[GenOfLight] Christians… vs. Tattoo!

What’s your opinion about Tattoo? Are Christians allowed to have tattoos? Seems that Bible forbids you to have tattoos. but look again.

Ok so here’s the deal… Bible does talk about Tattoo.. Lev 19:28. But you cannot take it as raw. If you do a Bible Study, you do something called Exegesis/Hermeneutics, meaning a critical text interpretation. So we have to perceive and and interpret Bible as whole.

See the previous verse Lev 19:27, ye shall not round the corners of your heads, nor mar beards. If you say that you obliged to commit to the Torah, then don’t cut your hair or beard. But anyway in Romans 5 Paul wrote that we no longer live under the law but under grace.

In Acts 15, there was also an issue about abiding in Torah or not. The result is that Torah is for Israel, not for Gentiles to be obliged to abide in. But still they have to obey essential things like abstain from meats offered to idols, blood, things strangled, and fornication (v29). Paul circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3) because Timothy is a descendant of a Jew, not because he lived under Torah.

God wrote all the rules for reasons. Incest may cause genetic flaws, unclean animals like pigs, they may contain Taenia solium. You may not drink blood because it’s a symbol of life, and also a perfect medium for virus and bacterial growth.

Let’s get back to Lev 19:28, you can see that it is said for the dead”. This may also mean idol worship. Remember when the Baal prophets cut themselves when calling their dead god (1 Kings 18:25-29)? For me this verse is mainly about idol worship. God also stated at the end of the verse, “I am LORD (Ani YHVH)”.

So as far as the analysis shows, the Bible does not forbid you to have any tattoos. But then 4 problem surfaces:

  1. Tattoo vs. Culture
    Tattoo has often been linked as worldly” and “rebellious”. Paul taught about don’t be a stumbling block (1 Cor 8:13, Acts 16:1-5). So if Tattoo makes you to offend people, your parents, or the law, don’t have tattoos.
  2. Tattoo vs. Health
    Talking about your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and health, then food, tattoo, piercing/earrings fall into the same cat. Not sterile piercing/earring may cause rash, transmitted disease, and some, death. There’s so many illegal tattoo parlors that use shared needles. If you’re unsure about this, don’t get a tattoo.
  3. Tattoo vs. Purpose
    Why do you want a tattoo? Will it glorify God? 1 Cor 10:31 says that what ever you do, do it for the glory of God. Think of Jesus, will He be pleased with your tattoo?
  4. Tattoo vs. the future
    See your tattoo in the future, how would it look like 10 or 20 years later.

So according to this article, tattoo is fine, but consider those 4, will it offend people, damage your body, glorify God, look good in the future?

 

Blessings in Christ,
Calvin Limuel

Posted as GenOfLight Tweets at Thursday, Oct 18, 2012

PS: I found a good video about tattoos

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