Tattoos, Haircuts and Polyester – Banned in the Bible?
“I'm working through the Bible in 1-yr and I'm currently reading Lev 19-20...some things are clear, others are not. Capital offenses...for adultery? Eating food after the 3rd day back then, I get...it pains me to say it! And tattoos? Homosexuality & bestiality and rules about how we trim the hair on our temples are also mentioned here. Wow! I’m curious...what are your thoughts? By the way, can I get a Discovery tattoo this summer?”
"Just Wondering..."
You are right, there are some interesting verses in Leviticus. Leviticus 25:44 and Exodus 21:7 state that I may possess slaves, Leviticus 1:9 gives directions for sacrificing a bull and Exodus 35:2 clearly states anyone who works on the Sabbath should be put to death (bad news for us pastors!).
The scripture also states eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight (Lev.21:20), trimming our hair around the temples is forbidden (Lev.21:20), touching the skin of a dead pig (pork, footballs) makes me unclean (Lev. 11:6-8) and wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend) can get me stoned – and I don’t mean getting high either! (Lev.24:10-16).
Common sense would seem to say that these scriptures are outdated or even outlandish but there is "more to the story." First and most importantly, we must remember that whenever you talk about any scripture you need to talk about how to interpret Scripture. Here’s the basic rule of scripture study: To reach a biblical conclusion on any subject – especially a controversial or complex subject, you must make a decision based on what I call the 4 C’s – content, comparison, context and culture.
In the cases of the verses you asked about, these scriptural commands are culturally specific to the Israelites so I think we approach them from that angle. But simply saying something isn't cultural isn't enough. To do so would open the door for false teaching. We should also examine questionable scriptures through the magnifying glass of "content” – what does a verse or passage say, “comparison” – what does scripture as a whole say and “context” – what is happening in the lives of the people the scripture is addressed to? The key here is that you have to look at what might be called the preponderance of evidence in Scripture, not just any one isolated passage. To take one verse – whether in or out of context - and make a doctrine or theological practice of it is wrong! Especially if you're trying to tell me I can't eat raw oysters!
Let me say that again – to reach a biblical conclusion on any subject – especially a controversial or complex subject, you must make a decision based on the 4 C’s – content, context, culture, and comparison. Ask yourself, “What does the verse as well as the whole of scripture say?" You have to look for the preponderance of evidence on controversial and complex issues.
Here’s an example of how this works. In 1 Peter 2:18, Peter writes this: "Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh." Now, there are a few other verses similar to this: Ephesians 6:5 and Colossians 3:22. In the debates about slavery in the South, for instance, 150 years ago, Southern Christians would sometimes point to these verses and say, "It’s right there in the Bible. Slaves, obey your master. The Bible is pro-slavery." And they would say the Bible is on the side of slavery.
That was a real problem. The Bible never says anyplace, "Slavery is a bad institution, so get rid of it." That would have made the discussion much easier. There were a lot of people who understood the Bible to be on this side of slavery.
But on the other hand, the great moral force behind abolition was overwhelmingly Christian. And it was Christians like William Wilburforce in England, Jonathan Blanchard and even Abraham Lincoln that literally devoted their lives to the cause of freedom. And they did it because of their Christian faith. They believed that when you look at the whole of Scripture, it leads to the conclusions that all of human beings should be free. And they would appeal to the preponderance of evidence in the Scripture.
Think about it like a giant scale. On one side of the scale, you could put verses like 1 Peter 2:18 that appear to be pro-slavery. But then they’d say on the other side of the scale, there is so much of Scripture — go back to Genesis 1 — that says, "All human beings are created in the image of God." We all carry that dignity.
Then look at the prophets — Isaiah and Amos and others — who burn with righteous indignation with God’s hatred of oppression and injustice. Look at the Book of Acts where you see this radical equality in the new community. Look at the Book of Philemon where Paul writes to Philemon: "Receive Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a dear brother."
Look at Galatians 3:28 where Paul writes, "There is now neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Christians who fought for freedom said, "If you look at the preponderance of evidence in Scripture, if you take into account the whole text, then clearly slavery is not most consistent with God’s will for the human race."
Of course, looking back on it now, we would say, "Of course that’s right. There’s nobody in here that would argue that the Bible would support a system of slavery, that the Christian faith would say, "We ought to go back to that."
Historically, there have been certain complex arguments. Slavery is one. The divine right of kings to rule was another that was also supported by certain people by appealing to Scripture. These people would say there’s no place where the Bible says, for example, patriarchy is a bad institution. Get rid of it. These are complex issues. Homosexuality, dietary habits and a woman’s role in church leadership are others. In those complex arguments, it’s critical that you look at the preponderance of evidence in Scripture to get your direction
God's word is eternal and unchanging and when interpreted correctly it brings life and hope to those who would honestly and openly seek truth in its pages!
God's best!
Randy
PS For your tattoo, here are the Chinese symbols for Discovery Church...
