What does the Bible say about tattoos?

This comes up constantly, and there is usually one verse that gets quoted immediately: Leviticus 19:28 — "You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord."

There it is — case closed, right? Not quite. Context matters enormously here.

Leviticus 19:28 is part of the Mosaic Law given specifically to Israel. It sits in a chapter that also prohibits eating meat with blood, wearing clothing of mixed fabrics, and rounding off the edges of your beard. The specific prohibition on tattoos was almost certainly directed at practices associated with Canaanite mourning rituals and pagan worship — cutting yourself and marking yourself as part of idol worship was common in the ancient Near East. God was setting Israel apart from those practices.

The New Testament clearly teaches that Christians are not under the Mosaic Law as a covenant obligation. Galatians 3:24-25 describes the law as a tutor that brought us to Christ — "but now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." The ceremonial and cultural regulations of the Mosaic Law are not directly binding on New Testament believers. We do not keep kosher. We wear blended fabrics. We are not required to sacrifice animals.

This does not mean anything goes. The moral principles embedded in the law still apply — because they reflect God's unchanging character. But the specific cultural regulations of ancient Israel are not the standard for Christian behaviour.

So where does that leave tattoos? The relevant New Testament principles are: does it glorify God? (1 Corinthians 10:31); does it harm your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit? (1 Corinthians 6:19-20); would it cause a weaker brother to stumble? (Romans 14:21).

Getting a tattoo is a matter of Christian liberty. It is not a sin. But as with all matters of liberty, it should be decided thoughtfully, not impulsively.