Bobby K. Thompson

Funeral services today are frequently of the dead, whose bodies have been cremated, following their deaths.  Webster defines cremate: “to reduce (as a dead body) to ashes by burning.”  The disposing of the bodies of loved ones seems to have always been a problem of the living.  The devoted ones have a strong desire to treat the dead body with honor and dignity.  If for no other reason, the living should endeavor to convey to their families what their wishes are regarding disposing of their bodies, when death comes.  In years gone by, cremations were rare!  We hardly heard of anyone cremating the bodies of their loved ones.  This is not the case today in our society!  I do not know the percentage, but I would venture to say that there may be currently more cremations than conventional burials.  One reason for this could possibly involve the price of each.  Cremations and disposal of ashes involve far less cost than that of coffins, graves and other features in conventional burials.  This being true, some people doubtlessly choose cremations from a financial viewpoint.  The profit derived by funeral homes has lessened through the years due to the frequency of cremations.  I have heard funeral directors lament this very fact.  But these considerations are not my purpose in writing this article.  My purpose is to help people with their view of cremations.  Are they morally right?  Do the scriptures prohibit and condemn such a practice?  I have had these questions asked and have been in discussions where people have conscientiously questioned the practice.  This is due in one respect to what the scriptures teach regarding our bodies.

The Scriptures Would Have Us To: Righteously honor our bodies.  There are numerous scriptures which bring this to our minds.  “I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1-2).  Again, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19-20). Some read these, and other scriptures pertaining to the body, and look with strong disfavor in burning such in fires of cremation. But aren’t they overlooking a valuable consideration?  These passages are referring to the living body which is emanated by the spirit of God.  This is the not the same body that is to be cremated with fire.  At death, the spirit leaves the body, and the body returns to dust as it was.  In speaking of death, the writer of Ecclesiastes said, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).  Whether by the quickness of fire or lengthening decay, the dead body will to return to dust or ashes.  It is difficult to see how cremation of the dead body would violate passages dealing with a living body.   While there are no examples of one expressing a desire to be cremated after death in the scriptures, no passage seems to forbid the practice.

There Are Old Testament Scriptures Which Reveal: Bodies being burnt with fire.  In the Old Testament, some sins required the offender to be “burnt with fire” (Leviticus 20:14, 21:9).  Achan and his family were stoned and then burned because he took spoils from Jericho (Joshua 7:25).  Josiah burned the bones of men on the altars of Bethel and at the high places in the cities of Samaria, when he sought to reform God’s people (II Kings 23:16, 20).  Amos foretold of the punishment of Moab.  Moab had “burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime” (Amos 2:1). These incidents largely refer to that which was done to the bodies of those sinning against God.  However, there is the case of Saul and his sons.  Their slain bodies were taken and made as a spectacle on the wall of Bethshan.  The bodies of Saul and his sons were retrieved from the wall of Bethshan by the valiant men of Jabesh-gilead.  These men burned the bodies of Saul and his sons and buried their bones (I Samuel 21:12-13).  They didn’t view the burning of their bodies as something displeasing in the sight of God.  In I Corinthians 13:3, the apostle Paul said, “though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”  Paul was doubtlessly viewing this as a burning of martyrdom, and not cremation.  Nevertheless, he spoke of body burning as being honorable!

Furthermore, The Scriptures Do Not Teach: Cremation will prevent one from being resurrected. Once again there are those who feel that the burning of the body by cremation will deny one’s resurrection at the coming of Christ.  Wouldn’t this same conclusion be applicable to the body, which has returned to conventional ashes?  Perhaps, we must foolishly contend that only those whose bodies have not returned to ashes will be resurrected?  It is hard for us to understand how God will raise the body from dust or ashes, but God can do so! (I Corinthians 15:35-38).  Will the spirits of the sinners of the Old Testament, who were burned with fire, escape the Day of Judgment, because their earthly bodies were destroyed by fire?  Will Christians, who were burned to death for the cause of Christ, miss their reward in heaven?  If so, the enemies of the cause of Christ can do more than kill the body?  We could say more, but can’t we leave the matter of cremation and conventional burying to the choice and options of the individuals?  Before condemnation, consider these things!