Bury or Cremate?

 

When a loved one passes away the question of whither to cremate or to bury is posed. Some claim that Scripture condemns cremation because King Josiah took buried bones out the tombs, and burned them to defile them on the altar (2 Kings 23:16-20) and that pagans were known to burn their dead. The problem is that The Law does not forbid burning the dead, Josiah’s action is no different than King David taking the bread meant for priests (1 Samuel 21:6), it is an exception, not a rule of the Law, let me say that again, The Law of Moses does not forbid burning bodies and cremating them, but regardless if it did we are under a New Covenant, not the Old one. We have liberty in Christ, “Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations,” (Galatians 2:4). And what is to be said for all the Protestant martyrs burned at the stake like William Tyndale to whom we owe translating our New Testament into English (most English Bibles use Tyndale’s New Testament), Joan of Arc who the The Roman Catholic Church burned because she believed in Sola Fide (saved by faith alone) and that she was saved by grace, and could talk to Jesus as we do (Joan of Arc, Encyclopedia Britannica), and many others who John Fox lists in his book of martyrs, and those Nero made living torches out of during the early persecutions of the Church. If Jesus can raise people from the sea for judgement day, those eaten by sharks and etc “The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds,” (Revelation 20:13), He can take your loved one’s ashes and reform them just as he formed Adam from the dust, “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7). If our Lord could use dust, He certainly can use ashes. 

It is a matter of preference and necessity. If you need to transport someone across countries, cremation is much easier. If your loved one wants to be sprinkled in Jerusalem, or on The Camino de Santiago Compostela, there is nothing wrong with that. In the same token if someone would rather be buried in a cemetery alongside war buddies, a spouse, or family plot, that is fine too. It is matter of the individual’s wishes, there is no prohibition in The Law, or under The New Covenant, we are not under the Law, Christ Jesus our Lord fulfilled the Law on our behalf (Matthew 5:17-20) and is the end of the Law (Romans 10:4), for the Law was but a shadow, it is Christ who castes the shadow (Colossians 2:17).  So put aside the guilt of old burial requirements that are now obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). Jesus is love (1 John 4:16) and He knows why we choose to cremate or bury. He is the God of Ages, The Supreme Creator, and He that made all things can remake all things, raise us from death whither we be bones or ash. Amen.