The Gift of Christ vs. The Mark of Culture: What Pastors Are Called to Give

The Gift of Christ vs. The Mark of Culture: What Pastors Are Called to Give

The Unchanging Apostolic Principle: “What I Received, I Give”

The ministry model established by Christ and His apostles rests upon a foundational truth: authentic spiritual leadership transmits only what has been divinely received.

Jesus declared:

“For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them...” (John 17:8)

“My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” (John 7:16)

Paul affirmed:

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures...” (1 Corinthians 15:3)

“I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you...” (1 Corinthians 11:23)

The pattern is unmistakable: True ministers are stewards, not innovators—they pass on divine revelation, not personal preferences; God‑ordained practices, not cultural trends.

---

The Paul Standard: “Follow Me As I Follow Christ”

The Apostle Paul established the ultimate pastoral accountability measure:

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” (Philippians 3:17)

This creates a critical filter for evaluating any pastoral practice: Can the leader point to Christ as the source and example of what they are teaching or doing?

---

What Christ Actually Gave to His Church

After His resurrection and ascension, Christ gave specific gifts for building up His body:

“When He ascended on high, He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men… And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:8, 11‑13)

· The gifts are people, not practices: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers.

· Their purpose is spiritual equipping for ministry.

· Their goal is the church’s maturity into Christ’s likeness.

Nowhere in this divine distribution are tattoos—or any form of body modification—included among Christ’s gifts to His church. More importantly, nowhere does Christ Himself model, command, or receive tattoos as part of His ministry.

---

The Critical Examination: Can Tattoos Be “Received” Ministry?

When pastors offer, encourage, or administer tattoos as part of Christian ministry, we must apply the “Paul Test”:

Question 1: “Can this pastor say, ‘Follow my practice of tattooing as I follow Christ’?”

Answer: No—because Christ neither practiced nor commanded tattooing.

Question 2: “Did this pastor ‘receive’ tattooing ministry from Christ as Paul received the Lord’s Supper?”

Answer: No—tattooing lacks both dominical institution and apostolic transmission.

The Biblical Test Reveals:

1. No Christological Model: Jesus had no tattoos. His only bodily marks were crucifixion scars—suffered, not chosen (John 20:27).

2. No Scriptural Command: Neither Jesus, Paul, nor any apostle commanded tattooing as Christian practice.

3. No Spiritual Gift: Tattoos appear nowhere among spiritual gifts (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4).

4. No Sacramental Status: They are not ordinances (Baptism, Lord’s Supper) or means of grace.

5. No Sanctification Tool: Scripture never presents physical markings as instruments for spiritual growth.

Tattoos remain a cultural and personal practice—not a supernatural grace‑gift from Christ. They possess no inherent power to equip for ministry, impart faith, or supernaturally build up the body of Christ.

---

The Dangerous Line: Pastoral Counsel vs. False Teaching

There exists a crucial distinction:

· Acceptable Pastoral Role: A shepherd may counsel on tattoos using biblical principles—discussing the body as temple (1 Corinthians 6:19‑20), Christian liberty (Romans 14), conscience (1 Corinthians 8:7‑13), and motives. He helps believers apply Scripture to personal decisions.

· Unbiblical Overreach: A pastor who administers, mandates, or spiritualizes tattoos as if they were part of Christian practice or spiritual growth:

  · Violates the “What I received” principle

  · Cannot say “Follow me as I follow Christ” in this practice

  · Acts without biblical warrant

This transforms a cultural decision into a pseudo‑sacrament—adding to what God has given.

Scripture issues severe warnings against such additions:

“You shall not add to the word that I command you…” (Deuteronomy 4:2)

“Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:6)

“If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues…” (Revelation 22:18)

---

The True Path to “The Full Stature of Christ”

Ephesians 4:13 defines our goal: attaining “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” This spiritual maturity comes through:

· Following Christ’s example (1 Peter 2:21)

· Knowing and obeying God’s Word (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16‑17)

· Prayer and Spirit‑dependence (Galatians 5:22‑23)

· Fellowship and service (Ephesians 4:15‑16)

· Suffering and perseverance (Romans 5:3‑4)

· Holiness and self‑denial (Hebrews 12:14; Romans 8:13)

Tattoos were abolished under the Old Covenant for Israel, and Christ—as a devout Jew—never carried them. They originate from “the other side”—the world and its patterns, not from the heart of God. Therefore, they cannot be presented as “following Christ,” since He established no such pattern.

---

What Pastors Actually Received to Give

From Christ, authentic ministers received:

1. The Gospel – The message of salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1‑4)

2. The Scriptures – For teaching, reproof, correction (2 Timothy 3:16‑17)

3. The Holy Spirit – For power, guidance, transformation (Acts 1:8)

4. The Ordinances – Baptism and Communion (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23‑26)

5. Spiritual Gifts – To equip the church (Ephesians 4:11‑12)

6. Shepherding Authority – To care for souls (1 Peter 5:2‑3)

7. Christ’s Example – To say “Follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

---

The Believer’s Responsibility: Testing What Is “Received”

Every teaching must be measured against Scripture and the Christological standard:

“Test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

Apply the Paul Filter to Any Pastoral Practice:

1. “Can this leader legitimately say, ‘Imitate me in this as I imitate Christ’?”

2. “Did this practice originate with Christ or with culture?”

3. “Is this part of the ‘faith once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3) or a contemporary addition?”

---

Final Verdict

Tattoos were not given by Christ as spiritual gifts to pastors or prophets. They are not God‑ordained means for achieving spiritual maturity or the “full stature of Christ.”

No pastor can biblically say, “Follow my tattoo practice as I follow Christ,” because Christ left us no such example or command. He never had tattoos as a faithful Jew; the apostles never had them; Paul never had them. Whose example, then, do tattoo‑promoting pastors follow? The world’s.

The church’s leaders are called to equip believers with truth, not tattoos—so that every member might grow up into Christ, who is the head. The true, lasting mark of a Christian is not ink under the skin, but the seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22‑23), and Christlike love (John 13:35)—evidences of a heart transformed by grace, walking in obedience to the unchanging Word of God, and following Christ alone as our perfect example.