The reasons for this are varied, but many point to the low cost of cremation as a main cause for this shift in preferred disposition method. The attitude of the Christian's heart will show deep respect for the wonderful body that God designed. Bible-era practices are described in Unger’s Bible Dictionary as follows: “Interment in Bible times followed soon after death, as is evident in the narratives of the burial of Sarah (Genesis 23:1-20), Rachel (Genesis 35:19-20), and Rebekah’s nurse (Genesis 35:8). Although the Bible does not specifically speak about cremation, we do see in the Word of God that only the heathen tribes burned their bodies with fire after death. 2 Samuel 21:12-14 The Israelites always buried their dead or put them in a tomb. It would be wise to prayerfully seek God’s peace regarding the decision of body disposal. All of us also understand bodies have to be buried at sea when a vessel on which the person has died will be at sea for quite some time and there are no accommodations for preserving the body until the ship gets to shore. However, there is no scriptural prohibition of cremation in the New Testament. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The bodies of Saul and his sons were burned, presumably because they had been mutilated. There is no Bible verse that specifically addresses the issue of cremation in terms of whether it is right or wrong for Christians. And it is frightening to see Americans who in recent years commonly considered cremation wrong, now accept the abominable practice even with the blessing of their church leaders. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. The book of Amos chapter 2 tells us that God punished Moab for burning the bones of the King of Edom. Since the Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, he should consider a burial which will not involve cremation. If you’re looking for specific Bible verses that support or condemn cremation, there aren’t many to point to. While this is a large number of Americans, many people aren’t familiar with the intricacies of the cremation process. According to Christianity, cremation does not prevent Resurrection. When cremation was practiced in the Bible, it showed contempt of … Bodies are destroyed in various ways every single day and it’s doubtful many Christians feel as though those people are excluded from Resurrection, especially if their deaths were beyond their control. Does the Bible have anything to say about cremation? (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Philippians 3:21) How happy we are as we look forward to tha… Jesus himself was buried in a tomb, after his crucifixion. Most of the reasons are for the sake of convenience, hygiene and cost. God does not give us rules in the Bible about burial or cremation. The Bible never explicitly condemns cremation as a sin, nor does it command us to bury in a certain way. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.He is co-founder of Liberty University, with Jerry Falwell, in 1971, and was the only full-time teacher in the first year of Liberty’s existence. One of our cousins, however, claims the Bible says you can't go to heaven if you're cremated. Is it okay for believers to be cremated after they die? Even though the Bible remains neutral on the point of cremation, many still believe that cremation is unacceptable as a method of disposition for followers of Christ. If you’re unsure whether burial or cremation is the right choice for you, it might be worth speaking to your spiritual leaders for guidance on this subject. Cremation is wrong for you if you are contemplating cremation as part of a religious ceremony for a non-Christian religion or you think cremation will help you escape judgment by God in the future. What does the Bible say about cremation? What Does the Bible Say About Cremation? This is how Billy answered it: The Bible does not give specific directions on how to dispose of a body following a death. Whatever the reason we will dive into what the Bible says about burial or cremation when someone passes on. The Bible suggests that we are but dust in comparison to God. There is no command to bury, and there is no prohibition to cremate. As cremation or burial by fire was not called out in the Bible, each individual will need to make the decision for themselves based on their own faith, traditions, needs, and wishes. The Bible neither favors nor forbids the process of cremation. The reasons for this are varied, but many point to the low cost of cremation as a main cause for this shift in preferred disposition method. The scriptures do not forbid cremation, and the scriptures do condone it. Cremation is a heathen custom, meaning a practice of people who do not have the Bible, or else have rejected its authority. Christians believe that God is all powerful and that all things are possible with God. Towns has given theological lectures and taught intensive seminars at over 50 theological seminaries in America and abroad. The Bible and Cremation Interestingly, there is no specific teaching in the Bible about cremation. In the biblical cultures there were many different ways of dealing with the dead, and God does not specifically and directly encourage or prohibit any of them. There is nothing in Scripture that indicates that the modern practice of cremation is inappropriate. God does not expressly forbid the disposal of dead bodies using fire like through a cremation. It is interesting to note that in 2 Kings 23:16-20, burning human bones on an altar desecrated the altar. My spouse and I have been discussing our final will and testament, including our personal preferences regarding funeral arrangements. Four doctoral dissertations have analyzed his contribution to religious education and evangelism. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. The Lord will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.”, 1 Samuel 31:12-13 - “All the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. According to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit for each child of God. He can resurrect a body eaten by a shark or a baby torn limb from limb and … Cremation is no different than if a body was destroyed in a fire. Genesis 3:19 (King James Version): In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. What does the Bible say about cremation? With this in mind, one can readily understand that, while living, the body should not be defiled with tobacco, alcohol, immoral activities and improper eating habits. The price is high, the reach. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Cremation seems to be a sensible answer to the limited number of available gravesites and the rising cost of burial. If you’re organizing a funeral, creating a funeral program can be useful to give those attendi, Until recently, families often notified their community of a death by submitting an obituary to the newspaper. Please try again later. However, if you live in a society that mandates cremation by law (because of limited burial space) or you have another valid reason (burial too costly), then it is not wrong to cremate. The first actual mention of cremation in the Bible is 1 Samuel 31: 11-13 where Saul and his sons are burned and then their bones buried after terrible ravages were inflicted on their bodies. At the same time, the Old Testament law nowhere commands that a deceased human body not be burned, nor does … They believe that cremating a body renders the body ineligible for Resurrection since it’s effectively destroyed. Bible verses related to Cremation from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance - Sort By Book Order . There is information and instruction in the Bible regarding cremation. Throughout the Bible we see a consistent theme that only the wicked burned their dead. There are occurrences in the Old Testament of people being burned to death (1 Kings 16:18; 2 Kings 21:6) and of human bones being burned (2 Kings 23:16-20), but these are not examples of cremation. The Bible doesn’t give instructions on how a body should be handled after death. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. This tells us that an alternative to cremation is possible, even in crowded cities. I. Being a famous preacher, Billy Graham was asked continuously questions about death. Many instances of burial are mentioned throughout the Bible, yet cremation is explicitly mentioned in one case. Easily publish a free obituary, share funeral details, collect memories and more. There are practical and serious implications for either path. The main thing to remember is this: the body of a Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit. They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. The Jews always buried bodies in graves in the ground or entombed their dead in a cave or in a sepulcher, similar to our modern-day mausoleums. "The use of … Although cremation accounts can be found in the Bible, the practice was not common or accepted at all among ancient Hebrews. God’s covenant people, the Jews always buried their dead and even saved the bones safely in osuaries so that tombs could be used … The following two tabs change content below. Cremation, while not ideal, is an option for those who cannot otherwise provide a proper burial. He holds visiting professorship rank in five seminaries. What does the Bible say about cremation? Interested in what the Bible says about death? When Jesus comes, "The dead in Christ" will be raised and given immortal bodies, "fashioned like unto his glorious body." Most burning in the Bible is a form of punishment rather than a method of disposition. '", Ecclesiastes 3:20 - “All go to one place. Genesis 3:19 - In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return. Does the Bible forbid cremation? The Bible examples of burial reflect what was the accepted cultural practice and tradition of disposing bodies at the time of a person's death and are not a commanded practice. Some believers object to the practice of cremation on the basis that it does not recognize that one day God will resurrect our bodies and reunite them with our spirit (1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). Burial was the acceptable method for disposing of corpses among the Israelites. No rules about burial or cremation. In particular, he says it's sacrilegious to destroy the … The Bible does not have any commands or laws against cremation. There’s no indication that cremation is a sin anywhere in the Bible. You won’t find chapter and verse where the Bible prohibits or approves of cremation. Most experts agree that if cremation was a sin and disqualified the body from being resurrected, it would be written as such. The Bible does not give specific directions for the disposal of the body following death. But this was probably done for sanitary reasons rather than religious ones. Piper also says that cremation can be viewed as anti-biblical due to the Bible’s many references to hell and evil being associated with fire. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, a Th.M. There is no evidence that suggests cremation is a sin, but there’s no counterevidence suggesting it’s not a sin. Also, if a person is contemplating their own body or a loved one’s body being disposed of by the method of cremation, they should consider whether or not other members of their immediate family or close friends would be emotionally hurt by such a method. What Does The Bible Say About Cremation Billy Graham Answers. As we finish examining what the Bible says about cremation let's consider the following: 1. However, in crowded cities, buildings are being erected where funeral services are held and the body is deposited for keeping in that same building. However, most believers will want to follow the example of Jesus and be buried in the earth to wait for Resurrection Day. What Does the Bible Say About Cremation? It’s true that burial was the common practice in the Bible, and cremation was rare. Millions of people have perished in horrible ways that have destroyed their bodies, but that does not exclude them from Resurrection. First person cremated in the Bible - King Saul The Bible’s first mention of this method of the final disposition of a dead body comes in the book of 1st Samuel chapter 31. The be buried or cremated is a big decision. from Dallas Theological Seminary also in Dallas, a MRE from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and a D.Min. 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