|
GHitch -> RE: Earings/Piercings & Tatoos for a Man (7/25/2008 6:41:14 PM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: jcd777
My girl friend seems to think that if I had a tatoo before getting saved its ok. But, any tatoo's I get after being saved is against GOD.
Where does it state in the bible that tatoo's are bad?
I also recently just got an earing, and she thinks this is also against GOD.
Where does it state in the bible that earings/piercings are bad?
Her statement backing up her reasoning/beliefs are as follows:
- Clothes yourself with the armor of GOD
- Earings were made for women to enhance their beauty (this is supposedly in the bible)
- The bible states clothing that pertains to men, and clothing that pertains to women, and that we are not to interchange it.
- Isaiah 3:13-16, it talks about jewelry, nose rings, and other piercings.
- Leviticus 19:28, speaks of tatoo's and defying the lords temple
I dont wear the earing or tatoo for anyone else. But rather, I wear it because I like it. No different than me liking to wear clothes with ties or not, etc... All I want to understand, and get better details is to whether tatoo's and specifically earings/piercings for a guy are against GOD, per his word. Dont care about whether its accepted in the workplace, in society, etc... More modern church myths - no tattos, no piercings etc.
First, the clothing gender thing - you have to remember that men and women of bible days wore clothes that were very similar to each other - some type of robe or another.
It isn't as obvious as it sounds.
As for the tatoos in Lev. They are not just marks but marks made for the dead as the verse itself implies. "Do not cut the hair on the sides of your head or trim your beard Lev 19:28 or tattoo yourselves or cut gashes in your body to mourn for the dead." Ought we stop cutting our hair on the sides and trimming the beard as well? For the dead is clearly the whole reason for this text. The words imply incisions or branding marks for the dead.
Generally cuttings like these were made to symbolize or even appease a demonic 'deity'. Like with Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1kings .
Christ himself bears a mark on his thigh Rev 19:16 quote:
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Also quote:
Rev 3:12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. You really have to stretch biblical interpretation to get tatoos into the 'ungodly' category!
As for earrings, it's another biblical dead end. Servants who loved their masters in OT times had a biblically endorsed rite to go through to show their intent of staying with a master when they could have gone free. They had their ear pierced! Deu 15:16 quote:
But if he says to you, 'I will not go out from you,' because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door...
Also see Exekiel 16 wherein the Lord himiiself speaking of Israel as his bride says, Eze 16:10 quote:
I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.
Eze 16:11 And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck.
Eze 16:12 And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.
Eze 16:13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty.
In other words you wont find anything biblically wrong with a tatoo or earring. Men wore earrings often in many eras and cultures. It has nothing to do with gender- whether you have a hole in your ear or nose or not with a ring it.
So what is the rule? In short, the rule is that your body is the temple of the Spirit and you should not defile or abuse it. Fornication is far more defiling than an dumb earring! Modesty, moderation and temperance are the rule.
I certainly would not encourage major tatooing or piercing at all - that to me seems excessive and down right ugly! But an earing or minor tatoo is not scripturally wrong.
The Isaiah text is way our context for a reference to jewlery and rings!! It also includes quote:
the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags;
Isa 3:23 the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. Should we scrap all that as well? Frankly these modern churchianity myths are laughable.
|
|
|
|