CREMATION OR BURIAL? A historical and biblical look by Scott McCarty

Introduction

The choice between “Cremation or Inhumation” has not been at all trivial in recent decades among those professing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, as the debate is bitter because of the convictions expressed by those proposing either one method or the other for disposing of the body of a much-loved family member. The difficult decision is often taken after emotional discussions, as the family members of the deceased may not always agree for such or such reasons, especially if the deceased did not express himself on the subject before his death.

Death is always a painful emotional surprise. In the end, everyone asks: “What would the deceased have wanted when he was alive, and had he told many of the family, or even written it down?” His decision is always respected, except perhaps in an extreme and indisputable situation.

This study will first turn a neutral eye to two possibilities – burial or cremation – on the historical plane of humanity. What have different races and cultures done about this subject since the dawn of time? It’s absolutely essential to place this debate in its historical context: what had our ancestors done in the broadest sense? With that in mind, let’s consider what the Holy Scriptures have to say on the subject.

The subject interests me enormously for two main reasons:

My Western, “Christian” background only saw burial as the only “proper” way to respect the body and memory of the deceased. This has been the context of my life since my childhood (1936-), as cremation did not exist in the southern United States. In recent decades (I arrived in France in 1971), I’ve been confronted with the actuality of cremation among people who are atheists or simply indifferent to the subject. Then, in a startling way, especially when three of my truly saved friends in Christ died and were cremated in 2014 here in France.

I read the article in the weekly magazine “Paris Match” concerning the death of actor Jean Gabin on November 15, 1976.

The front-page article summarized his career and revealed, with photo, that the actor’s body was cremated and the ashes thrown into the sea far from the Breton coast by his son, a member of the French Navy.

Why was Gabin’s body cremated and the ashes scattered over the Atlantic Ocean? It was the actor himself who gave us the answer before his death, with these words (quoted from memory):

“I want my ashes to be thrown into the sea, so that God cannot find me later”.

This shocked and saddened me, as Gabin knew nothing of the truth of life after death in relation to God the Creator and Judge. However, Gabin’s conviction unquestionably reflects the feeling, indeed the firm conviction, of a large majority of humanity that without a body, God cannot judge them, for “I cannot be resurrected!”

Is it possible that the born-again in Jesus Christ, by cremating his body, is unconsciously communicating exactly the same sentiment and message to living Christians and pagans without Jesus Christ? And this is what troubles and torments me. That’s the reason for this historical and biblical study: what kind of ceremony proclaims loudly, clearly and clearly a message in line with the Holy Scriptures, and therefore with the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ and His relationship with the body of the redeemed?

Historical research on cremation

Definition of the word “cremation”. Our word comes from the Latin verb “cremare” meaning “to burn”, and specifically to burn the body of a human person.

Manner: Modern cremation involves applying a very high-temperature flame of between 760 and 1150 degrees Celsius to the coffin containing the body of the deceased. The body is almost entirely consumed, and the remainder consists of bone fragments and other particles. This remnant, which normally weighs between 1.8 and 3.6 kg, is finely ground, reducing it to a granular mass. The process takes between 3 and 5 hours. Despite the attempt to remove all the dust, a very small portion normally remains in the cremation chamber, and would normally be mixed with the next cremated body. There are professionals who dispute the last part of the previous sentence, because it sounds mournful and destabilizes the family. Others, however, affirm the presence of the “remains”.

History of cremation: According to most archaeologists, cremation was invented around 3000 B.C., although some put the date between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. Where did it originate? The process originated in Europe, the Near East and even the Far East. The practice goes back a long way! The method became widespread in Greece from 800 BC onwards, then in Rome in 600 BC. When you read the history on the subject, it’s clear that in almost all cultures, with a few exceptions, cremation (dominant) and also burial have been practised, depending on the era and the geography. Variety, even in the history of a particular nation or people, was the rule.

Other societies :

In ancient Egypt, bodies were embalmed to preserve them for the afterlife.

In China, burial was the norm.

Hinduism, of all sects, strictly prescribed cremation.

In Israel, the practice was normally burial in sepulchres (but see below for exemptions for the place of burial).

From the beginning of the Christian era, the saved in Christ definitively and totally rejected cremation, because of its association with the pagan cultures and practices of cremation in Greece and Rome, but also because of the influence of burial in Judaism. By the 5th century, cremation in “Christianized” Europe had essentially disappeared (by the 7th century for the Anglo-Saxons).

It’s important to recognize that throughout European history, mass cremations were immediately practiced out of fear of contagious diseases caused by war, plague and famine.

When Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire, burial became the only permitted way to dispose of the body of the deceased.

What followed: An Italian professor, Brunetti, developed the first modern functional crematorium in the 1870s. In 1886, the Church of Rome officially banned cremations, and until the Second World War, Catholics who practiced this rite were excommunicated!

England legalized cremation in 1902. Interestingly, in 1769, an Englishwoman in London was the first recorded person to be (illegally) cremated in the modern era.

Crematoria were built in Germany in 1878 and 1891.

A Frenchman, Francis J. LeMoyne, was the first to build one in the USA in 1876!

In 1908, Rome blamed Freemasonry and its “freethinking” philosophy for the progress of cremation in Europe, while Pope Paul VI lifted the ban on cremation in 1963: then, from 1966, priests were even allowed to officiate.

To conclude this very brief historical overview, it can be said that cremation is part of ordinary human life in virtually every country in the world, the biggest exception being Muslim countries.

Here are some of the main, personal reasons put forward by advocates of the superiority of cremation over burial :

The thought of the slow decomposition of the body of their buried loved one is unappealing, so cremation makes the body disappear immediately.

Cremation is a quick and easy way. Burial has been seen in India as a way of making the land infertile, so cremation is more eco-friendly!

The cost is generally lower.

Ashes could be scattered easily – I dispense with the shocking, even mournful, ways some people use to dispose of ashes (rather, transform them!).

It’s better for the environment!

A vase (urn) takes up less space than a cemetery plot.

Rationalists, atheists and Freemasons want to make clear their opposition to the biblical principle of the resurrection of the body and the afterlife!

Hinduism and related religions make cremation compulsory, because the body is the carrier of the soul, which, having been imprisoned in the body, finally finds its freedom through the burning of the body. Cremation thus conveys a false idea of the integrated biblical tripartite composition (body – soul – spirit) of the human being.

A quick overview of the majority tendencies against cremation, although the choice is often left open between the two:

Islam is fundamentally against cremation, and therefore in favor of burial.

Belief and practice in favor of burial have been harmoniously preserved in Christianity, but this has no longer been the case since the end of the 20th century.

A look now at the different variations of belief in Christendom:

Roman Catholicism has always preferred, if not imposed, burial because of its history, which supports the fact of the testimony of the catacombs. Christians believed that the body is an integral and inseparable part of the person. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6.19-20), and burial is the best way to honor the human bodily integrity of this “temple”. Cremation has its origins in paganism and is an insult to the body of the deceased.

In the past, Anglicanism and Lutheranism overwhelmingly defended burial, which better testifies to faith in bodily resurrection. Now, however, everyone in these two Protestant branches believes and does as they please. Interesting, however, is the conviction of the Anglican Bishop of London in the 1870s that cremation leads to disastrous consequences, expressed by a social revolution (harmful, of course)! The Lutheran minister Gerberding wrote in 1907 that the body came from the earth and its return to the earth is “a beautiful symbolism”, pointing to the resurrection of the body.

The Greek Orthodox Church generally rejects cremation, but not dogmatically.

The evangelical world is increasingly divided, but so far I have not found any “pro-cremation” who could provide biblical reasons for their conviction.

Sects:

The Mormons discourage, but do not forbid, cremation.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are evasive, saying that cremation was not condemned in the Old Testament, but you don’t want to offend your neighbors indelicately, so you have to make a discreet choice.

Baha’i forbids cremation.

Zoroastrianism (a dualistic, Manichaean religion founded by the Iranian Zarathustra, 628-551 BC, whose heirs are the Parsi) rejects cremation and burial, preferring to “bare” the body in their “Tower of Silence”!

The currentChinese government allows both practices.

Judaism :

Jews have traditionally disapproved of cremation. While in the 19th and 20th centuries, “liberal” Jews allowed cremation, Reform Judaism also accepts cremation. Conservative Orthodox Jews oppose cremation. Cremation has only been practiced in the modern State of Israel since 2004. It is interesting to note the Jewish conviction that if the body is cremated all the ashes must remain in one place, i.e., not scattered by the wind or in nature. Are they more biblical than the “evangelicals”?

Conclusion

This short journey through centuries, cultures and religious convictions has demonstrated that a homogeneous global consensus between peoples has never existed. And given Adamic human nature, a consensus will never exist.

Individual choice prevailed, as each person believed, and believes, that he or she alone is responsible for the future end of his or her body. It’s interesting to note that the religion one practiced or didn’t practice, relative to others, was the strongest influence in the choice between cremation or burial. The historical overview is necessarily informative, as everyone needs to be aware of what is believed and why in our modern world.

(An initial thought so far: However, the convert’s faith in Jesus Christ is still rooted in the divine revelation that is The Holy Scriptures, the Bible. What the Book teaches takes precedence over all other human considerations. This means that the saved in Christ is obliged to reconcile his convictions on the type of ceremony celebrating his death with THE BOOK. It is neither logical nor respectful of Christ for the Christian to have a conviction contrary to the teaching of this Book).

So let’s continue our research now with a close study of what the Bible tells us about the controversial subject of this document. The part below is extremely important, because the individual, having received the Lord Jesus as Savior through the work of the Holy Spirit, must live in accordance with them. Spiritual schizophrenia (= being saved in Christ but believing – living at odds with the Bible) on the subject of this document would be an intolerable aberration. Nor is it normal to “foolishly” follow the convictions of one’s parents, one’s church, high-profile scholars, without knowing what the Bible says for oneself on the subject. Each person must answer to Jesus Christ for his or her life and convictions (Rom 14.10c-12).

The Old Testament

Introduction

The first part of the Bible, called the “Old Testament”, is the first written revelation from the hand of the Creator concerning the only truth about all that is man and the conduct approved by the Creator. All that the A.T. communicates to us on all the subjects it deals with, is truth for the saved in Christ. It is obvious that life and death are abundantly considered, so the subsidiary subjects (burial and cremation) are found there at important moments throughout the history of the people of the Eternal God.

Cremation

The subject of this historical and biblical study requires us to take a pertinent look at the two phenomena of cremation and burial of the human body. First of all, the words “cremation” are obviously related to the words “fire-flame-consummation”, which normally mean “to reduce to ashes, to destroy, to make disappear completely by the flames of an intense fire”. The image, then, is dark, sinister, sad and distressing.

Consideration of the following few biblical references (it’s impossible to deal with absolutely every reference here) confirms this appalling, unsettling image:

• Genesis 19.24: The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire.
• Genesis 38.24: Judah intended to burn his daughter-in-law as punishment.
• Exodus 32.20: Moses had the Golden Calf burned to the ashes, which he had the people consume as a punishment for idolatry.
• Leviticus 20.14; 21.9: Grossly immoral people were to be consumed by fire (cf. 10.2).
• Numbers 16.1-35: The Lord Himself exterminated the false religious leaders who opposed His truth communicated through Moses.
• Deuteronomy 7.25: The Lord commanded the total destruction of idols by fire.
• Joshua 7.15-25: The LORD dedicated the bodies of the thieves to destruction by fire after they had been stoned to death for committing infamy in Israel. The integrity of the nation and the reputation of the Lord were defiled before pagan nations. Fire is a sign of judgment.
• Judges 15:6: This verse recounts a vile and barbaric act committed by fire against Samson’s wife and father-in-law; hatred and fire often go hand in hand.
• 2 Kings 10.26: Jehu demolished and burned the temple of Baal, thus an act of judgment.
• Jeremiah 29:21-23: An event demonstrating that fire can symbolize the curse willed by the Lord.
• Amos 2.1-3: It is interesting to note that the Lord did not like the practice of burning a dead man’s bones; this short passage highlights the destructive and exterminating power of fire, but also the attention the Lord pays to a person’s skeleton.

A friend adds:

“I read Amos 6.10 not long ago, and it seems to me that this verse also condemns cremation, because it says that it is not the time to pronounce the name of the Lord when a dead person has been burned”.

Conclusion

A careful reading of other OT references shows that fire also played an important role in the Levitical sacrificial system. However, sacrificial fire still very often signified God’s judgment against sin (Lev 1.4; 4.20-35; 5.5-10; 12.6-7; 15.30).

Read the following references to get the idea that almost all references to fire in the OT mean “destruction”, “devastation”, “ruin” (Ps 11.6; 97.3; Deut 4.24; 2 Kings 1.9-14; Ezek 38.22; 39.6; 20.47; Isa 30.27, 30; 33.14; 66.15-16).

It’s undeniable that consuming fire is often associated with warning and judgment (Lev 10.1-2); even eternal judgment (Mat 25.4), human sacrifice (Lev 18.21), and crime (Lev 20.14; 21.9).

Here’s a reflection from Dr. Wolga: “As a physician, I have no preference for cremation except in the case of death from a highly contagious disease (such as Ebola fever), since the risk of polluting run-off water or the water table is high (especially among Jews, Muslims and animists in Africa, who practice direct burial in the ground, without a coffin). As a Christian, I’m in favor of burial.

The point I want to make here: Is it fitting that the destructive fire expressly used by the Lord in the A.T. to express His wrath, His judgment against unrepentant sinners and sin, should be chosen by a redeemed person in Christ to celebrate with dignity, by the cremation of the body, his departure for the Hereafter? It seems to me that the earthly life of the disciple of Christ should also be reflected in the way he celebrates his departure from his earthly existence (towards the heavenly homeland).

Burial and Interment

• Genesis 23:3-4,17-20; 25:8-9: Abraham (an example of faith for us) was buried, as was Isaac (Genesis 35:28-29) and Jacob (Genesis 50:5-7,12-14).
• Genesis 35.8: Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, was buried, as were Rachel and Leah (Genesis 35.19-20; 49.31).
• Genesis 50.2-7,12-14 : Jacob, father of Joseph, was buried in a cave.
• Genesis 50.26: Joseph’s body was prepared in Egypt for his future burial in Canaan (in Joshua 24.32; express mention is made of his “bones”).
• Joshua 24:29-30: Joshua was buried.
• Deuteronomy 34.5-6: Moses was buried, but his tomb cannot be found, while his brother Aaron was buried (Deuteronomy 10.6).
• Joshua 24.33: Eleazar, son of Aaron, was buried.
• Judges 8.32: Gideon was buried.
• 1 Samuel 25.1: The prophet Samuel was buried.
• 2 Samuel 2:22-23, 32: Asahel was buried.
• 2 Samuel 3.31-32 : Abner was buried.
• 2 Samuel 18.17: Absalom was buried.
• 1 Kings 2:10: David (type of Christ) was buried (cf. Acts 2:29).
• 1 Kings 11:43: Solomon was buried.
• 1 Kings 15.8: Abijam was buried.
• 2 Kings 15:38: Jotham was buried.
• 2 Kings 21:18: Manasseh was buried.
• 2 Chronicles 16:13: Asa was buried (only the spices and perfumes were burned, not his body); read the text carefully (cf. 2 Chronicles 21:19).
• 2 Chronicles 32.33: Hezekiah was buried.
• Ezekiel 39:11-15: Prophetic burials even of Israel’s enemies at the end of the Tribulation.

Summary

I’d like to ask two questions: Why had the Author of the A.T. (2 Timothy 3.16-17) taken the time to mention the reality of the principle of burial in the A.T. so often? And how often does the Holy Spirit have to mention the manner of burial to get His message across to us, what was (and is) acceptable to God’s people in order to please Him?

Job 19.25-27 is a good final word to close the presentation on the biblical tradition of burial for the believer in God as Creator of the human body and Restorer of the old body into a glorious future one.

Let’s take a moment to consider not only the teaching of the Old Testament, but also what the New Testament teaches us about the questions “What to do with the body of the deceased to celebrate their departure with dignity?” “Shouldn’t Matthew 26.39, 42 serve as our approach as a preparation for evaluating the N.T.’s teaching on the right choice to make?”

It seems to me correct and proper to affirm that eternal Truth is well written word by word in the original A.T. texts and is as well taught by inference and by Spirit-sanctified deduction, in accord with what is written concerning burial.

The New Testament

Introduction

Does the New Testament contradict the practice of burial? It may seem strange to offer an introduction to this point. But the question is: Does the New Testament follow the clear, categorical teaching of the Old Testament, or does it take an innovative approach to the dilemma raised by this study? And which Testament should take precedence in this “cremation or burial” debate? If a contradiction exists between the two Testaments, how can we know the truth?

Before continuing with the study, the reader must declare himself, either for the possibility that the Word may contradict itself on the subject of this study according to the human beliefs of the present moment, or for the conviction that the Word teaches that contradiction cannot exist in God nor in His Word (1 Samuel 15.29; Psalm 33.11; Ecclesiastes 3.14; Isaiah 14.24; Malachi 3.6a) on this subject.

The teaching of the New Testament will therefore not change from that of the Old Testament.

The teaching of the reality of burial among the Jews during the ministry of Jesus Christ:

Matthew 14.10-12: John the Baptist, Jesus’ human cousin, was buried.

Matthew 23.27: Jesus’ condemnation of the professionals of the Jewish religion and their hypocrisy is still quite a testimony to His faith in burial, isn’t it?!

John 11.38-44 : Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, was buried.

Luke 7.11-12: His mother’s only son was carried in a coffin to be buried.

Luke 9:59-60: A young man called by Jesus to follow him mentions the Jewish custom of burying their dead, and Jesus accepted this tradition because it was consistent with the entire history of God’s people.

Luke 16:22: A rich man was buried.

Lessons to be learned from the example of Jesus Christ :

John 6.39-40,54: Jesus spoke of the resurrection of the believer’s body. His Jewish audience had understood that He was referring to a resurrection of the body properly buried (cf. Romans 8.11; 1 Thessalonians 4.13-17, N.B. the 6 references to the body in this last passage, direct and by deduction). Let’s not forget that truth is not only communicated word by word, but also by inference and deduction intellectually “sanctified” by employing grammatical-historical-contextual hermeneutics.

Matthew 26.6-12: Jesus announces His future burial (cf. John 19.40; John 12.24)

John 19:38-42; Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56, cf. 1 Cor. 15:4: Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea before a host of witnesses.

Here’s a thought that occurred to me a few days ago: the resurrection would have been infinitely more spectacular, according to our way of thinking, before the pagan world if the Lord’s disciples had cremated Him. Then, 3 days later, His body would have been miraculously reconstituted! Extraordinary, incredible, unique, unbelievable! Neither Jesus nor the disciples had anything to do with cremation, for many reasons. And I also believe, following His example, that HE will be glorified more by my own burial than by a rite whose human origin is manifestly and indisputably pagan.

The lesson to be learned from the examples of apostolic history:

• Acts 5.1-10: The case of the buried couple Ananias and Sapphira.
• Acts 8.1-2: The martyr Stephen was buried.
• Acts 24.21: Paul, in mentioning “the resurrection of the dead”, was alluding to the burial of Jesus.

The clear deduction from this history of the nascent Church is that Christians continued the example of Jesus Christ and the apostles’ teaching. Moreover, Christian history from the^1st century onwards confirms without any possible contradiction that Christians practiced burial only (see the catacombs). The cremation of a saved person from the 1st century onwards would have been regarded as a total denial of the saving work of the risen Christ and of the faith in the future bodily resurrection of Christians.

The direct teaching, and by deduction, to be drawn from the rest of the New Testament:

It is clear to me that the key to the conviction that burial of the body of the deceased Christian is surely the only way consistent with apostolic teaching, is found in 1 Corinthians 6.19-20, where three divine reasons or principles are forcefully presented for burial:

The body of the saved belongs totally and eternally to the Holy Spirit, so neither the deceased during his lifetime nor his family have the right to decide on a celebration “to God” that would contradict this possession. Paul asserts that the saved absolutely no longer belongs to himself, he is merely a “resident” in the Spirit’s abode; the saved has no control over the bodily destiny of his abode so cremation is a choice in violation of the nature and purpose of the Holy Spirit.

The repentant, believing sinner (Acts 20:21) has been totally and eternally redeemed at the price of Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 7:23; Acts 20:28d; cf. Ephesians 1:7, 14). The Lord Jesus Christ is also the owner of our body, so no decision of any kind should be taken without His permission. And He can never suggest (after a prayer, “What shall I do?”) a practice contrary to His experience, nor contrary to Holy Scripture.

The most highly responsible task for the redeemed is always to put God first by his conduct, his speech, his convictions = “glorify God in your body ‘, 1 Cor 6. 20. While we are alive we should honor by our conduct ’our” body, temple of the Holy Spirit, so death should in no way interrupt our way of treating our body-cadaver.

Even the convert to Christ should glorify Him by the way he disposes of his body after death. Cremation, a counter-example to Jesus, would, it seems to me, be turning our backs on Christ’s example in this particular respect.

The following references strongly underline the concept of the supreme principle of the value of the body:

• Romans 14.7-8: “…no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live unto the Lord; and if we die, we die unto the Lord….”.
• These two verses are absolutely crucial to the Christian’s view (the true concept and meaning of “disciple”) of his or her life and death. The Greek text lacks the preposition “for” which precedes “himself”, and “the Lord”. So, these words are a dative meaning more “self-interest”. It is up to the Christian to live / die, taking into consideration the consequence of all his actions with regard to the person and reputation of the Lord Jesus, thinking of His personal interest. It is v. 9 that confirms the meaning of vv. 7-8 = Christ’s Lordship in everything, everywhere, all the time; everything must put Christ first and glorify Him. Romans 14:12-13 informs us that one of the most important truths in the N.T. is that we will have to give an account to God the Father of what we have done with “our lives” since the moment of salvation. Romans 8:22-23 goes on to emphasize that the convert to Christ has the first fruits of the Spirit, so that he can rest assured that his body will receive its full redemption at the moment of resurrection. A buried body prefigures the resurrection of the body better than a cremation with its ashes.
• Romans 6.3-5 and Colossians 3.27 deserve this reflection from another Christian: “The symbolic meaning of baptism as burial and rebirth in the death and resurrection of Christ is incomprehensible in a culture where only cremation is practiced.
• 2 Corinthians 5.2-10: The apostle emphasizes the importance of the body. Burial perfectly conveys the image of change from “this tent” to “our heavenly home” (v. 2). The bodily image of change is very strong in verse 4 (“to strip off” – “to put on”). The verses underline faith in the integrity of the body with four mentions of “the body” (vv. 6, 8, 9, 10). A hypothetical mention of “ashes” in these verses is unthinkable.
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-57: A body left in its mortal state and then buried foreshadows the future incorruptible body, clothed in immortality. Cremation and ashes, on the other hand, do not testify as well to the gloriously changed body. Let’s not forget that cremation is synonymous with total destruction and dispersion.
• 1 Corinthians 10.31-11.1: Paul exhorts the saved to imitate Christ in everything throughout their lives, so why not also in the way they treat their bodies after death = burial and not cremation?
• 1 Corinthians 15:38, 42-43, 49: These passages emphasize the principle of the body being respected in its entirety and physical integrity. What kind of ceremony better testifies to Spirit-inspired teaching that inspires our faith in the resurrection of our bodies? Certainly not cremation.
• 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18: This epistle was written in the apostolic era, when Christians had already categorically rejected pagan cremation as a way of respecting the deceased. The buried mortal body testified to strong faith in the resurrected body. Why not continue in the apostolic manner, following the example of Jesus Christ?
• Philippians 3:20-4:1: This text is extraordinary for its emphasis on the sacred character of the body of the saved (redeemed at Christ’s great price). In this way, the body that is buried gives eternal value to the “great price” and also announces faith in this future glorious transformation. Cremation (of non-Christian origin) cannot do this visually, it seems to me.

I end this part of the study with the apostle’s strong emphasis on the present and future body with 1 Thessalonians 5.23: “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your whole being, spirit, soul and body, be preserved blameless, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Not a single verse discussed above questions the salvation or future resurrection of the convert whose body would have been cremated. The purpose is merely to remind us of the “most excellent” way = burial.

A reassuring consideration

What about those saved in Christ who have died at sea, burned up in plane – train – car – building – war accidents? What becomes of them, their bodies cremated and lost forever?

In the end, what matters is: Have we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our only Saviour (John 1.12-13; 14.1; 20.31; Acts 16.31; Romans 10.9-10; Revelation 3.20)? The resurrection of the son/daughter of God depends solely on his/her new birth, which is guaranteed by each person of the TRI-UNITY (John 3.16; 10.27-29; Heb 7.25; 2 Tim 1.12; Col 3.1-4; Rom 8.23, 37-39). The state of the saved person’s body after death has no effect on his or her eternal destiny, for whether buried, cremated, eaten by cannibals or fish, blown to bits, his or her soul and spirit are already with the Lord (2 Cor 5.7-8, the thought being “soul and spirit absent from the body, both are present with the Lord”). The individual will have his heavenly home with a new body at a later date according to 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18. The eternal destiny of each individual is fixed before death.

The arguments put forward by “Christian cremationists” (and my answers).

In the Old Testament, fire signified the Divine Presence (Ex. 3:2; 24:17; Deut. 9:3; Zech. 2:5), so cremation may be a symbol of the “purified” believer entering God’s presence. However, this argument is tendentious, as fire is also a sign of divine judgment (Ex 9.24; Joshua 7.25; 2 Kings 1.10; Ezek 36.5a-b; Lam 2.3; cf. Rev 16.8-9; 20.9, 10, 14, 15).

The method of disposing of the body of the deceased is a really minor consideration for those with a biblical culture (can they imagine!) so cremation for the Christian is not important at all = do what you want. However, all the references from page 6 above say the opposite, so the method is very important for the disciple of God.

Jesus wasn’t concerned about how to dispose of the body of the deceased, so the Christian is free to adopt the method that pleases him. Now, even if Jesus didn’t make any long speeches on the subject, neither did He make long speeches on all the subjects of modern life that interest us. However, when He did address the subject of the deceased, He testified to His faith in and acceptance of the tradition of burial (Luke 9.60; Mat 23.27; N.B. end of page 7 and beginning of page 8 for Jesus’ attitude).

The apostle Paul put the emphasis on the living body (Paul thus depreciated the corpse, they say!) which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6.9). For the Temple is for worshipping the Creator; therefore, at death, the body is useless and the way of disposing of it no longer matters. What’s more, the ashes will not deviate from the basis of the “resurrected body”, for the body will be “spiritual” so it’s a question of the “personality of the individual” who has assumed immortality (1 Cor 15.5, 44) and not the body. The apostle never disparaged either the living or the dead body. As for the Temple, Paul never implied that the Temple could be annihilated by cremation. Let’s not forget that Paul was an orthodox Jew before his conversion (Phil 3.2-3), and therefore totally committed to the principle of burial, which he never denied. 1 Corinthians 15.42-49 is a masterly defense of the resurrection of the physical body (NB, v. 49). It is clear from understanding the apostolic teaching of 1 Corinthians 15 that burial corresponds only and perfectly to God’s will. Cremation smacks of paganism.

God had said to mankind in Genesis 3.19, “…., for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” So cremation is a way of “helping” the Creator to accomplish His will more quickly, so that each individual’s body returns to dust. But do we really need to take the time to demonstrate the error of such reasoning?

Western burial has too often become so extravagant and materialistic that the simplicity of cremation is the best Christian witness. But I don’t think all burials are necessarily extravagant, because it’s impossible to prove it. It’s quite obvious that rich people often like to show off their wealth by extravagant ceremonies. I’ve personally noticed that sometimes Christians might think they’re “honoring” their loved one’s deceased body better by giving it a rather expensive “beautiful coffin”. I don’t think the deceased cared at all. Have the Jews of the A.T., and then the Christians (see the Catacombs) from the^1st century onwards, always been materialistic because they buried their dead, or did they show respect for the deceased by burying them?!

Cremation is much cheaper and more environmentally friendly. But prices vary according to location and “professional”. I have in my hand comparative prices for both methods, and burial is not necessarily always “much” more expensive. I’ve just spoken with a professional (and if I understood correctly) he told me that the rates are identical! As for the ecological question, you have to burn a body with town gas, wood or another fuel for about 2 hours (and then you need a machine that uses electricity to reduce the bones to ash). Then scattering the ashes here and there doesn’t seem any more “ecological” than burial. As for the cost of burial for a Christian family “in difficulty”, I’m sure that the brothers and sisters of his local church would “put their hand in their pocket” (to absorb the deficit), so that the deceased could have a celebration worthy of the Lord by following His example.

More and more Christians, even some big names in the evangelical world, accept cremation, perhaps because it’s “modern and cheaper” and in keeping with the worldly (and anti-Christian) society in which we live in the 21st century. And yet, since when has the N.T. suggested, indeed urged, that we adopt the world’s philosophy and methods in order to honor God (cf. 1 John 2:15-17)?

As long as the world exists, there will always be people of very good faith, even among those who profess Jesus Christ as “Lord”, who will try to gently circumvent in good faith (but simply ignorant of biblical teaching, by word and inference) the path indicated in the Two Testaments. “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation remains standing ….” (2 Timothy 2.19a).

Conclusion

This short historical and biblical study has been done with intellectual honesty, I believe, with the sole interest of presenting pagan historical facts and Christian historical-biblical facts. The current debate between Christians, some of whom think that a practice taken from paganism is acceptable before God, saddens me enormously, even upsets me absolutely (every time I think of it, my mind is troubled). Yet, an act or deed by another saved in Christ even after his death should make me happy and should give me the opportunity to thank and glorify GOD for the individual and his act/deed, even at the time of the disposal of his body. Pagan cremation does not give me this joyful opportunity.

What stands out for me from what I read throughout the Bible, and what has always been confirmed from the 1st century of Christian history onwards, is that I personally cannot accept cremation as biblically normal. A method created from scratch by a pagan philosophy of life and death does not seem to me capable of glorifying the Creator God and Saviour Jesus as well as the biblical example.

I’m not naive enough to believe that anyone who reads this document carefully, I hope, will agree with me. Human nature is like that. For those who would disagree with the material here presented, I ask only one thing, “Show me by the Holy Scriptures where I am wrong in my exposition, please.”

I have no intentional intent to hurt anyone with my presentation (choice of words, turn of phrase, the “tone” of my written voice, …). I maintain fellowship with all who are in Christ. However, my conscience and my sense of scriptural truth have obliged me to put before the reader the historical-biblical point of view of Christ, Creator and Sovereign of His Body, the CHURCH ( Ephesians 1.20-23). Each of us is accountable to HIM for our beliefs and actions, 2 Corinthians 5.10.

May the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified!

(I want to thank my dear brothers, Henri Lüscher and Dr. Igor Wolga, for their abundantly practical suggestions].

Scott McCarty / March 10, 2015.