“Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.”
— Leviticus 19:28

We live in a culture obsessed with the body — with altering it, decorating it, mutilating it. The modern man wants to proclaim ownership of himself by etching ink into his skin and pushing metal through his flesh. The modern woman, deceived by vanity and rebellion, treats her body like a billboard for self-expression rather than a temple for God’s glory. The image of God has become a canvas for self-worship.

But what saith the Lord?

In an age when rebellion parades as freedom and defilement is called art, the Christian must once again ask: What does God say? What is righteous? What is holy? For those who walk in The Great Order, the answer must be clear, not according to trends, feelings, or peer approval — but rooted in the eternal Word of God.

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I. God’s Prohibition in Leviticus — A Matter of Holiness, Not Just Ceremony

The foundational text is clear:

“Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.”
— Leviticus 19:28

This command was not arbitrary. It was given to separate the people of God from the surrounding pagan nations. The Canaanites, Egyptians, and other heathen peoples engaged in self-cutting and tattooing as acts of mourning, idol worship, tribal identification, and magical ritual. Tattoos and body piercings were, in origin, sacrificial and religious acts — outward signs of allegiance to false gods.

The people of Israel were called out — to be distinct. The commandment was not merely hygienic or cultural. It was holy. It was a declaration: You belong to YHWH, not Baal. You are set apart. You are mine.

Many modern Christians hastily dismiss this as “Old Testament law” with no relevance today. But they do so inconsistently. For the very same chapter (Leviticus 19) also condemns witchcraft (v. 26), prostitution (v. 29), and dishonoring the elderly (v. 32). Are these no longer sins? Shall we also affirm child prostitution or necromancy under the banner of “freedom in Christ”?

Some laws in the Torah were ceremonial and tied to temple practices, but others reflected unchanging moral principles rooted in the nature of God. Leviticus 19:28 falls into the latter. It reveals a divine standard: that the body is sacred and must not be defaced like those of the heathen.

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II. The New Testament Confirms the Principle: The Body Is Not Our Own

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

This verse is not metaphorical poetry — it is doctrine. The believer has been purchased. Redeemed. His body is now a vessel of the Holy Spirit. A consecrated structure. It is not a personal art project, it is a sacred temple.

If we understand the weight of Paul’s words, the gravity of defiling the temple becomes clear. When Jesus drove out the moneychangers from the temple, it was not a small thing. He fashioned a whip. He overturned tables. He drove them out with righteous fury. Shall we now bring tattoo needles and nose rings into the temple of our bodies, claiming “Christian liberty”?

To glorify God with our bodies means we must not deface them. Solomon’s temple was not defiled with carvings of dragons and skulls. It was adorned with gold, with beauty, with order — all by God’s command. Likewise, our bodies are to reflect His glory, not our rebellion.

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III. The Pagan Roots of Tattoos and Piercings

Historical research reveals that tattoos and body piercings have long been associated with idolatry, tribal paganism, and spiritual bondage.

• In ancient Egypt, tattoos were linked to goddess worship, particularly Isis. Women often tattooed themselves as symbols of fertility rites.
• In Canaanite culture, markings were made on the body to honor the dead or as initiation into pagan mysteries.
• Roman soldiers tattooed themselves to signify loyalty to Caesar — a false god of the state.
• In Polynesian tribal religion, tattooing was a rite of passage into adulthood, manhood, or spiritual transformation.
• Hindu practices often include nose piercings for women, connected to marriage and spiritual significance under their gods.

The association between tattoos and paganism is not incidental. It is consistent. Throughout the centuries, the marks placed on the body were declarations of spiritual allegiance. What man inscribes on his body reveals what master he serves.

Is it any wonder that in the Bible, God’s people are forbidden from such markings, while the servants of Satan are described in Revelation as bearing the “mark of the beast”?

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.”
— Revelation 13:16

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IV. Scripture Calls Us to Be Set Apart

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
— 1 Peter 1:14–16

“Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:22

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
— 2 Corinthians 6:17

Holiness is not simply inward. It is visible. Observable. Tangible. A Christian’s walk should reflect God’s order — and that includes his attire, his speech, his habits, and yes, even his body.

When you see a tattooed body, does it cry out “set apart” or does it whisper “blending in”?

Let’s be honest. The modern tattoo culture is not driven by piety. It is driven by rebellion, vanity, and worldliness. It is associated with rock stars, gang members, feminists, bikers, and those who boast in sin. Shall we — the holy nation, the peculiar people, the royal priesthood — adorn ourselves like them?

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V. The Deception of “Christian Tattoos”

Some will say, “But my tattoo is a cross!” or “It’s a verse!” or “It’s meant to honor God!”

The question is not what the tattoo says. The question is whether the practice itself honors the God who forbids it.

Would a man honor the King by disobeying His law? Would a priest paint graffiti on the temple wall and justify it by claiming it says “God is love”? A tattoo of Scripture is still rebellion if God has commanded us not to mark our bodies.

Furthermore, we must not forget that Satan often disguises evil as light.

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14

“Christian tattoos” are often just a baptized version of worldliness. A sanctified mask for self-expression. But righteousness is not about rebranding the ways of the world — it’s about rejecting them.

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VI. The Problem of Piercings

While some argue that earrings or piercings are culturally neutral or even biblical — pointing to references of earrings in Genesis or Exodus — we must make a key distinction.

In Scripture, earrings are often:

• Given as spoil (Genesis 35:4; Exodus 32:2),
• Associated with idol worship (Judges 8:24–27),
• Or connected with feminine adornment (Ezekiel 16:12).

They are never commanded, and they are never treated as holy or righteous. In fact, their connection with idolatry should give us pause.

More importantly, in our current age, the proliferation of piercings — in ears, noses, lips, navels, and beyond — is a sign of cultural breakdown and gender confusion. Men now wear earrings. Women pierce their faces in grotesque ways. The lines between male and female blur, and the image of God is vandalized.

For the man of God walking in the Great Order, and for the woman of God pursuing meekness and modesty, piercings are not a mark of virtue. They are marks of conformity to a dying and decadent world.

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VII. Forgiveness and Restoration

What if you already have tattoos or piercings? Is all hope lost? God forbid.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
— 1 John 1:9

The blood of Christ cleanses even the defiled temple. He forgives. He renews. But forgiveness is not a license to sin again. We do not presume upon grace.

Some tattoos cannot be removed, but they can be covered. Others may be a testimony — not of pride, but of repentance. The key is this: Do not justify the sin. Acknowledge it. Reject it. And do not repeat it.

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VIII. Reason and Creation Affirm God’s Design

Let us conclude with simple reasoning and righteous deduction.

• The body is the creation of God.
• The body is the image of God.
• The body is the temple of God.
• The body is to be set apart from the world.

Therefore, it follows:

The Christian has no liberty to mutilate, mark, or desecrate his body according to his own whims or worldly fashion.

God did not make a mistake in your design. Your skin does not need improvement. As one Jewish rabbi once observed:

“No matter how well considered, a tattoo is the result of a short-term decision to decorate the body forever. What hubris to imagine that any of us, as individuals, can improve artistically on the original design of the Lord.”

Indeed. It is hubris. It is rebellion. It is a denial of God’s sufficiency.

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IX. Let the People of God Be Holy

Let this be the cry of the remnant: We will not be marked by the world. We will not wear the badges of Babylon. We will be holy, consecrated, unpolluted.

Let the pagans ink their flesh. Let the rebels pierce their faces. Let the feminists defy God with rainbow tattoos. But let the people of the Great Order glorify God in body and spirit, which are His.

“Be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
— Romans 12:2

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Conclusion:
Christians should not pierce their bodies or get tattoos. The weight of Scripture, the testimony of history, and the witness of creation all declare the same message: Your body is not your own. It is the Lord’s. Keep it holy.

Let us fear God. Let us obey His Word. Let us glorify Him with every fiber of our being — ink-free, metal-free, and set apart.

Soli Deo Gloria.
Let the Great Order rise.