Tattoos.
Long ago in my younger days when I was in my rebellion, I wanted a tattoo of Garfield holding his Pookie bear on my left shoulders. I love Garfield and I used to have a stuffed Garfield. But unbeknownst to me, I became legalistic and found out that it was a sin to have Tattoos when I read that God commanded his people not to mark their bodies. I felt it was his abomination and i didn't want to displease him. Up until recently I continued to feel that way and I would try to make my point to friends who felt other wise. I have found that to be a lost cause.
There are many commands God gave his people in the Pentateuch such as women shouldn't wear pants and yet women do. So if I point out what God said about marking our bodies, they will point something else out. I have decided to use scriptures in the New Testament to prove my point again until recently. When we use scripture to help others we need to be careful not to take it out of context. I thought when Paul wrote that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, it meant we shouldn't mark it up like a person who uses graffiti on the wall. A picture came to my mind of how others saw tattoos on their bodies and how I saw it: To them their bodies are a wall in which they can paint a mural while I saw it as people using graffiti. I knew I was in a losing battle and finally I decided to look those verses up.
In chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians, Paul wasn't telling them that they were degrading their bodies. The church was acting carnal because they were all choosing sides. While some were saying, "I follow Paul." Others were saying, "I follow Apollos" and some Peter. Paul told them that they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. They means the church, not their bodies.
In chapter 6, when Paul wrote that their bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, he was also saying that they are one in Christ and they should unite with a prostitute.
So therefore, I concede. No where in the NT does it say "Thou shall not mark your body." It is your body. As for me, I chose to set myself apart. I was told once that it began with navy men. To me it is pagan practice. I don't know if any one in the Bible even after the church age began, ever had a tattoo, but it is not for me to judge. It is my own personal opinion in which I will keep to myself and my own convictions.
There are many commands God gave his people in the Pentateuch such as women shouldn't wear pants and yet women do. So if I point out what God said about marking our bodies, they will point something else out. I have decided to use scriptures in the New Testament to prove my point again until recently. When we use scripture to help others we need to be careful not to take it out of context. I thought when Paul wrote that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, it meant we shouldn't mark it up like a person who uses graffiti on the wall. A picture came to my mind of how others saw tattoos on their bodies and how I saw it: To them their bodies are a wall in which they can paint a mural while I saw it as people using graffiti. I knew I was in a losing battle and finally I decided to look those verses up.
In chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians, Paul wasn't telling them that they were degrading their bodies. The church was acting carnal because they were all choosing sides. While some were saying, "I follow Paul." Others were saying, "I follow Apollos" and some Peter. Paul told them that they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. They means the church, not their bodies.
In chapter 6, when Paul wrote that their bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, he was also saying that they are one in Christ and they should unite with a prostitute.
So therefore, I concede. No where in the NT does it say "Thou shall not mark your body." It is your body. As for me, I chose to set myself apart. I was told once that it began with navy men. To me it is pagan practice. I don't know if any one in the Bible even after the church age began, ever had a tattoo, but it is not for me to judge. It is my own personal opinion in which I will keep to myself and my own convictions.
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