Are Tattoos Actually a Sin?

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Language: en
What does the Bible say about tattoos?
It's time to UNLEARN the lies.
UNLEARN
Hey, welcome to UNLEARN.
My name is Lex, and I'd like to invite you
to join us each week as we UNLEARN the lies
and dig deeper into the truth of God's Word.
Now, let's get started.
I’m making this video because I’ve received
a lot of questions from people asking what
the Bible says about tattoos.
Before I get started, I want to let you know
that I have a tattoo.
I got it years ago when I was young, but I
don’t want to let that affect my understanding
about this subject.
And if you have a tattoo, I hope you won’t
let that affect your reading of Scripture
either.
I want to take an honest look at what the
Bible says about this topic, and I hope it
brings clarity for you.
Tattoos have been around for thousands of
years.
Ancient cultures used tattoos for various
reasons.
Some cultures tattooed their slaves to identify
them, others placed tattoos on military soldiers,
and in some cultures prostitutes wore them.
Tattoos have been associated with pagan worship,
witchcraft, pirates, criminals, and biker
gangs.
But today tattoos have become a form of personal
expression.
People place artistic works on their body
simply for decoration.
It’s no longer taboo because of its association
with crime, slavery, and idolatry.
People of every age, race, gender, and religion
are getting tattoos.
But, is it ok for us as believers in Messiah
to get tattoos on our body?
For nearly 2,000 years, Christians have been
opposed to tattoos.
Yet, many Christians today have tattoos and
think nothing of them.
Some even argue their tattoos are a witnessing
tool that helps them seem more approachable
and less judgmental.
They also say tattoos can help unbelievers
identify with Christians and make them feel
more welcome.
I used to think that way as well, but the
Bible tells us to be set-apart from the world,
not conform to it.
“And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that you may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
- Romans 12:2
We shouldn’t seek to conform to the world
by getting tattoos.
Yeshua never told us to look like the world
or act like the world.
He told us to be in the world but not of it.
Numerous times in the Bible we are told to
be set-apart from the world.
Likewise, James tells us this type of worldliness
is enmity with God.
“Adulterers and adulteresses!
Do you not know that friendship with the world
is enmity with God?
Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of
the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
- James 4:4
The Bible tells us explicitly not to get tattoos
on our body.
“You shall not make any cuttings in your
flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on
you: I am the Lord.”
- Leviticus 19:28
The practices of cutting yourself and getting
tattoos come from the pagans.
We see in 1 Kings that people would often
cut themselves in their worship of Baal.
“So they cried aloud, and cut themselves,
as was their custom, with knives and lances,
until the blood gushed out on them.”
- 1 Kings 18:28
We also see in the Gospels that a demon possessed
man practiced cutting himself.
“And when He had come out of the boat, immediately
there met Him out of the tombs a man with
an unclean spirit…
And always, night and day, he was in the mountains
and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself
with stones.”
- Mark 5:2-5
Some may argue that we are just forbidden
from getting tattoos in memory of the dead,
but other tattoos are ok.
We need to remember that historically, both
Jews and Christians have been opposed to all
forms of tattoos because of this verse in
Leviticus 19, understanding this to be a universal
prohibition against tattoos of any kind.
Both Jews and Christians saw tattoos as a
pagan ritual that God’s people should avoid.
The Jewish rabbis teach that tattoos are prohibited
in the Torah because the pagans would get
them, and God’s people are not to be like
the pagans.
We also know from studying ancient cultures
that tattooing was common among certain religious
groups including those of Egypt, Babylon,
and Syria (the areas surrounding and opposing
Israel).
Getting tattoos was a common practice in the
ancient Near East as a way of worshipping
pagan gods.
Tattoos were associated with Egypt and other
pagan cultures, and God said not to be like
those nations.
“take heed to yourself that you are not
ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed
from before you, and that you do not inquire
after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations
serve their gods?
I also will do likewise.'
You shall not worship the Lord your God in
that way; for every abomination to the Lord
which He hates they have done to their gods;
for they burn even their sons and daughters
in the fire to their gods.
Whatever I command you, be careful to observe
it; you shall not add to it nor take away
from it.”
- Deuteronomy 12:30-32
We are supposed to be holy and set-apart people,
and we are told not to conform to the world.
Tattoos are pagan and worldly, and the Bible
tells us not to put them on our body.
I hope you understand that I’m saying this
in love.
I’m not condemning or judging anyone for
having tattoos.
As I said earlier, I have a tattoo.
However, if you are like me, and you want
to live a set-apart life, then I encourage
you not to get any more tattoos.
Honor God with your body.
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