Is It OK for Christians to Be Cremated?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

The Bible is silent — and the body is the temple

• The question posed (in the host's frame): when a person dies, there are three legal options, for putting their body to rest: burial, cremation, or medical donation. For most of the country's history, burial was long the preferred method. But that's changed, in recent years. A report (as the frame cites it) says the number of people cremated at death has risen past the number buried, and it's predicted this number will continue to rise. And the decision of how to dispose of a body turns, in large part (as the frame puts it), on what people believe. a church (as the frame notes) actually prohibited cremation, for their members, until recent times. How should believers view cremation? The frame asks whether it violates god's word, or is an acceptable choice, for believers? The answer: I believe the bible is silent, on the subject of cremation. Now, sometimes people quote some old testament passages. I think those have to do more with avoiding pagan practices — idolatrous practices. Now, the root of this, however, is: we, as christians, have respect for the body, as the temple of the holy spirit. And, you know, some pagan concepts — or secular concepts — or even greek philosophy — is that, you know: the true person is a soul. And we're kind of entrapped in a body, or temporarily in a body. But the biblical view is: humans are not just spirit, or soul, but also body. And that the body is created for us. And is the temple. And of course, the new testament: the temple of the holy spirit. And for us, salvation is not just floating around in the atmosphere, as a spirit. But we'll have a glorified body. We will be reunited with the body. Our body will be transformed, into an immortal, glorified body. So we have, rightly, a high view, of the human body. And that's why we teach sexual morality. Abstaining from alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. And, you know, because we do have — you know — and that what we wear, and what we do with our body, is — you know — our eyes, our tongue, all that is important to god. Our body is part of the whole person. And we can't separate. We're supposed to glorify god, in our body, in our spirit. We're supposed to present our bodies, a living sacrifice. So I do support this high view, of the human body: as created by god, as the temple of the holy spirit. Should be respected, protected, valued.

Decay does not limit the resurrection — the Korea experience

• Now, having said that: when we die, our body is going to decay. Through the natural process. Unless we're embalmed, and protected, in some way. If you just buried a human body, without any type of special protection: it's going to gradually — as the bible discusses — turn back to dust. And in extreme cases, if someone's caught in a fire, their body could actually be burnt up, just as much as cremation. However, we don't think that limits god. We believe in the resurrection. We will have a recognizable body, in some way. But transformed. But the resurrection is going to be a miracle, no matter how you look at it. So, whether god takes a dead, embalmed body, that's lying in a tomb. Or whether god takes a body, that was just put in the ground, and crumbled to dust, and eaten by worms. Or whether you take a body, that was completely destroyed, in a fire. Or a body that was drowned, in the bottom of the sea, and eaten by fish — and now the molecules are part of other animals — still, we feel like god will resurrect that body ('god will re will resurrect', as the letters stumble). Will transform that body. So I don't think cremation will stop the resurrection, from happening. From that point of view: while we do respect the body — and therefore it's understandable, that even after death, we would respect the body — I don't see that there's anything theologically wrong, with a choice of cremation. Now, we haven't faced this as much, until recent times, as you mentioned. But I was raised in korea. Korea is a small country, very highly populated, very densely populated. Their historical tradition was burial, in the countryside, on the mountainside. But with millions of people crammed into a small space, that became impossible. So almost everyone in korea, my whole life, they were cremated. I've actually gone to the crematorium, and watched them cremate the bodies. And so, you know, almost all of our believers were cremated ('almo almost all', as the sentence stutters in). We never felt that they were sinning. Or that they weren't going to go in the rapture. We felt like that was a cultural choice. The bible doesn't say — as I mentioned, whatever the old testament passage, that might be deemed somewhat relevant: I think (they) are dealing with pagan practices, idolatrous practices ('a dollar source practices', as heard). The new testament doesn't have any discussion.

Romans 14 — a matter of personal choice

• So I will come back around, to say: I do believe it is covered by romans (the chapter as he gives it). That is: it's a matter of christian liberty. If it's important to you, not to be cremated: we respect that. And we don't ridicule that. If you think it's acceptable, to be cremated: we respect that. We don't ridicule you for that ('we don't really kill you for that', as heard). I believe that's something that god leaves, to the personal choice, of each believer.

Scriptures: Romans 14

Scripture index: Romans 14.