Tattoos have become increasingly mainstream in modern society. What was once associated primarily with sailors, bikers, and counterculture has entered the professional workplace, suburban neighborhoods, and even some church pews. Christians considering tattoos often ask whether getting inked conflicts with biblical teaching. For Apostolic Pentecostals committed to holy living and scriptural obedience, this question requires careful examination of what God’s Word says about permanently marking the body He created and redeemed.
The Direct Biblical Command
The most explicit biblical reference to tattoos appears in Leviticus 19:28: “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” This verse clearly prohibits marking the body, appearing within the holiness code God gave Israel to maintain their distinction from surrounding pagan nations.
Some Christians dismiss this verse as Old Testament law no longer binding on New Testament believers. They argue that since Christians don’t follow Leviticus’ dietary restrictions or fabric mixing prohibitions, we can likewise ignore its tattoo prohibition. However, this reasoning oversimplifies how Christians should relate to Old Testament law.
The Mosaic law contains three categories: ceremonial law (sacrifices, dietary restrictions, purification rituals), civil law (governing Israel as a nation), and moral law (reflecting God’s unchanging character). When Christ fulfilled the law, ceremonial regulations pointing to His sacrifice became obsolete. Civil laws governing ancient Israel don’t directly apply to modern nations. But moral law—prohibitions against murder, adultery, idolatry, and principles of holiness—remains binding because it reflects God’s eternal character.
The question becomes: Is the tattoo prohibition ceremonial, civil, or moral? The context suggests moral-spiritual significance. The verse prohibits cuttings “for the dead”—pagan mourning practices—and marks that identified people with false religions. God wanted His people visibly distinct from nations practicing idolatry. This principle of holy separation transcends the Old Covenant, applying to Christians called to be “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9).
The Body as God’s Temple
The New Testament establishes that believers’ bodies belong to God, not themselves. First Corinthians 6:19-20 declares, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
This passage revolutionizes how Christians should view their bodies. We don’t have ownership rights to do whatever we please with our flesh. Jesus purchased us with His blood, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Our bodies are sacred temples, not personal property to modify according to preference or fashion.
Would anyone spray-paint graffiti on a church building? Would anyone drive nails into the walls of God’s sanctuary for decoration? The idea seems sacrilegious because church buildings are dedicated to God’s use. Yet our bodies are more sacred than any building—they’re temples where God’s Spirit actually lives. Permanently marking these temples with tattoos shows disregard for their sacred purpose.
Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 3:17, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” While this verse’s primary application concerns divisiveness in the church, the principle applies to physical bodies as well. God takes the sanctity of His temple seriously, and believers should treat their bodies with corresponding reverence.
The Principle of Permanence
Tattoos’ permanence raises particular concerns. While modern laser removal exists, it’s expensive, painful, and often incomplete. When someone gets tattooed, they permanently alter what God created. This demonstrates either remarkable confidence in one’s unchanging preferences or failure to consider how time affects perspective.
Many tattooed individuals later regret their choices. Names of ex-partners, youthful symbols that no longer resonate, designs that seemed meaningful at twenty but embarrassing at forty—tattoo regret is common. Yet what seemed like personal expression becomes a permanent reminder of past foolishness.
Christians should especially hesitate before permanently marking their bodies because spiritual growth brings changing perspectives. Someone newly converted might want a tattoo expressing their faith, but maturity might reveal that tattoo as unwise. The permanence of tattoos conflicts with the Christian’s ongoing transformation described in Romans 12:2: “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Separation from the World
First John 2:15-16 warns, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Christians must maintain spiritual separation from worldly values and practices.
Tattoos have historically been associated with rebellion, counterculture, and worldliness. While they’ve become more mainstream, they still fundamentally represent conformity to cultural trends rather than biblical values. When Christians get tattoos, they adopt a practice the world invented and popularized, not something Scripture endorses or encourages.
Romans 12:2 commands believers, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Getting tattoos because “everyone else is doing it” or because they’re fashionable represents conformity to worldly standards. Even getting religious tattoos—crosses, Bible verses, Jesus portraits—still involves conforming to a worldly practice that Scripture prohibits.
The Witness Factor
Christians’ bodies serve as witnesses to God’s transforming power. When someone gets saved, their entire life should reflect that transformation. Second Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Tattoos acquired before salvation present a different situation than getting tattooed after conversion. Christians with pre-conversion tattoos shouldn’t feel condemned—God’s grace covers past mistakes. However, deliberately getting tattooed after embracing biblical holiness standards sends confused messages about transformation. It suggests that worldly practices remain acceptable after encountering Jesus.
Additionally, tattoos can hinder Christian witness. While some argue that tattoos help them relate to certain demographics, this reasoning fails under scrutiny. Paul’s principle of becoming “all things to all men” (1 Corinthians 9:22) meant cultural adaptation, not compromising biblical standards. Paul never sinned to reach sinners. Getting tattoos to relate to tattooed people represents flawed missiology that sacrifices holiness for relevance.
The Question of Motivation
Even Christians who don’t accept Leviticus 19:28 as binding should examine their motivations for wanting tattoos. Why permanently mark your body? Common reasons include self-expression, commemoration, aesthetics, or conformity to social norms. Yet none of these motivations align with biblical priorities.
Self-expression places self at the center rather than God. Christians shouldn’t primarily seek to express themselves but to express Christ living in them. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” The crucified life leaves little room for permanent self-expression through body modification.
Commemoration can happen through countless means that don’t involve permanently marking God’s temple. Photographs, journals, artwork, and memories serve commemorative purposes without defiling the body.
Aesthetic motivations reveal misplaced priorities. First Peter 3:3-4 instructs, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” God values internal beauty over external decoration.
Liberty Versus License
Some Christians invoke Christian liberty, arguing that since Scripture doesn’t explicitly prohibit tattoos in the New Testament, they’re permissible. However, this confuses liberty with license. First Corinthians 6:12 addresses this: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
Even if one argues tattoos fall under Christian liberty—a position most Apostolic Pentecostals reject—believers must ask: Is this expedient? Does it build up the body? Does it glorify God? Does it enhance Christian witness? Will it cause others to stumble? The answer to these questions regarding tattoos is consistently negative.
Christian liberty should never become an excuse for practices that compromise holiness, damage testimony, or conform to worldly patterns. True liberty in Christ means freedom from sin’s bondage, not freedom to indulge fleshly desires.
Respecting God’s Craftsmanship
God created the human body with intricate design and purpose. Psalm 139:14 declares, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” The human body represents God’s masterpiece, and He deserves praise for its creation.
Tattooing essentially tells God, “Your design was insufficient; I’m improving it.” This attitude lacks the humility and gratitude believers should maintain toward their Creator. God made us exactly as He intended. While we maintain and care for our bodies, permanently altering them through tattoos suggests dissatisfaction with God’s creative work.
Walking in Holiness
For Apostolic Pentecostals committed to holy living according to Scripture, the tattoo question ultimately returns to obedience. Leviticus 19:28 prohibits marking the body. New Testament principles about the body as God’s temple, separation from worldliness, and proper priorities reinforce this prohibition. While tattoos have become culturally acceptable, biblical standards don’t shift with cultural trends.
Christians should approach their bodies with reverence, recognizing them as temples purchased by Christ’s blood and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This perspective produces carefulness about what we put in our bodies, how we present them, and whether we permanently alter them. Tattoos represent a worldly practice that conflicts with biblical holiness and temple sanctity. The safe, obedient course is avoiding them entirely, keeping our bodies unmarked as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God.
