I was recently asked if having a tattoo (or tattoos) was prohibited in scripture.

Those who believe tattoos are prohibited commonly cite Leviticus 19:28 –

“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.”

I’ll come back to that.

The person having the issue with tattoos, I discovered, came from a past where tattoos were directly related to the occult. So, now as a Christian, unsurprisingly, tattoos are triggering to them. But so was pork to the Jews after Jesus fulfilled the OT Law and they could finally eat bacon. (Oh, thank you sweet Jesus that we can now eat bacon.)

Likewise, a Christian who happens to also be a recovering alcoholic is going to be triggered by Christians drinking even though “drinking” itself is not prohibited in scripture. It’s drunkenness that’s sinful. And that’s a poignant segue into the topic of tattoos.

The ancient Hebrews were surrounded by the most depraved of pagan nations, even sacrificing their own children to demon gods. Often, this depravity made its way into Israel which is why God finally judged them by sending them into exile.

Israel’s neighboring nations commonly tattooed themselves with symbols representing their pagan and demon gods. Clearly, it’s sinful to “advertise” (via ink or any other medium) anything that glorifies sin. Paul would touch on that principle in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 –

“Abstain from any form (appearance) of evil.” Or, as one translation puts it: “Steer clear of evil in any form.” (That includes decals on cars and logos on shirts.)

**Please know I in no way intend to imply that all tattoos should represent the Christian faith via symbols or texts. It’s our behavior, not our tattoos that make an impact on others.

In ancient times, tattoos were primarily a “form of evil” because they were used for that primary purpose. That is not the case today. On the contrary, it’s yet another “entry point” for people to hear about Jesus. I’ve lost count of how many times people have asked about my tattoo, giving me an open door to testify to the power of Christ.

Granted, tattoos within the context of the occult, sexual sin, ego, hate, etc., will always be sinful and incur God’s judgment. But, representations of the gospel are never sinful. Allow me to say that again: representations of the gospel are never sinful.

To use my previous analogy, the person who had the issue with tattoos believed ALL bacon is bad for you. Nope – only the “spoiled” bacon is bad for you. :)) It’s like saying the internet is wicked. Yes, a lot of it is. But not all of it.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were tethered to the Old Testament Law which was manifested in their continued judging of 1st century Christians for not following said OT Law (there were 613 Levitical Laws). Paul spent most of his letters admonishing these “pharisees” (as did other writes like John and Jude)

Bottom line: the gospel is never sinful, in any form. Rather than the “appearance of evil”, the gospel is the “appearance of the risen Christ.”

One more thing.

Opponents of tattoos will also cite 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19 where Paul tells Christians our bodies are

“a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Per our bodies being a “temple of the Holy Spirit,” – adorning oneself with representations of the gospel is no different than a local church building adorning itself with representations of the gospel.

I said early on that I would come back to Leviticus 19:28.

The OT Law can be tricky because the social, dietary, and legal categories of the Law were fulfilled in Christ. Not “abolished,” but “fulfilled.” (Cf. Matthew 5:17) That said, the biblical “moral law” is always in play.

But, if one is going to hold woodenly to Lev 19:28, they are obligated to hold to 19:27, that little verse just before 19:28 that they seem to miss. It says,

“Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.”

Now, before we sit in 21st century, North American self-righteous judgment and accuse God of being ridiculous, this law, and many others like it, was not arbitrary.  God had good reasons to give these laws to an ancient people in a culture completely foreign to us.

Do many people get tattoos for all the wrong reasons? Of course. But people also tithe, give offerings, and attend church for all the wrong reasons.

Personally, just as I’m asked all the time about my tattoo, I enjoy doing the same. I’ve had a number of enjoyable conversations with people. The art that now adorns them was inked there to tell a story. And every story matters.

The photo below was taken in May 2015 in Nashville, TN, moments after this outstanding artist finished tattooing on my left forearm,  in Hebrew, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” It’s six simple words that helped me not go insane after losing Jordan Blake Watts to suicide.

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