Where is cremation in The Bible?

Answer 1

Cremation is not directly addressed in The Bible. Although the common method of disposing of human remains in biblical times was entombment, no specific method is either required or forbidden.

However, the faithful believers in the Scriptures often refer to respect and burial of their bones, as did Joseph. See Genesis 50:25.

Answer 2

It says that the human body should not be desecrated, for it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Catholic tradition, at least, says that on the Judgement Day, our bodies will literally be resurrected, but taking in the fact that bodies decompose over time, my personal opinion would be that as long as the remains are kept together that it would be acceptable.

Answer:

How many of God's saints were "burned at the stake?" How many people burn in building fires... in wars?

It's not the flesh that returns to God at death... it's our "spirit."

"...the dust [or ashes] returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it." (Eccle.12:7 NIV)

"...someone may ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?' HOW FOOLISH! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, YOU PLANT NOT THE BODY THAT WILL BE, BUT JUST A SEED... but God gives it a body AS HE HAS DETERMINED, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.

"All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another...

"SO WILL IT BE WITH THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. THE BODY THAT IS SOWN IS PERISHABLE, IT IS RAISED IMPERISHABLE; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised with power; it is sown a natural body, IT IS RAISED A SPIRITUAL BODY. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body...

"...AND JUST AS WE HAVE BORNE THE LIKENESS OF THE EARTHLY MAN, SO SHALL WE BEAR THE LIKENESS OF THE MAN FROM HEAVEN. I declare unto you, brothers, that FLESH AND BLOOD CANNOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep [die], BUT WE WILL ALL BE CHANGED --..." (I Cor.15:35-51).

Funerals are "for the living." The dead "know not any thing" [Eccle.9:5] and aren't the least bit concerned with what happens to their body. But the family members of a dead loved one have a human emotional need to see their loved one "buried decently" in a manner that 's acceptable to their religious beliefs... and in this day and age: their pocketbooks. Some call it "closure."

The Bible speaks of the burials of some of its key figures... and of the ones mentioned, none were cremated. Many of the prophets' deaths and murders are a matter of legend and historical accounts as to what became of their burned, severed and/or multilated bodies... often at the hands of their own people.

But, cremation is not specifically mentioned in the Bible.

God is more concerned with the state of our "spirit." That's what returns to Him at death [our dormant, sleeping, unconscious spirit apart from the body]... and that's what He will bring with Him when He returns. Our spirit is what He will put back into whatever body He determines that we shall have for the rest of eternity.

"...we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall CHANGE OUR VILE BODY, THAT IT MAY BE FASHIONED LIKE UNTO HIS GLORIOUS BODY..." (Philip.3:20-21).

"Beloved, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, and it DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE: but we know that, when He shall appear, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see Him as He is." (I John 3:2)

There is no telling what might become of these bodies of ours before we die. Some are being eaten away with our bad habits and diseases as we live. The Bible has more to say about the spiritual aspect of these things, than what to do with a dead body... other than to bury it if at all possible, whatever condition it may be in: intact, ashes... or a grease spot recovered from a traffic accident.

Jesus says: "Follow Me; and let the dead bury the dead." (Matt.8:22).

Answer 3

There isn't any, once this body is dead, it's dead. Ashes to Ashes and dust to dust, cremation just speeds up the process. There's many bodies that have been burned up, like 6 million Jews and Christians, many in the oceans, God knows when and where they all died, when we are Resurrected, we may favor these bodies, but we'll have a Spiritual body like the Messiah's body after His resurrection. That's why He told Nicodemus that what is Flesh is Flesh, that what is Spirit is Spirit -John 3, He was talking about the Resurrection when He sounds that Great Shofar/Ram's Horn to awake the dead out of their sleep from the dust of the earth.

Answer 4

Cremation is referred to in the Old Testament by the phrase "burning the bones of" (1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 23:16,20; Amos 2:1). Cremation was stigmatized as abhorrent by Israelites. Because burning human bones was considered to be the ultimate desecration of the dead, it was subject to punishment by God (Amos 2:1). Also, Saul's cremation reflected God's rejection of his ignominious reign. Early Christians were hesitant to practice cremation because of their understanding that the body was the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), yet recognized that cremation has no effect on the integrity of one's eternal state (Revelation 20:13).

Answer 5

It is stated in the bible,where i am not sure. many christian/catholics believe in it.

Answer 6

No it doesn't mention anything. So I think people have a choice whether to be be cremated or not. But in my case I would prefer not to be cremated.

Answer 7

Cremation is permissible but not recommended in the Bible.