Q & A: Is Cremation Biblical?

Is it biblical to be cremated? There are those who teach that the Christian is bound to be buried. If one decides to be cremated, he would be committing sin. So, while at the root it may seem like nothing, it is important that we know the answer. If it is a sin, it affects our eternity. Will cremation cause one to enter a realm of fire that never dies? The first thing that needs to be done is define the terms. Cremation is “the incineration of a dead body.” Burial defined as “concealing something under the ground.” One should keep in mind that the subject is about burial after death. This was not the “burial of an ass” which Jehoiakim received (Jeremiah 22:19). This is not concerning the burial of water the Israelites received at the Red Sea (Exodus 14; 1 Corinthians 10:2) or even the “burial” every man must face in order to become a new man in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:1ff). Is it more holy to be buried and is it a sin to be cremated? Now, what does the Bible state on the subject?

Those who stand against the idea of cremation use the argument that those who were holy were buried while the ungodly were consumed by fire. Examples of Sara, Abraham, Stephen and others are given as examples of the holy. For the unholy, one can look no further than the examples of Nadab, Abihu, and Achan. Here are a few problems with these examples. Nadab and Abihu were devoured by fire from the Lord because of sin (Leviticus 10:1-3). They were still alive at the time of the supernatural fire. This has nothing to do with burial. Achan took the accursed thing (Joshua 7:1). He and his family were stoned and burned afterwards. These instances, along with others, do not give proof for burial over cremation (Leviticus 20:14; 21:9). None of these are in the context of burial. Even Deuteronomy 21:23 is given in the context of someone who committed an act worthy of death. He was to be hanged from a tree. It has nothing to do with cremation vs. burial. If anything, it proves that the godly were not the only ones buried.

What about the fact that cremation spawned from non-Christian practices? Cremation was a constant practice of the Greeks and Romans who viewed the body as temporary and the soul of the only part which was immortal. I have personally seen a Hindu cremation ceremony, a process which is part of their belief in reincarnation. Vikings were normally cremated. They viewed the smoke as a medium which quickened the warrior’s trip to Valhalla. Do these examples prove that cremation is unbiblical? That is, unless we plan on renaming the planets and days of the week, abstaining from EVERY holiday, and completely cutting ourselves off from a host of other things which began from pagan practices. While there are practices which are wrong, one cannot say that cremation is sinful, while Halloween, which began from a Celtic (pagan) background, or Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or Saturday (named after the Romans deity Saturn) is not.

Many claim that since the Bible does not speak of cremation with approval, it must be wrong. 

The problem with this statement is the Scriptures also DOES NOT speak of cremation with disapproval. 

Biblical Authority obviously comes from the Bible. 

Is there any direct command concerning burial over cremation? Do we have any divine examples? Are there any implicit statements? The answer to all three is no. Furthermore, if one chooses to be cremated and cremation is sin, does that mean we can sin after death? “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10; cf. James 2:26). God is not concerned with what you do with your body AFTER you die. God is concerned with what you do with your body BEFORE you die.

Cremation is not a biblical practice but it is not an unbiblical practice. There is no “Thus saith the Lord…” concerning this topic. It all comes down to your personal belief. If you believe that cremation is wrong, you are not to be cremated (Romans 14:23) but do not tell someone else that he is going to Hell for the decision to do so. “Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth” (Romans 14:22).

"The Pope Exonerates the Jews for Christ's Crucifixion" by Mike Swims

I first met brother Mike Swims when I moved to Jacksonville, FL. He is a member of the Oceanside church of Christ, a wonderful Christian influence, and strong defender of Christ. He enjoys studying Christian Evidences and recently taught the teenagers of Oceanside concerning the subject. The Faith Forum is his blog. Here, you will find a multiplicity of excellent articles. He recently made the decision to attend the Memphis School of Preaching and will do so in July. 

"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:" Acts 7:51,52 (Stephen addresses the Jewish Council)

Pope Benedict XVI, in his latest book, has exonerated the Jews as a nation for the crucifixion of Christ. The Pope is quoted in his book, which is due out next month, as saying that the crucifixion of Christ came at the hands of the Roman Empire, and at the behest of the Jewish aristocratic members, who chose Barrabas over Jesus. However, let us consider what the Bible says about the guilt of the Jewish nation.

In Acts 7, Stephen is brought before the council under false charges. When he is asked about his guilt regarding the charges, he does use this chance to defend himself, but rather addresses the guilt of the Jewish nation for Christ's death as a whole. In fact, he places blame of Christ's crucifixion at the feet of the Jewish nation when he says in verses 51 and 52, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." 

After this, the book of Acts tells us that the people, hearing this were cut to their hearts, and put Stephen to death. One man refused to bow to pressure and threats when it came to the truth about Christ's crucifixion. For all Stephen knew, these words would be the last he would ever speak, and he made them count. He reminded those guilty of Christ's death of their sin, and implored them to turn from their sin and accept Christ. Did he stand up and speak the truth for nothing? Was he put to death only to be contradicted by Benedict XVI 2,000 years later? I would think not!

The Disciple Stephen gave his life for the truth regarding Christ's crucifixion. The Pope is correct that the Romans did the actual deed of placing Jesus on the cross. But I ask you, who was it that delivered Jesus to the doorstep of Pontius Pilate to be put to death? According to John 18:31, it was the Jews, "Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death" They did not bring Jesus to Pilate for mere punishment, but rather to be put to death. They wanted one thing, the death of Jesus. 

Stephen wasn't the only person who blamed the Jewish nation as a whole for the crucifixion of Christ. Pontius Pilate, the man whom the Jews delivered Jesus to be put to death blamed the Jews in John 18:35, "Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?" (emphasis mine). 

Pontius Pilate gave the Jews several chances to back out. He told them to judge Jesus according to their own laws; he stated he found no fault in Jesus; he even asked them who'd they rather have back, Jesus or the murderer Barrabas. However, the Jewish nation would not be swayed. They were out for the death of Jesus. 

The opportunities for the Jews to repent did not stop there. After the crucifixion, the Apostles went to Jerusalem and began to preach of the life and crucifixion of Christ (Acts 2). This greatly troubled the Jewish nation who pulled the apostles in front of the council, who on three separate occasions ordered the apostles to stop speaking of them being to blame for Christ's death. They even resorted to beating and jailing the apostles for speaking the truth of Jesus. Rather than hearing the words of the apostles in the Book of Acts, the Jewish nation and it's leaders continued to be hard-hearted, and as Stephen called them, "stiff-necked". 

So now we have to sincerely ask, who is right? On one hand, we have the apostles, the Disciple Stephen, even Pontius Pilate himself stating that the Jewish nation is to blame for Christ's crucifixion. Then on the other, we have Pope Benedict XVI stating they aren't. This is an obvious contradiction that must be reconciled. One must be wrong, and the other right. Both cannot be correct. 

Either the Bible is the inspired Word of God, as it claims to be over 3,000 times, and not one jot nor tittle shall pass from it, or it isn't. If it is, then it presents a problem for the Jewish people of today. I am not in any way saying that the Jewish people today should be held accountable for their ancestors' actions. It would be hypocritical of me as an American, whose own nation has a dark side in the form of slavery, to expect to hold the modern Jew responsible for the sins of their ancestors, but expect immunity from the sins of mine. 

Just as no American today should be held responsible for the sin of slavery, neither should a Jew today be blamed for the actual deliverance of Christ to His death. However, as a nation, America has accepted fault for their sin, repented, and turned from it. Slavery is no longer tolerated in our nation. Yet the rejection of Jesus as the Christ is still a core value held in the Jewish nation, as well as vehemently denying any responsibility of any Jew in Christ's death. This has been the practice of the Jews beginning days after putting Christ to death (Acts 4:17), and has continued for the past 2,000+ years. Put plainly, the Jewish nation has yet to repent, despite pleas from Christ Himself (Luke 9:23), the Apostles (Acts 4), and men like Stephen (Acts 7) and the Apostle Paul.

The discussion of Jewish responsibility for the crucifixion of Christ can be a touchy subject in today's politically charged world. However, history cannot be rewritten in order to spare one group of people's feelings. If this were the case, the guilt of slavery, wars, and anything else that reflects negatively on a group of people should also be erased from the text books. Please understand, antisemitism should be wholeheartedly rejected by every Christian, just as any other form of hate should be by all people. However, let's not rewrite the textbooks either.

The Hardest Prayers

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). A Christian should be in the regular practice of prayer and a mindset which is ready to do so at a moment’s notice. We all have times in which we enjoy praying privately to the Father. We pray collectively in our assemblies. About what are we praying? Whether we are confiding alone with God or publicly speaking on behalf of the congregation what are we saying? For whom are we praying? Our weekly bulletin (and others) has a list of those who are in need of our prayers. Those on the list are those who are sick, dying, those who have passed on, or someone we pray will obey the gospel. These are individuals we love and, therefore, it is easy for us to pray for them. While God does want us to pray for them, there are those for whom it is harder to pray. We must understand that God does not want us to just pray for those we love but also those we may not like. Christ stated “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Matthew 5:46-47). That being said, I would like to turn your attention to two groups who have been added to our prayer list. While it may be hard to pray for these at times, our love must go to these as well.

Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and other members of our government.
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Do we pray for our government? Paul told Timothy that he should pray for “kings, and for all that in authority.” That would mean we are to pray for government from top to bottom. We are to pray for President Obama, the Speaker of the House, Governor, House, Congress, Senate, Supreme Court, Mayor, Sheriff, and any other who is in a position of power in our government. Sadly, some Christians will look at our current government system and have the mindset which says, “I will NEVER pray for these people.” These should do a study of the man in power when Paul wrote this letter to Timothy. I would encourage all to read “The Twelve Caesars” by Suetonius. It is here we find out a lot concerning the life of one known as Nero, the Caesar in power at this time. In this book, one would read that Nero was an especially cruel individual. It is said that as a child, Nero’s tutor had a dream that Nero was really a former Caesar named Caligula in a different body. It should be noted that Caligula was a vicious tyrant and Nero turned out to be no different. At night, he would disguise himself and attack innocents, killing those fought back. He was a pedophile, committed incest, murders, and many other horrific crimes. Paul, Timothy, and other Christians could pray for Nero and many cannot pray for a President who has not committed the heinous evils of Nero? We may not like our leaders but we are to pray for them. Pray that they make the right decisions in that which they do. Pray that these will stand for that which is right and true. Pray that these have the opportunity to obey the gospel. Imagine the good which could be done if Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and others were true Christians. Pray for these.

Those who despitefully use us.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). There is a difference between liking our enemies and loving them. While we are not commanded to like those who true us poorly, we are to show them love. This love does good to all, even those who are evil. This prayer consists of that which is best for their well being. A Christian does not hope that God enacts evil for evil. Furthermore, it is impossible to hate someone for whom you are praying and these prayers can help our dispositions toward those who do wrong. For what do we pray? Well, we know the final destination of those who commit such evil actions. Why not pray that this person gets a chance to understand the gospel and obey it? It would also help to present the truth to this person. Prayers for their will being when sick or when they face problems would also serve well. Notice the prayers of Moses’ plea to God for his sister AFTER she had spoken against Moses (Numbers 12:13). One can even note Christ’s prayer for those who nailed Him to the cross (Luke 23:34).

Thought of the Week: Airing Our Dirty Laundry

Ever consider the phrase “airing out your dirty laundry”? It is based around the idea of taking worn, dirty, smelly laundry and putting it out on the line for all to smell and see. It leaves a bad impression of the owner to those around. It gives a proper picture of what gossip really is. It leaves a bad impression of the one who gossips, the subject of said gossip, and the Lord’s church. Instead of airing out dirty laundry for all to see, why not listen to the wonderful words of Christ (Matthew 18:15). Take these problems and concerns to the one with whom you have the problem. Keep the rest of the world out of it.