Are Tattoos a Sin in the Bible?
Jehovah’s Witnesses Teach
Jehovah’s Witnesses advise against tattooing with reference to Leviticus 19:28 which says:
You shall not scratch yourselves on your body in mourning over someone who has died, and you shall not make tattoo marks on you. I am Jehovah.
Otherwise, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that tattooing is generally associated with pagan practices and appears as a kind of rebellion.
The Bible Teaches
The ban on tattooing in Leviticus 19:28 was given to the Jews as part of the Mosaic Law. Jesus abolished the law of Moses (Romans 10:4). The ban therefore does not apply to Christians.
It is contrary to the Bible to require Christians to follow the rules of the Mosaic Law. For example, some Jewish Christians demanded that Gentiles be circumcised in order to observe the law of Moses (Acts 15:1, 5). The apostles rejected this, saying that they should put “no additional burden” on believers than a few basic commandments (Acts 15:28–29). Another example is when Peter would not eat with Gentiles for fear of the circumcised (Galatians 2:11–14). Another question concerned Jewish food (Colossians 2:16–17).
Whether or not a Christian wants to get a tattoo is a personal choice. It is not against Christian teaching to get tattooed.
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