidden thing doesn't go with the rest of the Biblical text when it comes to the issue of marks already made by the Lord. Outside of the issue of circumcision, which is a permanent marking/physical alteration to one's flesh, God already placed marks in differing ways..with the example of Cain being immediately present if choosing to consider Genesis 4:14-16 with the mark He placed upon Cain to spare Him. Away from human habitation and the protection of his kin, Cain was vulnerable to violence/murder..and God granted him mercy by applying a visible mark on Cain similar to the brand that identifies the owner of a slave.


For another:
Ezekiel 9:4
and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”


Ezekiel 9:6
Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.


With Ezekiel 9:5-7, God commands the scribe to place a mark on those who sigh and groan over all the abominations. The Hebrew word translated mark is a vocalization of the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, taw, which would have been written as an X. One might think that the individuals so designated were to be spared (much like it was with the protective markings of Passover in Exodus 12:23), but the remainder of the vision does not explictly report that any individuals were marked and spared.



As said best by John Gill's Commentary on the Bible when it comes to the letter:
and set a mark upon the foreheads;
not the Hebrew letter (t) , as some say, because in the form of a cross, and so signifying salvation by the cross of Christ; for this letter has no such form, neither in the characters used by the Jews, nor by the Samaritans, at least in the present character; though Origen and Jerom on the place say that the letter "tau" had the form of a cross in the letters the Samaritans used in their time; and this is defended by Walton , who observes, that Azariah in his Hebrew alphabet gives a double figure, one like that which is in present use, and another in the form of a cross, called St. Andrew's cross, and as it appears in some shekels; and in the Vatican alphabet, which Angelus E Roccha published, the last letter has the form of a cross; as have the Ethiopic and Coptic alphabets, which, it is certain, sprung from the ancient Hebrew; and so Montfaucon says, in some Samaritan coins, the letter "thau" has the form of a cross; which, if Scaliger had met with, he says he would never have opposed the testimonies of Origen and Jerom; though, after all, it seems to be no other than the form of the Greek "x"; and so the Talmudists say the high priest, was anointed on his forehead in the same form: some think this letter was the mark, because it is the first letter of the word (hrwt) , "the law"; as if it pointed out such who were obedient to it; or of the word (hyxt) "thou shall live". It is a Rabbinical fancy, mentioned by Kimchi, that Gabriel had orders to write the letter (t) in ink upon the foreheads of the righteous, and in blood upon the foreheads of the wicked; in the one it signified (hyxt) , "thou shall live", and in the other (twmt) , "thou shall die"; but, as Calvin observes, rather, if this letter could be thought to be meant, the reason of it was, because it is the last letter of the alphabet; and so may signify, that the Lord's people marked with it are the last among men, or the faith of the world; or that such who persevere to the end shall be saved: but the word signifies, not a letter, but a mark or sign; and so it is interpreted in the Septuagint version, and by the Targum, Jarchi, Kimchi, and others; and denotes the distinction the Lord had made by his grace between them and others; and now by his power and providence in the protection of them; for the, Lord knows them that are his, and will preserve them. The allusion is either to the marking of servants in their foreheads, by which they were known who they belonged to, ( Revelation 7:3 ) ; or to the sprinkling of the posts of the Israelites' houses with blood, when the firstborn of Egypt were destroyed, ( Exodus 12:22Exodus 12:23 )




There was a HISTORICAL context when it came to markings/tattoos... The focus was...and has ALWAYS been markings/tattoos that are done for the purposes of idolatry/calling up the spirts of the departed, as that's the historical backing--and trying to claim otherwise makes the Lord out to be a liar when He already noted markings to be condoned by Him on multiple points:

  • Revelations 19:15 with Christ having language written on Him...
  • Revelations 3 where the Lord said He'd mark His people/write His name on them
  • Isaiah 44:5 with HaShem saying He'd tattoo/mark His own people
  • Ezekiel 9:4-7 with Him commanding the prophet to mark those who grieved over abominations
  • Song of Songs, where the lover makes clear their companion has been placed as seal upon their heart and a seal upon their arm.
  • Cain in Genesis 4, who was marked by the Lord..
In light of who Christ is, some things to consider...




Revelation 19:15
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. '


12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
People often discuss how only someone wishing to serve the anti-christ would be about markings...as that's what seems to occur in Revelation 13:15-17 / /Revelation 14:8-10 /Revelation 15:1-3 / Revelation 16:1-3 / Revelation 19:19-21 / Revelation 20:3-5 when it comes to recieving the "mark of the beast"--and with that, at times the scriptures in Leviticus are used in association. But the TANAK already shows instances where marking was done by the Lord as well...with Him writing HIS Name upon them/marking them..
 
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Gxg (G²)

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God looks at the heart first and although I wouldnt necessarily advocate someone should get one (because it is controversial in some circles and we dont want to cause one weaker in the faith to stumble plus it is very permanent). But I honestly dont see how we can judge whether someone getting a tattoo is right or wrong - if they have prayed about it and have good motives before God then you know.. i dont know if we can actually throw the Leviticus verse at them about an old custom they did to appease false Gods for the dead .. seems like it's a different situation altogether to what the verse is referring to.




Just let me say though that tattoos which depict demons or anything that glorifies the evil one are wrong - that is such a bad idea. Sometimes I think that is an open door to inviting the demonic into your life. really bad idea. I do think sometimes Tattooists can pass on spiritual stuff to the one they tattoo especially with Tribal Tattoos sometimes (the whole process of getting a tattoo can be for that purpose in some cultures.. a passing on of ancestral stuff etc) so if a Christian were to get a tattoo I would pray a lot about who you get to do it. If a Christian were to get a tattoo a whole lot of prayer has to go into it imo.


One Charismatic I'm aware with (Dr.Michael Brown, a Messianic Jew from "Fire School of Ministry") actually shared some thoughts on the subject that I thought were very beneficial. Dr.Michael Brown, sought to cover the issue in-depth on his website when it came to Tattoos/Evangelism amongst those who have Tattoo's ...and there was some good discussion on the matter. As said best by another on the matter from his ministry site:
The Law in the Old Testament dealt with physical things, like murder, adultery, food, cleanliness, etc….but as Jer. 33 tells us the law under the new covenant is one written on the hearts. Jesus tells us that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him (dealing with the washing of hands), but what comes out.
O.T. – Murder (physical) N.T – Hate (heart)
O.T. – Adultery (physcial) N.T – Lust (heart)
The physical O.T laws became N.T heart attitudes that birth obedience.

So what about Lev. 19 – Verse 26-29 deal with pagan worship. In the N.T. we find out that worship is not physical things (like music and clapping – even though these are good to be used in worship) but rather worship is from the heart. It is spirit and truth from the inside. Jesus tells the woman at the well that it doesn’t matter what mountain they worship on, the issue is knowing who you are worshipping and having your heart set on loving God.

It is no longer cutting the corners of your beard that is pagan worship, but if you are cutting your beard with a heart to worship false gods, it is wrong. The same goes for tatoos. A tatoo in and of itself is not wrong. It is the motive behind the tatoo, and what the tatoo depicts that make it wrong of not.

Getting a tatoo that is symbolic of Christ and my deep relationship with Him is not something that is pagan worship. So I would not be breaking the Law that is written on my heart.
I have seen it where others think about the dangers of tattoos and assume that everything with tattoos must be an issue. And the scripture that often comes up is what's seen in Leviticus 19:28. Others have been brought up by others in connection to that ( Deuteronomy 23:1-3 , Leviticus 21:4-6, 1 Kings 18:27-29, ). Those who disagree with others doing so may've been quick to say that they were "legalistic"--but in many ways, I agree with those going back/discussing the Torah in what it advocated. There are many dangerous practices that can occur when it comes to the world of Tattoo, from potential diseases gettng transferred to spiritual issues-----and some that've spoken well on the subject are people like William Sudduth of the book "What's Behind the Ink?" ( as seen here):









William Sudduth grew up in the Brownsville Revival and one of my older brothers in CHrist offered me the resource by him which I considered. I thought he had some good points to consider. However, as much as I may support those going back to the OT Law, I disagree with some of the ways they try to apply it...fo the same people who often go back/discuss the law on Tattoos often will not do the rest of it...such as discussing how Leviticus 19:26-28 says cutting of the hair/beard should NEVER occur. Most have shaved their beards today, including many within the Messianic Jewish movement, and understand that what the OT was saying was in regards to what the cultures surrounding the Hebrews were advocatng---and the scriptures seem to show times where the beard command wasn't always practiced in a heavy handed dynamic.



In example, before Joseph stood in Pharaoh’s presence, he shaved (Gen. 41:14), which was culturally very significant. A beard was highly regarded in Israel (cf. 2 Sam. 10:4-5), but in Egypt it was not. Joseph revealed wisdom by adapting to the culture of his day, yet in a way that did not violate any biblical principle. A beard was really a matter of culture, not of creed. By taking the Egyptian’s language ( Genesis 42:22-24 ), their dress, and even an Egyptian wife (cf. Gen. 41:45), Joseph identified himself with the Egyptians in a way that made his ministry more acceptable, yet without any sacrifice of biblical principle.


The same principle is something that may possibly apply to Tattoo's...and I think that its something that needs to be considered when it comes to the Gospel. My own fellowship often dealt with the issue.


For it is the case that orthodox Jews believe that the Torah forbids tattoos, and would be turned off by the tattoo in many instances....thus keeping out those of Jewish background who may actually be into tattoos/not saved. In our fellowship, there was once a person who came into the fellowship/was covered in Tattoos and they were very passionate about serving Yeshua...and where others may've been tempted to stare/kick them out, thankfully, others felt that people are people....and needing to be loved, in light of scripture.


With scripture, something else that was very striking to consider is what Isaiah 44:5 says when it comes to tattoos:

Isa 44:5



One will say, I am the Lord's; and another will call himself by the name of Jacob; and another will write [even brand or tattoo] upon his hand, I am the Lord's, and surname himself by the [honorable] name of Israel.


Isaiah 44:5
5 Some will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The LORD’s,’
and will take the name Israel.

The word, “write” was correctly understood to mean mark or tattoo and as the 6th century Greek historian, Procopius, noted on this place in Isaiah, “Many Christians imitated the practice by marking their wrist or their arm with the sign of the cross or with the name of Christ.”


As mentioned earlier, as it concerns the issue of "mark his arm/hand" in scripture, it was customary for slaves to be marked with owner's name.

For more information, Professor Aaron Demsky of Bar-Ilan University, in an article in the Encyclopaedia Judaica ("Writing"), suggested that non-idolatrous tattooing may have been permitted in biblical times. He cites the following biblical references such as Isaiah stating"One shall say, 'I am the Lord's,' and another shall use the name of Jacob, and another shall mark his arm 'of the Lord' and adopt the name of Israel" (Isaiah 44:5)--and alongside that, the other scripture that states, "See, I have engraved You on the palms of my hands…" (Isaiah 49:16). There was also one in Job stating" ...is a sign on every man's hand that all men may know His doings" (Job 37:7). While these verses may be purely metaphoric, Demsky suggests they could be taken literally as instances of tattooing that were acceptable in biblical times. He goes on to add that A. Cowley (in his 1923 book Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C.) showed that in Elephantine [a city in Hellenistic Egypt], slaves of Jews were marked with the names of their owners as was the general practice.



Another scripture which also stands out is the following:
Song of Solomon 8:6
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

The BEAUTIFUL poetic story of Song of Solomon describes two godly lovers learning to come together after a season of courtship. And on the issue, its interesting to see what the woman asks for her husband to do. The phrase "set me as a seal upon your heart...upon your arm" may have the sense of "impress me as a seal onto your heart and arm." In this case, the idea is that she be indelibly stamped onto his heart (that is, onto his emotions and inner commitment) and onto his arm (meaning, as with God's commandments in Deuteronomy 6:6-8, onto his actions). And, considering the identification imagery, she may have been asking that the man be completely identified with her...and that in observing him, all would see a man wholly devoted to her (her name being figuratively tattooed on his arm, as we might think of it today). Moreover, there may be a sense here of a mark of ownership that the man would willingly belong, and be seen as belonging, to her (in this apparent recommitment to marriage with its mutual possession).


I think we have to let the Bible say what it says....and that is something which has not honestly been done by many who say "Tatto's are wrong because the WORLD has them/God wants us to be seperate!!!!".. That's something that's rather astounding in light of the examples of others in the Bible many don't seem to address when it comes to those who worked in the world/impacted it... whether Joseph in Egypt/having an Egyptian Wife (plus shaving his beard in accordance with Egyptian Custom) and the support of unbelieving pharoah to politically impact the lives of millions Genesis 41 or Daniel 1:2 ....or with folks such as Nehemiah 2:13 or Esther


As said best by another:

Before Joseph stood in Pharaoh’s presence, he shaved (Gen. 41:14), which was culturally very significant. A beard was highly regarded in Israel (cf. 2 Sam. 10:4-5), but in Egypt it was not. Joseph revealed wisdom by adapting to the culture of his day, yet in a way that did not violate any biblical principle. A beard was really a matter of culture, not of creed. By taking the Egyptian’s language, their dress, and even an Egyptian wife (cf. Gen. 41:45), Joseph identified himself with the Egyptians in a way that made his ministry more acceptable, yet without any sacrifice of biblical principle.

Perhaps Daniel is the most striking example of cultural concession in the Old Testament. In Daniel 1 we find the prophet and his three Hebrew friends taken captive to Babylon. We know these men best in terms of what they refused to do. All four refused to partake of the king’s choice food and wine (Dan. 1:8-16), which seemed to be associated with idolatrous worship. (In this case, it would be consistent with the prohibitions of Acts 15:20, 29.) Daniel refused to cease praying (Dan. 6), and his three friends would not bow down to the golden image (Dan. 3). In focusing our attention on what these four men refused to do we sometimes fail to take note of the cultural concession they were willing make. They were submissive to the king’s requirements by becoming educated in the schools of Babylon for three years, and of serving the king as advisors. These men, even in their youth, had the God-given wisdom to discern between what was culturally acceptable and what was not. They were able to faithfully serve God and to be witnesses to Him, even in a pagan land, because they could discern the elements of that culture which were an offense to God


 
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Gxg (G²)

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if we're going to go with the temple of the holy spirit concept, then i relate tattoos to murals on walls. if done well they can be beautiful representations of something meaningful, but they can very easily be done poorly.


One form of Tattoo that I've always found to be quite beautiful is Henna----for its a sign of beauty. With the issue of Henna, many have noted how it has long been apart of Jewish culture when it comes to beauty and design...especially if studying the Jews who live in India. For some resources on such:

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Already interesting to consider the many ways in which many are simply unaware/ignorant of what life is like for those who are Indian Jewish---and some of it was discussed more in-depth elsewhere ( #12 ). To see how many apart of things within Indian culture were often mistreated by other Jews in Judaism because of their practices is amazing enough.....but that's another issue :).



As it concerns markings, for others, its no different than the many ways people already do alterations of their body in ways ALL of us have accepted since our youth....be it with going to the dentist to get teeth fixed/cleaned or getting piercings (as often occurred in the Bible) and even the permanent mark of circumcision (which was practiced by nations outside of Israel and done LONG before God told Abraham to do so)

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Gxg (G²)

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Pharisees that were concerned with outward appearances, and Jesus had some pretty strong words for them;
Matthew 23:25-26 (NIV)
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
:cool:

Outward appearance has nothing to do with what the inside of the cup looks like, at least not according to Jesus.

:cool:





Concerning what you noted, the ministry of "Sacred Ink" was one organization that I thought had many solid/beautiful points to consider on the issue.....as seen here .-and as mentioned here / here and here as well. For a more in depth review of tattoo and the Bible, one can check out (Im)Morality of Tattoos. As said best by that specific ministry when it comes to Torah command:
The main scripture that concerns many people with regards to tattooing is this verse from the remarkable Old Testament book of Leviticus
“You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:28 — New American Standard
At first glance this passage seems to indicate that tattoo is forbidden for Christians. To comprehend the Scripture correctly, we must always examine the whole of Scripture and look at the particular context of a given passage. If we neglect deep study we will never truly understand the intent of the author. We need to look at the word(s) of the above passage in full connection with the surrounding verses, and in context with the historic setting at the time of its writing. When we study below the surface of this text, we then will see more clearly what God says about tattoo. The verse quoted above is part of a larger passage of scripture seen here.
26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying. 27 You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard. 28 ‘You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD. 29 ‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot, so that the land will not fall to harlotry and the land become full of lewdness. 30 ‘You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD. 31 ‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:26–31 — New American Standard
In this passage God is speaking to his covenant people Israel. He is specifically telling them to stay far from the religious practices of the surrounding people groups. The prohibited religious practices in these verses include eating bloody meat, fortune telling, certain hair cuts related to the priests of false cults, cutting or marking the body for dead relatives, cultic prostitution and consulting psychics. All these practices would lead God's beloved people away from Him and toward false gods that were not Gods at all. In the midst of this context we find the word translated “tattoo marks” in verse 28. It is important to note here that the context of this passage is not one of body décor but one of marking one's self in connection with cultic religious worship. Bible commentaries tell us much about the eastern religious practices that God was warning His people to shun.
These prohibitions seem to relate to pagan religious customs which should be avoided, including pagan mourning rites (vv. 27-28) Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983–c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary: An exposition of the scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
The practice of making deep gashes on the face and arms and legs, in time of bereavement, was universal among the heathen, and it was deemed a becoming mark of respect for the dead, as well as a sort of propitiatory offering to the deities who presided over death and the grave. The Jews learned this custom in Egypt, and though weaned from it, relapsed in a later and degenerate age into this old superstition (Is 15:2; Je 16:6; 41:5). “nor print any marks upon you” (v:28 )—by tattooing, imprinting figures of flowers, leaves, stars, and other fanciful devices on various parts of their person. The impression was made sometimes by means of a hot iron, sometimes by ink or paint, as is done by the Arab females of the present day and the different castes of the Hindus. It it probable that a strong propensity to adopt such marks in honor of some idol gave occasion to the prohibition in this verse; and they were wisely forbidden. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. (Le 19:28). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
“Make any cuttings in your flesh” (v:28): the reference here is to the practice of making deep gashes in the skin while mourning the death of a relative. This was done to provide life blood for the spirit of the dead person rather than to express sorrow. On account of the dead: as indicated above, this describes the purpose of all the actions in verse 27 as well as verse 28. Péter-Contesse, R., & Ellington. (1992). A handbook on Leviticus. UBS handbooks; Helps for translating (Page 296). New York: United Bible Societies.
The “tattoo” marks described in Leviticus 19:28 were clearly related to false religious practices. The word translated tattoo in our English Bibles is the Hebrew word “qa aqa”, this word appears only one time in the Bible, here in this passage Leviticus. The word “qa aqa” means literally “to cut” but taken with the surrounding words indicates a cutting that left a mark imprinted in the skin. This could have been a form of branding, scarring, cutting or a process where ink was inlaid into the skin; there is not enough data to fully define exactly what this word meant. However we translate the word “qa aqa” though, in this passage, it is certainly used in the context of cultic religious worship. The prohibition against “qa aqa”, (translated tattoo) was to keep the Israelites from being involved or affiliated with cultic worship practices.


The tattoo of today is much different than it was for those who originally received the Pentateuch. Today tattoo is a decorative means of self expression and personal decoration. In our current culture people modify their appearance for beauty in many ways such as clothing choice, makeup, plastic surgery, haircutting and coloring, weight loss, body-building, and ear piercing. Some of these practices have a history in ancient ritual and false religion, but in our cultural context they do not denote a connection with evil or false faith. In the same way tattoos today do not link the wearer to cultic worship practices and is not generally practiced for ancient religious purposes, tattoos today are for ornamentation.






 
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Perhaps when you stand before the Lord and He asks you why did you did graffiti on your temple, you can always answer: "a 'Christian' said it was OK"
Woe to that christian

woe to me, God is gonna hug me, bear hugs hurt.

rather woe to the man who does not repent of this worlds various ways and woe to the man who does not discard his own soul.

seriously what is more "woe-appropriate"?

take those chains off, you need a lesser burden. for all you know putting a tattoo on the temple of God could be like putting gold on it. we can eat pig meat because it is clean. but woe to those people who are spiritual pigs, they should be sheep instead.
 
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Lotuspetal_uk

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Easy G (G²);60351137 said:
One form of Tattoo that I've always found to be quite beautiful is Henna----for its a sign of beauty. With the issue of Henna, many have noted how it has long been apart of Jewish culture when it comes to beauty and design...especially if studying the Jews who live in India. For some resources on such:

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Already interesting to consider the many ways in which many are simply unaware/ignorant of what life is like for those who are Indian Jewish---and some of it was discussed more in-depth elsewhere ( #12 ). To see how many apart of things within Indian culture were often mistreated by other Jews in Judaism because of their practices is amazing enough.....but that's another issue :).



As it concerns markings, for others, its no different than the many ways people already do alterations of their body in ways ALL of us have accepted since our youth....be it with going to the dentist to get teeth fixed/cleaned or getting piercings (as often occurred in the Bible) and even the permanent mark of circumcision (which was practiced by nations outside of Israel and done LONG before God told Abraham to do so)

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:wave: @ Easy G

Back before I was saved - and since I hated needles - you reminded me of how I went through my "mehndi phase". My Indian friends use to do them for me. ^_^

It was pretty cool! Plus it eventually fades away and so wasn't permanent.
 
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Faulty

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Right, he made a law in Leviticus that explicitly pertains to physical glorification of the dead, specifically in response to many pagan religions at the time. this does not apply to this day and age, further more, and this argument has been made several times now, if you take that verse, then you also have to take the following verse about not shaving. So in that case is anyone with a razor a sinner? or do we take the verses as they are originally meant, and not blindly under the guise of, "its in the Bible."

Those verses are addressed to the congregation of Israel (19:2):
"You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord."
Lev 19:27-28
In chapter 21, we find a similar command, except to the priests (v1), a different target audience:
"They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body."
Lev 21:5
This command concerning the dead mentions the beards and the cuts on the body just like chapter 19, along with a few new commands concerning the dead, but no mention of prohibiting tattoos.

So, were the tattoos not about the dead in chapter 19, or were the priests not prohibited in getting tattoos to glorify the dead? If anyone has a definitive argument from scripture either way, I'd like to see it.
 
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Gxg (G²)

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:wave: @ Easy G

Back before I was saved - and since I hated needles - you reminded me of how I went through my "mehndi phase". My Indian friends use to do them for me. ^_^
.

Ha :D Now we relate even more, as I have been wanting to do that with Indian friends for a long time.
It was pretty cool! Plus it eventually fades away and so wasn't permanent
The beauty of being able to draw on yourself and keep something for however long you wish, if knowing it can change.

Personally, the kinds they had in Disney's "Atlantis" always stood out to me..

258px-Kidaatlantis.jpg

atlantis_nimoy_king%20_03.JPG
 
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fffaux

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Perhaps when you stand before the Lord and He asks you why did you did graffiti on your temple, you can always answer: "a 'Christian' said it was OK"
Woe to that christian

See, right there, you threw out condemnation without justification, just more cliches.
 
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fffaux

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There was no condemnation there -only warnings.

Sure, and you have yet to defend Leviticus' relevance. You know i get the feeling you dislike tattoos because...you were taught to dislike tattoos, so you use Leviticus out of context and relevance to defend your presupposition.
 
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TasManOfGod

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Sure, and you have yet to defend Leviticus' relevance. You know i get the feeling you dislike tattoos because...you were taught to dislike tattoos, so you use Leviticus out of context and relevance to defend your presupposition.
No I was taught to love God and my neighbour. Warning others about the unholiness of tattoos goes with the territory
 
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fffaux

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No I was taught to love God and my neighbour. Warning others about the unholiness of tattoos goes with the territory

Yeah, like mharr said, we're not asking for much. but you base your entire argument around this verse and cannot defend it.
 
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ByTheSpirit

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I think the more important issue at hand here is this, the tendency to judge others for their appearance. Now I don't have tattoo's and never plan on it so before you bewail me as a tattoo loving Christian, what I mean is this. We know that God cares about our heart attitude, and while it is true there is a law in Lev that states no one should receive a tattoo, isn't also true that most of that book has been done away with by the blood of Christ? Who are we to say which parts are still in effect and which are not? Case in point is this. The verse before the "tattoo" verse (which is Lev 19:28) says do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. How many men still abide by that? Two verses after the "tattoo" verse says, Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD. How many of us go to church on the Sabbath? No, Sunday is not the Sabbath. So case in point is that saying well this verse says no tattoos so I'm going to thump on every tattoo having Christian I see, is a bit judgmental.
BUT!! those who want tattoo's should also keep in mind that Paul admonishes us all not to lay a stumbling block in front of other believers, and to do nothing that tears another down, but to build each other up. If getting a tattoo is going to be offensive to someone you know, then you shouldn't do it. We should seek to build each other up, not tear each other down because I want I want I want... Understand?
 
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Lotuspetal_uk

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Easy G (G²);60353555 said:
Ha :D Now we relate even more, as I have been wanting to do that with Indian friends for a long time.
The beauty of being able to draw on yourself and keep something for however long you wish, if knowing it can change.
Amen. :) We had an Enterprise club at one of the schools I taught at and some of the girls did mehndi as a mini-business. The poor dears threatened to charge me double because I kept coming back when my hands faded. :D

Personally, the kinds they had in Disney's "Atlantis" always stood out to me..
............ :swoon:

Just kidding! :) It would certainly make you stand out ;)
 
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