Originally Posted by endtimer (Post 1323574)

What says you... Or better yet, what says the bible? I have no tattoos and I'm not too crazy about them, but that's my opinion. Very interested to see what our on-line theologians have to say about them. How do you feel about a believer getting one? Please skip church, or organizational rhetoric and provide biblical back up for your stance? Thank you

Originally Posted by houston (Post 1323588)

Nothing New Testament? Didn't think so.

Originally Posted by ILG (Post 1323587)

My husband has three tattoos. They are tiny pin sized dots. He got them for radiation for cancer. Guess he's a sinner. LOL!

Originally Posted by ILG (Post 1323587)

My husband has three tattoos. They are tiny pin sized dots. He got them for radiation for cancer. Guess he's a sinner. LOL!

Originally Posted by DaveC519 (Post 1323591)

Since the verse I cited (Lev 19:28) also included a prohibition against cutting one's body in honor of the dead, does that mean it's now okay to do so since that prohibition was not repeated in the NT? Really?

Originally Posted by DaveC519 (Post 1323593)

Based on what you've said, it doesn't appear these "dots" fit the traditional definition and purpose of marking the skin. :)

Originally Posted by DaveC519 (Post 1323585)

"Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord." (Lev 19:28 NLT)

Originally Posted by DaveC519 (Post 1323593)

Based on what you've said, it doesn't appear these "dots" fit the traditional definition and purpose of marking the skin. :)

Originally Posted by Praxeas (Post 1323595)

There is a special place in hell reserved just for people with Tats...:slaphappy

Originally Posted by endtimer (Post 1323599)

Not an argument for tattoos or an accusation directed towards Dave, but I find it interesting how we cherry pick through scriptures for what fits our church cultures. The verse sited follows a command for men NOT to trim their beards. No tats because of an Old Testament scripture and no beards either, but we will ignore the scripture about that.

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord (Post 1323604)

One scripture in the NT that comes to mind that could possibly be used against tattoos would be found in 1 Cor. 3:16-17

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.


Although I really think Paul here was talking about a spiritual defiling, and not a physical defiling, but that point could be debated I'm sure.

Originally Posted by Praxeas (Post 1323606)

Yes but that same verse can be used to appeal to a LOT of things that are a sin.

Eating at McDonalds is a sin.

Being out in the sun is a sin

Originally Posted by DaveC519 (Post 1323603)

Would you be interested in examining the context of the entire passage? :)

Originally Posted by Disciple4life (Post 1323610)

Maybe we should worry what is in our heart.

Originally Posted by kclee4jc (Post 1323627)

I mean no disrespect toward my former AoG Pastor. He was a good man, just did not have a revelation of the truth.

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord (Post 1323617)

I agree. I don't like tattoos, in fact I really dislike them... but I find no where in NT scripture worthy of condemning someone to hell who has one.

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord (Post 1323604)

One scripture in the NT that comes to mind that could possibly be used against tattoos would be found in 1 Cor. 3:16-17

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.


Although I really think Paul here was talking about a spiritual defiling, and not a physical defiling, but that point could be debated I'm sure.

Originally Posted by mendybug5 (Post 1323631)

I have 3 tattoo's and I wish I never got them. For me, being delivered out of this world, I want to look nothing like it. I know that the Lord has forgave me but I guess it's along the lines of you reap what you sow.... My God is so precious to me and being a temple for the Holy Ghost that dwells in me, ahhh, the devil loves to come remind me of my past with them...... that's ok, that loser had over 25 years to kill me, he couldn't do it.... LOL I smile, one day soon I will have a glorified body and sign of sin anywhere..... so now me and my tat's go HOPE pushing in the jails. Yeah, anyone who thinks it's ok to have tat's or get tat's is missing out on an AWESOME relationship with Jesus..... If you have them before the Holy Ghost, no worries.... but if you claim you have the Holy Ghost and want to get some I say the devil is lying to you and if I was you I would get so mad at him and go win some souls for the Lord.... yeppers.... it's what I do.... take that devil....

Originally Posted by DaveC519 (Post 1323585)

"Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord." (Lev 19:28 NLT)

Originally Posted by Aquila (Post 1323667)

Before we go into being bound by this "law"... let's examine why God forbade marking of the body.

Some would say that the "tattooing" clause of the verse only pertains to an ancient pagan custom of mourning the dead. But that's not so. The cutting portion has to do with the scarring of the body for the dead, God goes on to forbid any marking on the body. Let's look at some commentary:

"In Lev. 19:28 we find two prohibitions of an unnatural disfigurement of the body: 'Ye shall not make any cutting in your flesh for the dead, nor any print any marks upon you.' The latter (Heb. qa aqa, incision) refers to tattooing, and has no reference to idolatrous usages, but was intended to inculcate upon the Israelietes a proper reverence for God's creation."
(Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Bible Dictionary, 1974 ed., p. 696)

"While ‘cuttings in the flesh’ have reference here to mourning customs [for the dead], the tattooing does not appear to pertain to such practice." (Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, 1975 ed., p. 1664)

So, yes this commandment would include tattooing.

I firmly believe that "like attracts like". Ever go into a tattoo shop? Ever pick up and examine a tattoo magazine? Even the most religious tattoos are assembled among Satanic, sensual, violent, and even pornographic images. My grandfather had a very beautiful and well done tattoo... of a naked lady on both forearms. The tattoos didn't stay beautiful... as he grew older... she seemed to become just as droopy as he was. lol Most tattoo parlors also provide various piercings... some of which are rather "intimate" in location. lol

Now, I don't want to come off condemnatory. A person has the right to get a tattoo if they desire. And no, I don't believe God will write you off over a tattoo or a piercing if that's your "thing". But if "like attracts like" why are such spirits so endemic to this practice? Why would a believer be interested in participating in this?

I believe the NT does say some important things about our bodies. We read in I Corinthians...

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Clearly, we know that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to be living extensions of Jesus. Would we want to sit down and give Jesus a tattoo? What about giving Jesus various piercings? We are His body. We are not our own. We were bought with a price. And so to destroy or mar the body through gluttony, drugs, alcohol, tattoos, piercings, is to destroy and mar the very body of God. We read that those who do destroy their bodies, God will destroy. That's pretty serious stuff. This should underscore how important you are to God. You are a chosen vessel. You are a son of God or daughter of God.

Let's look at how God views you being His temple and how you are not your own...

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

What can be more beautiful and awe inspiring than to know that you are a living temple of God's own Spirit? He lives in you and through you. You're one with Him (I Corinthians 6:17). God desires that you glorify Him in your body and in your spirit, because all of you belongs to Him. Clearly having marks and piercings that are associated with an industry that provides Satanic, pornographic, and even violent images can't glorify God. At least, that's my opinion.

It's a cultural fad. It's hip. It's cool. It's popular. Frankly, I've even considered getting a tattoo. I wanted something Irish. Yes, I'm proud of my Irish heritage. But... I'm also humbled by being a member of God's elect. My girlfriend contemplated getting a tattoo too. Interestingly enough, she wants her dad's name. And let's be honest... MANY people get their first tattoo in honor of a dead relative. Remember Leviticus 19:28? Clearly this is some kind of default logic. We miss our loved one and we want a constant reminder of what they meant to us. I can understand this desire. However, our body belongs to God, we are not our own. And God wants all of us to glorify Him... not our mothers, fathers, dead relatives, etc. Sometimes we want a tattoo to be cool. I understand that. Sometimes we want to participate in something popular and fit in. But really... images of flaming skulls, satanic crosses, spiders, dragons, wizards, naked women, various pagan symbols, etc... can this association cross the line???

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians...

2 Corinthians 6:14-17
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Ah... we're called to be separate. Being a Christian comes with a cost. It come with surrendering self to God. I can only speak for myself... I'm not entirely comfortable with thumbing through all the ungodly and blasphemous images to find a suitable cross or symbol or flower or scenic picture for a tattoo. Just looking through a tattoo magazine troubled me. I saw the spirits of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and perversion on nearly every page. I cannot in good conscience have fellowship with those spirits. And if I ever break down and get a tattoo... I pray God forgives me. Because I don't see how it can glorify Him in me.

Jesus said,

Matthew 25:23
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

A tattoo isn't the most serious thing in the world. No, it may not be the unpardonable sin. However, Jesus promised something. He promised that those who are faithful over a few things, will be made ruler over many things. Those few small insignificant things that most would overlook... being faithful in those things will bring reward from the Lord. Heaven isn't a communist country were everyone is rewarded equally. Yes... you will be rewarded for the degree of sanctification unto Christlikeness you attain. Let's shoot for the stars. Let's raise the bar. Let's not get bogged down into a worldly mediocrity as it relates to pleasing our Lord and our heavenly reward.

Now that we know and understand these things, we should be cautious so we are not led away with the errors of the wicked. Spirits inhabit a lot of tattoo parlors. I felt them in the magazine. I don't want to see something or have some spirit enter my life and lead me astray by tempting me with a lust of my flesh. I don't want to fall from my steadfastness... I have enough problems with my flesh as it is! LOL

Rather, I want to grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus, Christ in me. And I want to give Him glory, honor, and praise in all that I do. Here's a verse to mediate upon...

2 Peter 3:17-18
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Originally Posted by Arphaxad (Post 1323735)

Doesn't it say somewhere in Revelation that Jesus has a name or something written on His thigh? Wouldn't that be a tattoo?

Originally Posted by Praxeas (Post 1323743)

I don't think it meant he was running around in short shorts or naked. It was written on his clothing,

Originally Posted by Aquila (Post 1323667)

Before we go into being bound by this "law"... let's examine why God forbade marking of the body.

Some would say that the "tattooing" clause of the verse only pertains to an ancient pagan custom of mourning the dead. But that's not so. The cutting portion has to do with the scarring of the body for the dead, God goes on to forbid any marking on the body. Let's look at some commentary:

"In Lev. 19:28 we find two prohibitions of an unnatural disfigurement of the body: 'Ye shall not make any cutting in your flesh for the dead, nor any print any marks upon you.' The latter (Heb. qa aqa, incision) refers to tattooing, and has no reference to idolatrous usages, but was intended to inculcate upon the Israelietes a proper reverence for God's creation."
(Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Bible Dictionary, 1974 ed., p. 696)

"While ‘cuttings in the flesh’ have reference here to mourning customs [for the dead], the tattooing does not appear to pertain to such practice." (Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, 1975 ed., p. 1664)

So, yes this commandment would include tattooing.

I firmly believe that "like attracts like". Ever go into a tattoo shop? Ever pick up and examine a tattoo magazine? Even the most religious tattoos are assembled among Satanic, sensual, violent, and even pornographic images. My grandfather had a very beautiful and well done tattoo... of a naked lady on both forearms. The tattoos didn't stay beautiful... as he grew older... she seemed to become just as droopy as he was. lol Most tattoo parlors also provide various piercings... some of which are rather "intimate" in location. lol

Now, I don't want to come off condemnatory. A person has the right to get a tattoo if they desire. And no, I don't believe God will write you off over a tattoo or a piercing if that's your "thing". But if "like attracts like" why are such spirits so endemic to this practice? Why would a believer be interested in participating in this?

I believe the NT does say some important things about our bodies. We read in I Corinthians...

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Clearly, we know that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to be living extensions of Jesus. Would we want to sit down and give Jesus a tattoo? What about giving Jesus various piercings? We are His body. We are not our own. We were bought with a price. And so to destroy or mar the body through gluttony, drugs, alcohol, tattoos, piercings, is to destroy and mar the very body of God. We read that those who do destroy their bodies, God will destroy. That's pretty serious stuff. This should underscore how important you are to God. You are a chosen vessel. You are a son of God or daughter of God.

Let's look at how God views you being His temple and how you are not your own...

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

What can be more beautiful and awe inspiring than to know that you are a living temple of God's own Spirit? He lives in you and through you. You're one with Him (I Corinthians 6:17). God desires that you glorify Him in your body and in your spirit, because all of you belongs to Him. Clearly having marks and piercings that are associated with an industry that provides Satanic, pornographic, and even violent images can't glorify God. At least, that's my opinion.

It's a cultural fad. It's hip. It's cool. It's popular. Frankly, I've even considered getting a tattoo. I wanted something Irish. Yes, I'm proud of my Irish heritage. But... I'm also humbled by being a member of God's elect. My girlfriend contemplated getting a tattoo too. Interestingly enough, she wants her dad's name. And let's be honest... MANY people get their first tattoo in honor of a dead relative. Remember Leviticus 19:28? Clearly this is some kind of default logic. We miss our loved one and we want a constant reminder of what they meant to us. I can understand this desire. However, our body belongs to God, we are not our own. And God wants all of us to glorify Him... not our mothers, fathers, dead relatives, etc. Sometimes we want a tattoo to be cool. I understand that. Sometimes we want to participate in something popular and fit in. But really... images of flaming skulls, satanic crosses, spiders, dragons, wizards, naked women, various pagan symbols, etc... can this association cross the line???

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians...

2 Corinthians 6:14-17
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Ah... we're called to be separate. Being a Christian comes with a cost. It come with surrendering self to God. I can only speak for myself... I'm not entirely comfortable with thumbing through all the ungodly and blasphemous images to find a suitable cross or symbol or flower or scenic picture for a tattoo. Just looking through a tattoo magazine troubled me. I saw the spirits of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and perversion on nearly every page. I cannot in good conscience have fellowship with those spirits. And if I ever break down and get a tattoo... I pray God forgives me. Because I don't see how it can glorify Him in me.

Jesus said,

Matthew 25:23
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

A tattoo isn't the most serious thing in the world. No, it may not be the unpardonable sin. However, Jesus promised something. He promised that those who are faithful over a few things, will be made ruler over many things. Those few small insignificant things that most would overlook... being faithful in those things will bring reward from the Lord. Heaven isn't a communist country were everyone is rewarded equally. Yes... you will be rewarded for the degree of sanctification unto Christlikeness you attain. Let's shoot for the stars. Let's raise the bar. Let's not get bogged down into a worldly mediocrity as it relates to pleasing our Lord and our heavenly reward.

Now that we know and understand these things, we should be cautious so we are not led away with the errors of the wicked. Spirits inhabit a lot of tattoo parlors. I felt them in the magazine. I don't want to see something or have some spirit enter my life and lead me astray by tempting me with a lust of my flesh. I don't want to fall from my steadfastness... I have enough problems with my flesh as it is! LOL

Rather, I want to grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus, Christ in me. And I want to give Him glory, honor, and praise in all that I do. Here's a verse to mediate upon...

2 Peter 3:17-18
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.