Tattoos From A Biblical Doctrinal Viewpoint
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, August 24, 2026 (Donate)
I know Christians with tattoos. I also know Christians who
believe getting a tattoo is sinful. Christians and tattoos have become a hotly
debated subject, with some Christians freely getting them and others strongly
opposing the practice.
Part of the disagreement comes down to how Christians
understand the nature of the Old Testament Law and its application today.
Scripture tells us:
But we know that the law is
good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a
righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the
ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of
fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for
sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other
thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of
the blessed God which was committed to my trust. (1 Timothy 1:8-11, NKJV).
The question, then, isn’t whether God's Law was good, but
how laws given under the Old Covenant should be understood under the New
Covenant in Christ. This discussion often intersects with the larger doctrinal
debate between Covenant
theology and Dispensational theology.
What Does The Old Testament Say About Tattoos?
The primary passage is Leviticus 19:28 (NKJV):
“You shall not make any cuttings in
your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.”
The wording is fairly direct. Israel was prohibited from
cutting the flesh for the dead and from tattooing marks on the body. Such
practices occurred among pagan peoples and were often associated with mourning,
idolatry, religious devotion, or identification. We still see these pagan
practices today with tattoos.
The debate among Christians is generally not over whether
Leviticus 19:28 prohibited tattoos. The debate concerns whether that
prohibition continues to apply to Christians today.
The Covenant Theology Approach
Covenant theology recognizes continuity between the Old and
New Testaments. God's moral standards don’t simply disappear unless Scripture
indicates that a particular command was fulfilled, modified, or set aside under
the New Covenant.
For example, Old Testament animal sacrifices are no longer
offered because Christ fulfilled the sacrificial system through His
once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11-14; 10:1-14). Circumcision is not required
for salvation or church membership (Acts 15; Galatians 5:1-6). Dietary
restrictions were modified as all foods were now clean in the New Covenant
(Mark 7:18-19; Acts 10:9-16; 1 Timothy 4:3-5).
The moral principles expressed in the Law, how ever,
continue. Murder, adultery, theft, idolatry, dishonoring parents, sexual
immorality, and other sins remain sins in the New Testament.
Even the Sabbath command has a New Covenant fulfillment and
modification. The Sabbath pointed forward to the greater rest found in Christ
(Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 4:1-11).
From this perspective, the Covenant theologian argues that the
prohibition against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 remains applicable because the
New Testament never specifically repeals or modifies it. God prohibited the practice, and
there is no later passage specifically authorizing it.
The Dispensational Approach
In the 1800s, a new approach emerged. It was called dispensationalism by John Darby (often called the "Father of Dispensationalism"). In this system, many Dispensationalists approach the Mosaic Law differently.
They argue that Christians aren’t under the Mosaic covenant because Christ
fulfilled the Law (Romans 6:14; 7:4-6; Galatians 3:23-25) and thus it is now set aside.
Under this view, Christians are governed strictly by the teachings
given under the New Covenant rather than by the Mosaic Law as a covenantal
system. Many moral commands from the Old Testament remain applicable because
they are repeated or reaffirmed in the New Testament.
Thus, murder remains sinful, as does adultery, theft,
idolatry, homosexuality, and many other sins because the New Testament teaches
against them.
Regarding tattoos, however, the argument is that Leviticus
19:28 belonged to the Mosaic Law given to Israel. Since the New Testament
contains no explicit prohibition against tattoos, the consistent Dispensationalists
conclude that Christians have liberty in this area.
As a caveat, it should be noted that not every Covenant
theologian or Dispensationalist will reach the same conclusion about tattoos.
There are variations[1]
within both theological systems but if they were consistent with their respective
systems, this is where they should land.
A Potential Problem With Requiring New Testament
Repetition
One difficulty with saying that an Old Testament moral
command is irrelevant unless specifically repeated in the New Testament is that
the New Testament doesn’t explicitly repeat every possible moral prohibition.
Consider bestiality. The Old Testament clearly condemns it (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:23; 20:15-16; Deuteronomy 27:21). Yet the New Testament contains no similarly explicit command saying, "You shall not commit bestiality." Does one have liberty here? Surely this silence doesn’t mean the practice suddenly became morally acceptable and is no longer condemned under immorality.
This illustrates why Christians should be careful about
arguing that anything not explicitly prohibited in the New Testament is
therefore permissible. The Old Testament Law remains God's Word—hence Christ’s authoritative
Word. And it is profitable for Christians (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6-11;
2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Other Biblical Principles
Even Christians who believe Leviticus 19:28 isn’t directly
applicable should consider broader biblical principles before getting a tattoo or
cutting oneself.
Our bodies belong to the Lord. Paul writes, "your body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit" and reminds believers, "you are not
your own" because we were "bought at a price" (1 Corinthians
6:19-20).
So, Christians should ask: Does this honor Christ?
What is my motivation for cutting or tattoos? Is it vanity, rebellion, peer
pressure, cultural conformity, or a genuine matter of Christian liberty? Will
the image or message glorify something contrary to Scripture? Could it damage
my Christian testimony? Am I acting against my conscience? How do tattoos affect
by body medically and from a health perspective?
Romans 14 teaches Christians not to violate their
consciences in disputed matters. First Corinthians 10:31 gives an even broader
principle: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to
the glory of God.”
What About Christians Who Already Have Tattoos?
Before people get all “high and mighty”, Christians should
also avoid treating a tattooed person as though tattoos somehow place someone
beyond God's grace. Many people received tattoos before becoming Christians.
Others may have received them as Christians while believing they had biblical
liberty to do so. Some may have gotten them knowing nothing about the debate or
the Scriptural prohibition.
A person's standing before God isn’t saved or judged
eternally by whether tattoo ink is present beneath his earthly skin. Salvation
is by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not through an unmarked body
(Ephesians 2:8-9). So, this isn’t a matter of salvation but a matter of interpretation
of the Law today.
Consider Brazil’s most tattooed man—Leandro
de Souza, who had over 95% of his body tattooed. When He received Christ as
Lord he felt convicted and had these tattoos removed, though he doesn’t condemn
those who have them.
Final Thoughts
The tattoo and cutting debate ultimately involves more than Leviticus 19:28. It touches on the larger question of how Christians understand and apply the Old Testament Law under the New Covenant. At the same time, be careful about judging another believer's salvation or spirituality merely from outward appearance.
For someone considering a tattoo, this is not a decision that needs to be made hastily. Study God's Word, pray about the matter, consider the theological arguments, and seek counsel from faithful parents and family members—as your appearance often reflects on their Christian testimony as well.
I also suggest seeking wisdom from your local pastor and elders in your church, examine your motives, and avoid making decisions merely because the surrounding culture approves of something.
Whatever conclusion one reaches, the ultimate question
should always be: Does what I am doing honor the Lord Jesus Christ and conform
to the authority of His Word?
□
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years
working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He
was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
*Image generated by ChatGPT
[1] Variations
such as Leaky Dispensationalism, Revised Dispensationalism, Progressive Dispensationalism,
New Covenant theology, are mixtures between Covenant theology and
Dispensationalism, but really, the individual is picking and choosing which laws
they want to follow and which they don’t at their own arbitrary opinion.
