Is it a sin for Christians to get a tattoo?

Theology
44

I have tattoo’s. They can be pretty painful, depending on where you get them done.
I’m pretty sure I’m not getting them anymore. I never look at them or admire them at all,
they’re just there. And my skin is going to age and so will the tattoo’s so I will not only
be wrinkly but discolored! I feel neutral about having them as well. I think they are generally
ok. But if a Christian gets a giant unholy tattoo then maybe they need to explore why they
would get that in the first place? As far as using the Old Testament to point out that
getting them is wrong, well, is anyone able to keep the whole law? Nope. We’re all sinners.
That’s why we need Jesus- 'cause we could never live up to the OT standard. Imagine how many lambs would
die in your place if that was still being practiced and Jesus had not have come yet!

I think that there comes a point where you have to realize and be thankful for the body that you have
been given, and use it to serve God and do the works he has for us. I would focus more on feeding it well,
sleeping well, exercising, and carrying out any task God has for ya.

One more thing, like it was said, tattoo’s are an excellent conversation started, and if you have
an interesting one, it’s an awesome way to witness!

45

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Authorized (King James) Version

**18 **Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. **19 **What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? **20 **For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

If you are not your own, meaning that you belong to someone else (Jesus) what right does a person have plaster the body with graffii ?

46

By the same token, what right does a person have to drink soda, eat junk food, or watch a sports game?

The moment we start moralizing, rather than addressing the substance of God’s commandments, we make everything and nothing sinful at the same time.

My grandmother grew up in a church which said drinking root beer was a sin because it has the word “beer” in it.

Moralism is ungodliness dressing itself up in godliness–it’s performative religion.

47

I will have to admit that soft drinks,junk food and watching sports are the best choices for a child of God….Many folks have different personal convictions, which is between them and God. But, writting on your body is along the lines of permantly defacing your body….Why not just leave it the way God made it? Don’t paint it, poke holes in it or put graffiti on it !!

48

@TheologyNerd

I think you’re right on point with this. What you’re describing really captures the difference between moralism and true holiness. Scripture makes that distinction clear, moralism invents rules that seem righteous but aren’t grounded in God’s revealed commands, while holiness flows from a heart transformed by the Spirit to love what God loves and obey what He actually said.

Paul warned about this same issue in Colossae, saying that self-made religion and man-made rules about food or drink “have an appearance of wisdom… but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (~Colossians 2:23). Jesus confronted it too when He said, “They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (~Mark 7:7). Those external fences may look godly, but they bypass the heart and end up clouding the very righteousness they claim to protect.

The root beer example is a perfect illustration of how moralism loses sight of the Gospel. Once we start moralizing beyond what God has spoken, everything becomes sin and nothing truly is. It trivializes genuine holiness by equating it with appearances. Paul reminds us that “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (~Romans 14:17).

You’re absolutely right, moralism is ungodliness dressed up as godliness. It performs religion but lacks transformation. True godliness isn’t performative; it’s participatory, rooted in Christ Himself, where the Spirit writes the Law on the heart (~Hebrews 8:10).

Stay strong in Messiah brother.

J.

49

@Johann, and @TheologyNerd

You both make strong points regarding “moralism”; compelling arguments against “performance religion”. I agree with you. The human proclivity to erect religious fences for the purpose of making ourselves feel more secure in our cultic behavior is nothing new. In my view, the fence of religious moralism intends to delineate between those who are “inside” and those who are “outside”, but being man-made is only a false delineation, unrecognized in the courts of heaven. When the world observes Christian fence-builders, they seem to only see disunity of the self-righteous, and do not instead witness our missional responsibility proclaiming God-ordained integrity (unity) of the body of Christ our redeemer. The difference between an old-goat who clings to his strong fences, and a sheep who abides close to the shepherd is often referred to in Scripture as the difference between walking in the flesh and walking in The Spirit.

Ezekiel 36:25-28

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

Galatians 5:16-25

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Thank you for reminding us to walk in The Spirit, and to crucify the flesh.

The very title of this thread seems to be an acknowledgement of one of these moralizing fences; “Is it a sin for Christians to get a tattoo?” as if to say “if you get a tattoo, does that put you outside the moral fence?”

When @TheologyNerd gave his concise reply:

I responded with:

was me saying the same thing that you are.

I could have said: “But he who doubts is condemned if he inks, because he does not ink from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. (adapted from Romans 14:23). My point is the same as saying “is this action living close to the shepherd, or is it hanging-out by the fence.” The rebuttal that Christians do many things that are not necessarily living “close to the shepherd” is not a very strong argument for righteousness. The rebuttal that any negative view of the practice in question is “moralizing”, is just as weak (IMHO). Moralizing is a real problem, and one to be avoided. Making “moralizing” a moral failure, and therefore another “fence” is to make a rule that condemns itself.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,

... Romans 8:1-6

who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Peace among the members, all of whom carry their scars.

KP

50

@KPuff

Brother, your paraphrase of ~Romans 14:23 is interesting, but Paul’s point there is not to create a new law about doubtful matters; it is to expose the inner posture of the believer’s conscience before the Lord. The text says, “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” The verb pisteuō (to trust, rely, be persuaded) is moral only in relation to the object of that faith, Christ Himself. Paul’s concern is not tattoos, meat, or days, but the danger of acting apart from trust in Christ’s lordship.
When a man doubts yet proceeds, he sins, not because of the act itself, but because his heart violates what he believes to be right.

So the moral issue is never the ink on the skin, but the motive in the soul. The Spirit (pneuma hagion) convicts of sin, not culture. You are correct that moralizing is a real danger, but the opposite danger is to make one’s scruples the measure of another’s righteousness.
Paul warned against that too. In the same passage he said, “Who are you to judge another man’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls” (~Romans 14:4). The verb krinō (to judge, to condemn) is the very thing Paul forbids when believers elevate disputable matters into moral fences.

The shepherd-and-fence analogy is vivid, but misleading if the “fence” becomes man-made boundaries rather than Christ’s commands. Living close to the Shepherd means walking by the Spirit (~Galatians 5:16), whose fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, not the length of one’s hair or the marks on one’s skin.
So, when morality is defined by external acts rather than by the obedience of faith (hypakoē pisteōs, ~Romans 1:5), the gospel is quietly replaced with cultural law.

So yes, if someone’s conscience convicts him that getting tattooed would dishonor Christ, he must not do it. But neither may he bind that conviction on another for whom it is simply body art without idolatry. Paul’s command is mutual respect in conscience and charity in judgment.

Therefore, the question is not, “Is tattooing sin?” but “Can I do this in faith, giving thanks to God?” (~Colossians 3:17). If the answer is yes, then it is holy to him. If no, then it is sin to him. But it cannot be made sin for all.

The Shepherd’s fence is His Word, not our opinions about its aesthetics. To walk near Him is to keep step with the Spirit, not to measure distance by the ink on another’s skin.

J.

51

@Johann
Yes, everything you said, Yes!
What you said is the same thing that I was trying to say.
Thanx for your validation.

KP

52

i’m about to stir the pot with a simple question. know this isn’t the intent to cause issues, but a valid question asked by a curious mind. let me also set up the question before i ask it. nowhere are tattoos spefically mentioned in the bible, but this question also does not need bible verses, just good ol’ fashion human thought.

historically tats date back pre-bilical days. we see evidence in mummified remains like the ice mummy. we today have terms like “tribal” tattoo, but people use it as a style and forget it was actually a way to tell others who they are, professions and what tribe they are from. like a ‘ye olde bussiness card’ piercings were also very common, wealth was reflected in the items used but thats not the point, the point is evidence in history books, archiological findings etc show this was a very common practice.

so now the 100,000 dollar pyramid (i’ll mix medaphors for fun)

who’s to say whether or not jesus had ink? or luke, mark or paul?

for all we know they had a simple design stating “i’m a leather worker/banker/black smith/carpenter" etc to 3, 4, 5 differnt designs/jobs. i’ve always wondered this. mostly because the bible has great stories of people and lessons on how to live but we dont have stories of every day life and common society practices. we do know from a recent find in turkey that the dipiction of jesus on bread baked long ago shows the influence of christ, but not how they lived.

thoughts?

2 Likes
53

This is one of those areas of Christian freedom, I think. I always think of my sister in this discussion. She has several tattoos of spiritually significant events in her life or Christian words or symbols. She is one of the most serious Christians, committed to her faith and evangelism that I know.

I know that’s simply one example, but I think it shows that the question of tattoos being a sin or not is rather nuanced, and if you believe it is a sin, then don’t get one, but you also have to be on guard against judging others who do have them. Only Jesus knows their motivations and hearts.

1 Like
54

If I may pick at a nit for a moment. This statement isn’t actually true. The Bible does specifically mention tattoos in at least one place that I can think of off the top of my head. It’s in Leviticus, and it’s the one passage some try to use to argue Christians can’t get tattooed.

“You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.“ - Leviticus 19:28

So the issue of Christians and tattoos really depends on this verse. Those of us who do not regard this verse as a prohibition against Christians getting tattoos involves several exegetical and theological arguments.

  1. There is a specific context in this passage, it is within a list of condemnations of Pagan Canaanite practices being condemned, note the mention of cutting/marking the body for the sake of the dead–this is describing a form of necromantic ritual scarification, it is mentioned right along tattooing oneself; so we can pretty easily understand that this refers to a specific kind of tattooing, ritual tattoos which were part of pagan religious rites. This passage follows another prohibition, in Leviticus 19:27 there is a commandment against shaving the edges of the beard or shaving the hair on the sides of the head. Which is to say, if Leviticus 19:28 means Christians can’t, under any circumstance, get a tattoo we would likewise have to argue that a Christian can’t shave parts of their hair or beard.

  2. Christians aren’t under any obligation to observe the Levitical laws, because the Torah was given to the Jews alone under the Old Covenant; which has been fulfilled and replaced with a new and better Covenant–the New Covenant. It’s what Paul repeats time and again through his epistles, there is no obligation for Christians to follow the Torah, the Sabbath, the feasts and festivals, circumcision, dietary laws and restrictions, etc. None of those things have anything to do with what Christians are commanded or forbidden to do. We are not Lawless, but we are not Torah observant. We know God’s Law from what is revealed; murder is wrong because it violates God’s Law, murder was wrong before God gave the Torah, because God’s Law is more than just the Torah. Of chief importance is what Christ and the rest of the New Testament reminds us: the core of God’s Holy Law is the Great Commandment: To love the Lord our God with everything we have and are; and to love our neighbor as ourself. This Christ tells us is the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled in this Commandment, St. Paul reminds us this when in Galatians he writes that the whole of God’s Law is summed up in this Holy Commandment, and St. James tells us that we do well to remember and keep this Royal Commandment. St. Augustine would later comment, “Love and do what thou wilt” because St. Augustine recognized that a person who truly and fully loved God and neighbor, as this Commandment teaches, will not falter on other matters. Of course I would not murder if I loved God and my neighbor; I would not lie, nor steal, nor cheat, nor envy, nor bear false witness, nor worship false gods, or profane God’s Name; I would not be malicious, greedy; I would not curse, I would not harm, I would not bear a grudge, I would not fail to be kind, I would be chaste, and truthful, merciful, humble. If I truly love God and neighbor.

55

so, question. “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves” reads to me like cut/tattoos for the dead is frowned on not ink itself. right? because i do have memorial ink for a cousin, so did i sin? i agree with some of what you say. but i think as long as its not crude, rude or offenive the ink away

56

No, that’s not a sin.

The issue is, as I said, pagan scarification rituals.

This is the difference between engaging in necromantic rituals to try and summon the dead, vs going to visit your loved one’s grave. It’s pretty night and day stuff.

1 Like
57

i feel we should stay tru to the religon

58

might be a bad choice due to the relgion

1 Like
59

The Bible says not to, but some judaica (judicuca is cultural knowledge, I don’t mean Judaism as a liturgy) claims that the tattoos were made by Egyptians or pharaohs followers during the times of slavery. It’s a crime to be a tattooist, according to them, but not to have one, as according to the Judaic tradition tattoos are forced on you. Paying for one is probably done by people who don’t know that..

60

lol i llike it fr :joy: