Body piercing, the piercing of holes in parts of the body to insert jewelry, has been a fashion trend for many years. People used to have ear piercings, but in recent years, there has been an increase in piercing different body parts such as noses, lips, tongues, eyebrows, navels, nipples, genitalia, cheeks, and more. Even though most people have piercings, they still want to know, is body piercing a sin?”
The Bible does not mention body piercing as a sin. According to Ezekiel 16:12, The Bible implies that God reminded the people of Jerusalem of how He blessed them with an extravagant life that included earrings on their noses and ears. God could not use an example of body piercing to show how He blessed his people if he considered it a sin.
What does the Bible say about body piercing? How does God view body piercings? What does the church say about body piercings? Does piercing your body violate it as the temple of the Holy Spirit? What does the New Testament say about body piercing? What are some Bible verses about body piercings? Read o to find the answers to these questions and more.
What does the Bible say about body piercing?
Leviticus 19:28 reads, “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” Many people misinterpret this verse by believing that it says that having a body piercing is a sin. However, the context of his Bible verse relates to the Pagan rituals that people used to do in most nations surrounding Israel.
From the story of Elijah in Mount Carmel, we see the prophets of Baal cutting themselves using swords and lances after their gods refused to answer them. Also, Canaanites used to cut themselves as part of mourning. Therefore the Bible prohibits one from inserting body piercing as part of a pagan ritual or philosophical belief that is not Godly.
“When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels” Genesis 24:22. This is the story of Abraham trying to find a beautiful wife for his son. The Bible implies that Abraham sent his oldest servant to find a wife for his son. When the servant found Rebekah, he gave her the gifts that Abraham had given him, and one of the gifts was a golden nose ring.
This story shows that body piercing is part of a woman’s beauty. Abraham was a very faithful servant of God, and he could not have sent a nose ring as part of his gifts if God considered body piercing a sin.
How does God view body piercings?
In Ezekiel 16:12, God was reminding Jerusalem of how much He blessed them. As He was washing and making Jerusalem beautiful, he mentioned putting nose rings and earrings on their ears. In verse 13 of this chapter, the Bible speculates that Jerusalem grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty by doing this. This shows that God views body piercing as part of beauty and royalty.
God tells how he showed his affection to Jerusalem just like a man would his wife. This indicates that a man can gift his wife a body piercing to reveal his tenderness toward his wife. Therefore this tells us that God views body piercing as a way a husband can show his love and affection to his wife.
What does the church say about body piercings?
According to catholic.com, the church does not consider body piercing a sin if it’s done with no interior motives. Just like the Bible warns about cutting your body for the dead, the church also warns about piercing one’s body for any pagan rituals.
However, this depends on the church that one worships. Some churches believe body piercing is a sin. This belief is because they view the body as the Temple of God and think one should not violate it by adding marks and cuts. Their faith is from 1 Corinthians 6:19, where the verse speculates that the body does not belong to you to do whatever you want with it. It is the Temple of God, and you should not tamper with it.
Also, according to Genesis 1:27, the Bible implies that we are created in the likeness and image of God. Therefore, some churches believe one should not change their appearance by adding body piercings. This is because they think it will change the impression that God created them in, which is the image of God.
Does piercing your body violate it as the temple of the Holy Spirit?
The Bible does not explicitly say that piercing your body will violate the Temple of the Holy Spirit. However, it talks about how one does not own their body to do whatever one wants with it since it belongs to God.
According to 1 Corinthians 6:19, the Bible reads, “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” This verse warns the people of God that they are not to do whatever they want with their bodies. Although the context of this verse pertains to sexual immorality, some Christians use it when arguing whether body piercing is a sin. They believe that inserting body piercing on one’s body is part of violating the Temple of the Holy Spirit, even though the Bible does not state this.
What does the New Testament say about body piercing?
According to 1 Peter 3:3-4, the Bible implies that one’s beauty does not come from outward adornments but rather from the inner unfading beauty of a gentle and peaceful spirit. Although the verse does not explicitly mention Body piercing, it is considered part of the adornments people use for their outward beauty.
From this verse in the New Testament, Christians learn that God is not interested in how they try to beautify themselves by adding Body piercings so they can insert golden jewelry. He is interested in their inner beauty. Inner beauty means the righteous life they lead on earth.
Bible verses about body piercings
Ezekiel 16:12 “And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.” God told Ezekiel to say these words to Jerusalem so they could remember how he bestowed blessings upon them. Some of the blessings were body piercings so that he could make Jerusalem beautiful and royalty.
Isaiah 3:18-22 “In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; the signet rings and nose rings; the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags.” This verse speculates on the blessings God will take away to punish those who don’t obey him. This shows that God considers body piercing as part of human blessings.
Genesis 24:22. “When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.” Abraham sent his oldest servant to find a wife for his son. The servant found Rebekah to be very beautiful and gave her the gifts that his master had sent him. Abraham being a faithful man of God, could not have given gifts that contained what God found to be a sin. Therefore, this shows that body piercing is part of beauty and not sin.
References
What does the Bible say about Body Piercing?
How God views Body Piercing from the Bible
Bible verses about body piercing
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
