The Bible says almost nothing directly about tattoos. A Hebrew phrase which might refer to a “tattoo” is found in Leviticus 19:28. A Greek word which definitely can be used to refer to a tattoo is found in Galatians 6:17. These are the only verses in the Bible, of which I am aware, which directly speak about tattoos. Lets look at them both in more detail.
Leviticus 19:29
“28You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord” Leviticus 19:28 (NKJV).
A more word-for-word translation of this passage would read:
“…and a mark cut not ye shall put on yourselves. I am Jehovah” (personal translation).
The word translated “mark” is quite common. It’s the noun used for any impression, inscription, or a mark that might be made. The word translated “cut” is a bit harder to define. It is used only here in the Old Testament. It is believed to come from a root word meaning “to cut off”.
Galatians 6:17
“12Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 16Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.
17Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:12-17 NIV).
The word that is here translated “marks” refers to a “mark or brand” . In the Graeco-Roman world this was usually not a good thing. See the following:
“People who are branded, e.g., criminals, prisoners of war, slaves, or deserters, are usually regarded as dishonored and are a butt of scorn in comedy. Caligula even has some citizens branded and sent to prison camps. Various devices are tried to remove the brands but without much success. Tattooed signs are placed on army recruits, usually on the hand” (Theological dictionary of the New Testament).
Nobody actually thinks Paul is referring to a religious ink tattoo in Galatians 6:17. Most believe Paul is referring to scars he has received because of his faithful preaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ. These he holds up as the “ownership marks” of Christ, his master, as opposed to the Judaizer’s cherished mark – circumcision.
In Leviticus and in Galatians, no ink is mentioned. Nor does it matter for our study here. The point is that a mark is created. It makes no difference whether that mark is visible because of ink or because of scar tissue.
The Freedom of the New Testament Era
“16So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV).
“11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean”” (Acts 10:9-15 NIV).
In the Old Testament, God gave the nation of Israel three types of Law. Ceremonial Law, how they were to worship Him. Civic Law, how the nation was to be governed and Moral Law, how God wanted them to treat Him and each other.
Many of the Old Testament laws were specifically intended to set the Israelites apart from neighboring pagan nations (see Deuteronomy 14:21). The great heaping up of laws to keep was also intended to show the Israelite people how sinful they were, and how desperately they needed the promised Messiah.
After the Messiah came, God made it clear through his apostles that many of these Old Testament laws had served their purpose and no longer needed to be carried out by the followers of God.
Generally speaking Old Testament Ceremonial Laws and Civic Laws no longer apply to the followers of God. The Moral Law, however, stands forever as God’s will for mankind. The moral law is generally summarized in the Ten Commandments (But even there, in the third commandment, we find a specific worship law given to the Jews about the Sabbath day).
Is the command given in Leviticus 19:28 one of the prohibitions meant to set the Israelites apart, or was intended to apply to all people of all time? Is this command part of the Ceremonial Law, the Civic Law, or the Moral Law? Let’s look at the context. Read through the chapter and identify each command as either:
· Civic Law
· Ceremonial Law
· Moral Law (Also identify which commandment it fits under)
Surrounding Practices: A Closer Look
“27You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. 28You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:27-28 NKJV).
Some culturally different practices are mentioned here.
· Shaving the sides of the head and “trimming” the beard
· Cutting your own flesh for the dead
Both of these were done in connection with mourning for the dead.
“10 I will turn your religious feasts into mourning
and all your singing into weeping.
I will make all of you wear sackcloth
and shave your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son
and the end of it like a bitter day” (Amos 8:10 NIV).
“4The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, 5eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the LORD” (Jeremiah 41:4-5 NIV).
Whatever motivated these men to cut themselves, we know that the priests of Baal did it in order to get the attention or the good favor of their god.
“27And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." 28And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them” (2 Kings 18: 27-28 ESV).
Regardless of the customs of other nations the Israelites were not to do these things. They were to be different than the other nations, for they were His nation from which the Messiah would come.
“1“You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. 2For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 14:1-2 NKJV).
“5“‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. 6They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the LORD by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy.
7“‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. 8Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy—I who make you holy” (Leviticus 21:5-8 NIV).
Back to Tattoos
1 Corinthians 6:19 speaks of the moral crime of uniting one’s body with a prostitute and puts and exclamation point on the argument since the body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Paul calls it the “Temple” of God.
“12“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:12-20 NIV).
“16Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
The main focus of the Scripture is to build Christians up in faith and train them in righteousness. Proper care of the human body is part of Christian life. It enables us to do His work. It is proper stewardship of God’s gift of a body.
However, Paul’s point in calling the body the “Temple of God” is that the Holy Spirit it there, not that we are being called to hit our target weight and increase our flexibility.
“6If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
9This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
11Command and teach these things. 12Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Timothy 4: NIV).
It’s not hard to see Paul’s focus is more squarely placed on spiritual growth and maturity, not physical.
1 Corinthians 9:27 reminds us that the body is also in need of discipline (same word for “body” is used. “Soma”).
“24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV).
CONCLUSIONS:
A Christian who wants to get a tattoo may ask the question, “What does the Bible say about tattoos? Does the Bible say that getting a tattoo is morally wrong?”
· For an Old Testament Jew – it was wrong to get tattooed. It made a mark in the flesh, a thing which God told them not to do (Leviticus 19:28).
· The Old Testament prohibition against marking the flesh was part of the law that set the Israelites apart from other nations, not part of the moral law which is permanent.
· The prohibition against marking the body has not been reiterated in the New Testament. Therefore, for the New Testament Christian – getting a tattoo is not prohibited.
So, if tattoos are not inherently evil, I should get a tattoo? Maybe, maybe not.
Author Lorne Zelyck lists a number of compelling questions that a Christian might consider before getting a tattoo.
“1. What is your motivation for getting a tattoo? If you got a tattoo, would it violate your conscience or the conscience of your family members, friends, and fellow believers in Christ? Would this tattoo be considered by others as aesthetically pleasing? Is it legal in your state and at your age to be tattooed?”
2. Could this tattoo permanently harm your body? Is the tattoo parlor you go too certified? Is it clean? Have you seen other tattoos which your artist has done? How long have you thought about getting this particular symbol? Are you prepared to have this symbol marked on your body permanently? Are you addicted to tattoos? Are you able to not get the tattoo?
3. What will your parents think of your tattoo? If you are married, what would your spouse think? What would your fellow church members think? Is your tattoo auspicious? Are you able to cover it up? How will you feel about your tattoo in 10 years? 50 years? Will this tattoo hinder future relationships? Will this tattoo prevent you from getting a job in the future? Will this tattoo prevent you from accomplishing God’s will for your life?
4. What is the meaning of your tattoo? Does it symbolize a Biblical truth? Would God be honored by this tattoo? Does this tattoo symbolize something which is relevant to your relationship with Christ? Would this tattoo benefit or hinder your relationship with Christ?” (“The (Im)Morality of Tattoos”, by Lorne Zelyck).
“23“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NIV).
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