Being a Christian is not about following a bizarre set of “do’s and don’ts”. It is about turning our hearts to Christ, who is love. It could seem to some that Christians are restricted or tied down, but that is not how we see it. We see commandments as ways to express our devotion to God....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
The Bible is the written Word of God and thus the ultimate set of guiding principles governing all areas of life for the people of God. Through these writings, God communicates his will, his laws, his nature, and his saving purpose to humanity.
The Bible is a compilation of 66 books and letters written by more than 40 authors during a period of approximately 1,500 years. The original text of the Bible was communicated in just three languages: Hebrew, koine or common Greek, and Aramaic. The Old Testament was written for the most part in Hebrew, with a small percentage in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.
We know the bible can be pretty difficult to accurately interpret. Some people say the Old Testament laws don’t count anymore, but others think they still do. So we are asking the bible scholars for help here. We gathered some actions the bible bans both in the old and New Testaments and we’d like to know, are they still sins or not?
Here are some of the daily activities that are done by some Christians each and every day despite the holy book prohibiting them.
1. Tattoos
Most Bible translations do not explicitly address the topic of tattoos, and opinions on the matter may vary among different Christian denominations and interpretations. The closest reference that some people associate with tattoos comes from Leviticus 19:28 in the Old Testament, which states, “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.”
Interpreting this verse involves considering the historical and cultural context in which it was written. Some argue that the prohibition was related to pagan mourning practices or idolatrous rituals and does not necessarily condemn modern, culturally neutral tattoos. Others view it as a guideline emphasizing the sanctity of the human body as a temple.
2. Divorce
Matthew 5:32,
God created marriage as the perfect union between man and woman so they could raise a family. This is a covenant for life; and should not be entered into lightly, with divorce as an option. Divorce in the Bible is only considered under the only exceptional circumstance of sexual immorality.
Mark gets even more hardcore about it a few verses later, in Mark 10:11-12, “And He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.’”
3 Wearing Gold
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. (1 Peter 3:3-4) women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire. (1 Timothy 2:9)
These should not be taken as forbidding gold (or braided hair, pearls, etc.), but as an instruction to concentrate on the development of a good character more than on what you wear.
Although both passages are directed specifically to women, the principle applies to us all.
4.Eating assorted seafood.
Leviticus 10–11
Prohibited foods that may not be consumed in any form include all animals—and the products of animals—that do not chew the cud and do not have cloven hoofs (e.g., pigs and horses); fish without fins and scales; the blood of any animal; shellfish (e.g., clams, oysters, shrimp, crabs) and all other living creatures.
5 .Round haircuts.
Leviticus 19:27 reads “You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard” No round bowled haircuts?
6.Braiding your hair.
Twice in the Bible, braided hair is seemingly spurned. First, Peter instructs, “Do not let your adorning be external
—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear” (1 Peter 3:3–4).
7.Owning expensive outfits
Second, the apostle Paul tells his co-missionary Timothy to convey to his church members “that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire” (1 Timothy 2:9).
