What Does the Bible Say About Tattoos? Helping Your Kids Think Biblically

Also Available on:

Tattoos are increasingly common among Christians, which means your kids will notice them, ask about them, and eventually decide for themselves. So what does the Bible actually say about Christians getting tattoos, and how do you talk your children through it in a way that is genuinely rooted in Scripture rather than personal preference? Here is a framework you can walk through with them.

In this article: the one Bible verse that directly mentions tattoos, why it does not settle the question for Christians today, and four biblical principles that help your family make a wise, God-honoring decision.

Should we start with our opinion, or with Scripture?

The question that prompted this episode asked for my thoughts on Christians getting tattoos. I do have opinions, even strong ones. But my opinion is not what matters here. What matters is how Scripture speaks to the issue, and then how we present what Scripture has to say to our children. So that is the topic we are diving into.

As we think through Christians getting tattoos and what the Bible has to say about it, the first question we need to ask ourselves, and help our children ask, is this: does the Bible say anything about tattoos? We want to present to our children what Scripture actually says, and not go beyond the bounds of that.

Does the Bible say anything about tattoos?

When you look through Scripture, there is only one verse that directly gives a command about tattoos. This is mainly because tattoos as body art did not exist in the same form in the ancient Near East or the Greco-Roman world as they do today. The Old Testament was written in the time of the ancient Near East, and the New Testament in the time of the Greco-Roman world. Because the modern concept did not exist in the same way, the Bible does not have a great deal to say specifically about it.

The one verse that directly addresses tattoos is Leviticus 19:28:

You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.

Some Christians have taken this verse to mean it is a sin for Christians to get tattoos. Those of you who have taken your children through our Studying the Bible curriculum know that we teach kids to ask, anytime they are reading a command in Scripture, which covenant does this command describe living under? As Christians, we are not under the Mosaic law, the covenant God made with the nation of Israel, and that is what is represented in Leviticus 19.

We then teach kids to ask, as they read through the Mosaic law, what does this command reveal about who God is and what He values? That is exactly what we can ask about this verse.

As a side note, if you have not yet taken your children through our Studying the Bible curriculum and you have kids between the ages of 8 and 12, I highly recommend it. Our goal in that curriculum is to give kids the skills they need to soundly read, interpret, and apply Scripture on their own, so that they are not dependent on us to teach them every single Bible narrative or lesson, but are equipped to seek God through His word all the days of their lives. We have received a lot of feedback from parents and teachers saying they learned a great deal going through this material. I am the primary author of the curriculum, and others contributed, but even as I was writing it, I learned a great deal myself.

Back to Leviticus 19:28. This passage prohibited the nation of Israel from getting tattoos because it prohibited them from engaging in the pagan practices of their neighbors. As you read the rest of Leviticus 19, you see a whole set of commands Israel was to keep or avoid in order not to engage in those pagan practices.

So what does this passage reveal about who God is? It reveals that God is holy, that He is set apart, that He is not like the false pagan deities. And what does it reveal about what God values? It reveals that He values faithfulness, that His covenant people are called to be faithful to Him and set apart unto Him, because God Himself is holy and set apart.

This verse is not speaking to the vast majority of modern tattoos, because most people getting tattoos today are not trying to engage in a pagan ritual of tattooing themselves for the dead. Most are engaging in some form of artistic self-expression, which is different from the pagan practice this verse addresses. From this we can see that the Bible does not expressly forbid getting tattoos. It is not necessarily sinful.

So you can take your kids to this passage and say: there is only one verse in the Bible that talks about getting tattoos. Read it together. Then explain that as Christians we are not under the Mosaic law, so this law was specifically for Israel, but it still reveals who God is (holy, set apart) and what He values (faithfulness, a people set apart). Then ask: are most people getting tattoos today doing it to perform a pagan ritual for the dead? No. So most people getting tattoos are not engaging in this sin, which means getting a tattoo is not necessarily sinful.

Are there biblical principles that apply?

The second question we need to ask is whether there are biblical principles that apply to getting a tattoo. I think there are several that bear on the decision of whether or not to get permanent body art. Here are a few worth asking ourselves and helping our children ask. You may have more. If you are watching on YouTube and you can think of other questions we should be asking, please add them in the comments.

Principle 1: Children are to obey their parents

The first principle, when we are talking with our children, is that children are to obey their parents. This is clear throughout Scripture, and one passage that speaks to it directly is Ephesians 6:1-3:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."

So we can ask our kids what this passage commands children to do. Children are to obey their parents. If a parent tells a child they are not to get a tattoo while living in the parents' house, it is that child's job to submit to their parents' authority. For most families with kids under 18, that is likely the rule. You can explain it kindly: when you grow up and have a home of your own, you can decide for yourself whether you want a tattoo, but while you are living in our house, our rule is that you will not be getting one. If that is a rule in your household, it is one to be followed while they are children under your roof.

Principle 2: Everything we do should glorify God

Another principle, one that applies to everything but certainly applies here, is that all we do should glorify God. A passage we can take our kids to is Colossians 3:16-17:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

So we can ask our kids how we are supposed to do everything we do. In the name of Jesus, in a way that honors Him. When we think about tattoos, then, we ask: would this tattoo in any way dishonor God? There are a few ways to test that.

Is this something vile? Is what I want tattooed on my body celebrating sin or celebrating death? If it celebrates sin or death, it is vile, and it does not honor the Lord.

Is this done out of a spirit of rebellion? Is a person getting a tattoo because they genuinely want that image, or out of an attitude of "I'll show you, I'm getting a tattoo the day I turn 18 and move out"? Anything done in rebellion against the authorities God has placed in our lives does not honor Him. One caveat: if we rebel against an authority because we are ultimately obeying God, that is not a spirit of rebellion, it is a spirit of submission to God. If your boss tells you to cheat on the corporate taxes and you refuse, you are not being rebellious, you are submitting to God. But if a tattoo is chosen out of a spirit of rebellion, that does not honor God.

Is this tattoo superstitious? Sometimes people, even Christians, get tattoos out of superstition. I remember once meeting someone with a tattoo of Galatians 6:17. I asked what it said, and they told me:

From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

I asked why they chose it, and they viewed it in a very superstitious way. They did not understand that Paul was saying he had suffered with Christ, that he had been flogged and beaten and imprisoned, and literally bore the scars on his body for following Christ. This person thought of the tattoo almost like a good luck charm, as if no one would bother them now because they had the verse on their body. Another time I met someone with a tattoo on the ring finger of their left hand. I asked about it, and they said it was their wedding ring, that they wanted to show God they meant it when they said their vows so that He would let their marriage go well. God knows our hearts. We do not need a superstitious tattoo to prove to God that we meant what we said at the altar.

Those are helpful questions to figure out whether a tattoo would in some way dishonor God: Is it vile? Is it done in a spirit of rebellion? Is it superstitious?

As a quick note for those watching or listening: if you have not yet liked and subscribed, please do, so you do not miss future episodes. The goal of this podcast is not to keep you dependent on my advice. As you listen over and over, you begin to think biblically through every concept we cover, until eventually you do not even need these episodes anymore. That would make me a little sad, but it is genuinely the goal, for you to think biblically and independently about the conversations you are having with your kids.

Principle 3: We are to honor God with our bodies

Another principle is that we are to honor God with our bodies. A great passage to take our kids to is 1 Corinthians 6:18-20:

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

This passage mainly addresses honoring God with our bodies by not engaging in sexual sin. That is its central focus. But the principle that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that we honor God with them, still applies to tattoos. For example, if someone has a health condition that would make it unwise to have ink entering their bloodstream, going ahead with a tattoo would not be honoring God with their body. In the same way, a diabetic eating massive amounts of sugar every day is not being wise or honoring God with their body, and someone with a torn Achilles tendon who still tries to run a race is not honoring God with their body. So one question is simply: given where I am health-wise, would it be wise and God-honoring for me to get this tattoo?

Principle 4: We are to walk in wisdom

A final principle is that we are to walk in wisdom. The whole book of Proverbs is about walking in wisdom, and one passage we can take our kids to is Ephesians 5:15-21:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

The first part of this passage talks about walking in wisdom, and the second part shows what that looks like. So whether it is a tattoo or any other decision, we want to ask: is this wise? Here are some questions to help kids think it through.

Will this tattoo and its placement potentially keep me from a job I am gifted for? If your child is gifted in a certain field, a highly visible tattoo could hinder them from a role the Lord has genuinely gifted them for, and that would not be wise.

Is this an image I will still be passionate about later in life? It is hard when we are young to imagine what we will care about in 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 years, but it is worth asking.

Will this tattoo still look appealing on my wrinkled skin in my 60s, 70s, and 80s? Some might laugh at that one, but it is a good one. What looks good in your 20s, 30s, and maybe 40s or 50s might not look so good later.

Am I getting this from a skilled artist? If you watch different people's tattoos over time, you see a real range of skill. Some are done so the ink bleeds and spreads and does not hold up. Others are done by very skilled artists doing masterful work. Are you getting something cheap that might not look great, or investing in quality work? I remember my sophomore year of college, when I was an RA with a floor of freshman girls. A few of them decided in the first week that they wanted matching tattoos. First I tried to talk them out of it. When I realized I could not, I said, all right, I am coming with you to the tattoo parlor, because I wanted to make sure they went somewhere reputable and that the shop was checking IDs. If you do decide to get a tattoo, who you get it from matters.

So, is it a sin?

These are helpful talking points to go through with your children. They help kids see that getting a tattoo, unless it is done as a pagan ritual for the dead, is not specifically against what Scripture commands, and is therefore not necessarily sinful. At the same time, there are real questions we should ask to make sure that if we do get a tattoo, we are making a wise and God-honoring decision.

Want to give your kids the skills to work through questions like this on their own? This whole episode leaned on one simple habit: reading a passage, asking which covenant it belongs to, and asking what it reveals about who God is and what He values. That is exactly what our Studying the Bible curriculum teaches children ages 8 to 12 to do for themselves, so they can read, interpret, and apply Scripture without depending on an adult to explain every passage.