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The Bible never mentions tobacco, cigarettes or vaping. The word tobacco is absent from both the World English Bible and the King James Version, and the word smoking appears in only 4 verses of the WEB, all describing a furnace, a mountain, torches and a flax wick (Genesis 15:17, Exodus 20:18, Isaiah 7:4, Matthew 12:20). So the question is answered from principles, and several are direct: the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and belongs to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), believers are not to be mastered by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12), and whatever they do, they are to do for God's glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). Many Christians conclude that smoking harms the body and enslaves, and others leave it to conscience. The verses below are the ones that apply.
Counts from this page's curated collection (13 books of Scripture).
"Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."
"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."
"Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are."
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything.
"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are profitable. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things build up.
"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."
"Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
"Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air, but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected."
"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
"Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service."
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
"Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace."
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
"But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin."
"And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
"But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
"Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
"For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control."
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age;"
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;"
"Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man whose spirit is without restraint."
"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls."
"One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city."
"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."
"I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well."
"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
"Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers."
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
"For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now, and of that which is to come."
"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."
"To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin."
"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
"Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’"
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
"Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit."
"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version (both public domain), checked word for word against the full text. Updated October 3, 2026.
Continue exploring similar Bible verse collections
The Bible does not say so by name, since tobacco was unknown in the ancient Near East. Christians who say it is a sin point to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (the body is God's temple) and to addiction as a form of being mastered (1 Corinthians 6:12). Others treat it as a matter of conscience and wisdom (Romans 14:23). Almost all agree that a believer who wants to quit has Scripture and prayer on his side.
Paul tells the Corinthians that their body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in them and whom they have from God, and that they are not their own but were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He applies it first to sexual sin and the principle reaches to how believers treat their bodies generally.
It does not use the word, but it speaks of being enslaved. Paul says all things are lawful but not all are profitable, and he will not be mastered by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12), and Jesus says everyone who sins is a slave to sin and the Son sets free (John 8:34-36). Galatians 5:1 says it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
The Bible promises strength for a believer who is struggling: God provides a way out of every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), his power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Practical help, such as a doctor, a quitline or a support group, works alongside prayer.
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