 In today’s culture, it is not uncommon to be out in public and see various people with tattoos on some part of their bodies. Some people have just one tattoo that may or may not be seen easily by others, while others have various tattoos that are on display for everyone to see. Tattoo parlors can be found in big cities and small towns alike, showing the popularity of this practice. Since getting a tattoo appears to be a popular activity that many young people engage in today, it would benefit the Christian young person as well as Christian parents to consider how God views tattoos and whether or not it is Scriptural for Christians to have them.
To begin with, I would like to ask that you approach this subject with an open heart. I would like to discuss some misconceptions that some people have about what the Bible says about tattoos. Some may say that the Bible specifically says to not get a tattoo. The truth is, the Bible does NOT specifically say to not get a tattoo. Many people who make the argument that the Bible does say specifically not to get a tattoo will use Leviticus 19:28 to back up their argument. This passage reads; “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” When considering this verse, we should remember that the book of Leviticus was written under the Old Law, and we are no longer bound to the Old Law, for the Old Law has been “nailed to the Cross” (Colossians 2:14). Leviticus Chapter 29 also gives instructions on how to perform animal sacrifices, and how to not wear garments made of two types of fabric, all of which are laws that are not bound on us today. The context of Leviticus 19:28 is to keep the people away from things associated with idols. Many idol worshippers in the Old Testament would cut their own flesh in order to get the attention of their false god. We see an example of this in I Kings 18:28; “So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out of them.” As Christians, we must be careful about what verses from the Bible we use to make our case against tattoos, so that we do not hurt our credibility before others. We also must be careful about which Bible verse we use, so that we handle the Word of God correctly. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). We are now under the New Law, or the Christian Age, so we must look to the New Testament to get our information on what God thinks of tattoos. Just because there’s no direct passage in the Bible that says you cannot get a tattoo, does not mean that it’s OK to get one. When considering the practice of getting a tattoo, or allowing your children to get a tattoo, one must consider these questions: First , when considering tattoos, we must ask ourselves, “Will it hurt my influence?” In I Corinthians 11: 5-6, Paul discusses how if a woman worships without having a veil on her head, she hurts her influence before others because it was the custom in Corinth at that time for women to wear veils during worship. Paul is not binding the practice of wearing a veil on women of all time as they worship, which he makes clear in I Corinthians 11:16, where he writes, “But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.” Since it was customary for the women in Corinth to wear veils at that time, as they worshipped, it would have been considered rebellious in nature for these Christian women not to wear a veil, thus hurting their Christian influence before their peers. This connects to the practice of getting tattoos, because in our society today, tattoos send out a message of rebellion before others in the view of many people. Many employers today require employees to hide their tattoos, which further shows how tattoos are often not viewed in a favorable light. Society’s view of tattoos, which is that of rebellion and going against the culture, can cause the practice of having tattoos to be sinful. If a Christian who has tattoos is viewed as being rebellious to society because of the tattoos, this hurts his or her influence before others, and anything that hurts our influence is a sin, and hurtful to the church. I Corinthians 8:13 says, “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” Another question we must ask ourselves is, “Are tattoos modest”? The word “modest” means “orderly; well arranged or decent.” We see this word in I Timothy 2:9, which says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;”; This passage is telling women to not adorn herself in such a way that draws undue attention to herself. Can a Christian draw undue attention to himself or herself by having a tattoo? Yes! Another word mentioned in I Timothy 2:9 is “sobriety.” This word means, “soundness of mind and self- control.” A Christian that practices sobriety is practicing good judgment at all times. In I Timothy 2:10, this verse commands women to adorn themselves in such a way that “becometh women professing godliness.” This means that a woman should adorn herself in such a way that tells the word, “I am a servant of God.” Do tattoos on a woman or man make them look like servants of God? Do tattoos make a man or woman look like their main priority in life is to be godly? Or, do tattoos make those who wear them look more concerned about the world and worldly things? Finally, we must also ask ourselves the question, “Is getting a tattoo being a good steward of our bodies?” The Mayo Clinic has made the statement in the past that tattoo inks are not regulated by the FDA, so the dyes and inks used in tattoos have not been approved for injection under the skin. This has manifested itself in some people having serious allergic reactions to the ink in tattoos. The Mayo Clinic site also lists some risks of getting a tattoo, which include contracting Hepatitis C and B, Tetanus, Tuberculosis, and HIV. Choosing to expose ourselves to the risk of getting these serious illnesses is not practicing good stewardship of our bodies. One may also ask the question, “What if I just get one little tattoo, such as of a butterfly, and that’s it?” Even though a tattoo of a butterfly would not be viewed as negatively by others as other tattoos such as of a skull, but any tattoo still has negative connotations associated with it. The practice of getting a tattoo, no matter what the tattoo is of, is still considered a part of “counter-culture” in today’s society, and may give others reason to speak and think negatively of the person with the tattoo. I Timothy 5:14 says, “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” The part that says “give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” Even if the tattoo is of something innocent like a butterfly, the person who is getting the butterfly tattoo has to go to a tattoo parlor to get the tattoo, and many tattoo parlors are places that Christians would not normally go. What if a Christian already has a tattoo? I know of various people who have struggle with the regret of getting a tattoo, and some choose to have their tattoos removed. This process of having a tattoo removed from the skin can a long and expensive process. This process may not be financially or physically feasible for some people, so in these situations, some will try to cover the tattoos with special makeup or their clothing instead. I am certain that there are various Christians who have tattoos that others may not know about because they keep them covered. If we feel that we have done something to cause our brother to stumble, we should certainly repent and confess this sin through prayer and receive forgiveness (Acts 8:22; I John 1:9). We would then work to bring fruits worthy of repentance. Sadly, all too often, people will consider this and similar subjects, in view of what they have already done or in view of what their children or grandchildren have done. If their child, now an adult, has chosen to get a tattoo, it suddenly becomes okay, but we should never do anything that could cause our brother or sister to stumble. In conclusion, Christians should adorn themselves in such a way that does not draw undue attention to themselves. They should have a sense of shame and modesty about them, and they should exercise good judgment. They should also adorn themselves so as to communicate to others that they are godly. Do tattoos communicate these things? When you see someone with tattoos, are they conveying the message to you that they are a servant of God? Most honest people would say “no” to this question, which further proves that tattoos are ungodly and do not belong on a Christian!
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