WhateverThings

This is another question that came in on a comment card. So, here we go with some starting thoughts on the issue of should I get a tattoo, or more broadly what is the Christian/biblical perspective on tattoos? Once again I will answer by responding to a series of questions and then attempt to combine and summarize at the end.

What are the relevant Biblical texts?

Unfortunately asking this question, or the old Covenant question, “Where is it written?” can lead us down the wrong path. Because what we frequently do is simply pull out our concordance and look for the texts that apply. In this case, we would look up tatoo and find one verse, Leviticus 19:28: ‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” The problem with that approach is that we are looking for ideas, not just words. I am indebted to Moises Silva for this insight in his book Biblical Words and Their Meaning. He illustrates by using Isaiah 1:10-15; the passage is about hypocrisy but, “the student suckled at the concordance would never find it.” My point being, that this sole verse that mentions tattoos can not be the sole source for our discussion. But, it is a good place to start. As with any biblical text we begin by asking questions about context (biblical and historical), author’s intent. With this text, we will also have to make decisions about how we handle passages like this from the Mosaic laws.

So, how does Leviticus 19:28 apply?

My reading of this verse and much of what goes with it in Leviticus, e.g. 19:27 and 21:5 is about God calling his people to be different from the people around them (Leviticus 18:1-4). The surrounding cultures often cut and disfigured themselves as part of their religious practices, maybe to get the attention of the gods (think of Elijah on Mt. Carmel, 1 Kings 18:28). God continues to call his people to be different - just read any of Paul’s letters, for example Ephesians 4:17-5:20. A lot of what he calls us to be different in is our behaviors and he does not seem so concerned about outward marks and signs (like circumcision). The problem with the outward marks is that they are very much determined by culture. Is it Christian for men to have long hair or should the pastor wear a suit all the time? So, the question to ask then would be, does getting a tattoo have any cultural significance? It does not seem to as far as any pagan religions; unless of course you were getting tattooed with a pentagram or something like that. But, before we draw any conclusions, let’s ask a few more questions.

What has been the practice of Christians through the ages?As I have said before, Scripture, not tradition, is the final and highest authority, but tradition can serve as a helpful guide. I was kind of surprised by an article I read from “Books & Culture” which reviewed several books on tattoos (read the article). In the article, it talks about Christians getting tattoos, perhaps using Galatians 6:17 as a basis -. bearing the marks of Jesus, as tattoos were often associated with and used to mark slaves and we see ourselves as slaves of Jesus. A bit of a stretch perhaps, or maybe not. Yet, it is interesting to note that at various times tattoos have not been seen as inherently sinful.

Are there other relevant passages in the Bible?

Some of the ones that seem relevant to me are 1 Corinthians 6:19 (”your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit”), 1 Corinthians 10:31 (”whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”), Colossians 3:17 (”whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus”). [Side note: those last two are where the title of the blog comes from, particularly Colossians.]

And the answer is …

If you are living with your parents, it’s the parents’ call. There is at least one simply what I would call practical consideration. I’ve been told that tattoos can be removed to some extent. But, the bottom line is that it’s pretty much a permanent thing. Can you really be sure that you are still going to want that leopard, American Flag or snake 15, 30 or 40 years from now? And, it sure looks great now, but will it look the same in the future? After that, the key questions is, “Can I do this and bring glory to God?” and “Why am I doing this?” If we are getting a tattoo of a naked woman, swastika or Buddha, the obvious answer is no. Well, what about a heart, or maybe a loved one’s name? Or even a Jesus fish? First, the question of “why?” If the motives are sinful, then the action should be avoided. For example, I am doing this because it will make my parents really mad or I don’t like my body and I want to change/mutilate it. If that’s why you are getting the tattoo, then it’s time to reconsider. Some people suggest them as a way to reach a sub-culture, a form of “becoming a Jew to the Jews”. Phil Johnson has a great response to this here. Basically, he says that we need to be careful how far we go in conforming to the culture of the world. For example, he asks, “Can we agree, for example, that it wouldn’t really be good or necessary to get a sex-change operation in order to reach the transgendered community?” They are not quite equivalent, but the point is well-taken. Then, I love this quote:

And why is it mainly the lowbrow and fringe aspects of Western youth culture that this argument is invariably applied to? Why are so few Christian young persons keen to give up video games and take up chess in order to reach the geeks in the chess club? or give up heavy metal and learn the cello in order to have a ministry to the students who play in the orchestra?

Of course, we must be careful how we define culture, I have my own culture of khakis and button-down shirts which is no more “Christian” than blue jeans and t-shirts. I think the “doing it to reach the tattoo culture” is a weak argument..

I still haven’t given a final answer. I don’t think there is a definitive answer, but as I have implied, there are questions we should be asking and answering honestly to help us decide. We want to be looking at the why - if it’s for sinful reasons (some listed above) or as a way to try and find and express who you truly are, then the answer is no. You only find yourself in Jesus - a tattoo is not a substitute. Jesus alone is the source of our meaning, we can’t find it in tattoos. If the motives are not sinful, then we ask, can we do this to the glory of God? Each individual has to answer that one for themselves. Not much of an answer perhaps. But, then again I don’t always see my job in the local church I serve as giving answers but helping others to think.