Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD. Leviticus 19:28
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
In no way do I see this as a doctrine but in God's word it certainly is a principle that falls under important doctrines such as the holiness of God (I.e. spotless and perfect lamb, etc...)
I have heard people use Galatians 5:13 but Paul said our liberty was not to be an occasion for the flesh but that it is there for us to be blessed through serving others. Peter also said that liberty should be used in serving God and not ourselves.
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16
God said to Haggai that you cannot call some clean and acceptable if God has said it was not. Paul confirmed this even more specifically regarding our bodies.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, [12] If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. [13] Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. [14] Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord ; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. Haggai 2:11-14 KJV
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2 KJV
Jesus died so that we could be set apart from the world, not to be like the world. I cannot fathom that there is a work around for that. It seems that would be what Peter referred to as a cloke of maliciousness...
I have seen people repent for getting marks on their bodies, some have even taken steps to reduce or reverse these marks and I know these all are forgiven by God. I encourage people along these paths. He is faithful and just to forgive!
It saddens me to see the church in such compromise with the world today.
Haggai covers this issue of over simplifying context. One can use the approach as many do today and say that this was just about flesh touching skirts touching bread, pottage, wine or oil or any meat but it is an example to show that “every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean”.
But Jesus also qualified the spirit of God’s commands to us in that hatred is as murder and looking with lust is adultery in God’s Kingdom (see Matthew 5, etc.).
People over simplify God’s indentations for us typically to justify sin in one fashion or another. God wants all of us not just piecemeal.
If the approach to scripture ought to be strictly literal in all places then Jesus could be deemed incorrect when He qualified the law in Matthew 5 and the majority of pastors would be wrong in how they use Malachi to justify goading the masses to give ten percent instead of giving 100 percent. Malachi was not telling the people to give 10 percent only as the strict context there was that God wanted them to return to Him. God wants all of them. Jesus qualified this as well in His ministry to us and then ultimately His death for us.
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:44-45
People are incorrect to say that in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Paul was just speaking of the church body as he was using the example of individuals abusing their bodies. Context is in the preceding verse, verse 18. Of course the work around or cloak of maliciousness here would be to say that this is only relegated to fornication but God’s intention is deeper than ours and he wants us to fully protect and care for this Temple of His Spirit. vs 18: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
I will also say that there is no real way to be 100 percent certain that getting a tattoo will not come with consequences (http://healthimpactnews.com/.../think-before-you-ink-the.../). Taking risks such as this is not a demonstration of good stewardship of what God has given us. Also, the article demonstrates that heathen cultures utilizes this practice in the past and we know that this continues to occur. There are absolutely no mentions of the early church using this practice and I do not believe you will find any examples or mentions of this in church writings until we started seeing this creep into the church during this modern age.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2 KJV
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, [12] If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. [13] Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. [14] Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord ; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. Haggai 2:11-14 KJV
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