Hey
Becky. I have a most serious question for you. And also ask for your
advice. What are your religious views on tattoos and piercings? I have
been getting confronted a lot with people asking me how I am living a
Godly life but defiling my body. I need some insight on this and you
were the first person that came to mind! Thank you!
The
whole defiling your body thing is a load of b.s. The only verse in the
Bible that references tattoos is 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." This was referring to the pagan customs of the day.
Egyptians were notorious for marking themselves all over, in remembrance
of dead people (perhaps superstitiously hoping to bring them back? the
whole preservation of mummies things shows they really believed in a
next life). However, these markings again were PAGAN, for PAGAN customs.
they were related to worship of other gods, etc. It is no wonder God
did not want his people participating. They had just left Egypt and he
is telling them not to participate in the heathen customs of Egypt. This
is a new order now!
Do
ya think that our tattoos are the same as Egyptian tattoos? Let's think
about it. When you go get a little kitty cat, are you worshiping the
kitty or trying to bring a kitty to life?
Any way... totally different. We are more into self-expression than religious superstition.
Piercings.
I've done the research on this. A large majority of the time when the
bible speaks of earrings it is speaking of nose rings. Isaac's Rebecca
was given a nose ring in Genesis 24:22 "And it came to pass, as the
camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a
shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten [shekels] weight
of gold;" that is the meaning of that word, and why it is singular in
the King James Version.
The
Old Testament Jews are often referenced as the Bride of Jehovah... They
are told in Hosea that when they ran from God, they adorned themselves
with jewelry (including earrings, which are defined as nose rings) before
they went to their idol lovers. Now before that becomes an indictment
against piercings,
Ezekiel 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
That jewel on the forehead is the same word used for nose ring earrings. God himself says he will adorn his bride with a nose ring.
The word in the Hebrew is nexem by the way, if you want to look it up yourself
And I only stayed in the King James. If you look in other versions, they translate every time nexem is used to the word nose ring.
the word for actual earlobe earrings is agiyl
Ezekiel 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
That jewel on the forehead is the same word used for nose ring earrings. God himself says he will adorn his bride with a nose ring.
The word in the Hebrew is nexem by the way, if you want to look it up yourself
And I only stayed in the King James. If you look in other versions, they translate every time nexem is used to the word nose ring.
the word for actual earlobe earrings is agiyl
Oh,
I know I'm rambling, but I love this stuff. HAHA.. the earrings were
heavy (shekel weight in Genesis!) They were called earrings because they
pulled the nose cartilage down to look like an earlobe. The translation
earring is correct. Our tiny gems today are nothing in comparison to
the gaudiness of those nose pieces!! ROFL! My namesake was MEGA adorned
in GOLD!
Fast
forward... Revelation 14:1 "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the
mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having
his Father's name written in their foreheads. "
Revelation 22:4 "And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads."
All believers, not just the 144,000 will have His name on their foreheads. God's into inking of his own. Claiming us for his own. It's awesome. We are pierced and adorned with a ring and other assorted jewelry because we are the bride, and we are inked with his name.
Revelation 22:4 "And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads."
All believers, not just the 144,000 will have His name on their foreheads. God's into inking of his own. Claiming us for his own. It's awesome. We are pierced and adorned with a ring and other assorted jewelry because we are the bride, and we are inked with his name.
Now, as to can we do it now. Like, practical, every day, OMG, are we defiling our bodies in the here and now?
Here are Paul's words:
Romans 7:6 "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter. "
Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. "
We are not under the law anymore. So EVEN if the whole Leviticus thing applied to modern day tattoos, it doesn't apply to us. We do not have to avoid markings for the dead, etc. We are FREE from the law. We serve the Spirit of Christ. That old law does not apply to us.
Those who try and stick us under that law are putting us in bondage. Paul says to stand in our liberty! We are FREE! (Gal 5:1)
Here are Paul's words:
Romans 7:6 "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter. "
Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. "
We are not under the law anymore. So EVEN if the whole Leviticus thing applied to modern day tattoos, it doesn't apply to us. We do not have to avoid markings for the dead, etc. We are FREE from the law. We serve the Spirit of Christ. That old law does not apply to us.
Those who try and stick us under that law are putting us in bondage. Paul says to stand in our liberty! We are FREE! (Gal 5:1)
I
Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not
expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
This is the only "guideline" that Paul gives, and honestly it is an easy one. Everything is lawful. But sometimes things just are not worthy, profitable things (expedient). Somethings are not worthwhile because they tear others or myself down, "they do not edify."
Yet, even this is not a firm and fast rule. This is simply something to ask ourselves. Certainly if going into a situation we realize it is completely an unworthy, unprofitable, and unedifying thing it does give us cause to ask WHY we were doing it in the first place!!
However, I have found that my tattoos have been edification for myself and others. Talking points! They all have deep personal and/or spiritual meanings and as such spark conversations I would not have had otherwise. My nose ring is similarly a conversation piece for those who like to go deep (I got it because Rebekah of the Bible is a symbol of the Bride of Christ! I am named for her, and I am the Bride of Christ!)
Some things we do are frivolous and need no explanation. And why should we have to explain to others? Are we not all responsible to God on our own?
People also need to learn to mind their own business. ;-)
This is the only "guideline" that Paul gives, and honestly it is an easy one. Everything is lawful. But sometimes things just are not worthy, profitable things (expedient). Somethings are not worthwhile because they tear others or myself down, "they do not edify."
Yet, even this is not a firm and fast rule. This is simply something to ask ourselves. Certainly if going into a situation we realize it is completely an unworthy, unprofitable, and unedifying thing it does give us cause to ask WHY we were doing it in the first place!!
However, I have found that my tattoos have been edification for myself and others. Talking points! They all have deep personal and/or spiritual meanings and as such spark conversations I would not have had otherwise. My nose ring is similarly a conversation piece for those who like to go deep (I got it because Rebekah of the Bible is a symbol of the Bride of Christ! I am named for her, and I am the Bride of Christ!)
Some things we do are frivolous and need no explanation. And why should we have to explain to others? Are we not all responsible to God on our own?
People also need to learn to mind their own business. ;-)
