Are tattoos harmless body art—or could they carry spiritual and physical risks? In this episode of the Bible News Prophecy Program, host Steve Dupuie speaks with Bob Thiel about the growing popularity of tattoos and what the Bible says about marking the body.
Recent medical reports have linked certain tattoo inks to serious health concerns, including allergic reactions, infections, organ damage, and even rare cases of vision loss connected to immune reactions from tattoo ink. Studies have also found that many tattoo inks sold in the United States contain unlisted chemicals and contaminants, raising concerns about long-term health effects.
Beyond health issues, the discussion explores the historical and spiritual background of tattoos, including their connections to ancient pagan practices and body marking traditions. The Bible addresses this topic directly in Book of Leviticus 19:28, which warns against making permanent marks on the body.
The program also examines modern arguments claiming that God or Jesus had tattoos—often referencing passages such as Book of Isaiah 49:16 or Book of Revelation 19:16—and explains why those interpretations are considered incorrect by many biblical scholars.
Additionally, the discussion references teachings from the Apostle Paul in First Epistle to the Corinthians 6:19–20, reminding believers that the human body is described as a temple of the Holy Spirit and should be treated with care. #Tattoos #BibleTeaching #ChristianLiving #BibleNewsProphecy
#BiblicalTruth #HealthRisks #FaithAndCulture #Leviticus1928
#ChristianDiscussion #ReligiousDebate #BodyTemple #BiblicalPerspective
Recent medical reports have linked certain tattoo inks to serious health concerns, including allergic reactions, infections, organ damage, and even rare cases of vision loss connected to immune reactions from tattoo ink. Studies have also found that many tattoo inks sold in the United States contain unlisted chemicals and contaminants, raising concerns about long-term health effects.
Beyond health issues, the discussion explores the historical and spiritual background of tattoos, including their connections to ancient pagan practices and body marking traditions. The Bible addresses this topic directly in Book of Leviticus 19:28, which warns against making permanent marks on the body.
The program also examines modern arguments claiming that God or Jesus had tattoos—often referencing passages such as Book of Isaiah 49:16 or Book of Revelation 19:16—and explains why those interpretations are considered incorrect by many biblical scholars.
Additionally, the discussion references teachings from the Apostle Paul in First Epistle to the Corinthians 6:19–20, reminding believers that the human body is described as a temple of the Holy Spirit and should be treated with care. #Tattoos #BibleTeaching #ChristianLiving #BibleNewsProphecy
#BiblicalTruth #HealthRisks #FaithAndCulture #Leviticus1928
#ChristianDiscussion #ReligiousDebate #BodyTemple #BiblicalPerspective
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LearningTranscript
00:04Greetings, friends. This is Steve Dupuy for the Bible News Prophecy Program with Dr. Bob Thiel,
00:09bringing you news and analysis of world events in light of Bible prophecy. Dr. Thiel, I saw a
00:15gentleman the other day whose arm, his total arm, was tattooed, which my daughter calls a sleeve of
00:22tattoos. Are tattoos harmful or harmless? Well, they're harmful. They recently reported that
00:3040 people in Australia were diagnosed with a rare sight-threatening condition connected to tattoos
00:37that can lead to permanent blindness. The condition is called tattoo-associated uveitis,
00:47and it results from a presumed immune reaction to tattoo ink. One gal who had an issue with it
00:55said, you know, I thought the only regret for tattoos is, you know, maybe you don't like how
00:59they look. I didn't know you could risk losing your vision. Now, according to Mayo Clinic,
01:06this is a form of eye inflammation that includes pain, blurred vision, light sensitivity,
01:11permanent vision loss. And research published in the Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Journal
01:18pointed to black ink as the cause of most inflammation, with one case each linked to pink
01:24ink and one with red ink. Well, the risk of blindness is in of itself horrific, but are there any
01:32additional
01:33side effects? Yeah. Let me read about this other study. It says the vast majority of tattoo inks sold
01:40in the United States are contaminated with unlisted ingredients that can cause serious health issues,
01:45including organ damage, according to a recent study. The study was published in the Analytical Chemistry
01:51Journal, investigated nine different brands of tattoo ink common in the United States. Of the 54 inks of the
02:00nine brand analyzed, 45, or 83 percent, were found to contain unlisted additives or pigments.
02:09Major unlisted adulterants included polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, and something called higher
02:18alkanes. These pose allergic and other risks. Over half the inks contain unlisted polyethylene glycol, which
02:29causes organ damage. And they've got other things in there that can cause health risks for nursing infants.
02:38Taken together, I'm going to read this verbatim from the study. The results from this study highlight
02:43the potential for a significant issue around inaccurate tattooed ink labeling in the United States.
02:50Now, the research was unable to identify whether the unlisted ingredients were intentionally or
02:56unintentionally added, or if the manufacturer was provided with contaminated materials.
03:00And it's unknown whether the manufacturer incorrectly labeled the inks.
03:06Oh, that's pretty bad. But even though I think I know, can you define for us exactly what a tattoo
03:13is?
03:14Yeah. A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the
03:22skin to change the pigment.
03:24Now, according to the Smithsonian, humans have marked their body with tattoos for thousands of years.
03:31The earliest evidence of them seems to have to do, they used to think it was from Egyptians,
03:38because these aren't female mummies. But they also found something in the
03:43Austria-Italy border area about someone with tattoos about 5,200 years ago.
03:51And basically, they found mostly it was women in Egypt who they found with tattoos on various mummies.
04:02And they've also found some permanent marks in Greco-Roman burials as well.
04:08Now, the Smithsonian says, what function do these tattoos serve?
04:12Quote, because there seemed to be an exclusively female practice in ancient Egypt with mummies,
04:17it's long been assumed the tattoos were the mark of prostitutes and or were meant to protect women
04:25against sexually transmitted diseases. They had various lines and diamond patterns.
04:33The tattoos occasionally showed small female figurines, which have a small figure of the dwarf pagan god base,
04:42B-E-S base, B-E-S base, on the thigh area, okay?
04:46That's what the Smithsonian had to say.
04:48Well, in old and modern times, by the way, some now have multiple tattoos on their body.
04:54Do modern tattoos have ties to sexual immorality and paganism?
04:59Many do. Of course, some are just simply meant to be provocative.
05:04Now, the Smithsonian mentioned the pagan god Baze, and he was an Egyptian dwarf god.
05:12And he was supposed to be a deity and a demon fighter. He was also the god of war.
05:19He was associated with sexuality, music, and dancing.
05:23Originally, he was a protector of the pharaoh, but he became popular with regular people.
05:28And it's because he supposedly protected women and children above all.
05:33And it was thought that sacred prostitutes had a tattoo of Baze near their pubic area in order to prevent
05:41venereal diseases.
05:44So, anyway, these tattoos have a religious connection with this Egyptian deity.
05:50Throughout the Bible, by the way, God tells his people to come out of Egypt and have nothing to do
05:55with their images of their heathen gods.
05:59Since this Baze god is supposed to be a protector against demons, maybe that's why prostitutes and others thought if
06:06they put it on it, they won't get sexually transmitted diseases.
06:11By the way, lower back tattoos are also perceived as an indication of promiscuity by some, and that's probably why
06:18the term tramp stamp came to be used to describe some modern gals.
06:25When one considers that putting a tattoo in a place of a woman getting it, she can't see it without
06:30mirrors or some other aid, that's consistent with the view that this is to be seen by somebody looking at
06:36her naked or nearly naked body.
06:40Whether or not related to increased promiscuity or not, more and more seem to have tattoos.
06:46Now, when I grew up, it was mainly bikers and men who had been in the military and had them.
06:51I almost got a tattoo once when I was in the army.
06:54But should Christians get a tattoo?
06:57Well, the Church of Rome doesn't discourage it.
07:00And some Protestants display them and think having crosses on them is a testimony to Jesus.
07:06Of course, Jesus never had a tattoo.
07:09And actually, his word condemns them.
07:12You go to Leviticus chapter 19.
07:14I'm going to read, starting in verse 28, New King James Version.
07:19You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you.
07:25I am the Lord.
07:26Do not prostitute your daughter to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry and the
07:32land become full of wickedness.
07:34Now, the fact that the admonition against prostitution comes right after the admonition to not have tattoos reminds me, again,
07:41that certain tattoos are considered to be signs of a tramp, hence the modern term tramp stamp.
07:48Now, the Protestant Jameson, Fawcett, and Brown commentary on Leviticus 19 says,
07:56You're not to make cuttings to the practice of making deep, gaseous face and arms.
08:01The time of bereavement was universal among the pagans.
08:04The Jews learned this custom in Egypt.
08:07And though they weaned from it, they relapsed later into degenerate age with this old superstition.
08:14Now, if you go back and quote the rest of Leviticus 19,
08:20Nor print any marks on you.
08:22By tattooing and printing figures of flowers, leaves, stars, tangible devices on their person.
08:28Impression sometimes made with a hard iron, sometimes ink or paint,
08:32as is done by the Arab females of the present day and different castes of the Hindus.
08:37It's probable from the Association of Leviticus 19-29,
08:42a strong propensity to adopt such mark in the honor of some idol was related to this as well.
08:49That's what Jameson, Fawcett, and Brown had to say.
08:52Is there anything in the New Testament on tattoos?
08:57I think so.
08:58If we go to 1 Corinthians 6, starting in verse 19, 1 Corinthians 6-19,
09:07the Apostle Paul seems to condemn them when he says,
09:10Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you,
09:14which you have from God, and you're not your own?
09:17For you were bought with a price.
09:19Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's.
09:23Well, since tattoos contain toxins and aren't something that adds to health,
09:29this should give Christians pause and realize they shouldn't get them.
09:32Yet, earlier this year, there was a Protestant pastor
09:37who was supposed to be the first such minister to get a tattoo in Nigeria.
09:42So let me read about him.
09:45It says,
09:45Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo, founder of the David Christian Center,
09:51has insisted that tattoos are not sinful.
09:54Both God and Jesus are described in the Bible as having inscriptions on their body.
10:00Okonkwo said he would not engage in something that he doesn't understand,
10:05especially at his age.
10:07He dismissed claims that his tattoo was an attempt to lead people astray,
10:11arguing that there is no scriptural basis for describing tattoos as evils.
10:20As my old age, he's only 50,
10:23I won't be doing something I don't understand, the pastor said.
10:27Believers can have tattoos.
10:28God has tattoos.
10:30Jesus has tattoos.
10:31End quote.
10:33Really?
10:34Now, do God and Jesus really have tattoos?
10:38No.
10:39But to support his argument, he cited passages from the Bible.
10:43He referenced Isaiah 49.16.
10:47He also referenced Revelation 19.16.
10:53Yet, he intentionally ignored the only verse in the Bible that actually uses the word tattoo.
10:59Leviticus 19.28,
11:02which in Hebrew is transliterate.
11:05We would pronounce it qua aqua.
11:09The fact is that in Isaiah 49.16,
11:12a different Hebrew word,
11:14which is
11:18chakwa,
11:19is used.
11:20They're two different words,
11:22and they have two different meanings.
11:24Plus, common sense should tell us
11:26that God wouldn't have endorsed
11:29Hebrew,
11:30in the Hebrew Scriptures,
11:31tattoos,
11:32after he forbid them in the same Hebrew Scriptures.
11:34Therefore,
11:36that Protestant minister's interpretation
11:38of Scripture are wrong.
11:42Dr. Thiel,
11:43are you sure his interpretation
11:45of Revelation 19.16 is wrong?
11:48Well, let's read that from the New Living Translation.
11:52It actually says,
11:54on his robe,
11:55that's Jesus's,
11:56that his thigh was written this title,
11:58King of Kings
11:59and Lord of Lords.
12:01So yes,
12:02the name is on Jesus's clothes.
12:03How or if the name may also be on his thigh
12:06isn't clear from the Greek.
12:08But furthermore,
12:09the Greek word that could be
12:10transliterated
12:11or translated as tattoo
12:13is simply not in
12:15Revelation 19.16.
12:18So it is not proper
12:19for anyone to conclude
12:21that a tattoo is being endorsed.
12:24The fact that God nowhere says
12:25he endorses tattoos
12:26or that he has or will use them,
12:29forget these twists and interpretations
12:31of Scripture.
12:32Now,
12:33there's also
12:33other health risks
12:35associated with
12:36tattoos.
12:37I mentioned
12:38Mayo Medical Labs,
12:40so I want to read something
12:41that they reported.
12:43Quote,
12:45breach the skin,
12:46which means that
12:47skin infections
12:48and other complications
12:49are possible.
12:51Specific risks include
12:52one,
12:54allergic reactions.
12:55Tattoo dyes,
12:56especially
12:57red,
12:58green,
12:58yellow,
12:59and blue dyes
13:00can cause
13:00allergic reactions
13:02such as an itchy rash
13:03at the tattoo site.
13:05This can occur
13:06even years
13:07after
13:08you've got the
13:09tattoo.
13:10Skin infections.
13:11The skin infection
13:12might cause redness,
13:13swelling,
13:14pain,
13:15the pus-like drainage.
13:16It's possible
13:17after the tattoo.
13:18Other skin problems,
13:20sometimes bump
13:21called granulomas
13:22form around the tattoo ink.
13:24Tattooing can also
13:26lead to
13:27keloids,
13:28which is
13:29raised areas
13:30caused by
13:31overgrowth
13:31of scar tissue.
13:33Floodborne diseases.
13:34If the equipment
13:35used to create
13:36your tattoo
13:37is contaminated
13:37with infected blood,
13:39you can get
13:39various things
13:40such as tetanus,
13:41hepatitis B,
13:42or hepatitis C.
13:43MRI complications.
13:45Rarely,
13:45tattoos or permanent
13:46makeup can cause
13:47swelling or burning
13:50areas that
13:51happen if you get
13:52an MRI.
13:54Now,
13:55then,
13:56they didn't mention
13:56here,
13:56there's also that
13:57risk of blindness
13:58plus the reality
13:59of violating
14:00the word of God.
14:01Of course,
14:02if you've got
14:02one or more
14:03tattoos,
14:03it doesn't mean
14:04you're doomed
14:04or you have to
14:05rush out
14:05to get them
14:06removed,
14:06but you certainly
14:07shouldn't get
14:07any more of them,
14:08nor should anyone
14:09who claims
14:10to believe the Bible
14:10actually go out
14:11and get them.
14:12The Bible warns
14:13that in 2 Timothy
14:163.13,
14:17that evil men
14:18and seducers
14:18will whack
14:18works and works
14:19deceiving
14:20and being deceived.
14:21The growing
14:22acceptance
14:22of tattoos
14:23in Western societies
14:24is consistent
14:25with that scripture.
14:28Thank you,
14:28Dr. Thiel.
14:29For more interviews
14:30with Dr. Thiel
14:31in addition
14:31to written
14:32as well as
14:33audio articles,
14:34visit our website
14:35at BibleNewsProphecy.net.
14:37This is Steve Dupuis
14:38for the Bible News
14:39Prophecy Program.