A Christian Perspective on the Popularity of Tattoos

 Jude 8, “defile the flesh” (KJV). This phrase relates to tattoos which are coloured markings on one’s body. Among many young people today, getting a tattoo is seen to be the in thing to do. It is both popular and cool. The Greek word for “defile” here is miaino which means “to stain, to tinge or dye with another, as in the staining of a glass, hence, to pollute, contaminate, soil, defile, is used of moral and physical defilement, Jude 8.” “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:28, KJV). The phrase “print any marks” simply means “tattoo any pictures, numbers or words” upon your body. The very history of tattoos originates purely from paganism. It has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity. Yet, today we have many young people within the evangelical Church who profess the name of Christ who think it is okay to have a tattoo, as long as it is a Bible verse or some picture that carries a Christian message. Since both Lev. 19:28 and Jude 8 condemns the pagan practice of printing any marks upon one’s body, this I believe also includes tattooing Bible verses or anything else that relates to Christianity.

If God meant for us to have tattoos we would either be born with them or the Lord would have instructed us from His Word to get one. But we never read that in God's Word. Instead, we are warned against it! The NASB is even more direct on the matter in Leviticus 19: 28 “You shall not...make any tattoo marks on yourselves.” The Apostle Paul wrote this warning to the Church at Corinth, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1 Cor. 3: 16-17). So if a young Christian is truly following Christ, but considering getting a tattoo, he or she needs to examine their heart for the motive in why they want one, and they need to ask themselves this question: “Is it holy, righteous, and acceptable to God, and is it glorifying to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ?”

Young Christians need to realize that they “are not [their] own… for you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6: 19b-20). Christians who are thinking about marking their bodies with tattoos need to seriously consider three truths from the above verses:

(1.) that we are the “temple of the Holy Spirit,” (see 6: 19a);

(2.) we “have been bought [purchased] with a price,” (see 6: 19b);

(3.) then lastly, we “are not [our] own, …you belong to Christ” (see 6: 19; 3: 23).

Only after considering these three points and choosing to obey them are we able to “therefore glorify God in [our] body” (see 6: 20b). Let us be wise and choose to glorify God and not our flesh!

It is interesting to note that all three members of the Godhead are equally connected to the work in “the temple of His body.” (John 2: 19). In other words, the whole of God is involved in the work of building the Church and indwells in each member as well.

(1.) We are the “temple” of Christ (see John 2: 19-21). When Jesus told the Jews, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews responded by saying, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” They did not understand that Jesus was “speaking of the temple of His body.” This refers to the body of Christ, the Church, which we are each members of. (see Rom. 12: 4-5; 1 Cor. 12: 12-27). As members of the body of Christ, we are not to defile the temple of our body by printing tattoos on it.

(2.) We are the “temple” of God the Father (see 1 Cor. 3:16-17). The fact that each Christian is a temple of God and that He indwells in each of us, the Lord requires of us to be holy as He is holy (see 1 Pet. 1: 15-16). Paul in 2 Corinthians 6: 16-18 requires of us to walk in moral purity and in separation from this world’s influences and ways. History teaches that the pagan practice of tattooing is strongly tied to the worship of idols. As Paul so succinctly puts it, “what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God” (see 6: 16). I am sure we know the answer to that question.

(3.) We are the “temple” of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. 6: 19). Since the Holy Spirit is every bit God as the other two members of the Godhead. We can say that God actually indwells in each and every child of God. The temple of our body is His dwelling place. We are “sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise…sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 1: 13; 4: 30). As Christians we should take this seriously and consider what we do with our bodies. To mark it up with tattoos is to defile the temple of our body in which the Spirit of God dwells.