Now for the ace-in-the-hole-passage. After looking at the context of the OT passages, and at the cultural background for the kids of tattoos God is prohibiting in the law, people tend to realize that there are such things as “God-honoring tattoos”. It is at this point the argument goes straight to the catch-all passage for anything we may do to our bodies.
I Cor 6.19-20
19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
Honor God with your body. Clearly symbols, images, pornography, idols…all of these are not God-honoring by nature. Silly tattoos, one with no inherent meaning are still acts of worship to something. You love something by putting it on your body…you have to think something is important or funny enough to mark it on your body for the rest of your life. This is not God-honoring, but self-honoring at best or downright idol worship at worst.
Honor God with your body. Opposed to tattoos honoring idols, worshipping the female body, worshipping our modern idols (music, people, drugs, gambling, politics, etc.), or ones that simply worship humor are explicitly God-honoring tattoos. Scripture. Symbols and language worshipping God, worshipping Jesus for His love and sacrifice. These are ways people honor God with their bodies. God tells his people in the OT to be saturated with His words, and for it to surround them all the time and in every way (Deut. 6) Now, in no way am I saying people should get tattoos, or that the Bible teaches people should get tattoos. I am saying that there are tattoos that honor and worship God, and testify to others that the people who have them have been saved by Christ.
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