Cremation and the Bible
1 . God formed man
from the dust of the ground, and says that he
shall return to the dust, implying a natural
process of decay after death of the body, not
destruction by burning (Gen. 2:7;3:19).
2. Saints of the
Bible in both Old and New Testaments practiced
burial of their dead. Abraham purchased a burial
place for his wife Sarah (Gen. 23:19,20); Jacob
commanded his remains to be carried out of Egypt
and buried in the burying place of his fathers
(Gen. 47:29,30); John the Baptist was buried
after he was murdered by Herod (Mt. 14:12);
Lazarus laid in a grave four days before being
raised to life again by Christ (Jn.11:41).
Many other instances can be cited.
3. Examples in
Scripture of those who were cremated serve as
warnings of God's judgments and His vengeance
upon sinners, not of His acceptance and
blessings toward His children. Achan, the man
who stole and hid the accursed spoil from the
battle of Jericho, causing the army of Israel to
suffer defeat and loss of lives in their next
battle, was stoned and cremated for his
punishment (Josh. 7:25); the body of Saul, the
disobedient king of Israel, was cremated after
he had committed suicide in his last battle with
the Philistines (I Sam. 31:12); in purging idol
worship from the nation of Judah, King Josiah
killed the idolatrous priests in his land, then
burned their bodies (II Kings 23:20).
4. Burning of
human sacrifices was a practice associated with
idolatrous worship, and condemned by God (II
Chron. 33:6).
5. God to prove
His faithfulness and His power on behalf of His
own, did not allow the three Hebrew children to
be consumed in the, burning fiery furnace into
which they were thrown by King Nebuchadnezzar in
Babylon (Dan. 3:25).
6. Hell, the place
of eternal punishment, is called the lake of
fire where the wicked will burn forever, yet not
be annihilated so as to escape their sufferings
(Rev. 20:15).
7. The Lord Jesus
Christ, the Christian's example in all things,
was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea
(Mt. 27:59,60).
8. The Apostle
Paul, when giving a definition of the gospel of
Christ, includes His burial as an essential part
(I Cor. 15:3,4).
9. Baptism, a
church ordinance commanded by Christ, portrays
burial. As the Christian goes under the
baptismal waters, he shows his death to his old
life of sin, followed by his rising to a new
life of righteousness and holiness with Christ
(Rom. 6:4)
Chapel Library
- A Ministry of Mt. Zion Bible Church,
Pensacola, Fl
