{"id":90672,"date":"2021-03-11T11:21:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T16:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/tattoos\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T22:18:27","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T02:18:27","slug":"tattoos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/tattoos\/","title":{"rendered":"Tattoos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Leviticus\n19:28<\/strong>: <strong>Ye\nshall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks\nupon you: I am the LORD.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">As tattoos and body piercings continue to gain\npopularity within mainstream culture, it is important for the Christian\ncommunity to critically evaluate the righteousness of such \u201cdecorations.\u201d Are\ntattoos and body piercings intrinsically (i.e., in themselves) unrighteous?\nWhat is the basis for determining their righteousness? What, if anything does\nthe Bible say about these \u201cdecorations?\u201d Does God view with approval those who\nare tattooed and pierced? Or does He view with disapproval, saying, \u201cI didn\u2019t\nmake you like this\u201d?&nbsp; To discover the Biblical\nanswer, we turn to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Historical Context: written between 1440 and 1400 B.C., Moses was the\nauthor of the Book of Leviticus.&nbsp; Because\nthe Israelites had been held captive in Egypt for 400 years, the concept of\nGod had been distorted by the polytheistic, pagan Egyptians. The purpose of\nLeviticus is to provide instruction and laws to guide a sinful, yet chosen\npeople in their relationship with a holy God. There is an emphasis in Leviticus\non the need for personal holiness in response to a holy God. Sin must be atoned\nfor through the offering of proper sacrifices (chapters 8-10). Other topics\ncovered in the book are diets (clean and unclean foods), childbirth, and\ndiseases (chapters 11-15). Chapter 16 describes the Day of Atonement when an\nannual sacrifice is made for the cumulative sin of the people. <strong>Furthermore, the people of God are to be\ncircumspect in their personal, moral, and social living, in contrast to the\npractices of the heathen roundabout (chapters 17-22).<\/strong>&nbsp; It is essential to recall that, in relation\nto the Old Testament, there exists ceremonial, civil and moral law.&nbsp; The ceremonial law was nullified with the\nadvent and subsequent complete atonement of Jesus Christ.&nbsp; The civil law was designed for life in a theocracy\nwhich, of course, failed necessitating the establishment of a monarchy.&nbsp; However, the righteous law is a reflection of\nGod\u2019s character in that He is immutable, meaning He is unchanging; this in turn\nmeans that God is absolutely reliable and trustworthy (Malachi 3:6; Numbers\n23:19; Psalm 102:26, 27) and in Him is no shadow of turning (contradiction or\nevolutionary change) with respect to right and wrong (James 1:17).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Grammatical Usage: It is interesting to note that \u201ccuttings\u201d in Hebrew is\n\u201csarat\u201d referring to a permanent scratch like the scar left from an\nincision.&nbsp; The Hebrew word <em>qa<\/em>\u2018<em>aqa<\/em>\u2018, translated \u201cmark\u201d or \u201ctattoo\u201d appears only once in\nthe Old Testament, in a prohibition: \u201cYou shall not make any cuts in your body\nfor the dead nor make any tattoo <strong>marks<\/strong>\non yourselves: I am the Lord\u201d (Lev.&nbsp;19:28). <em>Qa<\/em>\u2018<em>aqa<\/em>\u2018\nis commonly defined as a \u201ccut, incision\u201d or \u201cgross cutting of the skin,\u201d yet\nwithin this context it most likely refers to painting or scarring of the skin. &nbsp;It is unlikely that <em>qa<\/em>\u2018<em>aqa<\/em>\u2018 refers to self-mutilation, since that concept was\nalready referred to earlier in the verse in the prohibition against cutting\none\u2019s body which is underscored in Lev. 21:5, Deut. 14:1.&nbsp; \u201cLord\u201d is Jehovah = &#8220;the existing\nOne&#8221;.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Literal Application: You shall not make any intended, permanent scars in\nyour body for the dead nor make any intended, permanent scratches or painting\non yourselves: I am the eternal, existing One\u201d (in the vernacular, \u2018I am THE\nauthority and I issue this unalterable, non-debatable decree.\u2019)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Contextual Interpretation: Leviticus\nchapter 19 provides us with instrruction on the practice of holiness. It is in\nthe 19th chapter of the Book of Leviticus that holiness is defined in great\ndetail:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>1)\nHoliness involved obedience to the commandments of God<\/strong>.\nGod did not leave His people in the dark as to what holiness consisted of. The\nbottom line was that holiness consisted of obedience to the laws of God,\nobedience to His commandments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>(2)\nHoliness involved sacrifice, in that it is costly<\/strong>.\nHoliness entails sacrifice. Of course, holiness required sacrifices\u2014those\noutlined in the early chapters of Leviticus. But more than this, every act\nof obedience to the commandments of God was a sacrificial act. Obedience is\ncostly. Not cutting the corners of one\u2019s fields cut into the \u201cprofit margin,\u201d\nas did selling with honest weights and measures. Abstaining from eating the\nfruit from one\u2019s trees for five years and observing the Sabbath was also\ncostly. Holiness is a sacrifice but sacrifice is designed for our good not ill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>(3)\nHoliness was more than a matter of observing religious rituals\u2014it was intensely\npractical piety, involving a wide variety of actions as a part of one\u2019s\neveryday life<\/strong>. True, holiness involved those special ceremonies and\nspecial holy days and going to that special place, the tabernacle, where rites\nwere performed by a special priestly class. But chapter 19 describes a very\npractical, everyday kind of holiness, of honoring parents, of honesty and\nkindness and compassion and justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>(4)\nHoliness is the imitation of God<\/strong>. In the ultimate\nsense, living a holy life is the imitation of God, who alone is holy. Thus,\nwhen our Lord came to the earth and lived \u201cunder the law,\u201d fully keeping the\nlaw, He manifested the holiness of God to men by living in obedience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>(5)\nHoliness was here to be revealed positively, rather than negatively<\/strong>.\nIf you and I were honest, I believe that we would have to admit that we think\nof the holiness of God in rather negative terms. God\u2019s holiness, for example,\nis thought of in terms of His hatred of sin and of His judgment of sinners.\nThis, of course, is one dimension of God\u2019s holiness, but it is not the\ndimension in focus in Leviticus 19.&nbsp; <strong>God\u2019s holiness was manifested by His\ncompassion<\/strong> on the Israelites when they were afflicted in Egypt, and when He delivered them\nfrom their bondage. So, too, holiness is to be manifested by the people of\nGod by their kindness, grace, and compassion on others, especially the needy\nand the afflicted.&nbsp; Thus, holiness\nhas both negative and positive manifestations. We, unfortunately, have focused\nmore on the former than the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>(6)\nFinally (and, most emphatically in Leviticus 19), holiness is practiced by\nloving one\u2019s neighbor as one\u2019s self (v. 18)<\/strong>. There are two\nprimary commands in chapter 19: (1) the command to be holy, and (2) to love\none\u2019s neighbor as one\u2019s self. There is a direct relationship between these two\ncommands as I understand the chapter. The holiness of God is demonstrated by\nHis people as they love their neighbor. The term \u201cneighbor,\u201d has a wide range\nof meaning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>One\u2019s neighbor is\none\u2019s fellow-countryman (v. 11, 17) <\/li><li>One\u2019s neighbor is\nalien, foreigner (v. 10, 32-33, 34) <\/li><li>One\u2019s neighbor is\nthose who are weak and vulnerable (v. 10, 14) <\/li><li>One\u2019s neighbor is\none\u2019s enemy (v. 17-18) <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">It\nis not that holiness is manifested only by one\u2019s loving one\u2019s neighbor, but it\nis here emphasized that holiness must include an active love for one\u2019s\nneighbor. Thus, just as God\u2019s holiness is seen in His love for Israel in the\nOld Testament, and for the world in its weakness and need in the New, <strong>so God\u2019s people must demonstrate God\u2019s holiness<\/strong>\nas they show love for their neighbors, especially those in need.&nbsp; Part of demonstration is <strong>DOING<\/strong> as God has instructed as a witness as to Whom we belong,\nwhich leads to the witness as to why, which provides a testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The cultural\ncontext helps explain this prohibition against tattoos. During this period,\ntattoos signified ownership and devotion, since a common practice in Babylonia\nand Egypt\nwas to tattoo a slave with his owner\u2019s name or the name of a god. Tattooing and\nself-mutilation also were religious mourning rites connected with the Canaanite\nfertility god.&nbsp; Specifically: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li><strong>Ye shall not\nmake any cuttings in your flesh for the dead<\/strong>&#8211;The practice of making deep gashes on the face and arms and legs, in\ntime of bereavement, was universal among the heathen, and it was deemed a\nbecoming mark of respect for the dead, as well as a sort of propitiatory\noffering to the deities who presided over death and the grave. The Jews learned\nthis custom in Egypt,\nand though weaned from it, relapsed in a later and degenerate age into this old\nsuperstition (Isa 15:2; Jer. 16:6; 41:5). To be clear, bereavement based upon a\npropitiatory offering on behalf of the deceased has NOTHING to do with\nJehovah.&nbsp; God holds the individual\naccountable based upon his or her own life and profession (Rom. 14:12).&nbsp; Hence, the practice described is forbidden as\nit is not only spiritually baseless, but cites a competing deity which\nundercuts Jehovah (why this particular noun of <strong>exclusivity<\/strong> is employed);<ul><li><strong>nor print any\nmarks upon you<\/strong>&#8211;by <em>tattooing,<\/em>\nimprinting figures of flowers, leaves, stars, and other fanciful devices on\nvarious parts of their person. The impression was made sometimes by means of a\nhot iron, sometimes by ink or paint, as is done by the Arab females of the\npresent day and the different castes of the Hindus. It is probable that a\nstrong propensity to adopt such marks in honor of some idol gave occasion to\nthe prohibition in this verse; and they were wisely forbidden, for <strong>they were signs of apostasy; and, when once\nmade, they were insuperable obstacles to a return.<\/strong> (See allusions to the\npractice, Isa 44:5; Rev. 13:17; 14:1).&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When a\nperson was tattooed he became dedicated to the god and became its servant, as\nwell as came under its protection, so that he should not be harmed.&nbsp; <strong>Tattoos,\ntherefore, were associated strongly with idolatry and were prohibited because\nYahweh\u2019s exclusive claim of ownership and devotion is incompatible with the\nfalse-god cults.<\/strong>&nbsp; Some rabbinical\nsources suggest that the prohibition was limited only to heathen, idolatrous,\nand superstitious tattoos. &nbsp;For example,\nrabbis believed that the master who marks his slave so that he does not run\naway is exempt from the prohibition in Leviticus, and the Tosepta (a secondary compilation\nof the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah; it has less authority\nthan the Mishnah) records a rabbinic\nprohibition that only forbids tattooing the name of another god.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Scriptural Comparison: Tattoos and body piercings are not unique to contemporary culture. For\nexample, in 1991, a 5,000-year-old corpse (later named Otzi) was found frozen\nin a glacier with several tattoos imprinted on his skin. &nbsp;A 4,000-year-old clay figurine from Iran was\ndiscovered to have multiple ear piercings. &nbsp;The Pentateuch reveals that in approximately\n1400 BC tattooing and body piercing were well-known practices in ancient Israel and\namong its Mesopotamian neighbors (Exod.&nbsp;32).&nbsp; Throughout church history, tattoos have also\nbeen referred to in edicts, councils, and personal correspondence among clergy.&nbsp; Current\nestimates on just how many people are tattooed or pierced vary widely, but the\nMayo Clinic reports that approximately 20 million Americans are tattooed and an\neven larger number have body piercings. &nbsp;A nationwide Harris Interactive Poll found\nthat 16&nbsp;percent of all adults have at least one tattoo. The highest\nincidence of tattoos was found among Americans age 25 to 29 (36&nbsp;percent)\nand those age 30 to 39 (28&nbsp;percent). &nbsp;Among university students, it was reported\nthat 23 percent had one to three tattoos, and 51&nbsp;percent had one or more\nbody piercings, aside from earlobe piercings for women. &nbsp;According to <em>U.S. News and World Report<\/em>, tattooing is the country\u2019s\nsixth fastest growing retail business, growing at the rate of one new tattoo\nparlor opening its doors every day. One estimate has 30,000 tattoo and body\npiercing artists working in the United\n  States with at least eight major tattoo\nmagazines being published regularly.&nbsp;&nbsp;Does the Christian have a basis on which to evaluate\nthe righteousness of tattoos and body piercings? Yes. In the first chapter of\nthe Bible, humankind is described as incredibly unique. God decreed His\ncreative will when He stated, \u201cLet Us make man in Our image, according to Our\nlikeness\u201d (Gen.&nbsp;1:26). The Hebrew word translated \u201cimage\u201d is <em>tselem<\/em>, which means \u201csomething\ncut out.\u201d <em>Tselem<\/em> is\noften used in the Old Testament to describe things such as people, coins,\nstatues, and tumors that resemble or represent something else. The Hebrew word\ntranslated \u201clikeness\u201d is <em>demuth<\/em>,\nwhich means \u201csimilitude\u201d and comes from the root meaning \u201cto be like.\u201d In this\ncontext, therefore, <em>tselem<\/em>\nand <em>demuth<\/em> indicate\nthat humankind resembles God and is like Him. This similarity and likeness is\ntraditionally called the <em>image of\nGod<\/em>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">There\nare four aspects of the image of God in which humans were made:\n(1)&nbsp;structural, (2)&nbsp;functional, (3)&nbsp;relational, and (4)&nbsp;purposeful.\nEach aspect indicates a particular trait that makes humans uniquely like God:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(1)&nbsp;The\n<em>structural<\/em> aspect of\nthe image of God indicates that humans have the capacity to know, to reason,\nand to make ethical decisions (Gen.&nbsp;2:16\u201317). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(2)&nbsp;The\n<em>functional<\/em> aspect\nindicates that humans are to operate as God\u2019s representatives on earth by\nruling over nature (Gen.&nbsp;1:26;&nbsp;2:5). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(3)&nbsp;The\n<em>relational <\/em>aspect of\nthe image of God indicates that humans have the capacity to mirror the unity\nwithin the Trinity through relationships with God and other humans, and <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(4)&nbsp;The <em>purposeful<\/em> aspect indicates that humans are created to\nglorify God through making visible His character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Much\nattention has been directed toward identifying only the spiritual implications\nof the image of God, neglecting its physical implications.&nbsp; Man\u2019s body also belongs to the image of\nGod; the body is not a tomb, but a wondrous masterpiece of God,\nconstituting the essence of man as fully as the soul.&nbsp; Since the physical body is included in the\nimage of God, the spiritual integrity of decorations added to it\u2014including\ntattoos and body piercings\u2014must be evaluated according to their effect on these\nfour aspects of the image of God.&nbsp;\nHence, we have the following comparison:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Tattoos\n&amp; Piercings: Desecration or Demonstration of the Image of God?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Desecration &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Demonstration<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table\"><tbody><tr><td> <strong>Structurally<\/strong>: Violate our conscience by marring per Lev. 19:28 &amp; Rom. 2:15 as an unnatural addition to the created body <\/td><td>Validates God\u2019s ordained ability to appreciate artistic beauty and decorate our bodies accordingly<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Functionally:<\/strong> Mutilate the body that is supposed to be nurtured and sustained; physical risk of infection &amp; spiritual risk of disobedient display<\/td><td>Expressions of God\u2019s gift of free will based upon 1 Corinthians 6:12<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Relationally:<\/strong> Hinders unity by violating the conscience among believers \u2013 1 Corinthians 8:9-12<\/td><td>Recognizes diversity among the Body of Christ while affirming the same God, the same truth\/convictions<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Purposely: <\/strong> Glorify the ungodly &amp; vulgar, suggesting narcissism, defiance and arrogance inappropriate for a Believer based upon 1 Peter 3:3 and 1 Timothy 2:9<\/td><td>A medium by which a Believer can communicate God and His character<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Judging\nby the number of biblical references, it seems apparent that body piercing was\nan established custom among the Israelites. These decorations were primarily\nworn for aesthetic reasons, yet they too represented ownership and status.\nRoyalty, brides, and the nation of Israel are all described as being\nadorned with nose rings (Gen.&nbsp;24:47; Isa.&nbsp;3:21; Ezek.&nbsp;16:12) and\nearrings (Isa.&nbsp;3:19; Ezek.&nbsp;16:12). These decorations were worn not\nonly by women, but also by men and children (Exod.&nbsp;32:2; Judg.&nbsp;8:24).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Similar\nto tattoos, body piercings had an idolatrous connotation. For example, when\nJacob renewed the covenant with Yahweh, his household \u201cgave to Jacob all the\nforeign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears\u201d\n(Gen.&nbsp;35:4). Unlike tattoos that were prohibited in the Pentateuch,\nhowever, body piercings were prescribed. Exodus&nbsp;21:6 and\nDeuteronomy&nbsp;15:17 both indicate that a master was to pierce the ear of his\nslave to symbolize ownership and permanent servitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Tattoos and body piercings are not mentioned in the New\nTestament. In Galatians&nbsp;6:17, however, Paul exclaims, \u201cFrom now on let no\none cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.\u201d The\nGreek word translated \u201cbrand-mark\u201d is <em>stigma<\/em>, which was a mark pricked, in or branded on, the\nbody.&nbsp; Paul was using \u201cbrand-marks\u201d as a metaphor referring to his bruises,\nwelts, and scars\u2014the visible signs of the mistreatment he received as a slave\nof Christ (2&nbsp;Cor.&nbsp;11:23\u201329; Acts&nbsp;14:19).&nbsp; Paul\u2019s brand-marks further served as signs of\nhis devotion to, and ownership by, Jesus. Just as tattoos symbolized devotion\nto, and protection by, a god, no one was able to harm Paul\u2014the slave and\nproperty of Jesus\u2014and go unpunished.&nbsp; <strong>The critical difference in relation to our\ntopic is that Paul\u2019s marks were not self-inflicted.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Other\nbiblical passages also describe literal and figurative markings and writings on\nthe body that may symbolize ownership or devotion to a master. In Genesis\n17:11, God instituted circumcision as a symbol of the covenant between Abraham\nand Himself. For Israel,\nthe Shema (Deut.&nbsp;6:4) was to be remembered <em>as if<\/em> it were permanently marked on their hands and\nforehead (Deut.&nbsp;6:8). The prophet Isaiah proclaims that one day people\nwill write on their hands, \u201cBelonging to the Lord\u201d (Isa.&nbsp;44:5), and in\nreference to Jerusalem,\nGod Himself states, \u201cBehold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands\u201d\n(Isa.&nbsp;49:16). The prophet Ezekiel describes a mark that an angel will set\non the foreheads of the faithful to protect them from the sword of the avenging\nangel (Ezek.&nbsp;9:4,&nbsp;6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The\ninfamous mark of the Beast in the book of Revelation is described as a mark\nthat the ungodly receive on their foreheads or hands as a symbol of their\ndevotion to him (13:16\u201317). The faithful receive a different mark on their\nforeheads: the name of God or Christ (14:1;&nbsp;22:4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">While\nthese are diverse with respect to physical or metaphorical delineations, <strong>all but circumcision are eschatological in\nnature, referring either to Christ\u2019s promised redemptive work (Isaiah 49:16) or\nto the end times or last days.<\/strong>&nbsp; Therefore,\ntheir use for a contemporary apologetic in relation to either is illegitimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size has-medium-font-size\">Essentially,\nfour primary arguments against tattooing and unisex, inappropriate or excessive\npiercings include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>The timeless\nconvictions related to tattoos and body piercings remain: structurally, God\u2019s\npeople are not to be idolatrous or to imply devotion to false gods (deities,\nphilosophies or lifestyles such as materialism) through their bodily\ndecorations or adornment.&nbsp; Some argue\nthat the prohibition against tattoos in Leviticus&nbsp;19:28 is part of the Law\nthat Christ has superseded (Eph.&nbsp;2:5). Christians are free from the\nLevitical Law and are now under the law of Christ, which does not reiterate the\nprohibition against tattoos.&nbsp; While a\ngood point, the argument draws a wrong conclusion in its application.&nbsp; Both ceremonial and civil law of the Old\nTestament have, indeed, been superseded by Christ.&nbsp; <strong>However,\nthe moral or righteous standards of the Old Testament are timeless just as the\nGod who established them (Hebrews 13:8).&nbsp;\nThe basis of Leviticus 19:28 is an absolute prohibition of the Creator\nto the creation who is jealously protecting His original design.<\/strong>&nbsp; Especially true in our modern culture, God\ncreated man in His own image and man has decided to return the favor.&nbsp; In truth, the body is the temple of the Holy\nSpirit (1 Corinthians 6:9) where, in the New Testament, we who are of God are\nsimilarly admonished to honor God with our bodies.&nbsp; If markings are exhibited, they would only\nbe acceptable along the lines of Paul\u2019s brand-marks;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Tattoos and body\npiercings do desecrate the functional aspect of the image of God.&nbsp; The University of Michigan\n  Health System warns that, unlike other more\ntypical forms of self expression &#8211; makeup, clothing, hair style &#8211; body art can\nlead to complications that range from irritating to downright dangerous.\nLocalized infections, allergic reactions, scarring and exposure to\nlife-threatening blood-borne infections, including hepatitis C and HIV, make\nthis trendy practice one to consider seriously. Piercings typically involve\npuncturing the skin with a needle and squeezing a piece of jewelry into place\nwith a plier-like device.&nbsp; The risks from\npiercing are actually surprising high.&nbsp;\nAn estimated one in four people will develop some type of infection.\nNerve damage is also a risk if the person doing the piercing is inexperienced\nor untrained. Beyond the pain often associated with getting a tattoo, other\nrisks include skin and blood infections, allergic reactions to the pigments and\nthick scars called keloids. However, the most common reason people with tattoos\nseek medical care is that they want the tattoo removed;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Regrettably,\ntattoos and body piercings desecrate the relational aspect of the image of God\nto the extent they hinder unity within the body of Christ and violate the\nconsciences of fellow Christians. In 1&nbsp;Corinthians&nbsp;8:1\u201313, Paul\nexhorts Christians to painstakingly avoid violating a weaker brother\u2019s\nconscience.&nbsp; If a knowledgeable Christian\nby getting a tattoo or body piercing will compel a weaker brother to do the\nsame and thus cause the weaker brother to violate his own conscience, Paul\ninstructs the knowledgeable Christian simply to refrain for the sake of unity;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Tattoos and body\npiercings desecrate the purposeful aspect of the image of God in act and\nsymbol.&nbsp; God has said \u201cno\u201d to both (act)\nbut, if obtaining either, one breaks with God which can only indicate\nownership, devotion, and identification with unrighteousness (symbol).&nbsp; If a person were tattooed or pierced simply\nto look ostentatious (need for attention) or to portray something odious and\noffensive, this would clearly desecrate the purposeful aspect of the image of\nGod (1&nbsp;Tim.&nbsp;2:9; 1&nbsp;Pet.&nbsp;3:3).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><li>Conclusion: God takes His holiness very seriously, as should we.\nThe trend in the church is to create God in our own image, giving Him the\nattributes we would like Him to have instead of the ones His Word describes.\nGod\u2019s utter holiness, His transcendent splendor, and His \u201cunapproachable light\u201d\n(1 Timothy 6:16) are foreign concepts to many Christians. We are called to walk\nin the Light and to put away the darkness in our lives so that we may be\npleasing in His sight (1 Timothy 61-19). A holy God cannot tolerate blatant,\nunashamed disobedience in His people and His holiness requires Him to punish\nit. We dare not be flippant in our attitudes toward sin or God\u2019s loathing of\nit, nor should we make light of it in any way \u2013 especially by believing God\ndoesn\u2019t see or doesn\u2019t really care.&nbsp; This\nincludes how we act encompassing our speech, appearance and daily practices.&nbsp; He does see.&nbsp;\nHe does care.&nbsp; He does judge.&nbsp; Worth it?<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leviticus 19:28: Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. As tattoos and body piercings continue to gain popularity within mainstream culture, it is important for the Christian community to critically evaluate the righteousness of such \u201cdecorations.\u201d Are tattoos and body [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[524],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tattoos - Grace Evangelical Free Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tattoos - Grace Evangelical Free Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Leviticus 19:28: Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. 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