Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo defends tattoos, stating no scripture calls it a sin and explaining that body marks are part of culture.
Popular Nigerian relationship coach and general overseer of David’s Christian Centre, Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo, has spoken out clearly to defend people who draw tattoos on their skin.
He declared that no place in the Holy Bible specifically calls getting a tattoo a sin or forbids a Christian from having one.
The pastor spoke about this sensitive religious topic during a live interview on the TVC Entertainment morning show, Your View, in Lagos.
He explained to the TV hosts that drawing ink on the body has been a normal practice across human history for a very long time.
He reminded viewers that in Nigeria and many other countries, older generations used body marks as part of their culture.
He mentioned how older elders in Lagos and across tribal groups have carried facial marks and decorative body marks on their skin without anyone linking it to bad character.
Explaining the cultural background, Okonkwo said: “It has always been part of human culture, not even just Nigeria. Everywhere in the world, there are tribal marks. There are different marks.”
To support his explanation with God’s word, the pastor pointed out specific Bible passages to show that body ink imagery was well known in biblical times.
He quoted Isaiah chapter 49 verse 16, where God spoke to His people about never forgetting them. The pastor stated that God used the idea of drawing marks on the hand as an illustration so that the people of that generation could easily understand His deep love.
Breaking down the scripture in simple terms, he stated: “Even God used an example because the culture could relate to people putting tattoos to remember. So He was saying, look, I have also tattooed you. That means I can never forget you.”
He also went further into the New Testament, mentioning the Book of Revelation, where a description is given regarding Jesus Christ. He noted: “They mentioned in Revelation that Christ also tattooed the name on His thigh.”
Addressing the popular verse in Leviticus chapter 19 verse 28 that many people quickly bring up to condemn tattoos, Pastor Okonkwo explained that people often read the Bible verse out of its proper context.
He pointed out that the specific instruction in that old law was given to stop the Israelites from joining pagan funeral practices where people cut their bodies for dead idols.
Explaining the Leviticus verse, Okonkwo stated: “What it says is that don’t do inscriptions to the dead. It has nothing to do with tattoos.”
He added that the very next line in that same chapter talks about rules regarding shaving beards, which Christians today do not treat as a sin.
He also compared tattoos to modern beauty practices that women perform daily without getting criticized by church members.
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He brought up microblading, which is the process of using semi-permanent ink needles to shape eyebrows, as well as Hausa traditional skin dye like Lalle.
Highlighting what he viewed as double standards, the pastor remarked: “Women do microblading. It’s okay. Then tattooing is wrong. Microblading is a form of tattoo.”
The preacher encouraged Christians to open their minds and stop judging people based on mere physical appearance.
He reminded the audience that in the past, many strict believers fought against simple everyday things that everyone now enjoys freely without guilt.
Giving examples of past church restrictions, Okonkwo concluded: “People fought to say this thing has nothing to do with Christ.
Let the ladies wear their trousers. Let the women have their makeup… Before, you can’t look good. You can’t even have perfumes. There are places where they didn’t have perfumes. There was a time you couldn’t even have television.”
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
