What

I Believe on Moral Issues: Tattoos and Body Piercing Witness tool or Worldly Practice?
Leviticus 19:28

I
God.

want us to turn to Leviticus 18. In this section of Scripture I presented three very basic principles they were: 1. Know the LORD vs. 2

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'I am the LORD your

2. Live Separated Lives vs. 3 According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do, and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. 3. Follow Gods Word Explicitly vs. 4-5

 You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God. 'You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. Today I am going to be speaking on tattoos and Body piercings. My intention is NOT to inflict pain on those who have tattoos on their body, or who have piercings. My intent is to inform you as to what the Bible teaches, and then encourage you to always choose to do what the Bible says. Get this: Its NOT what man says that matters, but what the Bible teaches. The Bible is to always be our guide. The Bible IS the WORD of God. I want you to understand at the get-go that those of us who believe 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 people under the law instead of allowing them freedom under grace. 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 this message.
2

 I. Does the Old Testament have any value today? Does the Old Testament have any value for the church today? Understand, we are NOT under Law we are under Grace, but does the O.T. have anything to offer Christians? Please take your Bible and open it to 1 Corinthians 10. It says the following, 1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers 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 spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they
3

were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. What point is Paul making? The point is that the O.T. is there for our example and for our learning (for our warning). There are behaviors in the O.T. that apply to the Christian in the N.T. They are truism that travel through time. II. What does the Bible say about Tattoos and Piercings? We read in Lev. 19:28, "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks upon you: I am the LORD." One of the arguments used against this particular Scripture, and the message that you are hearing today is that the word tattoo is a recent word. It was a word that was coined in the 1700s, and that it wasnt a word used when the O.T. was penned. Therefore, translators added that word tattoo to the text. Okay, lets not use the NKJV. Instead we will use the KJV that was printed in 1611. It was translated 89 years before the word tattoo was coined. We read,
4

 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Now I ask you do you understand the words, nor print any marks upon you:? One author that I was reading provided the following insight to Leviticus 19:28. He writes, Now thats pretty simple and straight forwardDont tattoo or pierce your body. Dont cut or tattoo your body. In Biblical History often times when a person would purposefully cut themselvesit was done for a reason. In 1 Kings 18:28 is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Remember the contest that Elijah had with themHe said call upon Baal to come down and produce fireon an altar. The Bible says that they shouted and screamed at Baal to come downthey even cut themselvesas there custom allowedslashed themselves until blood flowed from their bodies.and Baal did not listen Any kind of self-laceration or marking of the body has always been associated with pagan cults.and the dead! Those caught up in idol worship and false godswould cut or tattoo themselves as an act of mourning for the dead.
5

 Thats why God said in Lev. 19:28.Dont cut your body or tattoo it God did not want his people to be like the world. Some argueThats Old Testament Its not in the NT. Did you know that bestiality (sex with animals) is forbidden and only mentioned in the Old Testament . Does that mean its ok now? What about Lev. 19:29, the verse right after the tattoo verse Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness. thats only in the OT You cant find that in the NT.Does it make it ok? In Matthew Henrys Commentary, he explains that most of Leviticus 19 are moral commandments that apply not only to Israel but for every New Testament Christian today. In fact Lev. 19:26-28 are Moral laws clearly condemning pagan, witchcraft and heathen practices. Verse 26 referring to enchantment (spells or witchcraft) and not to observe the timesreferring to astrology. Verse 27 dealt with those that worshipped the hosts of heaven, in such a way as to cut their hair so their heads might resemble the celestial globe; as foolish as it seems it was being done with respect to their false gods, it was idolatrous. Verse28 speaks to the pagan demonic practice of cutting into your flesh (Piercing) and tattooing The fact isUp until just a few years ago, virtually everyone, including the most liberal Christian, knew that Tattooing and piercing was clearly forbidden by the word of God. And throughout history, the
6

Tattooing and piercing has always been condemned by Bible Believing Christians. Always. One writer that supports Tattoos writes, For those individuals who claim to follow Scripture to the letter, it is interesting to note that other passages in Leviticus proscribe individuals from cutting their hair or trimming their beards, wearing clothes that are made of a mix of textiles and growing certain crops beside each other; ie, the "mingling" of seed. It is safe to assume that the practice of shaving would have been a heinous violation of Leviticus. I respond by simply saying know the difference between moral and non-moral commandments. Tattoos for Jesus Many seek to justify this activity by saying they are "tattooing for Jesus" Pastor Nathan Feathers, 26, a pastor at the CrossLink church in Grandview says, We want to speak the language of the culture," He continued, "Our culture speaks in tattoos. That's a great way to speak about God."
7

 Can I ask you a serious question? Do you interpret the Bible in light of the culture, or culture in light of the Scripture? It is always to be culture in light of the Scripture. We must never surrender the Bible to culture. Does the N.T. have anything to say on the subject of tattoos and body piercing? I believe that it does. Take your Bible and turn with to Jude 8 (just before Revelation). We read, Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. What does it mean to defile the flesh? The Greek word is miaino (me- ah'-ee-no), and it means, perhaps a primary verb; to sully or taint, i.e. contaminate (ceremonially or morally):--defile. The word tattoo isnt used, nor the words, mark the body, but the idea is certainly being presented in the verse. That verse is speaking about the ungodly. Christians are NOT to taint the flesh (Greek, Sarx, and it means, the body (as opposed to the soul (or spirit) or as the symbol of what is external).

 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 Christians today are tattooing and piercing their bodies (see notes at the end of sermon), and they believe they are doing so to be a witness for Jesus Christ. Let me say this to you. The day you gave your life to Jesus you were sealed with the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13, 4:30). It would be more profitable for you to let people see the Holy Spirit in you then for any tattoo or body piercing. III. The danger of Tattoos and Piercings. While I was preparing for this message I read about a doctor seeing a tattoo on a middle-aged patient's stomach. "Nice whale", he said. The patient replied with a wan smile, "Yes - it used to be a dolphin." First, I believe that there is an embarrassment factor. Tattoos might look good on young skin tight skin, but the older you get the worse your tattoo is going to look. And like many, you will look back and regret it. Second, most people don't know how tattoos tax the immune system of the body. I read that one young man now has chronic skin allergies. It's not as simple as people think.
9

What are the Risks? The Mayo Clinic sounds a warning about commercial tattooing: "Few states have hygienic regulations to ensure safe tattooing 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, photosensitivity reactions, psoriasis, and tumors. Potentially, anyone who gets a tattoo or piercing is at risk for contracting an infection and yes, that includes MRSA. MRSA is a bigger threat in comparison to other infections because its easily spread and more difficult (but not impossible) to treat. And, in rare cases, MRSA is more severe and can even be fatal. Do we understand that when getting a tattoo or piercing, that bacteria can be passed from the artist to the client, from a tool to the client, or even from the client to themselves. Since the MRSA bacteria can reside on the body of a carrier (known as a colonizer) without their knowledge and with no adverse effects to their own health, its possible for an artist to spread the infection to a client through skin or tool contact. But if the client themselves are a colonizer, they can be infected with the bacteria from their own bodies once the skin has been broken for the tattoo or piercing. Third, I read that recent studies on today's tattooed young people indicate 1) they are nearly four times more likely to engage in sexual intercourse; 2) Over two times more likely to experience alcohol related problems; 3) Nearly two times more likely to use illegal drugs; 4) Over two times more likely to express violent behavior; and 5) Over two times more likely to drop out of high school.
10

Summary Is tattooing and body piercing a witness tool, or a worldly practice? The O.T. is there for our example, and the O.T. is clear that we are not to mark our bodies either with tattoos or body piercings. God called His people to know Him, to live separated lives, and to follow His Word explicitly. Allow me to close with the prescription of one Christian writer, The Bible expressly tells us to keep ourselves unspotted from the world (Jas. 1:27), to abstain from the appearance of evil (1Thess. 5:22), and that friendship with the world is enmity with God (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, or habits; not just out of duty but because we love God and have a living relationship with Him (John 14:15). Additional Information: The Poll Poll: Are You a Christian with a Tattoo? Yes, I received my tattoo before I became a 13% Christian. (300) Yes, I was tattooed after becoming a Christian. 44% (961)

11

I was tattooed, but had it removed because of 2% my Christian beliefs. (61) I don't have a tattoo, and believe it is wrong for 12% Christians. (275) I don't have a tattoo because I believe it is 4% wrong for me personally. (106) I don't have a tattoo, but not for religious 7% reasons. I just don't want one. (169) I don't have a tattoo yet, but I plan on getting 13% one. (285) Total Polled: 2157 I personally find it sad that over 900 people in the poll got a tattoo after their conversion experience. Just where is our culture heading? Tattoos today and what tomorrow? How one argues against Lev. 19:28 I wonder if I would get the same type of responses if I were to write a piece on hair and beards - Mens Grooming To Cut or Not to Cut.

Leviticus 19:27 says, Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. If having a tattoo is a sin because were bound by the O.T. law, then logic says that men with short hair or a clean-shaven face would be a sin as well. Going deeper, Leviticus 19:19 says, Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. According to that O.T. law, anyone who wears the popular cotton-poly blends that are found in every clothing store in America are sinning.
12

 James 2:10 says, For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles 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 doesnt work that way. Were either law keeper or law breakers. Another Tattoo Proponent We know that religious tattooing before the time of Christ was common for nearly everyone except the Jewish people (otherwise we would not see the prohibition in Leviticus 19:28). And although there are no scriptural references in which we are told to "get tattooed" (and we wouldn't expect any), there are a number of 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 a very real way, religious tattoos are like those permanent outward signs. "And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth." - Exodus 13:9 "It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes; for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt." -Exodus 13:16 1 Please note what I have underlined above in this persons writings. So then, if the Jews were not to tattoo themselves, its okay for Christians? I think not!

1

http://www.squidoo.com/tattooedchurch

13

 The Sacred Ink The tattoo of today is much different than it was for those who originally received the Pentateuch. Today tattoo is a decorative means 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, weight loss, body-building, and ear piercing. Some of these practices have a history in ancient ritual and false religion, but in our cultural context they do not denote a connection with evil or false faith. In the same way tattoos today do not link the wearer to cultic worship practices and is not generally practiced for ancient religious purposes, tattoos today are for ornamentation.2 Note that the author admits where the tattoo and body piercing practice began.

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

14