Tattoos for Jesus?

What kind of Christian continues to get tattoos?

It is one thing to have tattoos left over from a pre-Christian life but what does it say about a believer who continues to get body art after claiming to be a believer?  Both Apostle Paul as well as Peter wrote some advice regarding women's dress, jewelry etc. (1 Tim. 2:9-10, 1 Pet. 3:3-4).  They spoke of modesty.  One of the Greek words used was KOSMEO, where we get the word cosmetics.  So from first glance we might consider all adornment as an issue.  So does that mean no body lotion or hand cream?  Fifty years ago we would look through a National Geographic magazine and see the tattoos, piercing and nose rings of pagan tribes in Africa with disgust for such primitive behavior.  But now western cities are filled with shops who provide all of the above for both men and women.  It is no longer merely the sailors on ships that wear ink.  We no longer have to go to the circus to see people decorated from head to toe with ink and piercings.  While our cities are covered with graffiti now so are our bodies.

So what do we do with Esther who submitted to the kings demand and went through a beautification process where she had to wear an assortment of cosmetics (Est. 2:12) for such a time as this?  When a bride was chosen for Isaac she was given a gold ring and two gold bracelets, and the ring was for her nose (Gen. 24:22,47).  When Aaron made the golden calf he got the gold from the rings of the ears of their sons and daughters, (Exod. 32:2) therefore it must have been fashionable among the Jews in Egypt.

But back to tattoos, what does the Bible actually say?  Actually there is very little.  In Leviticus when addressing forbidden things related to cult practices we read "You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead, nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord." (Lev. 19:28)  I doubt many tattoo artists are doing any such thing for the dead or some religious tradition, it is more likely just art, which brings up another issue.  Who are we glorifying ourselves or God.  Is this a vanity issue, as in "please look at me"?  Are we lovers of selves rather than lovers of God?  Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit therefore we are to glorify God in our body and take care of the one we have been given.  So how about tattooing bible verses all over our body?  After all we are living sacrifices right?  There is no end to the justification people can dream up for crazy behavior and some of it causes people to stumble.  So what is your game?

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That reaping and sowing thing.