Considerations for Burial or Cremation

Introduction

Making decisions about burial and cremation can be emotional and difficult. Whether you are making these decisions for a loved one that has passed, or you are considering these issues in advance for yourself, weighty questions are presented. The purpose of this resource is to consider what the Bible says about these matters and to hopefully offer guidance and wisdom for those wrestling with this decision.

Eternal Impact

The threshold question for many considering burial and cremation is whether this decision can have impact on matters of eternality. In other words, is it possible to impact the eternal future of the person that has passed by choosing cremation over burial? The answer to this question is “no”. Neither burial nor cremation will have an impact on the deceased’s eternal fate.

This concern about eternal impact has its origin in the thought or assumption that it may be difficult or impossible for a cremated body to be resurrected with other believers when Jesus returns. The Bible tells us that there will be a resurrection.

…for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:52-53

Jesus also gives us truth about the resurrection in Matthew’s gospel:

For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Matthew 22:30-32

In light of these passages, we know that there will be a bodily resurrection in the future. A believer can be confident that cremation of their loved one will not have any eternal impact on the loved one’s resurrected body or soul.

We can be certain for this for several reasons. There certainly have been believers that have perished in terrible ways which would have caused their bodies to be severely damaged or destroyed. Resurrection of these believers’ bodies will be a miracle that will bring glory to God. Man cannot do anything to a body that God cannot resurrect. Another logical consideration is that, when a body is laid to rest, over time, the body will ultimately turn to dust, even if the body was whole when initially laid to rest. And yet another consideration is that scripture is clear that our resurrected bodies will be different from our earthly bodies, which implies that an earthly body does not need to be laid to rest “whole”, in order to be resurrected. Paul talks about the differences between our earthly bodies and resurrected bodies in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians (selected verses below):

So it is with resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:42

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:49

I tell you this, brothers; flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:50

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:53

Scripture also talks about the heavens being “burned up and dissolved” and the “earth and the works that are done on it” being exposed.¹ While there are multiple interpretations of this scripture that are reasonable, it does not seem clear that the burning of God’s creation is not inherently bad or evil, in and of itself.

Nothing is impossible for God. When the time comes to resurrect believers, God will not be confined to resurrecting only those of His followers that were laid to rest whole in body. Resurrection in and of itself is miraculous. God will have the power to resurrect bodies that are not whole and to make them whole and immortal. He created humans from nothing and has the power to resurrect bodies in any form and condition.

Reasons for Choosing

Cremation is not discussed in the Bible. On the other hand, we see burial discussed numerous times in scripture and sometimes with great emphasis. Some may have strong feelings about burial as an act that honors their loved one and honors God. For example, this issue was so important to Joseph that he made the “sons of Israel” promise him that they would take his bones with them out of Egypt when the time came to depart. ²

It is important to note that while burial is described in the Bible several times, these passages of scripture are likely best interpreted as descriptive (describing things that have happened), rather than as prescriptive (giving instructions for how to live and what to do). The fact that burial is described in the Bible, but cremation is not, is not a scriptural indication that burial is acceptable, and that cremation is not.

Going through the ritual of burial and laying your loved one to rest can be honoring to the deceased and to God. It can also serve as a reflection to the world that the deceased was made in God’s image. Historically, Christians have most commonly practiced burial, but that is not a biblical mandate, and should not be understood to mean that Christians cremating their loved ones have a lower view of their loved one being made in God’s image or of the importance of the human body. Numerous considerations are at issue when making these decisions.

Certainly, cost can be a consideration. Generally speaking, cremation is less expensive than burial. And there can be other constraints as well. As just one example, in Japan 99+% of deceased bodies are cremated. It can be very difficult or simply not possible to bury a believing loved one.

Let Us Be Gracious

These are issues upon which true believers in Jesus can disagree, and also place varying degrees of importance. There can be many reasons and motivations for choosing burial or cremation. In one situation, a family might very much want to bury their loved one but cannot afford to do so. Or perhaps the family would like to bury the deceased but is following the wishes of the deceased to be cremated. On the other hand, a person might desire to be cremated when they pass, but they know that their surviving loved ones may prefer to bury them and might graciously agree to be buried to honor the wishes of their surviving loved ones. It is not proper to pass judgment on the decision that a brother or sister in Christ makes about these matters. Let us always show grace, compassion, and support to our brothers and sisters as they navigate these difficult choices. And along the lines of showing grace and compassion, what could be more beautiful that believers coming together to assist a family in need that wishes to bury their loved one but cannot afford to do so? Such an action would surely be God-honoring.

Another way to be gracious to your family is to make your personal wishes for your body known to your loved ones ahead of time. These matters can be difficult and awkward to discuss with family members, but it is a great service to your family to do so. This will hopefully help to reduce the possibility of sharp disagreements among family members when the time comes to make final decisions.

Recommendation / Further Guidance

If you are in a place of not really knowing what to do or how to move forward, your question might be, “What does Fellowship Bible Church recommend in these matters?” The considerations that may be at play in any given circumstance are so numerous, we need to stop short of giving a recommendation that could be generally applied. We do want to emphasize that there is freedom in Christ for believers to respectfully handle the remains of their loved ones. There is freedom in Christ for decisions that have already been made in the past about these issues, and for decisions that will be made in the future.

If you feel the need or desire for further guidance on these issues, we very much encourage you to reach out to a member of our Care Team, or to a pastor or elder in our church body. Any of these individuals would be privileged to talk through these issues with you so that you are hopefully more at peace with the decision.

Footnotes: ¹ 2 Peter 3:10, ² Exodus 13:19