The Tattooed Christian

There are different views on the matter of Christians sporting tattoos. Does the Bible permit or forbid it? Is it a violation of our bodies which God said are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19)? Is it a compromise, too worldly, carnal or outright disobedience? Or, is it just body art, trendy, a form of expression, an addiction, or a form of self -mutilation?

In Leviticus 19:28 it says, “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am the Lord”.

In antiquity, cuttings and markings on one’s body was connected to ancient pagan religious practices. These activities were supposed to appease their gods and were a part of their worship. The children of Israel were prohibited from practicing the evil cultic practices of the nations surrounding them.

We read in 1 Corinthians 10:23 we read, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify”.

So, regarding Leviticus 19:28 does the text apply to the Church, or just to Israel? I would have to say the latter. There are no NT verses that prohibit Christians from wearing tattoos. With that said, is it always the best choice? That depends upon your social status and environment. If you work in a place where your appearance must be professional, and you have tattoos on your neck, arms and face, that will present a problem. Let’s be honest, how would we feel if President Obama was rocking Dreds like Bob Marley and had tattoos like Wiz Khalifa? Not a good look for the leader of the free world. It would be an obvious distraction. Many would ignore what he was saying verses how he looked. We all would be talking about him, negatively.

Why? Because of the position he holds; he’s a dignitary. He would be criticized if he appeared at the UN like that. Lets face it, in his arena appearance means a lot.

On the other hand, if you work for Amoeba, a vintage record store on Sunset Blvd where tattoos and piercings seem to be a pre-requisite, then you are good to go. Also some NBA players sport the body art a lot now.

The matter of tattoos is a matter of preference and I believe self-expression. A lot of tattoos have personal messages regarding loved ones that have passed away, a favorite scripture, a particular quote or a favorite team. I see no harm in those.

As a believer you never want to permanently put something on you that is disgraceful, misogynistic, or dishonoring to yourself or God.

As with anything however many take it to the extreme, and abuse their bodies with the ink. For many, it becomes a fetish, an addiction; the more they have, the more they want it like a drug.

We should never judge based on outward appearances. Just because someone in the church does not look the way you think they should look, does not mean they are out the will of God, or engaged in gross sin – they simply like being “tatted-up” – it’s their identification.

Also, it does not mean the person is a rebel either. Let us not major in the minors.

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (I Sam 16:7).

In Romans 14:22b-23 we read, “Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves, but he who doubts is condemned if he eats (well in this case having a tattoo) because he does not eat from faith. For whatever is not from faith is sin”.

In I Corinthians 10:31-33 we read, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to the Jews or the Greeks (Greeks would be indicative of all non-Jewish people in this text), or to the Church of God, just as I also please all men in all things not seeking my own profit, but for the profit of many that they may be saved.”

In the Romans passage, we must make sure we are not doing anything just to gain acceptance with someone and later regret the decision we made. In other words, whatever we do provided it is not sinful, we must do with a clear conscience so that we do not condemn ourselves; for if we do, we have sinned. Bringing it to the subject at hand, if someone gets a tattoo because someone dared them to, or the person said you would look good with a certain marking on your body and you proceed to do it, but later regret the decision, you have sinned. Why? Because you did it in guilt and not in confidence or faith. Please remember I’m talking about believers only.

If you are going to engage in a neutral activity, be sure you can handle what you are doing so that you are not later smitten by your conscience.

Now looking at the 1 Corinthians 10 passages, Paul is focusing more on ministry – mainly on saving souls. The more mature believer would operate in this vein ( I admit I’m far from this level). Paul is saying he does not want to do anything that would hinder the gospel and the salvation of souls. So if there is anything in our lives that would supercede the advancement of God’s kingdom even though we have every right to do it, we should refrain from it for the Kingdom of God’s sake. I understand, none of us arrive at this maturity level overnight, and naturally none of us like to be told or even suggested to us what we should and should not do even for the Church of God’s sake.

You can view this article as a two-sided coin. On heads, we see that having a tattoo in it of itself is not sinful; it is strictly a matter of preference, style, expression, and to many perhaps self-worth. It is no different than a belly, tongue or nose piercing. For others, their expression is hair color, hair extensions, Dreadlocks, Mohawk or French braid hairstyles. For other it is makeup, jewelry, clothing and shoes.

On tails, we have to focus on our freedom in Christ vs what is best for the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, for some people – usually young believers in the faith something as trivial as a tattoo on someone may determine if they will worship at a particular church or not because they are offended. In that person’s mind the tattoo is a symbol of rebellion and ungodliness; perhaps all they see is biker gangs or hate groups wearing tattoos. If tattoos are evil, then it would also be sinful to shave one’s head or trim their beard (Lev 19:27). Also, pork, lobster, crab, shrimp would be forbidden to eat (Lev 11).

This is where I believe it is important to take the mature approach and explain to the offended person that a tattoo does not determine someone’s eternal destiny. The disposition of a person’s standing before God which is a matter of the heart is what determines that destiny.

The overarching virtue we must exhibit is love toward our weaker brother and sister. We who know our freedoms in Christ must not allow our liberties to become a stumbling block to those who do not understand those freedoms yet and speak evil about them (Rom 14:16; 1 Cor 10:30). There are some things (gray areas perhaps: drinking, tattoos, certain movies) perhaps we can refrain from doing to edify our young siblings in the faith, and also it is important that our brethren continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ so that they understand their freedoms too (2 Peter 3:18).

For a comparative view, read my article on Christians and alcohol: http://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2013/07/is-is-sinful-for-christians-to-consume.html?view=magazine