Can a Christian Get a Tattoo?

The short answer: This is a question where faithful Christians disagree. Some believe tattoos are fine for Christians as a matter of freedom; others think it’s wiser to avoid them. All agree that your body belongs to God, that what a tattoo says matters, and that while you live at home you should honour your parents’ rules.

Tattoos used to be rare. Now you might see them on teachers, footballers, worship leaders and maybe your own parents. But someone at church has probably told you the Bible forbids them. So does it?

What Leviticus says

There’s one verse in the Bible that mentions tattoos directly: “You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28).

That seems to settle it. But context matters. The verse comes in the middle of laws given to Israel. The verse just before says, “You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27). Most scholars think these commands were about the mourning and worship practices of the nations around Israel, cutting and marking the body for the dead or for other gods. Deuteronomy links them the same way: “do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead” (Deuteronomy 14:1).

Christians also have to ask which Old Testament laws still apply. The moral law, like “do not steal,” still does. But many laws given to mark Israel out as a nation, about food, clothing and haircuts, were fulfilled in Christ and aren’t binding on Christians in the same way. Christians disagree about exactly which category this verse belongs in.

Where Christians differ

Some Christians see tattoos as a matter of freedom. They believe the Leviticus command was tied to pagan mourning rituals and isn’t a rule for Christians today. They point to the freedom Paul describes: “For you, brothers, were called to freedom” (Galatians 5:13). Some get tattoos with Christian meaning, like a verse or a cross, as a way of showing their faith.

Other Christians think tattoos are unwise or wrong. Some believe the principle of Leviticus 19:28 still stands, even if the original context was pagan. Others simply think permanent marks on the body aren’t the best way to honour a body that belongs to God, or worry about how culture or employers see them. Many churches and families hold this view seriously.

Where Christians agree

Whichever view your church holds, Christians agree on several things:

• Your body belongs to God. “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
• What it says matters. A tattoo of something cruel, crude, occult or sexual is wrong whatever your view.
• Your reasons matter. “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
• Don’t judge each other. On debatable matters, Paul writes, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). A Christian with tattoos and a Christian who’d never get one can worship side by side.

Questions to ask

If you’re thinking about a tattoo one day, ask: Why do I want this? Will I still want it at forty? Is it for God’s glory, or to fit in or shock someone? Would it hurt anyone’s faith or my family relationships? Have I prayed about it?

And for now, there’s a simpler question. In most places you can’t legally get a tattoo at your age without a parent’s permission, and while you live at home, your parents’ rules matter. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). If they say no, that settles it for now. A tattoo can wait. Honouring them can’t.

There’s one beautiful picture worth remembering. God says to His people, “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:16). Whatever you decide about marks on your own skin, your name is already written on His.

Think about it: Why do you think God cares about the reasons behind the things we do with our bodies, not just the actions themselves?

Go deeper: The Key Teachings of Martin Luther — this chapter sets out Luther’s teaching that a Christian is completely free in Christ, including from man-made rules about food, clothing and outward things, yet also a willing servant of everyone, using that freedom to love and serve others. Start with chapter 7, “Lord of All, Servant of All”.