What about the idea of being marked out as a Christian, having
one's self covered with Christian themed tattoos?
This is even more problematic.
I commonly see Evangelicals put crosses, doves and even
written out Scripture verses on their bodies.
Who told you to do that? Wouldn't the New Testament have
indicated to us that this was a good and proper thing to do, to express our
devotion? The Scriptures do speak of us being marked by signs and seals but how
few have searched these things out.
You want to be marked as belonging to Christ? The Scriptures
teach that in baptism we have a visible representation of our Union with our
Saviour. In that holy rite we die to self and in union with Him are raised
again. Now, this isn't particularly pleasing to the flesh. Baptismal waters
don't do much to indulge the whims of the individual seeking to 'express
himself'. There's no 'bling' in being touched by the sanctified waters.
But again if one would seriously engage baptism and study the
issue, if one would pursue the various strands of symbolism, the result is
nothing less than awe. The doctrine is fairly stunning but its import is only
for those with eyes to see... as are all things spiritual. The things which are
seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Evangelicalism has largely rejected this teaching over the past few decades and
look at what it has wrought.
But contemplate Paul's words, his ethic and perspective in
light of his understanding that this body (that we now have) is but an earthen
vessel, one that we should groan to be freed from. This is not so because we
desire immateriality or view the material body as evil but rather we desire the
resurrection, the body redeemed, restored and transformed. Our focus is
heavenly not on trying to make a name for ourselves in this age or to spend our
time and energies trying to redeem and transform this world which lies under
curse and must be destroyed. We are here to bear witness to the coming doom and
offer hope. Unfortunately Dominion Theology which dominates conservative
Christian circles teaches the opposite and has taught God's people to mind the
things of the flesh and to seek power and prestige in lieu of taking up the
cross and the call to martyrdom.
We are told to lay up our treasures in heaven. Our focus is
to be on things eternal, the things which consist of the resurrection life, the
New Heavens and New Earth.
Will we have tattoos in heaven? I think not.
Will we need to 'express' ourselves?
God proclaims that in the consummated New Covenant 'All shall
know me from least to greatest'. The New Covenant is known here in earnest and
yet its true location (and ultimate expression) is in heaven itself, the Holy
of Holies where Christ is, where He sits enthroned even now.
This reality is expressed through the signs and seals of both
baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are the visible tokens that God has
ordained for us to delineate ourselves as citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom, the
children of Zion.
Every 'Christian' tattoo is a declaration that baptism and
the Supper are insufficient and incapable of properly expressing this reality.
Something more is needed to mark me out as a Christian.
Aren't the things God has given enough?
Paul says the Scriptures are sufficient for us, they contain
what is needed for us to be perfect or complete and they thoroughly furnish us
unto every good work. Is Paul lying or mistaken? To be thoroughly equipped do we
need something more than the Word? Evangelicalism has answered with an emphatic
'yes' and it has quite literally led them to destruction.
Apparently Paul didn't know that we would need to go beyond
the Scriptures and invent new ways of expressing our faith, news ways of
approaching God... and that these ways would be self-expressions, acts of
devotion on our terms, defined and decided by us.
Have some forgotten this? If so, their leaders bear much of
the blame. There are many poor shepherds, many hirelings and many wolves.
But the tattoo is
something I can look at, it's a reminder for me throughout the day.
The issue is the same. Is the Word enough or not? Do you need
a reminder? We all do. But the Scriptures have already provided the answer. When
you're tried, turn your eyes to Christ. Do you want a visible token? Remember
you are baptised into Christ. You have eaten the bread of heaven and drank the
cup that is His blood.
If you can't appreciate these things, then repent and return
to the Scriptures. You have been misled or you have been remiss in your study
and contemplation. The Christian faith is not new to the 21st
century. There is a wealth of wisdom that has gone before, there are shoulders
to stand on. Only a fool would just completely ignore our rich Christian
heritage.
The New Testament does not have a lot in the way of specific
laws. They are not needed due to the fact that in terms of redemptive-history,
we're in the age of maturity. We live after the cross, in the New Covenant age,
the time of the Spirit and the Parousia. Through the Word we have the riches of
eternity at our fingertips, more than we can possibly grasp in many lives of
men, enough to wake us in the night in awe and wonder, waiting for that which
is to come.
According to the New Testament, the return to the tactile, a
regression into Judaism is bad enough, but what of innovative piety? What of dreamed
up acts of worship? Though it's not a major theme in the epistles, a bit of
study will reveal the issues are there and more frequently than one might
realise. Paul is constantly questioning innovation and condemning it but
perhaps the most poignant expression of the principle is found in the Gospels
when our Lord quotes the prophet Isaiah in Matthew 15.9 – But in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men.
The Pharisees had their ways of denying sufficiency and had
buried Covenant ethics beneath a mountain of legalism and casuistry. Some will
say I'm being the legalist here, binding where the Scriptures do not bind. But
I say that those who innovate are doing the binding. Their 'expressions' are
tantamount to saying, 'Look, I'm doing this because I'm a Christian.'
It implies that it's something Christians ought to do and thus why aren't you doing it? Paul calls this
will worship and declares it of no value. In the end it doesn't even satisfy
the fleshly desires that motivated it to begin with, let alone suppress them.
They are poor 'reminders' for those that make such appeals.
In terms of piety, Christian tattooing is in keeping with the
ethos of Roman Catholic innovative devotion and pagan syncretism, not a
Christian walk based on Scripture.
But baptism is so abused, some will argue. There are so many
baptised people who aren't walking with God. It's become common and almost
meaningless.
You think tattoos aren't abused?
Do you not think these people will answer for bearing the
mark of Christ and yet treating it as a common thing, as something despised?
They take the Lord's Name in vain and they will answer for it.
Just because some would desecrate the rites instituted by
Scripture does not negate their efficacy or import. The protest has a degree of
validity but the lesson is not to downplay the importance of baptism. Rather it's
a warning regarding the character of This Age. Many friends turn out to be
enemies. Betrayal is a hallmark of this age. We are called to be sober, to
desire discernment and to be engaged in prayer to help us stay on the narrow
path. The days are evil, hence the call to redeem the time and to walk as those
who understand the telos of This Age.
Sadly the Cheap Grace gospel has lost this, lost the sense of
peril and danger and the consequent exhortations to holiness and sobriety.
Christian tattooing in particular represents a
misunderstanding of Christian identity, and is indicative of a perilously low
view of the Scripture's rites and sacraments. It represents a failure to die to
self.
Don't misunderstand my words. There are plenty of those
without tattoos who are failing to die to self....but we needn't flaunt it.
Culturally and historically speaking Christian tattooing has
no heritage among God's people. I am aware that there are a couple of
exceptions that could be appealed to but they do not even remotely represent
New Testament Christianity.
This is not a backdoor appeal to Christendom but instead a
recognition that other Biblical Christians have come before. This is true (anachronistically
speaking) from the era of the Old Testament through modern times.
Prior to the last twenty years there has NEVER been an appeal
to such things, to tattooing the body as an expression of Christian piety.
Is it a sin? Is that ultimately what I'm getting at?
The answer is somewhere between probably and definitely.
But more than that, it's simply ignorant and foolish. It's
more stunning to me that this topic even has to be addressed but such are the
times in which we live.
But someone will say, the damage is done. I already did it.
What can a Christian do?
I would certainly want to keep them covered up until I was
able to put together the money to have them removed. Certainly no one with
visible tattoos should be allowed to shepherd and teach the flock. They are not
ensamples to be emulated and literally do
not bear the marks of discernment and wisdom. In some cases they are
glorying in their shame.