I'm not a big fan of tattoos, but I could definitely see getting or even a few like this one.
Posted on 03/30/2018 9:25:33 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
During a recent conference, Christian speaker Joyce Meyer made a biblical case for getting tattoos and admitted she has been thinking of getting one herself just to shut the mouths of religious people.
The video clip posted by Joyce Meyer Ministries on March 14 kicks off with Meyer explaining the difference between being holy and religious.
"Holiness is not legalism," Meyer declared.
She went on to explain that religious people have made a mess of holiness by putting a bunch of rules and regulations on people. She listed drinking, dancing, wearing makeup and more among those rules.
Meyer quoted Isaiah 44:5 in defense of getting permanent markings. The scripture says, "One will say, I am the Lord's; and another will call himself by the name of Jacob; and another will write [even brand or tattoo] upon his hand, I am the Lord's, and surname himself by the [honorable] name of Israel."
She also shared the counterargument often used to discourage believers from getting tattoos found in Leviticus 19:28: "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the LORD."
Televangelist Pat Robertson, among others, has cited Leviticus to argue that getting tattoos is a "heathen practice."
"You look at the Bible, the people are told not to mark their bodies and cut themselves like the heathen did. Tattooing is a heathen practice, it is not a Christian practice," Robertson said in 2016.
But Meyer rejected the argument and contended that God also tattooed those He loves to Himself.
"The Bible says in Isaiah 49 that God has a picture of you tattooed on the palm of His hand," she maintained.
"I'm right on the verge of going and getting a tattoo," she added, pointing to her shoulder blade. "I thought I might as well just push all the religious people right off the cliff and just get it over with."
Meyer said her ink would say, "I belong to the Lord." She admitted that her husband pushed back a bit on her stance but they realized it was just a religious stance stemming from legalism.
Evangelist Christine Caine, seated in the front row of the meeting, can be seen rooting Meyers on as she expressed her interest in getting a tattoo.
"Why would I do that (get a tattoo)? Just to make religious demons mad, no other reason," she maintained.
"I lived in so much bondage from legalism," Meyer revealed of her past. "Everything in legalism is about something you can not do. Let me tell you something — it is not boring to serve Christ, it is so much fun and there's so much you can do and not only that, you can enjoy all of it!"
The Saint Louis native pointed out that in Ezekiel 16:9-13 there was a big celebration and God put earrings and nose rings on the Israelites.
"Here's the bottom line, it's all about your motives and how you are doing things. We can't look at the outside of somebody and decide for ourselves that they're an evil person ... That's why so many people today don't want anything to do with the church 'cause all they get is criticism and judgement," she concluded.
The clip finished with Meyer encouraging those in attendance to pursue holiness but in freedom.
Hillsong New York City Pastor Carl Lentz has also defended Christians getting tattoos and addressed the criticism he often receives about his own markings. "Biblical interpretation is huge right? So with tattoos not being allowed you mean Leviticus. We play both sides of the coin I think that is healthy. Like this paradox of scripture, interpretation is actually is part of our faith, the tension of it. So, on one hand, we say that is the Old Testament scripture, there is no New Testament verification of that. That law that had to do with slaves, that identified you as part of a tribe we don't believe that came through the cross," Lentz told World Religion News last year.
"We don't believe that when Jesus died and rose again that old Levitical scripture applied to our modern life. That is ridiculous," the Virginia native argued. "At the same time, there are some things we do believe follow through on the cross. So the way we break down we would literally put up the Old Testament and then put a cross in the middle and then we put up the New Testament and we say anything that comes through the cross is eternal. Anything that stops is Old Testament."
Making the case against tattoos, some Christians have cited 1 Corinthians 10:23, pointing out that the question isn't about whether tattooing one's body is a "sin." But it's more about whether it's "a good and necessary thing to do."
Will Honeycutt, a professor at Liberty University, believes that while "the Bible does not explicitly forbid tattoos," Christians should remember that "the Bible has a high view of the body as God's handiwork, which is not to be disfigured."
Also, he argued, one should not get a tattoo out of rebellion. Rather, "our primary motive for anything we do should be to glorify God."
"Are you seeking to direct people's thoughts toward God or yourself?" Honeycutt posed.
Tattoos have been the sign of conformity for well over 20 years, as well as getting all of your body parts pierced.
I laugh whenever I see all these people walking around, looking exactly the same and thinking they are some kind of rebel, sporting their tattoos and piercings.
My 21yesr old daughter wants one. I’ve told her if she gets one, I’m not paying for college. If she has money for tattoos, I’m paying too much of her expenses.
I'm not a big fan of tattoos, but I could definitely see getting or even a few like this one.
What are we to make of this first sentence? She's a Christian speaker, who is not religious?? If she's a Christian, why does she want to instigate conflict with other Christians?
Several reasons come to mind. #1 The body being referred to as a temple with tattoos disfiguring (or trying to "improve"on Gods) handiwork. #2 If we accept sin being defined as going against the known will of God well . . Leviticus makes plain His Will.
I don’t know if it is “sinful” or not to get a tattoo. I do know that there seems to be this ongoing penchant in the church that complete assimilation into our culture is somehow a good thing. Yet, Christians are called to holiness. Holiness is what? Being separate from those who do not follow their Savior.
I will carefully add that I do not understand this desire to provoke anger over a relatively trivial life issue. Does this person secretly desire a tattoo and this is her way of insulating herself from possible future criticism?
It bothers me that there are those who seem to dedicate to much interest in trying to get the Christians to conform to this world. They justify it as being a way that reaches out by not seeming odd to unbelievers. IMO, this denies the work and power of the Holy Spirit and seems to satisfy their desire to get as close to sin as possible without sinning.
Not helpful if salt loses its saltiness.
“How many tats did Jesus or the Disciples get?”
She should also as how many mansions did Jesus or the Disciples get? She seriously looks like the Joker to me.
1. What’s a Joyce Meyer?
2. Why should we care?
3. Any “Christian” who does something just to offend other people hasn’t read Romans 12:18, has she?
4. WWJD?
If I was going to get one: www.razzouktattoo.com
My mom hates tattoos. I promised her I would never get one. End of discussion. When my last baby was born a few years ago, the nurse asked about tattoos or piercings. She was surprised when I said, “One hole in each earlobe. That’s it.”
One reason was that the Lord was always separating His people (the Israelites) from the pagans and their practices. He didn’t want them doing things the pagans did.
Joyce Meyer was speaking at one of her televised events many years ago, and I remember her saying that she sometimes got criticism for wearing too much big, sparkly costume jewelry. She took exception to that, and said something to the effect that if she couldn’t wear big, sparkly earrings, she would rather not be doing what she was doing (Christian ministry). That was a revealing thing to say.
“...some people might say that the above only applies to Ancient Israel and does not apply to Christians today because Christians are not under Old Testament Law.”
and they would be WRONG!
Matthew 17 (NIV)
Jesus speaking:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Tattoos are wrong, Joyce Meyer is a MORON. Is she getting a nipple ring too?
Have a tattoo? Get it removed and/or ask for forgiveness. Your sins will be forgiven.
Interesting! Why did she ask that question about tattoos?
RE: Have a tattoo? Get it removed and/or ask for forgiveness.
How does one get a tattoo removed and how much would it cost?
I have John 17:16 on my arm. Not the verse, the N(sword/cross with circle)W.
When visible, I get questions. I share the good news.
I also have the Celtic Trinity on the other arm.
They mean a lot to me. Simple yet bold.
This is what you might end up with.
I don’t know, really. Maybe it’s because a person with a little of piercings or tattoos is more likely to have been exposed to Hepatitis C.
Or maybe it’s for forensic purposes: if I ever disappeared, and an unidentified body turned up, they could check my Novant Health record to see if it matched.
That, I like.
No way to know; the Bible doesn’t address it.
No problem. Name it and claim it!.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.