Tattoos

With the popularity of tattoos today, people often ask what God has to say in His word about them.

If you search the word 'tattoo' in a Bible App, how many Scripture verses do you come up with? One.

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. (NASB)

Does this verse mean no tattoos period? Or is the context of the verse meaning tattoo marks for the dead?

I cannot read Hebrew. I am limited to English translations. So I will read several to try to get a better understanding of the meaning.

After reading all English translations of this verse, I am still undecided. Some tie the cutting of the body for the dead with tattoos for the dead, while others seem to separate the two actions.

I personally choose to err on the side of caution and not have tattoos.

I suppose that you could argue that some verses that reference a 'mark' on the body could be using the word mark for tattoo.

If a person is not a Christian, they don't care what God says about anything. But what if you are a Christian? Does Jesus say anything about tattoos in the New Testament? No.

Is there any guidance at all?

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NIV

¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Many people would quote verse 20, of 1 Corinthians 6. But this verse is in the context of sexual sin. Is it fair then to use verse 20 for tattoos or anything else?

One thing we can agree on as Christians, is that we are bought with the blood of Christ. When we are baptized into Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit. In that sense, then, we are a temple for the Holy Spirit, who is God. It would make sense that we would honor God with our body.

So before you get that tattoo you are wanting, ask yourself, will this mark on my body honor God?

If it honors you, or someone or something other than God, you might want to pause.

Talk to God about it. Ask Him!