What does the Bible say about tattoos and body piercings? Is it okay?
I get that question a lot, especially from teenagers and young adults. Well, I'm not going to answer that directly, at least not today. But Romans 14 (in the New Testament of the Bible) has a lot to say about this subject indirectly.
Romans 14:1-4 (NIV) Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Tattoos and body piercings are “disputable matters”. There are lots of disputable matters like long hair on men, dress code, the style of music—especially worship music, women in leadership, movie ratings, gambling, dancing, swim attire, and restaurants that serve alcohol, just to name a whole bunch.
What does the Bible say? That is a very good question. Verse 4 answers the question with a question. “Who are you to judge?” We are not to judge others who participate in questionable behavior since the Scripture doesn’t clearly forbid it. Here is a contemporary translation of verse three: “The person who participates in questionable behavior must not look down on those that do not, and those that do not must not condemn those that do.”
So how can we get all get along? When we have different views and different standards, how can we have unity? It is simple, actually. We must obey the Scriptures. We must not look down on others nor condemn others.
So, let’s do it!
Finally, a quote from 1 Peter 4:8…”Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
-PK
