Not long ago a Christian blogger created a social media storm with her post “Men prefer debt free virgins without tattoos”. It quickly made it’s way across social media with opinions in tow.
As soon as I read it, my heart was saddened. I felt it’s harsh judgmental overtone silenced the most important thing, the sovereign grace of God.
And the article has opened up a discussion among many people.
Is it a sin to get a tattoo?
Tattoos have grown in popularity in recent years. 36% of Americans between the age of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo. We see tattoos on Christian artists, athletes, in Disney movies (Moana) and we’ve even saw a tattooed Barbie! And with the popularity of tattoos rising daily, it has left many Christians asking the question if it’s a sin to get a tattoo.
Christians getting tattoos is a controversial topic. Google this issue, and you’ll see opinions varying from “Go for it!” to “You’ll go to hell for it.”
Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about tattoos first.
There isn’t really anything definitive Bible anywhere. It makes no specific reference to tattoos as we understand them in modern times. But many condemn tattoos because of Leviticus 19:28. I think to understand the full concept of it, we need to include Leviticus 19:27 as well.
27 You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. 28 You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
Since the word tattoo does appear in this verse in some popular English translations, this argument seems straightforward. But let’s translate it some. It translates to, “And a cutting for the dead you will not make in your flesh; and writing marks you will not make on you; I am the Lord.”
The word writing refers to inscribed or engraved symbols/words, and is used only here. The Jews learned a custom in Egypt of making deep gashes on the face and arms and legs in times of bereavement. It was deemed a becoming mark of respect for the dead, as well as a sort of propitiatory offering to the deities who presided over death and the grave. The Egyptians also tattooed their bodies with symbols of pagan gods.
The word marks, also used here alone, has an uncertain root, so we’re not really sure what the word means. Some that say this is in connection with those who marked their bodies with a known figure for the dead. The Canaanites would customarily slash, gash and brand their bodies for ritualistic purposes.
Further, the word tattoo did not enter into the English language until the late 1700s. This is probably why the KJV, written in the early 1600s, is closer to the literal translation saying, “ye shall not…print marks upon you.” The 18th-century explorer Captain James Cook is widely considered to be the first person to have introduced the word now known as “tattoo” to Europe, after returning to the continent in 1771 after his first voyage to Tahiti and New Zealand.
God gave this command to the Israelites around 1444 B.C. (right after the parting of the Red Sea) to forbid them from practicing the idolatrous customs they’d picked up in Egyptian captivity. So God essentially said to the Israelites, I don’t want you to practice those silly superstitions anymore. You’re my people, and I love you.
The heart of God’s message isn’t about body art, but about reminding the Israelites they belong to him.
If we are going to use that verse as our justification for condemning all tattoos, then I’d hope you’re also against ear piercing, cutting hair and trimming beards.
Also in Isaiah 49:16 we see Jesus say “See, I have inscribed you on the palm of my hands; your walls are ever before me”. Though tattoo opponents sometimes quickly graze over that verse. Or, one of my favorites, is being told we’ve interpreted and translated it wrong.
If we are going to take the literal application of every moral and ceremonial rule handed down to the Israelites no one could eat fruit for 3 years after a tree was planted (Leviticus 19:23), rare steaks and burgers would be a no go (Leviticus 19:26), we wouldn’t be swinging by Holiday Hair for a quick trim and color (Leviticus 19:27), no more Chinese buffet after church on Sunday (Exodus 31), you can’t bury (can’t even touch) Rover once he dies (Leviticus 5:2), yummy shrimp scampi would be no more (Leviticus 11:10), you can’t go to church for 33 days after you have a boy and 66 days after you have a girl (Leviticus 12:5) and you can’t mix fabrics no matter how cute they are (Leviticus 19:19).
While Jesus never said “ye shall not get tattoos”, we do see Him concerned with one thing.
Your heart.
Scripture clearly teaches us that the real issues of life are spiritual and are really matters of the heart. In Mathew 15:10-20 and Mathew 23:25-28 we see Jesus is far more concerned with the inner man than someone who had only an outward appearances of holiness.
Avoiding tattoo parlors or Red Lobster doesn’t make you righteous – Jesus’ death and resurrection do!
Before getting any tattoo, take some time to read Psalm 139. Remind yourself that God thinks you are beautiful with or without embellishments. You are His perfectly perfect creation, handcrafted by the same hands that made the stars. There are billions of us here on earth, but does that make any of us less valuable? Absolutely not! If you found billions of diamonds would they be less valuable because there were so many?
You are loved, always. God is love. God can’t help loving because it is an essential part of His character. He goes looking for us when we wander away from Him. He won’t rest until He finds us and brings us back home to Him. He will pursue us tirelessly until we are returned to Him, our loving Father.
If you are reading this and are strongly opposed to tattoos, let me say one thing. You know what Jesus wants us to do? Love on others. Being haughty, judgmental and demeaning isn’t going to make the masses want to come to church on Sunday. But you loving on them will…regardless if they have tattoos, have a past (and come on, we ALL do), drink, are homeless, heck even if they are prostitutes or heroin addicts. LOVE THEM! You know what Jesus would do? Go to them, sit with them and sweetly love on them.
This is a very tough topic, one that I believe you addressed well. The biggest point to takeaway: Jesus fulfilled the law when he died on the cross so that we no longer are slaves to the law, but have freedom through his sacrifice. Praise God!
Amen!
You really did a good job here in tackling this topic in a way that reflects Christ. One passage that I always go back to whenever there is a “gray area” in morality is Roman’s 14:21-23. Tattoos seems to be one of those “gray areas” of morality depending on denomination and such.