One of the bigger controversies that I have seen within the Christian community is whether or not it is biblical to get a tattoo.
I have heard many people make the argument that tattoos are not biblical because of what Leviticus 19:28 says, “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.”
In context, this verse is talking about the way the Israelites were putting idols on their skin and defiling their bodies in other ways.
This was also an example of them breaking one of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:3-5 that states that we should have no other gods before the Lord.
Some may argue that the law in Leviticus is now void because it was established and enforced under the Old Covenant.
When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, his blood bought us freedom from the Old Covenant and we were able to enter into the New Covenant as it says in Hebrews 8:13, “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
I fully recognize and daily appreciate the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice and the life we now get to live under the New Covenant because of it, however that does not make it wise to ignore those laws that were once put in place or to assume that because the specific topic of tattoos in the New Testament is omitted that it is permitted.
Biblical principles, such as treating your body as a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and not being swayed by the flesh or things of the world (Romans 12:2) should be at the forefront of this decision.
It is a matter of one’s own discernment and a conversation to have with the Lord through prayer, in my opinion.
This does not mean that people are not entitled to their opinion about tattoos in general or that their faith is not still the reason they choose to get or not get a tattoo (even if the Bible isn’t what is stopping them from getting one).
For many, it is a personal or spiritual conviction of modesty or their way of honoring their body as Scripture commands.
As a kid, I would always think about whether or not I should get a tattoo.
My dad has one that he got in college, and he always talked about how he regretted getting something that did not hold significant meaning in his life.
When my mom proposed the idea of getting matching tattoos with my sister and I (a cross with “always” written into it acting as a representation of our relationship with each other and with Christ), it made me start thinking more about if it really is a sin or simply a personal preference.
I think that I would like to get a tattoo, but one that I could cover easily for more serious occasions such as job interviews and also one that has a great meaning.
As cool as tattoos are, I do not want to permanently ink something into my skin that has no personal and long-lasting meaning to me.
All in all, I do not think that tattoos are a biblical issue because the idea of a tattoo without the context of idol worship is not really mentioned in the Bible, therefore there is no real way to determine if it is or isn’t, however that is just my opinion. This does not automatically make it a sin or not a sin.
I truthfully do not know if tattoos are a sin, because only God truly knows his own thoughts on it.
I think that getting a tattoo should be up to the discernment of the person receiving one.
Arts & Life Editor
