“Is it a sin for Christians to get tattoos?” This is one of the most popular questions that people ask, especially regarding the topic of body art, body modification, or any of the other ways that people choose to express themselves today. In fact, if you do a Google search, and begin with, “Is it a sin,” the phrase “to get tattoos” will be one of the options that auto-populates the rest of the field. Additionally, if you do a Google search for “are tattoos,” the phrase “a sin” appears to auto-fill your search before any questions about the healing process of tattoos, health impacts of tattoos, or other more practical questions.
There is a lot of conversation surrounding Christians, tattoos, and how God feels about this particular type of body art. Whether you’re a Christian who has tattoos, or you’re simply looking to better understand how God feels about certain popular topics, it’s important that you base your personal beliefs about God’s Word and tattoos on the truth of Scripture.
Today, discover more about what God’s Word really says about tattoos. Undoubtedly, you’ve probably heard plenty of responses to questions surrounding God’s view on tattoos over the years. However, no matter what you have heard and where you heard it, it’s important for you to look into God’s Word for yourself when developing your personal theology about any topic, including tattoos.
Does the Bible Say Tattoos Are a Sin?
Leviticus 19:28 (ESV)
“You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead, or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.”
Even if this verse seems very straightforward, there are some things that we need to unpack here. First of all, if you read the second portion of this verse, you may quickly assume that tattoos are sinful, and the case is closed. However, that’s not necessarily the case. The word “tattoo” that appears in this verse in our English-translation Bibles did not even exist until the late 1700s. When the first English translations of the Bible were printed in 1611, this passage didn’t include the word “tattoo.”
This is by no means an indictment on God’s Word and the process that God has used to preserve it, ensuring that we have an unblemished, perfect, holy copy of His Word. However, there are some things that we need to look into when studying this verse or any verse, and one of those things is the use of words that we know today that Moses and the other original writers didn’t have access to. Moses did not write, “do not tattoo yourselves.” Instead, Moses wrote, “do not put marks upon your body.”
On the surface, that statement seems pretty indicative of God’s feelings about tattoos, too. However, when studying any text, it’s crucial to consider the context. If you fail to consider the context when looking at a text, you run the risk of “proof texting,” which is an issue that happens when someone tries to build their theology on a particular text without considering anything before or after the subject verse.
It’s important that you understand what God was saying through Moses in this verse, and why He was saying it. When the Book of Leviticus, which is the Old Testament book that focuses the most on the Law of Moses was given, Israel was about to start interacting with people and cultures that they had never seen before. Most of those cultures had their own gods and their own systems of worship set up. In some of those cultures, this included the use of body images. One of those groups was the Canaanites.
History teaches us that Canaanites relied heavily on the process of marking their bodies as a means of staying in touch with the dead. Scarification, which is a process of carving names and images into the flesh, is significantly different than our modern version of tattoos. This scarification is what God was forbidding His people to take part in.
The Canaanites who scarred themselves in the name of communicating with dead relatives and friends took things a step further by praying to those deceased individuals. We know that God’s first commandment of the ten that He gave to Moses was that Israel was to have no other Gods before Him. Praying to loved ones who had died was a means of having other gods, which Jehovah was vehemently against.
God’s command to the Israelites in Leviticus wasn’t an all-encompassing condemnation on tattoos. Instead, it was a declaration that His people should do nothing that would lead to them praying to anyone other than Him.
Grace vs. Law
Galatians 5:4 (ESV)
You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
This is another verse that is often misunderstood, but it has special implications when we’re having a theological conversation about a topic that is discussed in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is largely about God’s Law and His commands to His people. The New Testament tells of Christ’s fulfillment of the Law of Moses which enables us to live under grace.
One of the most dangerous aspects of taking the passage from Leviticus to mean that all tattoos are sinful is the fact that you must then commit yourself to following every letter of the Law of Moses. If you look at some of the other commands given in Leviticus 19, you realize how complicated that idea truly is. For example, this chapter includes commands that men shouldn’t shave their beards, and that no one should trim the hair that grows around their temples. This chapter also speaks of the sinfulness of eating meat that still has blood, which would include any sort of rare steaks or other types of meat.
When you realize that following one passage from Leviticus binds you to following every verse from Leviticus, you can fully embrace the fact that we’re under grace, not the law.
Motives Matter
1 Corinthians 6:12 (ESV)
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
The topic of tattoos and their sinfulness largely comes down to your motive for getting one. If you want a tattoo because you simply want to get into arguments with others about God’s views of them, you’re approaching them sinfully. However, if you simply want a tattoo that expresses your interests or an important part of your personality, God isn’t going to condemn you for eternity. As Paul said, all things are lawful, but not all things are helpful.
If you’re considering a tattoo, you should make sure that you’re examining yourself and determining the reason that you want to put such a permanent mark into your body. We are called to glorify God in everything that we do, and this includes decisions such as tattoos. While they can be a great way to share your faith, they can also be a source of contention, which is not what God wants for His people. Your motives for getting a tattoo matter.
Does the Bible say tattoos are sinful? Not explicitly. Does the Bible say that Christians can get tattoos? Not explicitly. Ultimately, tattoos, as we know them today, didn’t exist in Biblical times, so we must seek the Holy Spirit for ourselves in order to determine how He feels about tattoos. In the same way that secular music, television shows, and other modern topics aren’t explicitly discussed in Scripture, allow yourself to be led by the Spirit.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to understand Your Will for every part of my life. Make Your desires for me known. In Christ’s name, Amen.