One summer, I had the privilege of taking a trip on which I spent time in four nations. As modern travel dictates, I also spent hours in the airports of these nations, seeing people come and go from across the globe. It was July—one of the warmest months in much of the Northern Hemisphere, and two of these airports were in Florida and the Caribbean. During this trip in particular, I was struck by the abundance of “body art” on display—from teenagers to grandparents, the sheer number of bodies covered by multiple tattoos was astonishing. If I knew no better, I would have felt left out! Overall, though, I was sobered by what I saw.
Tattoos have existed for thousands of years, and are referenced in histories around the globe. They have been used as decorations, brands of identification during times of enslavement and imprisonment, signs of social status or accomplishment, and symbols of individuality and personal freedom. The 21st century has seen a global resurgence of tattooing, but tattoos have been long-present—especially in some segments of society such as the military, gangs, and organized crime groups. We now see the emergence of so-called “Christian tattooing”—an attempt to justify tattooing by using what are considered “Christian images.” Today, tattoos are also made more popular by reality television shows featuring tattoo parlors.
Considering the increasing popularity, improvements in design intricacy, and widespread availability, we should consider what our Creator thinks about body ink. What does Scripture tell us?
Graffiti on the Holy
In Leviticus 19:28, God gave the following command to the people He intended to be His model nation: “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.” Virtually all translators agree that the Hebrew words describing the process in Leviticus 19:28 can only accurately be translated in this way: “tattoo.” Sadly, many professing Christians today dismiss this command as being from the “old covenant” and thus “nailed to the cross.” Many others do not even know that this verse exists! However, taken in the context of the entire Bible, why would God make such a statement—one that He never rescinded in the New Testament?
God created our bodies “fearfully and wonderfully,” as wise King David observed (Psalm 139:14). We are formed according to the appearance of the Creator Himself (Genesis 1:26). But understanding God’s perspective on tattoos requires that we recognize the true purpose for the human body.
At first, in ancient Israel, God dwelt among His people through a pillar of cloud and fire. However, once the physical tabernacle and then the temple were built, the Holy of Holies within was the only place on earth where God consistently resided. At the death of Christ, the heavy curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn in half (Matthew 27:51), symbolizing the reality that God no longer chose to exist separated from mankind—He intended instead to reside with and within mankind through the Holy Spirit.
On the Day of Pentecost in AD 31, when the Holy Spirit was poured out and made available to all whom God would choose to call (Acts 2:1–39), God showed that the body of a true Christian is the “temple” in which He, through His Spirit, dwells. The Apostle Paul warned of the serious consequences that would befall those who defile this temple. “If 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). And just as the collective “body”—the Church—is holy to God, so too are the individual bodies of those who are part of His Church!
In that same letter to the Corinthians, Paul also taught that “your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [which] is in you, [which] you have from God, and you are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). God made our bodies. He blessed us with them, and, after we are baptized, He lives in them through His Spirit. He has every right to dictate how we treat and take care of the bodies He gave to us—the very bodies He desires to place His Spirit within.
Keeping this in mind, then, tattoos are a type of graffiti that mars the exterior of God’s Holy Temple. If God’s physical temple still stood in Jerusalem today, none of us would consider using a chisel or can of spray paint to etch our name or an image into its hallowed walls. Likewise, we need also to respect the condition of the body as God’s temple on earth today. Even aside from the many health risks, which are very real, is it any wonder that God forbade tattoos?
A New Way of Life
One of the incredible blessings of God’s calling is that He allows us to repent when we sin. Baptism is the ultimate experience of forgiveness, allowing our past, repented-of sins to be washed away. Christians who obtained tattoos prior to their conversion were completely forgiven of this when they were baptized.
What about the brethren who have no tattoos, but who sometimes become uncomfortable seeing tattoos on their brethren at services? We must remember that conversion is a process whereby God calls sinners—not perfect people—to repentance. He calls sinners to cease from their sins and “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Although tattoos are essentially a permanent reminder of past sins, we must remember that when people truly repent and turn from their worldly ways, God has not only forgiven them; He has also blotted out their past sins and not brought them to remembrance (Psalm 51:1–2)—despite the permanent “outward” reminder that may remain. A true Christian must never hold the past against his brother or sister in Christ, but instead bestow the outgoing love of Christ toward them (John 13:35). “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:1–2).
Certainly, repentant Christians bearing tattoos should no longer feel guilty for their past transgressions. But neither should they proudly display their tattoos to show them off as a mark of God’s forgiveness. The Apostle Paul commented that although it is not a sin to eat meat previously offered to false gods, he would personally be willing to never eat meat at all in front of those of his brethren who would be offended by it (1 Corinthians 8:9–13). The point is that we must avoid placing a “stumbling block” before other brethren.
When I was a boy, there was one minister in the Church who always wore a long-sleeved shirt and long sweatpants when playing basketball, and I wondered why, since it looked like he would be very hot as he played. I used to go to the locker room with my father and the other players after the ball games—which made me feel all grown up—and when I saw this minister remove his clothes to shower, I saw that his body was covered with tattoos. He had been in the military before his conversion, and God allowed him to repent and even to be placed into the ministry. Although he knew he had been forgiven, this minister worked hard to avoid putting a stumbling block before others. That example of love for the brethren sticks in my mind all these years later.
We all have sins in our past. Many sins leave non-physical “scars” that cannot be removed surgically—consequences that must be lived with. Similarly, many brethren with tattoos will find that surgical removal is not an option, whether because of the high cost, the lack of availability, or the pain and side effects involved.
There is no biblical command to cover every inch of tattooed flesh, but those bearing tattoos may want to consider covering as much of their tattooed flesh as they practically can when in public settings, out of love for the brethren. Although a converted Church member can view tattoos on another converted person in light of God’s power to forgive, there remains the risk that some observers could mistake tattoos on a member as license to “sin and then repent.” As ambassadors for Christ and His way of life (2 Corinthians 5:20), we do not want to set an example that could confuse the young and impressionable or mistakenly communicate an “endorsement” of tattoos.
As we move closer to the end of the age, increasing numbers of individuals will be called into the Church from various backgrounds. We will see more people begin attending Sabbath services with tattoos, body piercings, and other visible results of sin. Although those being called will need to learn to repent of past sins, and even at times literally cover up the results, those of us in the body—whose sins are often less visible—will also need to be loving, forgiving, patient, kind, and gentle (1 Corinthians 13:4–8; Galatians 5:22–23). Jesus Christ made a very powerful observation on the night before His crucifixion: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). As Christ is willing to forgive any of our past sins as long as we genuinely repent, we must do the same for others He calls, regardless of their past mistakes.
Those who come into God’s Church tattooed are no less brethren than those who come into the Church with no ink on their flesh. Indeed, a repentant tattooed member may be far more deeply converted than a self-righteous and judgmental person who recoils at the tattooed. Even so, repentant brethren with tattoos understand that they must try not to send a wrong message.
Conversely, if we see tattoos on our brothers or sisters in Christ, we should remember that it is not our place to condemn those whom God has forgiven. Their bodies may be scarred with regretted tattoos, but we must be sure that our attitudes toward them are not marred by self-righteousness. Rather, with or without tattoos, we must be sure always to present ourselves to one another in humility, displaying true godly love for each other. This is what God thinks about body ink.