Cremation Or Burial?

                               

Examples of burial in the Bible were done in the ground or in a cave for the most part (Genesis 23:19; 35:4; 2 Chronicles 16:14; Matthew 27:60-66).  Cave burial was the most frequent burial custom of the ancient world and particularly with Israel and the Jews.  Cremation was practiced by pagan nations but was never practiced by Israel or by any of the Jews. 

Is it a sin to be cremated?  There is no sin in cremation that the Bible speaks of.  No Christian needs to fear losing their afterlife if they are cremated since God will someday resurrect both believers and unbelievers (Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).  The Bible does not appear to support it nor does it prohibit it specifically.  Cremation has been attractive to many since it is often cheaper than the traditional practice of burial.

The Apostle Paul indicated that he would be willing to have his body burned for Christ’s sake if need be: “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” ( I Cor. 13:3, NKJV).  This is not actually an endorsement for cremation but it also seems to indicate that it is not necessarily a sin either.  Paul never mentioned cremation in the New Testament nor was it mentioned in the Old Testament.

In terms of cremation, think of those poor Christians during the Roman persecution who were burned alive with nothing remaining but ashes and after their deaths, even these ashes were scattered to the winds.  God, who created Adam from the dust of the earth, will be able to recreate the bodies and personalities of such faithful men and women!  The same is true for any lost at sea or buried at sea. 

Does cremation matter in terms of the resurrection? The bottom-line answer is that it makes no difference at all whether one is cremated or not. What really matters is that your name should be found in the "book of remembrance" spoken of by the prophet Malachi or the Lamb’s book of life as mentioned in Revelation.

The Bible doesn't expressly forbid the practice of cremation, but the examples we have in Scripture of the people of God caring for the remains of the dead are decidedly in favor of burial. And of course the burial of our Lord Jesus Christ serves as an example which Christians have generally wished to follow.

Normally in Scripture, burning the dead was a sign of a person’s having died under God’s curse. It was a punishment inflicted upon the corpse of a particularly egregious offender. We see this punishment commanded, for instance, in the case of Achan. By the command of God, Achan was stoned for his offense of stealing from God, and his body was burned (Josh. 7:15, 25; see also Lev. 20:14; 21:9).

It’s interesting that wherever the Christian faith has been introduced and taken hold, the practice of cremation has been replaced by burial. The care of the body by means of burial has always been thought to be more consistent with the Christian’s hope of the resurrection.

Did you know that among the ancients the traditional Christian practice was for graves to lie lengthwise from east to west, with the head of the deceased toward the west and the feet toward the east? This is in anticipation of the resurrection at the second coming of Christ, so that when the faithful are raised up they will be facing the east so as to witness the coming of Christ to Jerusalem. Even in burial the faithful Christian is giving a witness to Jesus Christ.

Certainly, the care of the body in burial accords well with the Christian hope of the resurrection and it serves as the last testimony the Christian can give to Jesus Christ.

Genesis 3:19:  “…for you are dust, and to dust you shall return”.

Genesis 18:27: “Abraham answered and said, ‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.”

Ecclesiastes 3:20:  “All go to one place.  All are from the dust, and to dust all return.”

All bodily remains will in time return to dust.  Whether by burial or cremation this is true; it is only a difference of time.   Burials over the centuries have resulted in the decay of the body to dust.  Cremation simply accelerates this process.  Another questions for burial may arise, “Is it wrong to be embalmed?”  

Unlike cremation which accelerates the process to return to dust embalming slows the process down and reduces the natural decaying process.   We do have examples of embalming in the Scriptures:

Genesis 50:2-3

Ointment

Jacob, Life And Character Of

Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

Genesis 50:26

Age, Lived Over 100Burials, Features

Preparation For Burial

So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

These examples were done after the Egyptian process of embalming to make mummies.

If one concludes that cremation is wrong because it accelerates the natural decaying process of the body then one must also consider it wrong to embalm a body since it delays the decaying process of the body.

There is no prohibition for cremation from the Scriptures.   This is left up to each one to decide for themselves.  However, in my humble opinion, by example and using one’s death to also proclaim the hope of resurrection it seems that natural burial would show forth a closer tie to Christian beliefs. For example, even in our baptism we are depicting the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. (See Romans 6:3-11).  I choose to be buried and if possible without being embalmed.  However, this may not be legally possible due to health issues should one need to be transported across state lines or if an open casket viewing is requested for the memorial services.

In any case, should you decide to be cremated, do not fret about whether it is a sin or not.   Since you are already physically dead it will not matter to you at all anyway as your eternal life has begun.  The real question to be concerned about in this life is, “Are you ready for that day?”   If you have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then I can understand why you may have something to fret about more than if your body is burned up through cremation; eternal flames for example!