What Does the Bible Say About Cremation?

Belief in God and eternal life in heaven is the bedrock of Christian faith. In Biblical times, the dead were entombed in the sides of rocky cliffs or buried in fields that served as cemeteries. The Christian Bible—both the Old Testaments and New Testaments—was written by Jews, mostly about Jews, for Jews and Gentiles. During those times, the Jewish people did not consider cremation an acceptable practice. To this day, many Jewish families choose burial for themselves and their loved ones. Christians, however, are choosing cremation more and more.


The Bible does not include scripture about cremation specifically. Though burial or entombment is the traditional choice for Christians, cremation is not forbidden by the Bible. Most Christian religions, including the Catholic Church, accept cremation.

Religions that reject cremation may do so for the belief that the body will be resurrected when Jesus Christ returns. Cremating a loved one would mean there is no body to resurrect. Christians may deem that belief irrelevant based on New Testament scripture.

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Luke 1:37 supports that idea. The verse states, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” The thinking: God, in His infinite power, can do all things, including resurrect those who have been cremated.

1 Corinthians 15:42-49 explains that a resurrection will not depend on the state of a body. That verse states: “In the resurrection, the body will be a spiritual body, not a physical body.”

Can Christians be cremated?

There are many schools of thought about cremation. Some believe that even though cremation isn’t considered a sin, Christians would do best to follow the examples set forth in the Bible. Others agree that the Lord will resurrect the dead—in any form, cremated or buried. Burial or mausoleum entombment is the traditional choice for Christians, but cremation is growing in popularity.

The Old Testament acknowledges that a body is merely dust after death. For many, this is reason enough to accept cremation as a choice.

Brass urn with engraved flowers sitting on shelf next to flowers and framed pictures at Pacific View 

Daniel 12:2 states, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

In Genesis 3:19, God told Adam, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Plan a cremation

More and more families—not just Christian families—are choosing cremation over traditional burial, but most aren’t familiar with the many options:

  • a cremation without a funeral or memorial service of any kind.
  • a funeral with the loved one present, followed by cremation.
  • a cremation followed by a scattering, cemetery memorialization or celebration of life—or all three.

A personalized service reflects the religious beliefs and traditions of the person being honored while also capturing what made their time on earth special. A service with spirituality as the focal point may include prayer, scripture readings and Christian hymns. A member of the clergy may lead the service with a message of hope and redemption. Close family and friends may speak about their loved one. A traditional Christian service often takes place at a funeral home or place of worship. A more contemporary Christian service may have a more upbeat tone and be filled with details that celebrate the loved one's unique life.

Either way, Dignity Memorial® professionals are planning experts. When you're ready to plan, our providers are here to walk you through every step of the cremation planning process.

 

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