CHRISTIAN TATTOOS?

Lesson 1

History And Old Testament Commands

Tattooing and body-modifying arts have become epidemically popular in the last 20 years, even working their way into the Church. What was once found only among sailors, prisoners, and harlots is now common in the pulpit and on the worship team. Any fad or technique the Church borrows from the world must be viewed with a leery eye of caution and investigated with every tool at hand. Let us look at a brief synopsis of body art.

Nearly every pagan culture involves some form of self-mutilating body art.
Most pagan religions involve cutting and piercing in their worship, from the Muslim dervishes of Turkey, to the Shaolin Monks of Tibet, to the Hindus of India.
For some cultures, the process of tattooing is a borderline worship experience (Tibetan tattoos).
In the Bible, the prophets of Baal (a demon) cut themselves in their worship of this dead god.
Jesus cast the devil out of a man who was driven of devils to cut himself with rocks.
The body art we see creeping into America has its roots among pagan cultures and in demon worship. Piercing, tattooing, branding, scarification, gauging and plating: these techniques were not taught to us by a loving God but were developed and propagated by individuals that worshipped devils.

FORBIDDEN BY THE BIBLE

It should be noted, there is only one verse in the entire Bible speaking directly to the act of tattooing: Leviticus 19:28. (However, there are many verses forbidding cutting.) For some, Leviticus 19:28 is enough motivation to never mark their bodies. For others, this verse stands in their way and must be excused. For this reason, this passage and other Old Testament passages are discounted and even totally discarded. We must address these issues.

HOW DOES THE OT APPLY TO US TODAY?

Not everything in the Old Testament is the Law. The Old Testament contains books of history, poetry, and prophecy. Technically, the Law is contained in part of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and part of Deuteronomy.

The Old Testament was recorded as an example to warn us.
- - Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted . . . Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. – 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11
The law does not make you righteous, but it can teach you what holiness looks like. Obeying the law will not make you righteous, but it will make you holy.
We are redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), not the Law.
The law was fulfilled, not abolished. The law will not pass away until all has been fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled the sacrifices and rituals. We must live a life fulfilling the moral laws, e.g., thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not lie with a beast, etc.
The New Testament directly quotes the Old Testament 695 times and references the Old Testament over 4,100 times.
With so many NT verses tying us to the OT, it’s hard to view the OT as obsolete in our lives.

LEVITICUS 19

Does Leviticus 19 have anything to offer us today? The whole subject of Leviticus 19 is summed up in verse 2: “Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.” This is the summary statement for the next 35 verses. Leviticus 19 teaches the reader how to be holy. These verses were written to help Israel be different from the surrounding nations and to be a people separated unto God.

The following is a summary of those 35 verses:

Verse 3—Honor your mom and dad and go to church.
Verse 4—Flee idols and don’t make another golden calf.
Verse 5—Give offerings willingly and with a proper heart.
Verses 6-8—God’s offerings are holy. Don’t treat them flippantly.
Verses 9-10—Don’t be greedy in your business. Support the poor and the stranger.
Verse 11—Don’t steal, lie, or cheat.
Verse 12—If you’re a believer, keep your word. Don’t use your faith as a cop-out.
• Verse 13—Don’t defraud or rob anybody. Pay your employees on time.
Verse 14—Don’t abuse the handicapped.
Verse 15—Be righteous in your courts of law. Don’t have respect of persons.
Verse 16—Don’t be a gossip or slanderer. Help when your neighbor’s life is in danger.
Verse 17—Confront people directly if they have sinned against you so you won’t develop hate in your heart for your brother.
Verse 18—Don’t hold grudges or avenge transgressions. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Verse 19a—Don’t interbreed cattle. They would have had to do business with the Canaanites to acquire an outside breed.
Verse 19b—Don’t sow mixed seed in your field. This was the idolatrous practice of the Zabians (fire worshippers). They did so with magical rites and incantations.
Verse 19c—Don’t wear a garment of cotton and wool interwoven. (Wool, being a filthy material, represents the lamb’s contact with the world. Cotton, being a clean material that grows pure and stands above the world, represents holiness.)
Verses 20-22—Fornication is sinful and carnal and punishable. Do not take advantage of women.
Verses 23-25—The fruit of the new land must be cleansed, then tithed upon, then enjoyed.
Verse 26a—Don’t eat anything “over” the blood, a reference to spiritism.
Verse 26b—Don’t go to the psychics or astrology for guidance.
Verse 27—Don’t cut hair like the heathen. (This hairstyle was a demon priest hairstyle.)
Verse 29—Don’t prostitute your daughter.
Verse 30—Keep My day holy and honor My sanctuary.
Verse 31—Don’t respect those that are demonized and don’t seek after wizards.
Verse 32—Respect the elders.
Verse 33—Don’t oppress immigrants.
Verse 34—Love the immigrant and give him a chance.
Verses 35-36—Be honest in all of your endeavors.
Therefore verse 28—Don’t cut or tattoo yourself, I am the LORD.

God wants us to be different from the world around us. If you are embracing the world, you are becoming God’s enemy (James 4:4).

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CHRISTIAN TATTOOS?

Lesson 1

History And Old Testament Commands

Nearly every pagan culture involves some form of self-mutilating body art.

Most pagan religions involve cutting and piercing in their worship, from the Muslim dervishes of Turkey, to the Shaolin Monks of Tibet, to the Hindus of India.

For some cultures, the process of tattooing is a borderline worship experience (Tibetan tattoos).

In the Bible, the prophets of Baal (a demon) cut themselves in their worship of this dead god.

Jesus cast the devil out of a man who was driven of devils to cut himself with rocks.

The body art we see creeping into America has its roots among pagan cultures and in demon worship. Piercing, tattooing, branding, scarification, gauging and plating: these techniques were not taught to us by a loving God but were developed and propagated by individuals that worshipped devils.

FORBIDDEN BY THE BIBLE

HOW DOES THE OT APPLY TO US TODAY?

Not everything in the Old Testament is the Law. The Old Testament contains books of history, poetry, and prophecy. Technically, the Law is contained in part of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and part of Deuteronomy.

The Old Testament was recorded as an example to warn us.

Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted . . . Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. – 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11

The law does not make you righteous, but it can teach you what holiness looks like. Obeying the law will not make you righteous, but it will make you holy.

We are redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), not the Law.

The law was fulfilled, not abolished. The law will not pass away until all has been fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled the sacrifices and rituals. We must live a life fulfilling the moral laws, e.g., thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not lie with a beast, etc.

The New Testament directly quotes the Old Testament 695 times and references the Old Testament over 4,100 times.

With so many NT verses tying us to the OT, it’s hard to view the OT as obsolete in our lives.

LEVITICUS 19

The following is a summary of those 35 verses:

Verse 3—Honor your mom and dad and go to church.

Verse 4—Flee idols and don’t make another golden calf.

Verse 5—Give offerings willingly and with a proper heart.

Verses 6-8—God’s offerings are holy. Don’t treat them flippantly.

Verses 9-10—Don’t be greedy in your business. Support the poor and the stranger.

Verse 11—Don’t steal, lie, or cheat.

Verse 12—If you’re a believer, keep your word. Don’t use your faith as a cop-out.

• Verse 13—Don’t defraud or rob anybody. Pay your employees on time.

Verse 14—Don’t abuse the handicapped.

Verse 15—Be righteous in your courts of law. Don’t have respect of persons.

Verse 16—Don’t be a gossip or slanderer. Help when your neighbor’s life is in danger.

Verse 17—Confront people directly if they have sinned against you so you won’t develop hate in your heart for your brother.

Verse 18—Don’t hold grudges or avenge transgressions. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Verse 19a—Don’t interbreed cattle. They would have had to do business with the Canaanites to acquire an outside breed.

Verse 19b—Don’t sow mixed seed in your field. This was the idolatrous practice of the Zabians (fire worshippers). They did so with magical rites and incantations.

Verse 19c—Don’t wear a garment of cotton and wool interwoven. (Wool, being a filthy material, represents the lamb’s contact with the world. Cotton, being a clean material that grows pure and stands above the world, represents holiness.)

Verses 20-22—Fornication is sinful and carnal and punishable. Do not take advantage of women.

Verses 23-25—The fruit of the new land must be cleansed, then tithed upon, then enjoyed.

Verse 26a—Don’t eat anything “over” the blood, a reference to spiritism.

Verse 26b—Don’t go to the psychics or astrology for guidance.

Verse 27—Don’t cut hair like the heathen. (This hairstyle was a demon priest hairstyle.)

Verse 29—Don’t prostitute your daughter.

Verse 30—Keep My day holy and honor My sanctuary.

Verse 31—Don’t respect those that are demonized and don’t seek after wizards.

Verse 32—Respect the elders.

Verse 33—Don’t oppress immigrants.

Verse 34—Love the immigrant and give him a chance.

Verses 35-36—Be honest in all of your endeavors.

Therefore verse 28—Don’t cut or tattoo yourself, I am the LORD.

God wants us to be different from the world around us. If you are embracing the world, you are becoming God’s enemy (James 4:4).

Listen Along: