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Is It a Sin to Get Tattoos?

🎥 Baptist Bold: Ask a Pastor

📅 Episode 12 – Saturday: Culture & Christianity
Question: “Is It a Sin to Get Tattoos?”

🎬 Intro Script:

Welcome to Baptist Bold: Ask a Pastor—where truth isn’t filtered, and the Bible has the final word. I’m Pastor Joshua Tapp from True Words Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Let’s get into today’s question…

📖 Answer:

In a culture where tattoos are everywhere—even on pastors—this question isn’t about style. It’s about Scripture.

Is it a sin to get tattoos?

Yes. And here’s why.

1. God Specifically Forbids It

📖 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.”

God didn’t stutter. Tattoos were a pagan practice of marking the body for the dead, gods, or identity. God told His people not to do it.

2. Your Body Is Not Yours

📖 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 — “Ye are not your own… glorify God in your body…”

God owns your body. You were bought with a price. That means you don’t have the right to carve into it, ink it up, or decorate it like a billboard for rebellion or regret.

3. It Identifies You with the World—Not with Christ

📖 Romans 12:2 — “Be not conformed to this world…”

Tattoos today aren’t about tribal scars—they’re about fashion, rebellion, self-expression, and fitting in with the world’s trends.

Christians are supposed to stand out—not blend in.

4. It’s a Gateway to Other Sinful Identity Issues

Where do you draw the line?

Neck tattoos?
Face tattoos?
Blasphemous tattoos?
Tattoos celebrating death, horror, pride, vanity?

If it’s okay to tattoo your body, why not pierce your face, brand your flesh, or mutilate your gender?

It all comes from the same root: me-centered rebellion.

5. Regret, Not Righteousness, Follows Tattoos

📖 Proverbs 14:12 — “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Most tattooed people regret it later. Laser removal is booming. People cover them up, hide them in job interviews, or try to rebrand them with Christian words.

God never leads people to do something that violates His Word.

🎯 Bottom Line:

Yes, tattoos are a sin.

Not unforgivable. Not unredeemable. But still sin.

📖 Leviticus 19:28 still applies. God still hates markings.
📖 1 Corinthians 6:19 still means your body isn’t yours.
📖 Romans 12:2 still commands you to stop copying the world.

If you’re saved and tattooed—God can still use you.
But if you’re saved and planning to get tattooed—you’re in rebellion.

Obey God. Leave the ink behind.

🎬 Outro Script:

Got more questions? Drop them below and hit subscribe for daily bold Bible answers. I’m Pastor Joshua Tapp—see you next time on Baptist Bold: Ask a Pastor.

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2 responses to “Is It a Sin to Get Tattoos?”

Ruth

August 9, 2025

Since tattoos are a sin what about piercing? Small like ears for earrings?

Reply
1. Joshua Tapp
  
  August 13, 2025
  
  The Bible never mentions ear piercing the same way it does tattoos, so the two are not exactly equal in how Scripture addresses them. Here’s the breakdown:
  
  1. Tattoos in Scripture
  The clearest verse people point to is:
  
  “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 was tied to pagan rituals and body marking for idolatry or the dead. While the principle applies today, the text specifically speaks of permanent markings and ritualistic cuttings.
  
  2. Piercing in the Bible
  Piercing is actually mentioned in several contexts, and not always negatively. For example:
  
  Genesis 24:22 – Abraham’s servant gave Rebekah a golden earring (nose ring in the Hebrew) as part of a marriage arrangement.
  
  Ezekiel 16:11–12 – God describes adorning Israel with jewelry, including earrings, as a sign of His blessing.
  
  Exodus 21:5–6 – Ear piercing was used as a sign of a servant choosing lifelong service to his master.
  
  So while tattoos are condemned in the context of pagan marking, piercings are sometimes presented as adornment or symbolic covenant marks, not inherently sinful.
  
  3. Biblical Principles to Apply
  Even if something isn’t directly called sin, the Bible gives guiding principles:
  
  Modesty & Humility – “1 Timothy 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety…”
  
  Avoiding Worldliness – “1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…”
  
  Glorifying God in Your Body – “1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
  
  Conclusion:
  Small ear piercings (like earrings) are not condemned in Scripture the way tattoos are, and in some biblical contexts, they’re shown positively. The key is whether they are modest, not tied to pagan or rebellious culture, and done with a heart that still seeks to glorify God.
  
  Reply