What Does the Bible Say About Cremation?

In this article, Erin Odom digs into what the Bible says about cremation, whether or not cremation is a sin, rules for Catholic cremation, whether or not Christians can be cremated, and more! 

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate may exceed 80 percent by 2045.

Cremation is more economical and environmentally-friendly than burial. It also allows a person’s loved ones to grieve without having to make many of the decisions that can often take away from the grieving process, like choosing a casket, burial clothing, and cemetery.

But cremation has long been a controversial topic among Christians, and it’s definitely a gray area in Scripture.

As burning someone’s remains is gaining more popularity, whether or not cremation is biblical is a topic that many Christians have started to explore in more depth.

If you’re wondering, “What Does the Bible Say About Cremation?” or “Can Christians Be Cremated?” you’re in the right place.

In this article, we’re diving deep into Scripture and church history to answer the following questions:

What Does the Bible Say About Cremation?

The Bible doesn’t specifically endorse cremation, but Scripture doesn’t condemn cremation either.

There are a few instances of cremation recorded in the Bible. For example, in I Samuel 31:11-13, we read about how the Israelites, specifically the people of Jabesh-Gilead, burned the bodies of Saul and his sons after the Philistines killed his sons and Saul fell on his sword. This passage reads:

When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

It’s important to note that Saul and his son’s bones survived the cremation, as described in the Scripture above. After their flesh burned, the Israelites finished caring for their remains by burying them.

The Bible mentions only a few other instances of cremation, and these are for non-Israelites or non-Christians. Biblical scholars believe that this had more to do with the standard cultural practices at the time versus being indicative of God’s approval (or disapproval) of the practice of cremation.

In addition to the passage describing Saul and his son’s cremations in I Samuel, Joshua 7:25 also mentions someone’s body being burned after death:

Joshua said, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.’ Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.

Note that, in this passage, the Israelites burned Achan and his family after they sinned against God. Some may use this verse to try to prove that cremation can be a punishment for sin, but this does not seem to be the case when considering the entirety of Scripture.

Is Cremation Biblical?

Cremation is biblical in the sense that it does show up in Scripture. However, creation is neither biblical nor non-biblical in the sense that there are no Bible verses clearly for or against cremation.

If we are using the term “biblical” to mean “something contained in the Bible,” then we can say with certainty that cremation is biblical because, as shown in the previous section, there are a few instances of cremation in the Bible.

However, many Christians consider something to be “biblical” as synonymous with “not sinful.” Since Scripture neither condones nor condemns cremation, we cannot say with certainty whether burning bodies after death is “biblical” in this interpretation of the word. Scripture doesn’t say.

Is It a Sin to be Cremated? 

Neither the Bible nor the Catholic Catechism state that it is a sin to be cremated. Like speaking in tongues, cussing, and whether or not animals go to Heaven, this is a gray area that requires us to look at the whole of the Bible, Christian history, and tradition to help us decide our personal beliefs about cremation.

The two major instances of biblical records of cremation include the Israelites burning the body of their former king and his sons (I Samuel 31:11-13) and the Israelites burning the body of Achan and his family after they sinned against God (Joshua 7:25). The Bible gives no indication that it was a sin for the Israelites to cremate the bodies in either of these passages.

It is important to note that for most of church history, cremation was considered a sin. However, in more recent decades, cremation has no longer been considered a sin among most denominations (including Catholics).

An exception to today’s common belief that cremation is not a sin for Christians is the Eastern Orthodox Church. This Christian denomination still considers it to be a sin to be cremated because they consider burning a dead body to be a desecration and disrespectful to the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

There may be some sects and cults that call themselves “Christians” who consider cremation to be a sin, but the Eastern Orthodox Church is the only truly Christian denomination that still holds this belief.

Can Catholics Be Cremated?

Catholics can be cremated. However, this was not the case for most of church history. The Catholic Church began permitting cremations in 1963, as long as those being cremated did not reject the resurrection.

Catholics previously forbade cremation because it was the practice of the Roman Empire to burn Christian martyrs. The Romans believed this would prevent Christians from rising from the grave.

However, Pope John XXIII lifted the ban on Catholic cremation for a variety of reasons.

According to Catholic Answers,

Because of sanitation concerns in some areas, waning grave plots at cemeteries, and the higher costs of traditional burials, the Church relaxed her discipline in 1963, provided that neither the deceased nor their loved ones chose cremation to rail against the resurrection, as did the Roman pagans of millennia past. At the same time, Church law continued to “earnestly recommend” a traditional burial or entombment, preferably in a Catholic cemetery.

Does the Bible Say Cremated Bodies Can’t Rise?

The Bible does not say cremated bodies can’t rise. The thought that cremated bodies can’t rise goes back to the Roman Empire, when Romans were murdering early Christians and burning their bodies because they thought this would prevent them from one day resurrecting.

This belief endured for nearly 2,000 years, with some Christians and their families facing condemnation for choosing to cremate their loved ones or be cremated themselves.

While Protestant and Catholic scholars alike continue to prefer burial over cremation, neither proclaim that cremated bodies can’t rise. As stated above, every major Christian denomination besides the Eastern Orthodox Church has now condoned cremation as an approved means of caring for someone’s body after death.

Billy Graham, one of the most beloved Protestant evangelists of all time, stated that he preferred burial, but he believed a sovereign God could call forth a dead body, however scattered it may be, to raise from the dead in His timing.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association says this of cremation:

At the resurrection it will not make any difference whether a person’s body has been buried or cremated. God knows how to raise the body, either in the resurrection of life or the resurrection of condemnation (John 5:28-29). The new body of a Christian will be a radically changed and glorified body like the body of the exalted Christ. It will be an eternal, spiritual body never again to experience weakness, disease, suffering, or death (1 Corinthians 15:35-54 and Philippians 3:20-21).

Given the many instances where bodies are destroyed in car accidents, plane crashes, house fires, and other tragedies–with remains never recovered–it would be heartbreaking to assume that such devastating deaths could somehow prevent a believer from being raised from the dead simply because their physical bodies were no longer intact.

There are also millions of Christians who have been brutally murdered–their bodies mutilated and burned–who will, indeed, rise again, even though their bodies never received a proper burial and were essentially cremated.

Can Christians Be Cremated?

Christians can be cremated. After studying Scripture, church history, and tradition, it is clear that the previous thought that Christians should not be cremated was based on the unfounded belief that burning bodies would prevent them from resurrecting. This falsehood began when the Romans martyred Christians and cremated their bodies in an attempt to prevent them from rising again.

The Bible says nothing about burnt bodies preventing someone from entering Heaven or being resurrected. When exploring the whole of Scripture, many Bible verses back up that those who are truly saved will spend eternity with Jesus, regardless of how they died or what was done to their bodies after death.

The following verses are just a sample of the many verses that give believers security of their salvation:

• John 10:29: “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
• Romans 8:16: “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
• Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• Philippians 3:20-21: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

On this earth, we can rest assured that, if the Holy Spirit has testified with our spirits of our salvation, we will spend eternity with Jesus. This applies to whether we are cremated–or not.

I do not believe the Lord would prevent Christians who have been martyred and burned from entering Heaven because of burned bodies. I don’t believe that Christians who have died in horrific fires and whose remains have never been recovered will be prevented from rising again. And I do not believe that those who choose to be cremated will be deemed sinful and unable to spend eternity with Jesus.

Given time, all bodies “return to dust” (Genesis 3:19). I believe God is powerful enough to take the dust of our bodies–whether they slowly disintegrated over time or whether they were cremated soon after death–and resurrect them to live with Him forever in Heaven.

I’ve lost all four grandparents, my great-grandparents, and a dear friend who died extremely young. All of these were buried. I have visited their graves occasionally, but I’ll be honest: I have not visited their graves often. In fact, it has been years since I have visited most of their graves. If I’m really transparent, this is mostly due to the busyness of life. I know that my loved ones don’t reside in the ground in which they were buried. They are alive and well and in the very presence of Jesus.

Visiting the graves of loved ones may bring some people comfort, and that is most definitely something to consider when determining whether or not to be buried or cremated. Others, however, may prefer holding on to their loved one’s ashes–or scattering them in a nearby garden or special place. This may help them feel close to their loved ones, even though they are no longer here.

My point is this: How we preserve the remains of our loved ones may have more to do with those left behind than the person who occupied the body while on Earth.

If we are saved, we will rise again.

What do you believe about cremation? Had you ever studied what the Bible says about cremation?