I already have one, based on early Christian imagery, and every part of it was chosen deliberately.
I know Leviticus talks about markings on the body, though…
Can Christians get tattoos?
Yes. Leviticus 19:28 was aimed at pagan mourning rituals where people cut and marked themselves for the dead, and we’re no longer under those ceremonial laws.
Mine is a small Chi-Rho on my forearm.
Yes, Christians can get tattoos. The one you already have doesn’t put you in trouble with God.
The body-is-a-temple verse gets pulled out a lot on this… In context, Paul is talking about sexual sin. Thoughtful tattoos are in about the same category as earrings, which plenty of believers wear without anyone calling a church meeting about it. I’d still go easy on people who grew up sure any tattoo was forbidden. Their conscience is more sensitive than yours, and running it over to prove a point isn’t worth it.
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Does it honor Christ, and are you okay living with something that permanent? That’s the same stuff Paul applies to other things that are allowed.
Yeah, Christians can get tattoos.
Earrings come off and a tattoo doesn’t. When I got mine, I didn’t hide it, but I didn’t make a show of it at family dinners either.
1 Corinthians 6 clicked for me once I saw Paul was addressing sexual immorality.
My pastor said almost the same thing last week, that Leviticus 19:28 was about mourning rites for the dead, not modern tattoos.
Giving it some time before you decide will show you whether the conviction sticks. Honoring Christ covers why you want it and how it affects your witness, more than the image itself.
Paul’s “all things are lawful but not all are helpful” line works for tattoos (and most of my gray areas too).
Verse 28 still gets treated as binding, but the same chapter a few verses away tells us not to wear mixed fabrics or trim our beards a certain way and we recognize those as fulfilled in Christ. The markings were pagan mourning practices, ritual acts for the dead.
Christian freedom is yours. Enjoy it! The Leviticus passage you’re thinking of was speaking into a world of pagan mourning rituals and idol worship. That’s a different context. Meaningful imagery honoring your faith doesn’t fall under that.
The times I’ve been most drawn to getting a tattoo lined up with when I was furthest from God. After my affair, when my first marriage fell apart, I came close to getting religious imagery inked on me.
If the symbol means that much, write it where God can see it. Skin goes back to dust anyway.
Tattoos are still not my thing. But my wife has one and it doesn’t change anything about her faith or our marriage.
Tattoos are permanent regret machines.
I have one and wish I didn’t. The permanence feels a lot heavier 10 years later. Not saying you’re sinning or anything, just that it’s ill-advised.
Flowers, crosses, meaningful imagery are all fine by me. I’d just draw the line at anything celebrating sin or pointing toward idol worship.
Psalm 40, my favorite verse. My other tattoos get questions all the time so I wanted this one to be something people would ask about too, it gives me an opening to share the gospel.
Leviticus 19:28 is a few verses after ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ though, so the whole chapter isn’t ceremonial. Pagan mourning practices is the stronger argument.
Yes. Leviticus was addressing pagan death rituals, not someone choosing meaningful Christian imagery like you did, and you’ve put thought into it, so you’re on solid ground.
Same place I always land with these. God cares more about the soil of someone’s heart than what’s planted on their skin.