Cremation

© 08-10 Colin Melbourne

Flames and Cinders or Worms and Dust?

Q: Is it okay for Christians to be cremated instead of buried?

A: Yes, but please wait until they die first.

Recall the many heroes of the faith who have perished in flames because of their witness for Christ.

What a kick inside we get from reading about young William Hunter, George Marsh, and John Leaf who was strapped to the same burning post as the famous martyr John Bradford. Read Why the Martyrs Burned for an introduction to these heroes.

Some cults, such as Greek Orthodox "Christians", insist on burial as the only biblical form of disposal of a body. They often claim that a cremated person cannot be bodily resurrected, and point to the example of Jewish entombment.

They are flat-wrong of course.

The Lord has no difficulty recreating a dead person from atoms scattered far and wide. Consider His Word, the sea gave up the dead Rev. 20:13. Have you thought what happens to dead bodies in sea water for a few weeks, months, or centuries? They dissolve completely, and their atoms disperse across the seven seas, but one word from Christ, "Arise!" and up they will pop at the Judgment. Rev. 20:11-15.

Do you imagine coffins in warm, wet, countries still contain bodies after a few decades? No, they house nothing but dirt, bone-dust, worm droppings, and goo. But one word from Christ, and the body is reformed and will be bodily resurrected.

Cremation can seem repulsive because of the rapid destruction of a loved one's corpse, but this is a sentimental-cultural attachment rather than an unbiblical practice. Indeed, King David endorsed and blessed the men of Jabesh Gilead for respectfully cremating the bodies of Saul and his sons, and burying their bones. (1 Sam. 31:11-13, 2 Sam. 2:4-6.)

Tyndale's 1534
translation

<< 84% of the KJV NT was copied directly from Tyndale. In my view this is the best English NT.

Here's a thought; where's the grave of the man who translated your New Testament into English?

Will the Lord be unable to raise him up... because he hasn't got one? Of course not!

What an honour; burned alive for the Lord, and his ashes consumed by Belgian market dogs and sewer rats.

William Tyndale has no grave, he was quickly recycled as ash, dust, and dog pooh, trodden underfoot in Flanders fields.

Oh Glory! Watch what happens next Satan, you are in for another shock.