I would like to hear from you guys/gals about Christians having a lot of body piercings and tattoos.
I went to my Taebo class this morning and was surprised to see a lady who claims to be a Christian,got a tattoo and had her bb pierced. Personally I don't like tattoos. It's a turn off to me.It would be ok if she had it before getting saved because as we believe,accept Jesus as Lord and savior the old is gone and the new us has come.
"Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourself. I am the LORD."
How can this be any more clear?
Btw: look at the sentence structure ; ( pixy is good at that kind of thing) the cuttings for the dead and the tattoos are separate issues. If it meant tattoos for the dead then it would say : "Do not cut your bodies or put tatto marks on yourself for the dead." BUT IT DOESN'T SAY THAT DOES IT?
Yes I believe in Grace and most of us are gentiles , not jews. You have a choice to follow this scripture or not......but please don't twist it
I have tolerance for tattos, but not for twisting scripture.
Not too long ago, I heard that in church. He was pierced for our transgression; when he was pierced his hand and feet bore the mark of that piercing. Though it was not that he went out there and say, "Hey, pierce my hands and feet" - it is called a "piercing" in the bible.
Now, I have a son who in his adult age once he left my home has done tatoos on his arms. I have no control over that though I taught him for many reasons it was not a good idea.
But if someone comes to church with tatoos, I have no problem with it. It is part of their body and just like we ladies put on mascara and eyeliner and no one has an issue with that - then who are we to judge that person. I would trust a person with a tatoo who sincerely loves God before I trust one with long sleeves, long skirts, long hair and a long tongue.
Arch � Big Butt? Really? I can just see GodsJude getting on here and proudly proclaiming, �I got my Big Butt pierced�� What woman would refer to her back side as a �Big Butt�. �Ample� or �luscious� �curvy� maybe, but I doubt she would say big.
@ cmseeker ~ I came across or was lead to those Scriptures Lev 19:28 & Jer 31:19 after being Born Again. I must admit it gave me cause for pause...I am an artist & appreciate all forms of artistic expression�but after reading these Scriptures I could in no way validate my past choice...GOD's Word is either Truth or Not...I Thank & Praise GOD for His unceasing Grace for others as well as lil ole me�
@ Arch you are a Funny Gent...:ROFL:...
@ Cobbler...Oh My Goodness�Well now�That is NOT gona happen�besides my Hinny is NOT big & just the Thought of what you Said I would Proclaim I did sounds to Ouchy for my liking�Ima Laughin so hard I got tears in my eyes�:ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:...Thanxs for humor�Yall hava a Blessed day�xo
Yikes -- I said that Hebrew really isn't my thing, but I'll take a stab at this anyway. I know nothing at all about sentence structure in the Hebrew language, so I won't go there...
It's important to interpret Scripture in light of other Scripture. Unfortunately, the Hebrew word that has been translated into the English word tattoo is used nowhere else in Scripture. So, we're not able to look at the word in other contexts to help us understand the full meaning of what is meant by the word. However, what we can do is look at similar words that are used multiple times, and then, by a sort of process of elimination, know what is NOT meant by a tattoo.
Before going any further with that, I will say that in research I've done previously regarding the etymology of the word tattoo, that I haven't uncovered any Hebrew (or Greek) roots to the word. Its roots are in the Polynesian language and their cultural practices. What this means is that the modern practice of tattoos may have absolutely nothing to do with what is being referred to in Leviticus. We could very well be trying to compare apples and oranges here! In my humble opinion, it's impossible to definitively make a link there between the modern word tattoo and the Hebrew word. It's one of those cases where stuff really does get lost in translation.
Anyway, back to what "tattoo" does NOT mean:
1. It is not the same as the writing (engraving) that was done on stone tablets or other hard objects.
2. It does not refer to the transcription of the words or commands of God.
3. It is not the same as inscribing something with a signature or seal or other kind of marking.
4. It does not refer to carving into something or any opening up of the object's surface.
5. It doesn't refer to making a wound.
6. It doesn't mean to strike or attack.
7. It's not referring to making a sign or symbol.
If God had wanted to give the people a legalistic description of exactly what they could or could not do their skin, He certainly could have. The words were certainly available. He could have said, "Do not make signs on your skin by striking your skin with an object and making an engraving into it," but He didn't. If it was merely an issue of using dyes/pigments on the skin, He could have stated specifications there, as well. Leviticus is certainly detailed enough for us to know that God wasn't just being vague. This lends itself to the idea that "tattoo" was in reference to a specific cultural ritual or rite that the people were being instructed to avoid. I feel that if God merely meant to avoid doing certain physical things to one's skin that He would have just straight-up said so with the usual kind of Levitical detail. There's something more to it there than just the physical.
That, coupled with the context of the first part of the sentence ("Do not cut your bodies for the dead") causes me to think that SilverFire's explanation of the verse is quite possibly correct and not a twisting of Scripture. He certainly didn't say anything that we can know for certain to NOT be true. In fact, I think there is more evidence to support SilverFire's interpretation than there is for alternative interpretations.
All any of us can do here is make an educated guess. As long as that guess doesn't violate other Scripture, I would not say that someone is twisting Scripture.
I love seeing these kinds of posts. *stamping my feet and dancing arounnd the living room*
First please allow me to clear a matter up : I did not mean to accuse a brother of twisting scripture, but looking back it appears that is what I have done.....
My humble apologies. I do believe you to be a true brother; we just have a difference of opinion over a scripture that in light of the New Covenant doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
And Thank you pixy for bringing that to my attention....I get carried away sometimes.
Now back to the topic at hand:
Strongs Concordance word #3793 (kethobeth) is used in this passage. It means ; A letter or other mark branded on the skin : -+ any [mark]
It comes from the word (kathab) which is a primary root word meaning to grave ; by impl to write. (inscribe)
Unless I am missing something.....
...... there you have it : writhing or marking on the skin.
Love to hear further comment pixy, I can use another good dance :-)
The Lev 19 section is in with a lot of other directives for the Israelites to help them live lives that were different and separate among the pagans and unbelievers that they would be living among in the Promised Land. God was telling the Israelites he did not want them to tattoo themselves because people would misunderstand and might mistake them for pagans.
Skip ahead a couple of centuries. Pagans still tattoo themselves to their gods, but I think I can say with some safety that the vast majority of those who get tattoos do not. I do not believe in "cherry picking" scripture, but I have personaly known those that have taken this verse out of its original context and meaning and are using it as a figurative club to beat about the head and shoulders of those who chose to tattoo themselves. Not that anyone here is doing that; I am saying I have known those who did.
Everyone should pray and seek and examine themselves as to whether to get pierced and/or tattooed after becoming a Christian. Keeping in mind not just their own walk, but the effect of their piercings/tattoos on those they come in contact with.
Good point Gods lamb, allow me to summarize and correct me if you would; We as Christians need to decide if we are to be indentified with Jesus or the World. If the choice is Jesus then we need to look to scripture on how to do this. I would say getting a ' Godly tat' is like offering unauthorized fire as I Numbers 3:4.
