Tattoo and Piercings

7/30/2019 Tattoo and Piercings

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WhatIBelieveonMoralIssues:

TattoosandBodyPiercing

WitnesstoolorWorldlyPractice?

Leviticus19:28

want us to turn to Leviticus 18. In this section of Scripture I

presentedthreeverybasicprinciplestheywere:

1.KnowtheLORDvs.2

SpeaktothechildrenofIsrael,andsaytothem:'IamtheLORDyour

God.

2.LiveSeparatedLivesvs.3

According to the doings of the land of Egypt,whereyoudwelt, you

shallnotdo,andaccordingtothedoingsofthelandofCanaan,whereI

am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their

ordinances.

3.FollowGodsWordExplicitlyvs.4-5

I


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YoushallobserveMyjudgmentsandkeepMyordinances,towalkin

them: Iam theLORD your God. 'You shall therefore keepMy statutes

andMyjudgments,whichifamandoes,heshalllivebythem:Iamthe

LORD.

TodayI amgoingtobespeakingontattoosandBodypiercings.My

intention is NOT to inflict pain on those who have tattoos on their

body,orwhohavepiercings.Myintentistoinformyouastowhatthe

Bibleteaches,andthenencourageyoutoalwayschoosetodowhat

theBiblesays.

Get this: Its NOT what man says that matters, but what the Bible

teaches.TheBibleistoalwaysbeourguide.TheBible IStheWORDof

God.

Iwantyoutounderstandattheget-gothatthoseofuswhobelieve

the Bible explicitly and who have a desire to follow it entirely are

considered Biblical kooks. We have also been accused of

misinterpreting the Bible. We have been accused of trying to keep

peopleunderthelawinsteadofallowingthemfreedomundergrace.I

share this because I think it is important for you to know the

perception of those who disagree with what I will be presenting in

thismessage.


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I.DoestheOldTestamenthaveanyvaluetoday?

Does the Old Testament have any value for the church today?

Understand,weareNOTunderLawweareunderGrace,butdoes

theO.T.haveanythingtoofferChristians?

PleasetakeyourBibleandopenitto1Corinthians10.Itsaysthe

following,

1Moreover,brethren,Idonotwantyoutobeunawarethatallourfathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were

baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same

spiritualfood,4andalldrankthesamespiritualdrink.Fortheydrank

ofthatspiritualRockthatfollowedthem,andthatRockwasChrist.5

ButwithmostofthemGodwasnotwellpleased,fortheirbodieswere

scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our

examples,totheintentthatweshouldnotlustafterevilthingsasthey

alsolusted.7Anddonotbecomeidolatersasweresomeofthem.Asitis

written,"Thepeoplesatdowntoeatanddrink,androseuptoplay."8

Norletuscommitsexualimmorality,assomeofthemdid,andinone

day twenty-three thousand fell; 9nor letus temptChrist, as some of

themalsotempted,andweredestroyedbyserpents;10norcomplain,

assomeofthemalsocomplained,andweredestroyedbythedestroyer.

11Nowallthesethingshappenedtothemasexamples,andthey


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werewrittenforouradmonition,uponwhomtheendsoftheages

havecome.

WhatpointisPaulmaking?ThepointisthattheO.T.isthereforour

exampleandforourlearning(forourwarning).Therearebehaviors

intheO.T.thatapplytotheChristianintheN.T.Theyaretruismthat

travelthroughtime.

II.WhatdoestheBiblesayaboutTattoosandPiercings?

WereadinLev.19:28,

"Youshallnotmakeanycuttingsinyourfleshforthedead,nortattoo

anymarksuponyou:IamtheLORD."

OneoftheargumentsusedagainstthisparticularScripture,andthe

message that you are hearing today is that the word tattoo is a

recentword.Itwasawordthatwascoinedinthe1700s,andthatit

wasntawordusedwhentheO.T.waspenned.Therefore,translators

addedthatwordtattootothetext.

Okay,letsnotusetheNKJV.InsteadwewillusetheKJVthatwas

printedin1611.Itwastranslated89yearsbeforethewordtattoo

wascoined.Weread,


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Yeshallnotmakeanycuttingsinyourfleshforthedead,norprint

anymarksuponyou:IamtheLORD.

NowIaskyoudoyouunderstandthewords,norprintanymarks

uponyou:?

One author that I was reading provided the following insight to

Leviticus19:28.Hewrites,

Now thats pretty simple and straight forwardDont tattoo or

pierceyourbody.Dontcutortattooyourbody.

InBiblicalHistoryoftentimeswhenapersonwouldpurposefullycut

themselvesitwasdoneforareason.In1Kings18:28isthestoryof

ElijahandtheprophetsofBaal.

RememberthecontestthatElijahhadwiththemHesaidcallupon

Baaltocomedownandproducefireonanaltar.TheBiblesaysthat

they shouted and screamed at Baal to come downthey even cut

themselvesastherecustomallowedslashedthemselvesuntilblood

flowedfromtheirbodies.andBaaldidnotlisten

Anykindofself-lacerationormarkingof thebodyhasalwaysbeenassociatedwithpagancults.andthedead!

Thosecaughtupinidolworshipandfalsegodswouldcutortattoo

themselvesasanactofmourningforthedead.


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ThatswhyGodsaidinLev.19:28.Dontcutyourbodyortattooit

Goddidnotwanthispeopletobeliketheworld.

SomeargueThatsOldTestamentItsnotintheNT.

Didyouknowthatbestiality(sexwithanimals)isforbiddenandonlymentionedintheOldTestament.Doesthatmeanitsoknow?

WhataboutLev.19:29,theverserightafterthetattooverseDonot

prostitutethydaughter,tocausehertobeawhore;lestthelandfallto

whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness. thats only in

theOTYoucantfindthatintheNT.Doesitmakeitok?

InMatthewHenrysCommentary,heexplainsthatmostofLeviticus

19 are moral commandments that apply not only to Israel but for

everyNewTestamentChristiantoday.

In fact Lev. 19:26-28 are Moral laws clearly condemning pagan

witchcraftandheathenpractices.

Verse26referringtoenchantment(spellsorwitchcraft)andnottoobservethetimesreferringtoastrology.

Verse27dealtwiththosethatworshippedthehostsofheaven,insuchawayastocuttheirhairsotheirheadsmightresemblethe

celestialglobe;asfoolishasitseemsitwasbeingdonewithrespecttotheirfalsegods,itwasidolatrous.

Verse28 speaks to the pagan demonic practice of cutting intoyourflesh(Piercing)andtattooing

The fact isUp until just a few years ago, virtually everyone,

includingthemostliberalChristian,knewthatTattooingandpiercing

wasclearlyforbiddenbythewordofGod.Andthroughouthistory,the


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TattooingandpiercinghasalwaysbeencondemnedbyBibleBelieving

Christians.Always.

OnewriterthatsupportsTattooswrites,

ForthoseindividualswhoclaimtofollowScripturetotheletter,it

is interesting to note that other passages in Leviticus proscribe

individualsfromcuttingtheirhairortrimmingtheirbeards,wearing

clothes that are made of a mix of textiles and growing certain crops

besideeachother;ie,the"mingling"ofseed.Itissafetoassumethat

the practice of shaving would have been a heinous violation of

Leviticus.

I respond by simply saying know the difference between moral

andnon-moralcommandments.

TattoosforJesus

Many seek to justify this activity by saying they are "tattooing for

Jesus"PastorNathanFeathers,26,apastorattheCrossLinkchurchin

Grandview says, Wewant to speakthe language of the culture," Hecontinued,"Ourculturespeaksintattoos.That'sagreatwaytospeak

aboutGod."


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CanIaskyouaseriousquestion?DoyouinterprettheBibleinlight

oftheculture,orcultureinlightoftheScripture?Itisalwaystobe

cultureinlightoftheScripture.WemustneversurrendertheBibleto

culture.

Does the N.T. have anything to say on the subject of tattoos and

bodypiercing?Ibelievethatitdoes.TakeyourBibleandturnwithto

Jude8(justbeforeRevelation).Weread,

Likewisealsothesefilthydreamersdefiletheflesh,despisedominion,andspeakevilofdignities.

Whatdoesitmeantodefiletheflesh?TheGreekwordismiaino(me-

ah'-ee-no),anditmeans,perhapsaprimaryverb; to sullyor taint, i.e

contaminate(ceremoniallyormorally):--defile.

Thewordtattooisntused,northewords,markthebody,butthe

ideaiscertainlybeingpresentedintheverse.

That verse is speaking about the ungodly. Christians are NOT to

tainttheflesh(Greek,Sarx,anditmeans,thebody(asopposedto

thesoul(orspirit)orasthesymbolofwhatisexternal).


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In the military someone might say to a commanding officer,

Request to speak freely, Sir. Well, I want to do that here. A lot of

Christianstodayaretattooingandpiercingtheirbodies(seenotesat

theendofsermon),andtheybelievetheyaredoingsotobeawitness

forJesusChrist.Letmesaythistoyou.Thedayyougaveyourlifeto

JesusyouweresealedwiththeHolySpirituntothedayofredemption

(Eph.1:13,4:30).Itwouldbemoreprofitableforyoutoletpeoplesee

theHolySpiritinyouthenforanytattooorbodypiercing.

III.ThedangerofTattoosandPiercings.

WhileIwaspreparingforthismessageIreadaboutadoctorseeing

atattooonamiddle-agedpatient'sstomach."Nicewhale",hesaid.The

patientrepliedwithawansmile,"Yes-itusedtobeadolphin."

First,Ibelievethatthereisanembarrassmentfactor.Tattoosmightlookgoodonyoungskintightskin,buttheolderyougettheworse

your tattoo is going to look. And like many, you will look back and

regretit.

Second,mostpeopledon'tknowhowtattoostaxtheimmunesystem

ofthebody.Ireadthatoneyoungmannowhaschronicskinallergies

It'snotassimpleaspeoplethink.


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WhataretheRisks?

TheMayoClinicsoundsawarningaboutcommercialtattooing:"Few

states havehygienicregulationstoensure safetattooing practices in

commercial tattoo parlors, and even fewer monitor and enforce

standards". (Body Piercing and Tattoos: More than Skin Deep, Mayo

Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com). Tattoos can cause many chronic skin

disorders such as sarcoid, keloid scarring, allergic dermatitis

photosensitivityreactions,psoriasis,andtumors.

Potentially, anyone who gets a tattoo or piercing is at risk for

contracting an infection and yes, that includes MRSA. MRSA is abigger threat in comparison to other infections because its easily

spread and more difficult (but not impossible) to treat. And, in rare

cases,MRSAismoresevereandcanevenbefatal.

Do we understand that when getting a tattoo or piercing, that

bacteriacanbepassedfromtheartisttotheclient,fromatooltothe

client,orevenfromtheclienttothemselves.SincetheMRSAbacteria

can reside on the body of a carrier (known as a colonizer) without

theirknowledgeandwithnoadverseeffectstotheirownhealth,its

possibleforanartisttospreadtheinfectiontoaclientthroughskinor

toolcontact.Butiftheclientthemselvesareacolonizer,theycanbe

infected with the bacteria from their own bodies once the skin has

beenbrokenforthetattooorpiercing.

Third, I read that recent studies on today's tattooed young peopleindicate1)theyarenearlyfourtimesmorelikelytoengageinsexual

intercourse; 2) Over two times more likely to experience alcohol

relatedproblems;3)Nearlytwotimesmorelikelytouseillegaldrugs;

4) Over two times more likely to express violent behavior; and 5)

Overtwotimesmorelikelytodropoutofhighschool.


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Summary

Istattooingandbodypiercingawitnesstool,oraworldlypractice?

TheO.T.isthereforourexample,andtheO.T.isclearthatweare

not to mark our bodies either with tattoos or body piercings. GodcalledHispeopletoknowHim,toliveseparatedlives,andtofollow

HisWordexplicitly.

AllowmetoclosewiththeprescriptionofoneChristianwriter,

TheBibleexpresslytellsustokeepourselvesunspottedfromthe

world (Jas. 1:27), to abstain from the appearance of evil (1Thess

5:22),andthatfriendshipwiththeworldisenmitywithGod(Jas.4:4).We are instructed to come out from among them and be separate

from the world (2 Cor. 6:17). Christians therefore have the

responsibility to obey God's commands and abstain from worldly

associations,pastimes,orhabits;notjustoutofdutybutbecausewe

loveGodandhavealivingrelationshipwithHim(John14:15).

AdditionalInformation:

ThePoll

Poll:AreYouaChristianwithaTattoo?

Yes, I received my tattoo before I became a

Christian.

(300)

13%

Yes,IwastattooedafterbecomingaChristian.

(961)

44%


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I was tattooed, but had it removed because o

myChristianbeliefs.(61)

2%

Idon'thaveatattoo,andbelieveitiswrongfor

Christians.(275)

12%

I don't have a tattoo because I believe it is

wrongformepersonally.(106)

4%

I don't have a tattoo, but not for religious

reasons.Ijustdon'twantone.(169)

7%

I don't have a tattoo yet, but I plan on getting

one.(285)

13%

TotalPolled:2157

Ipersonallyfinditsadthatover900peopleinthepollgotatattoo

aftertheirconversionexperience.Justwhereisour culture heading?

Tattoostodayandwhattomorrow?

HowonearguesagainstLev.19:28

IwonderifIwouldgetthesametypeofresponsesifIweretowrite

apieceonhairandbeards-MensGroomingToCutorNottoCut.

Leviticus19:27says,Donotcutthehairatthesidesofyourheador

clipofftheedgesofyourbeard.

IfhavingatattooisasinbecausewereboundbytheO.T.law,then

logicsaysthatmenwithshorthairoraclean-shavenfacewouldbea

sinaswell.

Goingdeeper,Leviticus19:19says, Donotwearclothingwovenof

twokindsofmaterial.AccordingtothatO.T.law,anyonewhowears

thepopularcotton-polyblendsthatarefoundineveryclothingstore

inAmericaaresinning.


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James2:10says, Forwhoeverkeepsthewholelawandyetstumbles

at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. We cant pick and

choose. Tattoos = bad, short hair and my favorite shirt = good. It

doesntworkthatway.Wereeitherlawkeeperorlawbreakers.

AnotherTattooProponent

We know that religious tattooing before the time of Christ was

commonfornearlyeveryoneexcepttheJewishpeople(otherwisewe

wouldnotseetheprohibitioninLeviticus19:28).

Andalthoughtherearenoscripturalreferencesinwhichwearetold

to"gettattooed"(andwewouldn'texpectany),thereareanumberof

verses in which the writers, whom we believe were inspired by the

Holy Spirit, speak about permanent markings and outward physical

signs of devotion. In avery real way, religioustattoos are like those

permanentoutwardsigns.

"And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial

betweenyoureyes,thatthelawoftheLORDmaybeinyourmouth." -Exodus13:9

"Itshallbeasamarkonyourhandorfrontletsbetweenyoureyes;for

byastronghandtheLORDbroughtusoutofEgypt."-Exodus13:161

PleasenotewhatIhaveunderlinedaboveinthispersonswritings.

So then, if the Jews were not to tattoo themselves, its okay for

Christians?Ithinknot!

1http://www.squidoo.com/tattooedchurch


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TheSacredInk

The tattoo of today is much different than it was for those who

originallyreceivedthePentateuch.Todaytattooisadecorativemeans

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

weightloss,body-building,andearpiercing.Someofthesepractices

haveahistoryinancientritualandfalsereligion,butinourcultural

contexttheydonotdenoteaconnectionwithevilorfalsefaith.Inthe

same way tattoos today do not link the wearer to cultic worship

practicesandisnotgenerallypracticedforancientreligiouspurposes,tattoostodayareforornamentation.2

Note that the author admits where the tattoo and body piercing

practicebegan.

2http://www.sacredink.net/tattoo_and_the_bible/

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Tattoo and Piercings