The Bible does not specifically address the topic of cremation. During Bible times the Jews disposed of the dead by burying them. Cremation was not the accepted practice. While surrounding cultures practiced a variety of death rites, from mummification to incineration on elaborate funeral pyres, Old Testament Jews clearly preferred burial, often in a cave and usually near other family members. Old Testament law, however, says nothing definitive about burial regulations. New Testament Jews and Christians favored burial as well, though the New Testament also lacks specific regulations for handling the dead. As Christianity spread and eventually became the official religion in the Roman Empire and elsewhere, culturally Christian burial practices spread as well. Cremation did not emerge as a major concern in traditionally Christian lands until 1870, when an Italian professor by the name of Lodovico Brunetti developed the first modern cremation apparatus.
As I considered both sides of the burial versus cremation argument, it was very clear to me that neither side offered a convincing Biblical position either way. I see it as more of a matter of personal preference than a clear-cut moral issue. As a great preacher once said, “Speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.”
Briefly, here are the key arguments on both sides…
Those who favor burial over cremation say that we should follow our Lord’s example – “Jesus was buried, so we should be buried.” Well, OK, but what they fail to mention is that Jesus’s body was actually placed in a cave-like tomb in the side of a hill and that it was wrapped up in grave clothes. And Jesus was not embalmed and placed in a box in the ground, as is the standard practice of burial today. Minor details, I guess. They also cite Paul’s references in 1 Corinthians 15:35-44 in which he likens the burial of the physical body and eventual resurrection of a spiritual body to a seed planted in the ground and yielding new life. Again, the practice of burial in Paul’s day and culture presented a beautiful spiritual picture of our future glorification.
Those who favor cremation over burial say that cremation just expedites the inevitable – “The body is going to eventually decay to dust anyway.” The curse on Adam after the fall and on all mankind says, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The dead body will eventually return to the dust, in obedience to the curse which lies over this physical body and all of creation. For those who favor cremation, economics is another factor. Burial and funeral expenses run normally between $5,000 and $10,000. Cremation and funeral costs generally run much less – between $500 and $1000. So, while it may not sound very spiritual, it presents an attractive alternative.
At this point I need to point out a third alternative that you may not have considered. A person can save even more money and offer an invaluable gift to humanity by agreeing to be an organ donor. Kidneys, hearts, livers, and eyes are in high demand. Certainly, healthy organs would be more useful to the living than to the dead. What remains of the body after the transplantable organs are removed can also be a blessing to others. The organs and bones that are not used as transplants can be donated for teaching purposes and to research. Skin can be used to aid in healing severe burns. Medical students are in great need of the bodies of the dead in order to prepare to serve the living. Cadavers are at a premium in medical schools. It is just something for you to consider.
In closing let me leave you with a few thoughts from Scripture that deal with the subject of death. These have been a great source of encouragement to me knowing that, unless the Lord returns first, I will have to face my own death. Paul says, “We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body to be at home with the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:8). The truth is that, as a Christian, after I die, I won’t care one bit what happens to my old physical shell. I will be with Jesus! In fact, if I do have a grave marker, I have asked my wife to place the following wording on it: “AIN’T HERE – WITH JESUS!”
The Bible also speaks of a bodily resurrection. “I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep (die), but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Does God need our help to preserve the body intact for that glorious resurrection day? I don’t believe He does! After all, the same God who created Adam brand new and perfect from the dust of the ground is capable of forming our glorified bodies out of the grains of dust that remain post-cremation or after years of physical decay.
“…He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you” (Romans 8:11).
