Christian tattoos.
Christian tattooists.
This all sounds like a paradox in on itself. I've always wondered how these new-age band members have been able to get away with the tattoos and piercings as if it wasn't a problem. I've never thought about what the Bible says about this modern and popular style of body art. If the Scriptures tell us that tattooing is a behavior that God says is wrong in any way, then it's off limits for God's followers... right? But how do these new pastors and Christian Rock band members get away with it?! Is it that my baptist roots aren't letting me see the new wave of Christianity clearly? Does the Bible teach that God forbids tattoos and other things of that sort? I've never taken a good look, but I decided to do a bit of research (as I got a nose ring last year hidden away from everyone and want to open it up again, permanently this time without having to hide).
The main passage in the Bible that concerns people with regards to tattooing is this verse from the Old Testament, Leviticus 19:28.
You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves:
I am the LORD.
At first glance, this passage seems to say tattooing forbidden for Christians. To understand this prart of the Bible correctly, you always need to examine the whole passage and look at the particular context of a given verse. If we don't, we'll never truly understand the intent of the men that wrote it. We need to look at the words of the above passage in full connection with the surrounding verses, and in context with the historic setting at the time of its writing. When we study below the surface of this text, we see more clearly what God says about tattoos and other such awesome forms of body art. The verse quoted above is part of a larger passage of scripture:
26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying.
27 You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard.
28 ‘You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD.
29 ‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot, so that the land will not fall to harlotry and the land become full of lewdness.
30 ‘You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD.
31 ‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
In this passage, God is speaking to his covenant people , which is just a fancy word for Israelites. He is specifically telling them to stay awayfar from the religious practices of the surrounding groups. The prohibited religious practices in these verses include eating bloody meat, fortune telling, certain hair cuts related to the priests of false cults, cutting or marking the body for dead relatives, prostitution and consulting psychics. All these practices would lead God's people away from Him and toward false gods. In the midst of this, we find the word translated “tattoo marks” in verse 28. It is important to note here that the context of this passage is not one of body décor but one of marking one's self in connection with cult-type religious worship. This, in fact, isn't saying that modern-day tattooing is forbidden, but that the old rituals of the people surroudning Israel were the ones that shouldn't be repeated.
The “tattoo” marks described in Leviticus 19:28 were clearly related to false religious practices. The word translated tattoo in our English Bibles is a Hebrew word that appears only one time in the Bible, here in this passage Leviticus. The word means literally “to cut” but taken with the surrounding words indicates a cutting that left a mark imprinted on the skin. This might be considered branding, scarring, cutting or a process with ink, but there is not enough data to fully define exactly what this word meant. The tattoo of today is much different than it was for those who originally received the Pentateuch, which is another fancy word that describes the first 5 books of the Bible. Today, tattoo is decorative and promotes self expression.
A further reason to believe Christians are free to tattoo their bodies is that New Testament believers are not bound by the Old Testament laws to gain or regain right relationship with God. If we were to obey the laws of the Old Testament we would also be bound by rules that would restrict shellfish and pork eating, hairstyles, wearing of clothes made from two different fabrics, even eating cheese on hamburgers (yes, it is true). Some also feel that modifying the body somehow defies God's creation, maybe offending him by saying he's not done a good enough job with making us look like him. However, if this was true would it be right to pierce ears, correct a club foot, cut hair, clip nails, get a tan or gets braces? If so, I am sinning so badly, it's not even funny. (I got a haircut 6 months ago, got braces 2 months ago, and paint my nails every week!) Getting a tattoo is a deeply personal choice that falls in the category of personal appearance and is vitally connected to the freedom of the believer.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that the Old Testament Law was designed by God was to lead people toward Jesus. Now that Jesus has come and set us free, we are not under the law for our good standing with God. Our right standing before God comes from placing our trust in Jesus’ death on the cross to pay for our debts, not on following the Old Testament regulations.
