Key Verse

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to thy word. Psalm 119:9

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Tattoos

     The last decade has seen an extreme and sudden rise in the amount of tattooing going down. A recent survey put the figure at as much as 40% of adults aged 20-35 have at least one tattoo. From this arises the natural question: "Is it wrong to get a tattoo if you are a Christian?" It seems like everyone has a strong opinion on the subject, but who is right? Passages such as Leviticus 19:28, 1 Corinthians 6:19, and Galatians 5:1 can help shed some light on the topic.
     Leviticus 19:28 (ESV) says: "You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord." The answer to our seems like it should be simple then, right? Well while it is true that the Israelites were not allowed to Tattoo themselves they were also not allowed to shave their temples, have a scraggly beard [Leviticus 19:27], eat catfish [Leviticus 11:12] or eat any meat with blood in it [Leviticus 19:26]. I've never heard anyone debate whether or not its right to eat steak, so clearly this Leviticus verse is not conclusive. 
     In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul reminds the Corinthians that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is often argued that just as one wouldn't deface a regular temple or church by putting graffiti on it one should not mark up one's body. This logic is faulty however because not only do we write names and Bible verses on our churches but with some hermeneutical research it becomes clear that Paul is talking about sexual immorality and defacing your body with sin (Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. [1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV]). Therefore, to say that 1 Corinthians was intended to keep Christians free from tattoos is more than just a stretch, its misinterpreting the verse and losing valuable meaning of the body being a temple. 
     Finally lets take a look at Galatians 5:1-3. Here Paul points out the obvious, if we try to keep the law because its the "law" them we are subject to the authority of the whole law. We are free in Christ and therefore all things are lawful for us. We see in 1 Corinthians 9:21 that we are clearly no longer under the Old Testament law. Anyone who would say that he keeps the law is a liar and starts to go down the road of Phariseeness. Clearly there are right things and wrong things (Romans 6:10), but these are illustrated in the 10 Commandments, the moral code of God. Therefore the question becomes not "Is it lawful" but instead "Is it a good idea" as seen in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:23. As we see in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 if your ministry field is among those who tattoo themselves then it only makes sense to get a God-glorifying tattoo to relate to them, make acceptance of your teaching easier (no strict laws), and show everyone a constant reminder that you belong to Christ. 
     As we have seen it is neither unlawful to get a tattoo, nor is it morally wrong according to the moral code that God has implanted in each of our hearts and written in the Ten Commandments. To say that one must not tattoo one's self is legalism and makes cheep the grace of God. However, while it is never wrong to tattoo oneself, it is not always a good idea because of circumstances or prejudices. Whether or not tattoos should be utilized depends on to whom one is planning on ministering to. Ultimately the decision should be based on heart condition. If one wants a tattoo because they are "cool" then it shows that one's heart is focused inward instead of outward, and a tattoo would not be useful, however if one wants a tattoo to further ministry and glorify God then it can be a very good thing.