One question submitted this week by a congregation member:

What does the Bible say about cremation?

Great question!

HISTORY

In Jesus' time, cremation was common among the Romans and Greeks, especially among the wealthy and powerful. However, Jews opposed this practice. The Mishnah, a collection of Jewish oral teachings, states that any death involving burning is considered idolatry ('Ab. Zarah i. 3). Tacitus, a first-century Roman historian, also observed that Jews preferred burial over cremation (Volume 2, page 298).

As Christianity spread throughout the Roman world in the first century, early Christians shared similar views against cremation, associating it with pagan practices. This difference between Christian beliefs and the secular customs of their time provided opportunities to share the Gospel. Over the centuries, the negative view of cremation remained tied to its pagan origins.

What about today?

Within the last two hundred years, the Roman Catholic Church stated in the Catholic Catechism on paragraph 2301:

“Autopsies can be morally permitted for legal inquests or scientific research. The free gift of organs after death is legitimate and can be meritorious. The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body.”

Protestants, on the other hand, have various opinions on the matter and are quite divided on a single answer.

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Biblical Overview

Time and again, biblical characters took great care of the bodies of the deceased and did so with great respect. In Genesis 23, Abraham worked long and hard to find a place to bury Sarah, his wife. This same cave became a family cave where both Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah were buried (Gen. 25:9; 49:31; & 50:13).

Some other notable passages (just a survey – not all possible references):

Old Testament

• Joseph made his sons pledge to bury his bones in Promised Land of Israel (Gen. 50:25; Josh. 24:32).

• Moses was buried by God (Deut. 34:5-6).

• Joshua was buried after his death (Josh. 24:30).

• Samuel was buried in Ramah (1 Sam. 25:1).

• King David was buried in Jerusalem (1 Kings 2:10).

• Several judges were buried at the time of their death (Judges 8:32; 10:2; 12:7-15, etc.)

New Testament

• John the Baptist was buried by his disciples after his beheading (Matt. 14:12).

• Lazarus was buried by his family before he was resurrected (John 11:17-18).

• Ananias and Sapphira were buried after their sin (Acts 5:8-9).

• Stephen was buried after becoming the first Christian to die (Acts 8:2).

• Of course, Jesus, our Lord and Savior, upon His death, was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38-42) to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah (53:9).

IS CREMATION MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE?

• Partial cremation of Saul and his sons – 1 Samuel 31:11-13

• Other possible but more obscure references – Amos 6:8-11 and 2:1-3

Some Biblical Teachings to Consider

It should be clear from the above that the history of the Jews, the church, and the Bible itself indicates opposition to cremation. However, no chapter and verse speaks to cremation directly. We must, then, look at our biblical theology from across the whole of Scripture.

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TWO MAJOR TOPICS TO LOOK OVER

1. Created in the Image of God

The Dignity of the Body

Genesis 2:7 describes God creating Adam’s body from the dust of the earth, declaring it "very good" (Genesis 1:31). In 1 Corinthians 15:38, it says, “God gives it a body as he has chosen.” Isaiah 5:2a warns against calling what God has made good, evil. Genesis 1:26-28 further explains that God made humans in His image, giving them dominion over the earth.

FIVE KEY THINGS ABOUT THIS PASSAGE

1. Humans were created by God’s deliberate decision, showing our personhood comes from a personal God.

2. The word “create” is repeated three times to emphasize God’s direct involvement in human creation.

3. The detailed description of human creation highlights our unique role in God’s creation.

4. This passage is the first instance of poetry in the Bible.

5. Humans are made in God’s image, unlike animals created "according to their kinds."

Being made in God’s image means we are to reflect His authority and glory on earth. Our purpose is to mirror God, similar to how a mirror reflects an image. Every person is created to reflect God’s image, and this identity precedes all other identifiers like name, family, profession, or nationality.

The Bible outlines our role as image-bearers throughout history:

• The Fall: Adam and Eve chose to rebel, failing to reflect God’s image, a pattern repeated whenever we sin.

• Israel: Chosen to display God’s glory but demonstrated that fallen humans cannot reflect God perfectly without divine help.

• Christ: As the true image of God, Jesus reflected God perfectly in human form.

• The Church: We are called to reflect God’s glory through communal worship and love.

• Glory: We will fully reflect God when we see Him face to face.

Since we are created to image God, everything we do should reflect this purpose. Jesus, through His life, death, and resurrection, affirmed the value of the human body, which is now redeemed and honored as a temple of the Holy Spirit and will one day be transformed to resemble Christ’s glorified body.

2. FUTURE BODILY RESURRECTION

This may also impact how we view this topic.

Job affirms in Job 19:25-26 that, even after his body has decayed, he will see God in his flesh, showing a belief in bodily resurrection:

"For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God."

Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 15:20, saying Christ’s resurrection is the "firstfruits" of those who have died, indicating a future resurrection for believers:

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."

John also confirms this in Revelation 1:8, referring to Jesus as "the firstborn of the dead," signifying the hope of resurrection for believers.

There is little debate that the Bible teaches true believers will be resurrected in a physical, glorified body. However, Scripture does not provide many details about how decomposed or scattered bodies will be resurrected. Paul touches on this in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, comparing resurrection to a seed being planted, suggesting that our bodies, like seeds, are sown to be raised in a new form. It is wise not to speculate too much on the specifics of the resurrection process.

Importantly, the Bible does not suggest that those who are cremated or otherwise destroyed won't participate in the resurrection. The promise of resurrection extends to all who are in Christ (Romans 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15), regardless of how they died or how their bodies were treated.

Ultimately, how we view and interpret the Word of God shapes our understanding of these matters, including our approach to the treatment of our bodies.

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SO, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

At least three summary points can be made:

First, the Bible is quiet on particulars of how to handle the deceased. However, from what we saw from the model of biblical persons and similar passages it seems to suggest a positive-burial path.

Second, from history we saw that Jewish and church history established substantial resistance toward cremation itself. The normal practice seemed to be burial.

Finally, as we saw, the body is created in the image of God and is important in God’s plan and economy. Any action done or symbolism depicted in how you handle the deceased should be carefully considered.

Indeed, each death is different and unique. Each death may not allow family or friends of the deceased to choose how their loved one is interned. Variables like family finances, national rules, where and how the person died, etc.

However, if a person is able to decide under normal circumstances, he or she (or loved ones) ought to judiciously examine what is being said in the handling of the body. From a Christian worldview, funerals aren’t just a way to dispose of dead bodies or celebrating and remembering a life (though we certainly do these things!).

Overall, for true Christians, a funeral should be Christ-honoring, Gospel-centered events that speak the message and hope found only in Jesus Christ.

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Closing Thoughts from Around Christianity

Dr. John MacArthur:

“Obviously any buried body will eventually decompose (Eccles. 12:7). So cremation isn't a strange or wrong practice-it merely accelerates the natural process of oxidation. The believer will one day receive a new body (1 Cor. 15:42-49; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Job 19:25-26), thus the state of what remains of the old body is unimportant.

The imagery of Christ's resurrection pictures burial and then a raising up from the dead (Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 15:3-4). Because of that, many Christians prefer burial to cremation to maintain a likeness to Christ's burial (although literally He was laid in state in a cave, not buried in the ground).

What we need to focus on as Christians is not how to dispose of our earthly bodies, but that one day new bodies will be fashioned for us like our Lord's glorious resurrection body (see Phil. 3:21; cf. Luke 24:30-40; John 20:19, 26; 21:1-14; and Acts 1:1-9 to get an idea of what to look forward to). That transformation will be eternal!”

Dr. R.C. Sproul:

“Anytime we consider how our behavior communicates we need to be careful. On the one hand we don’t want to be Gnostic enough to suggest that our bodies, and how we treat them are meaningless and communicate nothing. On the other hand this does not mean that anyone who ever approved or requested a cremation has self-consciously denied the gospel and affirmed Gnosticism. Of course buried bodies decompose. And of course, better still, cremated bodies will in fact be resurrected. Nothing we do can undo the promises of God and the glory of the resurrection. Balance, however, suggests that we think through our behavior, that we think deliberately. Balance also suggests that we ought to honor our fathers who gave us this liturgy in the first place.

One cannot say that cremation is a sin. One might say that burial better reflects the biblical perspective on life, death and the body. One can say with certainty that Christ will come again, and our bodies will be raised again, never to die again.”