Justin R. Lester examines Leviticus 19:28 and other passages Christians cite against tattoos, arguing they applied to pagan cult practices, not modern ink. The real question is whether your tattoo points people toward Christ or away from him.
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Hey, everyone, welcome. I'm Justin, and I welcome you to my YouTube channel. If you haven't already, please click that like and subscribe button. And you're probably wondering, what am I liking and subscribing to? I believe that real life needs real life questions and answers. And the answer, the question of the answer is Jesus. And I believe in contextualizing scripture is going to give us the correct answer to our life's issues and life's questions and quandaries, if you will. So click the like and subscribe button because I believe in going to the word of God and getting not a conservative answer, not a liberal answer, but just getting the right answer. I've been to school for this. I went to Marquette University, Vanderbilt University, Boston University. I've been pastoring for some 10 years now, and I've had a lot of questions as a pastor, and this series for me is an opportunity to give some answers. So let's jump into today's question and answer session. Today's question, are tattoos? Okay, let's talk about this. So oftentimes when I hear this whole question about tattoos, are they okay? Can we wear them in the body of Christ? It's. It's. It becomes this place of contention because we want to talk about the mark of the be. So are tattoos okay? Yes and no. Now, before you accuse me of being a lukewarm Christian, the answer really is not are tattoos okay. The question is, what is your purpose behind the tattoo? Now, if it's to showcase your body for a reason that is going to distract people from building God's church, no, do not get a tattoo. It's wrong. If the answer for you, the question for you to get a tattoo, is it going to showcase your body to build the body of Christ? Get a tattoo. When we have questions like this, when it comes to weed and sage and crystals, are any of these things okay? Sure. Is it used for the wrong reason? It's not okay. Let me show you. One of the most common verses that are quoted against tattoos is Leviticus 29, 19, and 28. Sorry. And it says these words, do not cut your bodies off for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves, because I am the Lord. Another one is First Corinthians 6, verses 19 through 20. We see this how we are admonished in First Corinthians that my body belongs to the Lord and I have no right to alter it. So what does the Bible actually say? When the Bible instructs the Hebrew people to avoid marking their body, it's written at a time when pagan cults use tattooing as a way to appease their false gods. In Leviticus, God was speaking to a culture that was very different than a modern one. So to understand Leviticus, chapter 19, verse number 28, I think we have to go back to Leviticus chapter 19, verse number 11 and read all of them. Read this. The word of the Lord says this. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. Not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. Do not curse the death or death, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord. Do not prefer justice. Do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the the Lord. Do not hate your fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Keep my decrees. Do not. Do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two types of material. If a man sleeps with a female slave who was promised to another man, but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be punishment. Yet they are not to put to death because she has not been free. The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance of the tent of meeting as a guilt offering to the Lord. When the ram with the ram of the guilt offering, the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven. When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden for three years. Try to consider it forbidden. It must not be eaten. In the fourth year, all of its fruit will be holy and offering a praise to the Lord. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit in the way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God. Don't eat any meat with the blood still in it. Do not practice divination to seek omens. Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip the edges of your beard. Do you see this? We pick out tattoos, but if we look at this. There are so many other warnings that I can say across this screen. You've definitely broken these laws all the way down to trimming your hair. And most Christians, you regularly get haircuts and you eat meat. And the verse about tattooing remains the one that we pick out. I want you to understand the culture, the culture God was shoring up after they were freed from Egypt in a culture they weren't obeying the simple things like keeping the Sabbath. So God says, listen, I want you all for people who won't even worship me, I'm putting some very, very firm rules down to make sure that your focus is fully on me. So if you only look at Leviticus and you look at one verse, then we'll say that's one part of Scripture. And look at the Old Testament laws and scriptures. We must see everything through the lens of Jesus. He gives us a new way to understand the law because he fulfilled the law. Matthew 5, verses 17 through 20. Jesus completed the requirements of the law because he knew we could never live up to it. And because of him, we have a great relationship with the Father. So is getting a tattoo a sin? No. Now, what is your purpose behind the tattoo? Is it going to bring focus to you? Then you're taking focus off Jesus. If it's going to bring focus to Jesus, your tattoo is not going to harm anyone. Don't isolate certain verses to oppress other people and don't isolate certain verses to make you feel good about yourself. What is the purpose behind what you're doing? And go do that. If this is helpful to you and you like these questions and answer times, please please like and subscribe. Because I believe in bringing the Scriptures directly to you. And if you disagree or agree, go ahead in the comment section. I love to engage with you. Please keep it civil. Please keep it intentional. Let's keep our fight against the dark forces and not our fight against other people. So please like and subscribe. I have some other channels as well that are linked in the description below. Please engage. Please like and subscribe. And I look forward to seeing you next time. Engage one of these questions. God bless you.
