Neto wrote:If a person first assumes that it is PERMISSIBLE to get new tattoos as a believer, what is the BENEFIT of doing so? To illustrate what I'm getting at, if one assumes that it is permissible for a person to own an expensive sports car, what are the benefits of doing it, or not doing it? If it is permissible for me to shave the left side of my head, and dye the other side in alternating stripes of green & blue, what are the benefits of doing so?
I have none of these things, but how does it affect one's salvation?
Paul tells us that things are permissible, but not always beneficial. I think that is good advice. No need to condemn, but what draws people closer to God? A Christian symbol tattooed on someone may do that. If so, great. Is this not the reason for women wearing head coverings? A reminder and a statement of faith? How can a head covering be one while a tattoo can not?
It is easy to project onto others what we need ourselves, even know that other doesn't really need what we need. So wear the fro with joy. People will be drawn to the joy, not the fro. If a tattoo helps you be a more faithful follower of Jesus, then wear it with joy. They will be drawn to your joy. If it does not, use the money you would have spent on it for the poor. Find a food bank and make a tattoo fund donation.
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Try hard not to offend. Try harder not to be offended.
I think I am funnier than I really am.
After having pondered Ohio Jones statement concerning a verse I had shared, Is 49:16 Behold, I have engraved thee upon the palms of my hand… and he saying it sounds more like a reference to the death of Jesus than a tattoo of which I heartily agree some interesting things started to develop that simply blew me away.
The definition of tattoo- is defined as a permanent ink design in the skin applied by needles or a temporary dyed design on the skin.
When I thought of the death of the Lord Jesus immediately I saw the similarities of a tattoo and the tattooing/piercings Jesus experienced born out of his love for us and the desire to do the will of the Father.
The taboo artist picks up the metalized instrument...the Roman soldier the nail… and when they are both done, the end result is the same, a permanent and living testimony one bears in the body that most vividly expresses their love and devotion to another.
While this will change no ones mind and it is not my desire to do so, it did cause me to remember again, the sacrifice Jesus paid for me.
I am tattooed with the cross on the inside of one arm and a Holy Spirit dove on the inside of the other. I do this so the last thing one sees when I lay my hands on them in prayer, is the cross- sign of Gods love and the Holy Spirit, symbolic of my Father’s ever abiding presence.
We are vison – seeing - picture oriented just like our God.
God’s Word is a book of pictures, with some books like Revelation devoted wholly to pictures – vison – seeing. I want the folks I pray for, those who are struggling, to look up and see in symbolic form the Father’s love. I do this, hopefully causing them to remove their eyes from themselves and looking to Him.
I admit, my wife struggled at first with me receiving these but at the end of the day this was my decision and mine alone.
She no longer struggles with it.
I have found my tats to be a great witnessing tool. It has led to some amazing conversations that would never had started without them.
The first encounter was with the wild looking guy who did my tattoo work.. He asked me what the symbolism was and I shared at great length my faith and the journey I was on. I shared my version of my Damascus road experience and of my ongoing life In Christ. He confessed he was not a believer he appreciated my passion and said I had given him much to think about. We spoke of life and death, marriage, raising kids, and a whole host of subjects. I made a friend that day and stop in repeatedly to just say hi.
That day, at least for a moment, Christ was brought into the conversation. A tattoo artist, who never thought of God, for one moment, in a tattoo parlor, was confronted with the claims of Christ. It might not mean much to you but that day in that parlor I knew I had made a right decision.
I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means, save some.
-Richard
Arguing something is a great "witnessing tool" seems like a questionable path to go down - almost anything can be justified this way. When does it end?
Josh wrote:Arguing something is a great "witnessing tool" seems like a questionable path to go down - almost anything can be justified this way. When does it end?
It ends hopefully with them placing their faith in Christ. A great witnessing tool was not my aim but it soon became that.
I know what you are saying and your caution is not unfounded. We do need to be careful.
What I have found to be the most effective way of making a connection with a person at a depth that allows me to really communicate Christ to them is to genuinely care about them, and take time to know them. After all, salvation involves being known by God, and we are his representatives. I have not found anything but real and honest friendship to be capable of reaching anyone, at least in the majority of cases. I realize that this is partly due to my own personality, but I also suspect that there is more to it than that. My most meaningful relationships with people in the drug culture took place after I cut the afro. I don't think that is the reason, really (that the afro stood in the way), it just happened that way. Also, we never attempted to dress like the Banawa Indians, but I know that they knew that we really cared about them. That takes time, of course, because their experiences with outsiders pretty much all told them that could not be the reason we wanted to live in their village.
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord. (Lev. 19:28)
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
(1Co.6:19,20)
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are. Let no man deceive himself.
(1Co.3:16-18)
Tattoos in a sense are similar to branding cattle. And branding was used to brand thieves or other criminals. It is also common among criminals and gang members. Also, even innocent tattoos like blood type ( Waffen-ᛋᛋ Blutgruppentätowierung) became life-threatening for some people. Also if a person has a tattoo that has some important meaning in the criminal world he might endanger his life, because criminals could punish such a person for having that tattoo without having a proper rank in a criminal world. Normally in Eastern Europe if a person became a Christian he would try to remove all his tattoos if possible, otherwise, such people tried not to expose them as much as possible (wearing long sleeves all the time, etc.)
Theophilos wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:39 pm
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord. (Lev. 19:28)
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
(1Co.6:19,20)
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are. Let no man deceive himself.
(1Co.3:16-18)
Do you see Lev. 19:28 as applying directly to Christians today, or are you simply giving that as Biblical historical context that informs us of what was forbidden in the OT? By quoting 1Co.3:16-18, you seem to be implying that you would see tattoos as "defiling the temple". If I am understanding you correctly, how would you explain and defend that interpretation?
Theophilos wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:39 pm
Tattoos in a sense are similar to branding cattle. And branding was used to brand thieves or other criminals. It is also common among criminals and gang members. Also, even innocent tattoos like blood type ( Waffen-ᛋᛋ Blutgruppentätowierung) became life-threatening for some people. Also if a person has a tattoo that has some important meaning in the criminal world he might endanger his life, because criminals could punish such a person for having that tattoo without having a proper rank in a criminal world. Normally in Eastern Europe if a person became a Christian he would try to remove all his tattoos if possible, otherwise, such people tried not to expose them as much as possible (wearing long sleeves all the time, etc.)
While this very likely was true historically (I'm not disputing the historical accuracy of your statements), many tattoos applied today are primarily decorative and often feature highly customized designs, not emblems and patterns with direct links to gangs or criminals. Customs in Eastern Europe as well as throughout the westernized world have shifted to regard tattoos as much less objectionable. In work environments tattoos are allowed to be visible more frequently than in the past. Given that your statements are based on how things were historically, what reasons would you give to discourage someone from getting a tattoo in today's world?
Theophilos wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:39 pm
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord. (Lev. 19:28)
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
(1Co.6:19,20)
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are. Let no man deceive himself.
(1Co.3:16-18)
Do you see Lev. 19:28 as applying directly to Christians today, or are you simply giving that as Biblical historical context that informs us of what was forbidden in the OT? By quoting 1Co.3:16-18, you seem to be implying that you would see tattoos as "defiling the temple". If I am understanding you correctly, how would you explain and defend that interpretation?
Theophilos wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:39 pm
Tattoos in a sense are similar to branding cattle. And branding was used to brand thieves or other criminals. It is also common among criminals and gang members. Also, even innocent tattoos like blood type ( Waffen-ᛋᛋ Blutgruppentätowierung) became life-threatening for some people. Also if a person has a tattoo that has some important meaning in the criminal world he might endanger his life, because criminals could punish such a person for having that tattoo without having a proper rank in a criminal world. Normally in Eastern Europe if a person became a Christian he would try to remove all his tattoos if possible, otherwise, such people tried not to expose them as much as possible (wearing long sleeves all the time, etc.)
While this very likely was true historically (I'm not disputing the historical accuracy of your statements), many tattoos applied today are primarily decorative and often feature highly customized designs, not emblems and patterns with direct links to gangs or criminals. Customs in Eastern Europe as well as throughout the westernized world have shifted to regard tattoos as much less objectionable. In work environments tattoos are allowed to be visible more frequently than in the past. Given that your statements are based on how things were historically, what reasons would you give to discourage someone from getting a tattoo in today's world?
It seems like body art and piercings tend to get rolled into the same category. And honestly, I don't take a hard stand on either, or maybe I should say I don't judge someone over it. Unless its something offensive... then I'd have something to say.
Conservative Mennonites typically eschew jewellery and makeup; piercing and tattoos are more extreme versions of these.
A quiet, peaceable, and modest spirit doesn’t desire to draw attention to one’s bare flesh, which is what a tattoo does. Why else would someone get one?
