holyrokker
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- Sep 4, 2004
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I don't question the principle in the least. We should absolutely be different than our society. We are to be in the world and not of it. Absolutely these are core biblical principles. What I question here is your particular application of that principle in reference to this issue.
And if you want to know what is wrong with the church today, it has nothing to do with tattoos, girls wearing pants, styles of worship music or versions of the Bible.
It has everything to do with our Biblical illiteracy, our lack of fighting the philosophical battles for truth, our abandonment of righteousness, our acceptance of sexual and other sins, and our failure to carry the Gospel message and incarnate it into the culture we are living in. Among many, many other issues that we could continue to list ad nauseum.
Cultural norms of dress and adornment - as long as they are not issues of modesty - are not the problem with the church. In fact our FAILURE to accept changing cultural norms and to fight pointless battles such as this CONTRIBUTE to our failure to reach our society.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Paul says, "Do you not know that you are Gods temple and that Gods Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys Gods temple, God will destroy him. For Gods temple is holy, and you are that temple."
The context here is division in the Church. The "you" is plural - indicating Paul is speaking to the entire Church, not to individuals. Temple is singular - indicating one temple. The temple is the Church, not individual bodies.
The destruction of the temple refered to here is the tearing down of the Church through division.
1 Corinthians 6:15-19 "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh." But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 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"
Here Paul is clearly addressing sexualy activity, specifically the use of prostitution. Further, the prostitution being addressed is likely "temple" prostitution. Many pagan temples used temple prostitutes as part of their ceremony.
Their idea was that if they engaged in sexual practices in the temple, it would please their god, who would then grant them favor.
This is probably why Paul used the term "temple" in this section. The Corinthians would have understood the metaphor.
I don't question the principle in the least. We should absolutely be different than our society. We are to be in the world and not of it. Absolutely these are core biblical principles. What I question here is your particular application of that principle in reference to this issue.
And if you want to know what is wrong with the church today, it has nothing to do with tattoos, girls wearing pants, styles of worship music or versions of the Bible.
It has everything to do with our Biblical illiteracy, our lack of fighting the philosophical battles for truth, our abandonment of righteousness, our acceptance of sexual and other sins, and our failure to carry the Gospel message and incarnate it into the culture we are living in. Among many, many other issues that we could continue to list ad nauseum.
Cultural norms of dress and adornment - as long as they are not issues of modesty - are not the problem with the church. In fact our FAILURE to accept changing cultural norms and to fight pointless battles such as this CONTRIBUTE to our failure to reach our society.
My husband used to be a Satanist many years ago. During that time, he got a (beautiful artwork) tat of a naked devil lady holding a pentagram. It takes up his whole left leg.
He was even kicked out of our church band recently for having this tattoo.
Now, he uses this tattoo as a testimonial to how far he has come, and the great change God made in his life. We think this is beautiful.
My husband used to be a Satanist many years ago. During that time, he got a (beautiful artwork) tat of a naked devil lady holding a pentagram. It takes up his whole left leg.
He was even kicked out of our church band recently for having this tattoo.
Now, he uses this tattoo as a testimonial to how far he has come, and the great change God made in his life. We think this is beautiful.
I am absolutely amazed that your husband has remained in the church. That type of thing would cause any lesser Christian to leave from offense. I have seen many people leave churches for far lesser things. I deeply respect his convictions.
Saying that though, I am appalled that a church could kick a member out of their band for a tattoo-one that was obtained in a former way of life. I think it's plain wrong for the church to do so. Obviously your husband would remove the tattoo if he could, but he can't. He shouldn't be penalised for something that is no longer a part of him anymore, except of course for the tattoo.
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