7 Answers

Here's where the prohibition against tattooing is found: Leviticus 19:28, which reads:

28 "You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD." (New American Standard Bible)

28 "And you shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead; and you shall not put on yourself any etched mark; I am Jehovah". (Literal Translation of the Holy Bible)

28 "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks H3793 upon you: I am the LORD". (King James Version) Note: The “H3793” is from the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary and says: “keth-o'-beth; a letter or other mark branded on the skin"

The part referring to "cuttings in your flesh for the dead" was a pagan practice of mourning for the dearly departed and was done "...to appease the infernal deities, and to give them satisfaction for the deceased..." as stated by John Gill, the great 19th century theologian.

Then, aligning themselves in perfect dovetail fashion with this prohibition are the following passages: (3 translations in the following order: NASB, LITV, KJV)

1Corinthians 3:16-17

16 "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

16 "Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

17 "If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are."

17 "If anyone corrupts the sanctuary of God, God will bring that one to corruption; for the sanctuary of God is holy, which you are."

17 "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

I don't know about you but to me that is pretty scary there about God destroying a person for defiling their "temple"!

2 Corinthians 6:14-17

14 "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?"

14 "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership does righteousness have with lawlessness? And what fellowship does light have with darkness?"

14 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

15 "Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?"

15 And what agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever?"

15 "And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

16 "Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE."

16 "And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God, even as God said, "I will" dwell in them and "walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Lev. 26:12; Ezek. 37:27"

16 "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you."

17 "Because of this, "come out from among them" "and be separated," says the Lord, "and do not touch the unclean thing," and I will receive you. Isa. 52:11"

17 "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,"

Clearly we are being commanded here not to imitate the world and all of its practices, fads and desires, because we have no abiding relationship with it/them, but rather with the Kingdom of God. This is NOT our home!

Galatians 6:7-8

7 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap."

7 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man may sow, that he also will

reap."

7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

8 "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

8 "For the one sowing to his flesh will reap corruption of the flesh. But the one sowing to the Spirit will reap everlasting life from the Spirit."

8 "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

John Gill again:
“Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh,.... Not that taking due care of a man's body, seeking the preservation of its health, providing proper food and raiment for himself, and all necessaries for the good and support of his family, is to be called sowing to his flesh, nor is he to be called a carnal sower; but he is such an one that pampers his flesh, gratifies and indulges the lusts of it, who minds the things of the flesh, lives after it, and does the works of it, who spends his substance in a luxurious way upon himself and family; or whose whole bent, and study, and employment, is to increase his worldly riches, to aggrandize himself and posterity, to the neglect of his own soul, the interest of religion, the poor of the church, and ministers of the Gospel:”

Hope this clarifies this issue for you. God bless!

28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
t,b{t.k.W ~,k.r;f.biB .Wn.Tit a{l ]v,p,n'l j,r,f.w ? h'wh.y yin]a ~,k'B .Wn.Tit a{l [;q][;q
The King James Version is in the public domain. (The King James Bible Version Online)

taken from an interline bible. Will continue the search....Even if people marked their bodies with Tattoos prior to coming to Christ, I do not believe God will focus so much on the external than the internal. The external will be transformed in Christ return, be more concerned with the transformation of the WILL, MIND. This is the key!

WOW this is a huge bone of contention in alot of churches... Here is the skinny..... The only refrence says not to mark your body in memory of the dead.... So my understanding that means dont mark your body in memory of the dead... but hey I may be crazy.

Its only a body decoration do as you will, but remember it reflects Character in the world of men, it is what you decorate your heart with that counts. :)

I look at it this way..

If you made a piece of art, Would you want some guy in a nasty tattoo shop marking it up?

god gave u a body to do with what u feel is right and many people have tattoos of jesus

OH PLEASE, WHERE DO Y'ALL COME UP WITH THIS S--T?