What does the Bible say about cremation? Should Christians cremate loved ones or simply bury them in a casket? Is cremation a sin? These are all great questions.
Cremation is the process of burning a deceased body until there is nothing left but ashes or tiny, fragmented remains. Some individuals opt to cremate deceased loved ones and keep their ashes in an urn or other decorative display, whereas others choose to spread the ashes in some meaningful place. Cremation is becoming more popular in our culture due to the rising costs of burial plots.
What Does the Bible Say About Cremation?
The Short Answer: The Bible never directly addresses the issue of cremation, nor does it prohibit it. Therefore, it would not be a “sin” to cremate a loved one. However, the Bible does establish a pretty clear pattern which suggests that the “burning” of bodies or bones was often reserved for punishment or disgrace (and was commonly practiced by pagans), whereas the “burying” of individuals was often done out of reverence or respect (and was often practiced by the Israelites or New Testament Christians). Therefore, burial appears to be a Christian “best practice,” and it should be preferred to cremation. But cremation is not a sin.
For the longer answer, let’s examine some passages referencing the “burning” and “burying” of individuals so that we can have a better Biblical perspective.
Some Bible Passages Describing the Burning of Bodies
First, notice how the death penalty by “burning” was often done to “shame” or “punish” an individual for some action. In the Bible, fire is often symbolic of punishment, testing, judgment, or wrath.
Judah, acting like a hypocrite, suggested that Tamar be “burned” for becoming pregnant out of wedlock and “playing the harlot”. Unbeknownst to him, he was the one who got her pregnant!
Genesis 38:24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
Next, we see that God instituted death by fire for certain offenses in the Mosaic Law, and He also punished the Israelites by fire, including Aaron’s two sons (Nadab and Abihu). Furthermore, Joshua was instructed to punish Achan’s family for taking the spoils of war by stoning them to death and then burning them:
Leviticus 20:14 And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.
Leviticus 21:9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
Leviticus 10:2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
Numbers 11:1 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
Joshua 7:25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
As a side note, the corpse of King Saul and his sons were also burned with fire (1 Samuel 31:12), but this was probably because their bodies had been severely abused by the Philistines, not so much to dishonor them (although Saul certainly wasn’t a godly king who deserved honor).
Next, we see how the pagans often practiced the burning of their children as a sacrifice to pagan gods, and the Philistines also burned Sampson’s wife and father after he set their fields on fire:
Jeremiah 19:5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
2 Kings 17:31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
Jeremiah 19:5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
Judges 15:6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.
Then we have the interesting story of Josiah, the Godly king. During his rampage of “cleaning up” the land, he broke down the houses of the sodomites (homosexuals), broke down groves, and more. He also burned priests on the altar, but that wasn’t enough for him. He then went so far as to gather the bones of the false prophets/idol worshipers from the surrounding tombs, and he burned them on the altar as well. Notice that when these bones were burned, the altar was considered “polluted:”
2 Kings 23:16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
2 Kings 23:20 And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men’s bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.
In the book of Amos, we see that God promises to punish Moab for their transgressions. What’s one of the reasons God lists for this punishment? It was the burning of the bones of the king of Edom into lime. God clearly viewed this as a wicked act:
Amos 2:1 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
Finally, we can’t forget that God Himself uses fire as an eternal punishment for evildoers, as will be the case in Hell and/or the Lake of Fire:
Matthew 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Therefore, while the Bible doesn’t directly address the issue of cremation, the burning of a body (live or dead) or bones was commonly done to shame or punish an individual. Although God sometimes commanded it as a punishment, He also expresses displeasure in it when it was done to the king of Edom.
But what about burial? What does the Bible say about that?
Bible Passages Regarding Burial
The Bible is filled with examples of burials, so I’m not even going to attempt to list them all in this article. What’s interesting is that God seems to go out of His way to record many individual’s burial, even going so far as to describe landmarks or other important details. God also tells many people that they will “die in old age” and be buried “with their ancestors.” The patriarchs and most of their wives’ deaths are recorded in the Bible, as well as most notable figures in the Old Testament. Below are a few prominent examples:
First, we have the sad but beautiful scene of Abraham burying his beloved Sarah (Genesis 23). The significance here was that Abraham wasn’t willing to accept a free tomb–he wanted to pay for it. Why? It meant something to him. He wanted to honor his wife by buying a suitable burying place. Even though Ephron the Hittite was willing to give the land to Abraham for free, Abraham insisted on paying the full price. And he did buy it for the full price (400 shekels of silver)! Believe me, I’ll bet Sarah was worth every penny.
Next, we have the story of Joseph’s death in Egypt. Joseph was so concerned about the resting place of his bones (and had such faith that God would later deliver the Israelites into the promised land) that he made them swear an oath to take his bones when they left (and they later did just that):
Genesis 50:25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.
Another noteworthy example is Moses’ death. Moses was God’s faithful servant, and God Himself buried him, possibly through the assistance of angels (Deuteronomy 34:6). There are three interesting things to note about Moses’ death:
- The Bible later tells us of a mysterious “dispute” that arose over the burial of Moses’ body between Michael the archangel and Satan (Jude 1:9). We’re not told what the dispute was over, but some scholars suggest that Satan may have wanted to either turn Moses body into an object of worship, or obliterate it in an attempt to keep him from coming back during the transfiguration (or possibly as one of the “two witnesses” described in Revelation 11:3).
- God could have simply “vaporized” Moses’ body, but God chose to bury Him. This suggests to me that God places a great emphasis on burial, and it is a way to show respect or honor for the individual (as opposed to cremation).
- An interesting phrase is used in Deuteronomy 32:50, when God tells Moses that he will be “gathered unto thy people.” Although this phrase is sometimes used as a generic phrase meaning “they passed away,” I think this example clearly suggests that Moses was immediately taken to paradise (“Abraham’s bosom”) and reunited with his spiritual fathers. Why? None of his ancestors were ever buried on this mountain, and the location of his tomb was forever unknown.
Next, notice how in the book of Jeremiah, the Lord says that due to Johoiakim’s sins, he will have a pathetic burial:
Jeremiah 22:18-19: Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!
He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
Here we see that an unrighteous man was often given little honor in burial (if he was even buried at all), and God seemed to emphasize this a form of punishment for Johoiakim’s transgressions. While God did sometimes allow unrighteous kings to have a proper burial, He provided more honorable burials for righteous kings such as David (1 Kings 2:10).
Finally, we have the example of Jesus Christ. Although he was poor financially during His time on earth, He had a rich man’s burial. They took great care to bring spices and so forth for his body. In the passage below, we are also told that “the manner of the Jews is to bury.” It was their custom, as it was for most early Christians:
John 19:40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
God’s people used burial as a custom, and we should strive for a similar standard. That was just their Godly way of life. By burying an individual, it points to faith in a future resurrection. That’s not to say that God MUST have our bodies buried to resurrect them (of course, some cannot be buried since their bodies have been destroyed). But it is a picture of the resurrection, and it is a way to express faith in it.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee, a renowned Bible teacher who has now passed on to glory, answered a question about cremation on his Bible radio program some years ago. In it, he strongly advocated burial for the Christian, and he indicated that he thought it was a “poor testimony” to cremate. Why? He cited the following passage:
1 Corinthians 15:42-43: So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
Here, Paul refers to the dead body as being “sown” like a seed (a clear reference to burial), only to be resurrected later in a glorious event. Therefore, by burying our loved ones, we not only show them honor and love, but we also reveal our faith in a future resurrection.
Conclusion: Burial is Highly Recommended, But Cremation is Not a Sin
The Bible never explicitly condemns cremation as a sin, nor does it command us to bury in a certain way. Cremation, while not ideal, is an option for those who cannot otherwise provide a proper burial. However, the Bible also demonstrates a clear pattern: Burning a body (or a dead corpse) was a way to humiliate or punish a person. Pagans also burned bodies during sacrifices and as a means to kill or dispose of individuals.
In contrast, God went to great lengths to bury Moses, and He also ensured good burials for many of the patriarchs or righteous kings. Joseph was adamant about the placement of his bones, and Abraham insisted on buying a tomb to give Sarah a proper burial. Jesus was also given a rich man’s burial. Burial is clearly the ideal Christian treatment for a loved one, as demonstrated in God’s word.
Therefore, Christians should strive to bury their loves ones out of respect or honor, if possible. Some of my own extended family members have cremated their loved ones, and I’ve certainly never condemned them for it. At the same time, my wife and I plan on a burial for our own family. To me, there’s just something comforting about knowing your loved one is still there in a grave, even though their spirit has departed to be with the Lord. And considering how the Bible holds burial in high esteem, I think it’s the appropriate choice for all Christians.