Some interesting words on tatoos on body piercing:
Tattoos and Body Piercing: What's a Christian to do?
Sam Storms
Aug 30, 2007
On a recent broadcast at DesiringGod.org, John Piper briefly addressed the issue of tattoos and body piercing among Christians. I especially appreciated the spirit in which John took up this subject. He did not come down in a heavy-handed or judgmental fashion, insisting in some legalistic way that such actions are altogether and always a sin. He mentioned the prohibition on tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 and suggested that although there were probably unique historical and religious circumstances in the ancient near east that evoked this prohibition, we should still seek to learn from it. Whereas not everything in the Levitical code is binding on the believer today, we still must ask if there is some underlying principle in the OT prohibition that might find application to us in the present day.
But Piper mentioned two additional factors to take into consideration, to which I would like to add a third. First, he asked the all-important question that every Christian contemplating getting a tattoo or body piercing should ask: “Will this exalt the Lord Jesus Christ? Is this going to draw attention to him or to me? Will his beauty and splendor and all-sufficiency be highlighted in this action? Will the gospel itself be adorned or obscured in what I’m doing?”
Second, John also said that we should carefully monitor our motives for getting a tattoo or body piercing. In particular, he suggested that often times (not always!) people get tattoos in an effort to establish for themselves an identity that they have failed to find in Christ alone. In other words, each person needs to ask: “To what extent does this tattoo or body piercing reflect my failure to find full satisfaction in Christ alone? To what extent is this an attempt to ‘be’ or ‘become’ something that until know I’ve failed to find in who I am in Christ and because of what he has accomplished in grace on my behalf?”
It may well be that the person contemplating getting a tattoo feels fully established in Christ and is keenly aware of who they are in him, and thus the issue of identity simply does not factor into one’s motivation. But it is an important matter to keep in mind.
To these excellent observations, I’d like to add a third. I think a Christian needs to ask himself/herself whether or not the tattoo or body piercing expresses respect for the human body as the temple of the living God. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He abides in us, not in buildings or tabernacles or anything else as the unique expression of his saving and sanctifying presence. The apostle Paul makes this clear on a number of occasions (see especially 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:16-18; Eph. 2:21-22). I think particularly of 1 Cor. 6:19-20 where Christians are exhorted to “glorify God in your body” (v. 20). I’m not saying that people with tattoos and body piercings can’t glorify God in their bodies. I’m not the judge of that. I’m simply asking Christians to think and pray about it before they engage in this activity.
Needless to say (or perhaps it does need to be said), this text in 1 Corinthians 6 would apply to a number of issues other than tattoos and body piercing. I suspect that many reading this article are guilty of gluttony and have become excessively obese. This is only one example of what undoubtedly are any number of activities in which we may fail to glorify God in our bodies. We must be careful, therefore, lest we single out tattoos and body piercing and ignore the many ways in which we might potentially fail to glorify the Lord in how we treat our physical frame.
The fact is, the Bible is not as explicit and unyielding on this issue as some might like. If there were a specific and undeniable commandment in the NT that addressed the point, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation. So I encourage everyone to be gracious and gentle at the same time we give full consideration to the principles set forth in God’s Word. For those who’ve already been tattooed, perhaps the question should now be to what extent and in what ways, if any, can I turn this for the good of the gospel and the glory of God. I’m certainly not prepared (or qualified) to answer that question, but it is one that needs to be addressed.
May God grant us wisdom and patience with one another as we seek to understand how best to glorify God in our bodies.
Sam
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Lately, there has almost been one singular theological thought in my mind that I am having an extremely hard time escaping. In my search for another church home (something I seem to perpetually do) I cannot escape this nagging and obsessive thought that is slowly turning into belief that American churches are completely doing everything wrong.
I have made several references about this to my wife whom I think I am beginning to scare. Perhaps this passion, this thought, this nagging burning in the pit of my stomach, is a reaction to the religious fundamentalism of her parents, or perhaps it is God preparing me for something. This obsession over ecclesiology makes me want to forget everything I have ever learned and simply hit the streets. The thought that keeps me up at night (literally) is what I perceive as untapped power of the gospel, a gospel that not only saves us from a sinner’s hell, but calls us to live an abundant life of Christian Hedonism, to borrow from John Piper. The loud call I am hearing from God is that it is time to “take it to the streets.” Never in my life have I felt this passionate about something that I am so sure about, that we still have God in a box, that He wants to break through and permeate every aspect of our lives, our homes, our families, our churches, our workplaces, and these shells and brittle walls that we have created.
I want the church walls to fall down. I want to invite the world in to see and hear about the God that I serve. I want the world to know that I do not hate them and I am not called to hate them. My God calls me to serve the world, not in the essence that I am slave to the world’s desires, but that I am called to lay down my life as a living sacrifice to reach my family, my church, my workplace, and my culture for a living Christ.
This obsession is calling me to a radical obedience, a radical lifestyle, a radical faith, a working faith that combines the beauty of Pauline grace with the works of James. What wretched people we are to sit in our stained-glass churches with the padded pews and condemn people we would never stoop to reach! What sinful pride we have when we condemn others that we think are beneath the gospel! What is the church doing? Where are we going? What kind of crazy faith allows us to remain still and prideful? What kind of wretched man am I to ignore the plight of thousands of people destined to die without Christ? What kind of faith allows me to ignore the poor? What kind of faith allows me to coddle the rich? If the church should truly be “purpose driven,” then tell me what kind of purpose are we going for? If the church has a destination, tell me what it is!
We have oversimplified the gospel. We have dumbed it down to fit with our wimpy view of God, that He is less than sovereign, that He is less than in control, that He does not want everyone to come to repentance, that He raises His elect to a position of power and prestige above a world that He does not care about.
The bum on the street? Get a job! The single-mother? Get a husband! The alcoholic? Stop drinking! The drug addict? Stop smoking crack! The homosexual? Turn or burn! Our gospel is one of conformity and not one of gracious love. We have all the answers to all the wrong questions, questions that we are afraid to ask, questions that if asked, would demand an answer and demand action, and might even demand love.
But our church is too pretty, the carpet too clean, the pews too soft, our suits too pressed, our shoes too shiny, and our lives too separate. We pretend the problems are not there, that they will go away if, in our minds, the world would “turn to Jesus.” The problem is that the walls of our churches are too hard to climb, too thick to breach, and too hard to break. Our doors are shut, the peepholes covered. We see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, and ignore the evil around us, safe and sound in Fortress Community Church. We want to defend our doctrine, but there is no defense for it. Our doctrine is wrong because without works, faith is dead.
Our beliefs do not exist as something to be defended. They exist to be advanced. What would the world look like if the people that claim that they have “right doctrine” would stop simply believing and start doing and being the body of Christ. Are bums welcome in our churches? Are single mothers? Alcoholics? Drug addicts? Would we stoop to love a homosexual? Would we hug a person with AIDS?
When I am left without excuse, I am left without defense. My wait is over. My life of faith has just begun. I cannot deny what is around me anymore. It is time to tear down the walls and advance.
I have made several references about this to my wife whom I think I am beginning to scare. Perhaps this passion, this thought, this nagging burning in the pit of my stomach, is a reaction to the religious fundamentalism of her parents, or perhaps it is God preparing me for something. This obsession over ecclesiology makes me want to forget everything I have ever learned and simply hit the streets. The thought that keeps me up at night (literally) is what I perceive as untapped power of the gospel, a gospel that not only saves us from a sinner’s hell, but calls us to live an abundant life of Christian Hedonism, to borrow from John Piper. The loud call I am hearing from God is that it is time to “take it to the streets.” Never in my life have I felt this passionate about something that I am so sure about, that we still have God in a box, that He wants to break through and permeate every aspect of our lives, our homes, our families, our churches, our workplaces, and these shells and brittle walls that we have created.
I want the church walls to fall down. I want to invite the world in to see and hear about the God that I serve. I want the world to know that I do not hate them and I am not called to hate them. My God calls me to serve the world, not in the essence that I am slave to the world’s desires, but that I am called to lay down my life as a living sacrifice to reach my family, my church, my workplace, and my culture for a living Christ.
This obsession is calling me to a radical obedience, a radical lifestyle, a radical faith, a working faith that combines the beauty of Pauline grace with the works of James. What wretched people we are to sit in our stained-glass churches with the padded pews and condemn people we would never stoop to reach! What sinful pride we have when we condemn others that we think are beneath the gospel! What is the church doing? Where are we going? What kind of crazy faith allows us to remain still and prideful? What kind of wretched man am I to ignore the plight of thousands of people destined to die without Christ? What kind of faith allows me to ignore the poor? What kind of faith allows me to coddle the rich? If the church should truly be “purpose driven,” then tell me what kind of purpose are we going for? If the church has a destination, tell me what it is!
We have oversimplified the gospel. We have dumbed it down to fit with our wimpy view of God, that He is less than sovereign, that He is less than in control, that He does not want everyone to come to repentance, that He raises His elect to a position of power and prestige above a world that He does not care about.
The bum on the street? Get a job! The single-mother? Get a husband! The alcoholic? Stop drinking! The drug addict? Stop smoking crack! The homosexual? Turn or burn! Our gospel is one of conformity and not one of gracious love. We have all the answers to all the wrong questions, questions that we are afraid to ask, questions that if asked, would demand an answer and demand action, and might even demand love.
But our church is too pretty, the carpet too clean, the pews too soft, our suits too pressed, our shoes too shiny, and our lives too separate. We pretend the problems are not there, that they will go away if, in our minds, the world would “turn to Jesus.” The problem is that the walls of our churches are too hard to climb, too thick to breach, and too hard to break. Our doors are shut, the peepholes covered. We see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, and ignore the evil around us, safe and sound in Fortress Community Church. We want to defend our doctrine, but there is no defense for it. Our doctrine is wrong because without works, faith is dead.
Our beliefs do not exist as something to be defended. They exist to be advanced. What would the world look like if the people that claim that they have “right doctrine” would stop simply believing and start doing and being the body of Christ. Are bums welcome in our churches? Are single mothers? Alcoholics? Drug addicts? Would we stoop to love a homosexual? Would we hug a person with AIDS?
When I am left without excuse, I am left without defense. My wait is over. My life of faith has just begun. I cannot deny what is around me anymore. It is time to tear down the walls and advance.
Friday, August 03, 2007
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