Christianity is a religion followed across the world. In fact, it has the highest number of global followers when compared to other religions. There are more than two billion people in the world who follow Christianity. The faith revolves around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was brought to practice by a small group of followers, but according to historians, the quick and widespread global adoption of this religion may be considered one of history's most remarkable spiritual missions.

Who was Jesus Christ?

According to certain historians, Jesus Christ actually existed. He took birth between 2 BC and 7 BC. Interestingly, a lot of what we know about Jesus Christ has come from the Bible's New Testament.

According to this holy book, it was Mary, a Jewish virgin who gave birth to Jesus in a town called Bethlehem, located towards the south of Jerusalem. According to Christians, Mary conceived supernaturally, as she was believed to be impregnated by God via the Holy Spirit.

We don't know much about the childhood of Jesus. Some scriptures claim that he was in Nazareth during his years of growing up. He, along with his family, ran away from the persecution of King Herod and went to Egypt. Followers also believe that his earthly father was Joseph, a carpenter.

Jesus Christ was brought up to be a Jew. And according to a lot of scholars, his aim was to bring about reformations in Judaism. It was never in his mind to create a new religion.

A prophet called John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. He then began his public ministry around the age of 30.

There were 12 disciples, also called apostles, who traveled with Jesus for about 3 years. These people together spread their knowledge among huge groups of people and performed miracles. Some of Jesus Christ's most remarkable miracles included walking on water, making a blind man see, and breathing soul into a dead man called Lazarus.

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ-

The death of Jesus Christ is believed to have taken place between 30 AD and 33 AD. However, the exact date is a subject of debate among theologians.

The Bible has in it that Jesus was arrested. He was then tried and sentenced to death. And all this happened because of certain allegations pressed against Jesus by some Jewish leaders. According to them, Jesus was involved in a lot of different crimes, which also included blasphemy. Owing to such allegations, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate passed an order for the killing of Jesus Christ.

Later, Roman soldiers crucified Jesus in Jerusalem, and his body was put in a tomb. According to certain scriptures, the body went missing from the tomb, after 3 days of his crucifixion.

After the death of Jesus Christ, a lot of people told stories about their encounters with him. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ resurrected after death and ascended to heaven.

Where did Christianity Start?

Christianity started in Judea, a Roman province which occupied what is now the southern mountainous area of the region of Palestine. It was started by Jesus Christ and his devout followers or disciples. When Christianity came into existence, Judea used to be a mecca of farms and busy cities. It was famous for its cross-cultural essence and was ruled by the emperor of Rome. Roman rule was disliked by the Jews during that period. And their hatred was a direct result of the historical oppression their people had for long been facing. The Jews did not like to conform to the Roman polytheistic cultural beliefs. Although a lot of them began to feel that their only remaining hope to have a better life could result from their conforming to this change, the majority simply dismissed that as an idea. Resultantly, they turned into religious zealots and started Gorilla resistance against the existing Roman rule. A significant chunk of people also started studying Jewish law and consolidated the belief that their promised Messiah or savior would eventually come to rescue them.

When was Christianity Founded?

Christianity started in the 1st century AD, after the demise of Jesus Christ. Although it was brought into existence by a small group of Jews, it didn't take long to spread across the vast Roman empire. Although Christians had to go through persecution initially, Christianity eventually established itself as the state religion. During the middle ages, even people in Russia and northern Europe started following Christianity. And during the age of exploration, this religion took the entire world by storm.

Basic Christian Concepts That You Might Like to Know About-

1. Christianity is rooted in monotheistic beliefs. Meaning, there is only one God according to this faith. And it is this God who created not just the earth but also the heavens. Further, this Godhead entails 3 entities- the father, who is the God himself; the Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Spirit.

2. According to Christian beliefs, Jesus Christ was sent to earth by God to rescue the world.

3. Christians believe that there will be the second coming of Lord Jesus. That means Jesus Christ will make a comeback to rescue people from their suffering.

4. The teachings of Jesus Christ can be found in the Bible. The scriptures of this holy book also include the lives and preaching of important prophets and their disciples. It also acts as a guidebook for Christians that talks about how to follow this faith and lead a spiritually fulfilling life.

5. While both Jews and Christians follow the Old Testament of the Bible, Christians also abide by the New Testament.

6. Christmas is celebrated commemorating the birthday of Jesus Christ, and Easter marks his resurrection. Both these occasions are extremely important for Christians. The symbol of Christianity is a cross.

Although there is a lot more than you can learn about Christians, Christianity, and Jesus Christ, the above crisp and concise information will significantly add to your repository of spiritual knowledge.

In 2017 alone, an estimated 1.4 million suicide attempts were made out of which 47,173 American were successful, unfortunately. According to WHO, suicide leads to one death every 40 seconds. So, by the time you finish reading the previous statement, a life is lost to suicide. It is quite interesting to note that the act of taking one’s own life – suicide has a quite different connotation in today’s day and age than it used to be in the bygone era. Most will be interested to know what does the bible say about suicide, given the polarizing nature of this controversial topic.

Suicides in the Bible

Minds that condemn the idea of suicide might find a new and interesting perspective towards the act on the holy pages of the Bible. Contrary to popular beliefs, the Bible not only expresses its opinion on suicide explicitly but also adopts an ambiguous and even positive attitude towards the act. There are six ambiguous instances that suggest successful attempts of suicide in the Bible.

    1) Abimelech, the King of Schechem, was slain by a woman with a millstone. The King ordered his armor bearer to put him to dead with a sword, unable to bear the humiliation of being mortally wounded by a woman. (Judges 9)

    2) Ahitophel, King David’s sagacious councilor, hanged himself to death after betraying King David during Absalom’s Revolt. (2 Samuel 17:23)

    3) King Saul ordered his armor bearer to kill him before the “pagan Philistines” could capture him. Realizing his loyal armor bearer will not do the heinous deed; the king took his on sword and fell on it. The armor-bearer realized his king was he, he too plunged himself onto the King’s sword. (1 Samuel 31)

    4) Zimri usurped the throne by murdering the King and then reigned for a short span of a week. Being surrounded by a military coup and a heat filled with guilt, he set himself ablaze along with his palace. (1 Kings 16:19)

    5) Judas revealed the location of Jesus for a mere pay-off of 30 silver pieces which led to the Crucification of Christ. Filled with guilt and remorse, Judas hanged himself to death. (Matthew 27:3).

    6) Samson, the legendary warrior and judge, possessed astounding physical strength. He demolished the Philistine temple of God Dagon by grasping two pillars, bringing them down, killing his Philistinian captors and himself.

Is Suicide a Sin in the Bible? 

Before we go further into answering what the Bible says about suicide, let’s decode the term “sin” from the pages of the Holy Bible. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). The term “lawlessness” has been translated from the Greek term “anomia” meaning without law or against the law. Thus, this quote reveals that the definition of sin is the active violation or conscious rebellion against God’s Laws.

In Biblical context, the one “unpardonable sin” is: “‘Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’—for they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit’” (Mark 3:28-30). Simply put, the recurring rejection of the Holy Spirit or attributing its wonders to Satan is the only sin that cannot be forgiven.

One common argument that often coerces people to believe suicide is a sin stems from 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, which states, “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” This quote conveys the concept that our body is divine handwork and anyone who attempts to destroy the creation of God is a sinner. However, it is noteworthy that the Bible does not outline suicide as a sin explicitly. Thus, there is just not enough evidence to see suicide through the glasses of censure.

A Place in Hell or Heaven

When one asks what the Bible says about suicide, a complimentary question that pops up is whether a victim of suicide attains a place in hell for he has sinned? Let’s answer this question with a signification Biblical quote from (1 John 2:1-2): “...And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world”. This reveals that upon acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and truly repenting for one’s sins, all sins are forgiven. So, even if one considers suicide a sin, it might not mean that one who commits the crime will scorch in hellfire.

This is all what does the bible say about suicide. We hope this truth offers some comfort to all who are grieving the deaths of their closed ones who had committed suicide, and also, those who are seeking answers for it in Bible.  

The global divorce rate has shot up by a whopping 251.8% since 1960! In 2014 alone, 46.37% of marriages headed to the courtroom as per reports from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Are you wondering if religion plays a significant role to bring down the divorce rate? Well, findings from a survey held from 2000 to 2006 by the General Social Survey suggests that religious people have a lower divorce rate at 42% while those who are religiously unaffiliated have a higher rate of divorces at 50%. Speaking of religion, the very next question that pops up even in a remotely Christian mind is, “What does the Bible say about divorce?” So, let’s take a plunge into the Holy Scriptures to find out the answer to this pressing question.

The Bible’s take on Marriage 

To have a fair understanding of God’s opinion on divorce and what does the Bible say about divorce, we must get to the bottom of marriage itself. In Mathew 19:3-9, the Pharisees and Jesus have an interesting conversation that reveals God’s purpose for marriage. As an answer to the Pharisees’ question, Jesus says, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” This quote reveals that the Bible sees marriage as a glue that unites two souls into one, two different bodies united into “one flesh.” The ties of holy matrimony between a man and his bride are, therefore, everlasting.

The Biblical Grounds for Divorce 

1. Sexual Immortality 

Once Jesus throws light on God’s purpose of marriage; the Pharisees ask, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” To this, Jesus says, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” So, the first ground for divorce that is approved by the Bible is in the case of sexual immorality. The term “sexual immorality” has been translated in ESV from the Greek term "pornea." Pornea refers to the Holiness Code as recorded in Leviticus, which enumerates prohibited sexual activities in the Bible. Simply put, incidents of adultery, homosexual sex, incest, or bestiality by one’s spouse gives them the right to divorce justifiably by the Holy Bible. However, forgiveness and reconciliation must be pursued and preferred over a divorce unless the sinning spouse continues to pursue infidelity.

2. Spiritual Incompatibility 

The second ground for divorce was added in the 1 Corinthians 7 by the Apostle Paul. He says,

“To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” 

Thus, the second justification for a divorce in the Bible arises when a spouse abandons their significant other on the basis of spiritual incompatibility. However, it definitely encourages a couple to stay together even if they each have a different take on spirituality and religion. Paul says that an evangelist husband or wife can make their significant other holy through their bond of matrimony even if the other person happens to be a non-believer.

3. 

   Cruelty and Violence in Marriage 

The Bible does not explicitly acknowledge physical or mental abuse as a ground for divorce; however, a man who abuses his wife is definitely a sinner.

The Bible advises husbands to 

“live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” 1 Peter 3:7 ESV. 

An abused woman must bring this issue to the church. If the attempt to discipline the spouse fails, then, he shall be excommunicated. This would mean that the woman is married to an “unbeliever” which opens the grounds for divorce based on spiritual incompatibility. This is all what does the Bible say about divorce. It definitely holds marriage as the most important institution; however, it does not shy away from discussing what could possibly bring the demise of this holy union.

In the early 19^th century, Charles Darwin observed that every country practiced a unique style of adorning their skins. Strategic cuts, punctures and gashes were often embalmed with resins and pigments from plants and trees to leave behind embroidery of scar tissues on the skin. A century and a few decades later in the 20^th century, tattoos stood as a sign of bravado mostly on the brawny bodies of pirates, convicts, and riders.

Today, the modern interpretation of permanent inks can range from realistic and intricate portraits to dainty adornments. For those who think tattoos are a modern expression of art, a look at the well-preserved tattoos in the mummified remains of “Iceman” – a 5200-year-old mummy – will be quite a revelation.

When it comes to Christianity and the art of tattoos, lets us start by questioning a recurrent question. “Is it sinful to get a tattoo”? Or “can Christians get tattoos?” In our quest to find the answer to this question, we must take a deep dive into the Holy pages of the Bible.

Tattooing vs. Scarification

Even though the practice of tattooing one’s skin ages way beyond the birth of Christianity, its mention only appears once in some translated Bibles. To quote from the Law of Moses, Leviticus 19:28, God declares, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.” – NIV Bible. This is often the quote that makes believers condemn tattoos. However, before jumping to a haste conclusion, let’s us decode this quote for you.

Firstly, the Law of Moses was bestowed upon the descendants of Israel once they were delivered from the Egyptian bondage. The Mosaic Law or the Old Covenant ceased to apply to Christians upon the coming of Christ. At best, the parts of the Old Covenant dealing with Moral Law are still considered to apply on Christians by some. And, among those codes of morality, there is no mention of forbidding tattoos.

Secondly, in the land of Canaan, archeological evidence backed with Biblical reference suggests that people customarily made lacerations on their skin. The ghastly scarring left behind was often seen as a memorial of the dead. This Quote of God, thus, is a reference to the prohibition of such excruciating scarification and not the modern process of tattooing, which is far more sophisticated.



It is also worthy of taking note in this regard that a lot is lost in translation. The term tattoo did not make its appearance in the English language up until the late 18^th century. The King James Version of Bible written in the 1600s states, “ye shall not…print marks upon you.” Did it mean tattoo? Can Christians get tattoos? Unfortunately, or fortunately, it is open to the reader’s interpretation.

Your Body is a Temple

The next significant quote hails from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.” Surely, a quote that is used in abundance to forbid tattoos among Christians.

The argument is such that our own bodies and the soul which reside inside is the handicraft of the almighty. And we must see this beautiful creation as a temple to glorify God. However, it does, in no way, clarify if tattoos desecrate or decorate this temple. The context of this quote stems from sexual sin, and it is best if we do not stray from its original intent by misusing this quote.

An inked God?

A quote from the Bible that might fill Christian tattoo enthusiasts with renewed glee is stated in Isaiah 49:16, when God says, “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” God extends his arms to show the people – his dear children, that he has their name written on his own palms. This can be interpreted as a close reference to the modern-day tattooing employing pigments to make permanent marks. His engraving reflected his irrevocable and unconditional love for his children. So, an ink on one’s body which casts nothing but love should not be considered a sin.

Conclusion

The artistic expression of creativity, respect, and love on the body, especially for God, is not condemned by Christianity or its scriptures. It is important to really question the motive of your tattoo. Do they invoke a feeling of violence or hatred inside you or their spectators? Do they take away from your modesty and individuality? Remember, tattoos are expensive, permanent, and uncomfortable to get. Make sure to take a decision you will not regret in the future. But condemning an art form in the name of Christianity is not what this religion stands for in all honesty. And it is high time that people stop projecting their own opinions in the guise of God’s words.

So, "Can Christians get tattoos?" Most definitely.