RE: Will Honeycutt, a professor at Liberty University, believes that while “the Bible does not explicitly forbid tattoos,” Christians should remember that “the Bible has a high view of the body as God’s handiwork, which is not to be disfigured.”
___________________________________
The Old Testament law commanded the Israelites, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28, English Standard Version ).
OK, some people might say that the above only applies to Ancient Israel and does not apply to Christians today because Christians are not under Old Testament Law.
But why do you suppose it was forbidden then?
Well, prior to Vatican 2 (can’t speak to what IT has said), Catholics banned tattoos as well.
They’re ugly, dirty and disgusting. And I won’t change my mind so the tattoo’ed need not bandy words with me.
I’m not religous (because of or in spite of Catholic College?), but I’m often surprised how views which I try to reach logically conform to the Bible. Tattoos don’t make any sense. They’re a permanent identification to someone or something other than ones self. What I think of with tattoos is Nazi Germany, prison inmates, or the mark of the devil. On a more practical note, the image of an aging motorcycle rider with the disfigure butterfly tat on exposed on their rear end says it all.
Several reasons come to mind. #1 The body being referred to as a temple with tattoos disfiguring (or trying to "improve"on Gods) handiwork. #2 If we accept sin being defined as going against the known will of God well . . Leviticus makes plain His Will.
One reason was that the Lord was always separating His people (the Israelites) from the pagans and their practices. He didn’t want them doing things the pagans did.
Joyce Meyer was speaking at one of her televised events many years ago, and I remember her saying that she sometimes got criticism for wearing too much big, sparkly costume jewelry. She took exception to that, and said something to the effect that if she couldn’t wear big, sparkly earrings, she would rather not be doing what she was doing (Christian ministry). That was a revealing thing to say.
“...some people might say that the above only applies to Ancient Israel and does not apply to Christians today because Christians are not under Old Testament Law.”
and they would be WRONG!
Matthew 17 (NIV)
Jesus speaking:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Tattoos are wrong, Joyce Meyer is a MORON. Is she getting a nipple ring too?
Have a tattoo? Get it removed and/or ask for forgiveness. Your sins will be forgiven.
For health reasons, most likely.
Same reason for pork or other “unclean” animals.
“Christians are not under Old Testament Law.”
Jesus said He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. so the law is still in play according to what Jesus said.
It’s just, for a person who has made Jesus their LORD, He lives in them in a way that fulfills the law and they act accordingly. Those (believes and non believers) without making Jesus their LORD don’t have the fulfillment of the law by Jesus working in them.
Risk of infection?
I’ve read that David Dramain from the metal band Disturbed does not have tattoos because he is Jewish and it is forbidden.
How are Christians not under the Old Testiment?
To separate themselves from the surrounding pagan cultures where tattooing was a common practice. For health reasons. And because we are created imago dei, and like the Greeks they regarded the practice as defiling the body.
I think because it signified a demonic pagan practice of engaging in such permanent bodily mutilation. Which often is the result of impulsivity.
As is usually the case with such women preachers which think it is orthodox to be pastors over me,, their own teaching serves as examples why WOMEN PASTORS UNBIBLICAL
Meyer quoted Isaiah 44:5 in defense of getting permanent markings.
One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. (Isaiah 44:5)
But contrary to the take of Meyers, the classic scholars Keil & Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, state concerning this,
But apart from the fact that kâthabh, with an accusative of the writing materials, would be unprecedented (the construction required would be עַל־יָדוֹ), this view is overthrown by the fact that tatooing was prohibited by the Israelitish law (Lev_19:28; compare the mark of the beast in Rev_13:16). בשׁם קרא is interchanged with בסם כִּנָּה, to surname, or entitle (the Syriac and Arabic are the same; compare the Arabic kunye, the name given to a man as the father of such and such a person, e.g., Abu-Muhammed, rhetorically called metonymy).
And as Albert Barnes states,
The mark, or writing, was not on the hand, but with it - literally, ‘and this shall write his hand to Yahweh; ‘and the figure is evidently taken from the mode of making a contract or bargain, where the name is subscribed to the instrument. It was a solemn compact or covenant, by which they enrolled themselves among the worshippers of God, and pledged themselves to his service.
The manner of a contract among the Hebrews is described in Jer_32:10, Jer_32:12, Jer_32:44. A public, solemn, and recorded covenant, to which the names of princes, Levites, and priests, were subscribed, and which was sealed, by which they bound themselves to the service of God, is mentioned in Neh_9:38. Here it denotes the solemn manner in which they would profess to be worshippers of the true God; and it is expressive of the true nature of a profession of religion.
The Saint Louis native pointed out that in Ezekiel 16:9-13 there was a big celebration and God put earrings and nose rings on the Israelites.
Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. (Ezekiel 16:9-13)
Rather than there literally being a big celebration where God put earrings and nose rings on the Israelites, which thus would provide precedent for such, this is not literal language, but metaphorical, and thus precedes with,
Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. (Ezekiel 16:8)
"Spread my skirt over thee: " is a euphemism for conjugal consummation of marriage, and if Meyers wants to this to affirm literal tattoos, then she can also sanction the idea in Mormonism of how the virgin Mary became pregnant.
Does, "GOD said so." count?
Remember that, "Do not eat of the tree" thing early in Genesis?