What does the Bible say about cremation?

Sincerely,
Hot Around The Collar

Dear Hot Around The Collar,

Both cremation and burial are acceptable Biblical practices. The Bible makes it clear that your body is merely a tent that is discarded at death (2 Cor 5:1-4). Peter recognized that at death we leave this ‘tent’ of a body behind (2 Pet 1:14). Ultimately, your physical body will return to dust and dirt (Gen 3:19). It may sound morbid, but cremation simply speeds along the natural process of decay that will occur to all bodies eventually.

Furthermore, we have at least one account of cremation occurring in the Old Testament. Saul and his sons were cremated after they died in battle (1 Sam 31:12). The men that cremated Saul and his sons were later commended by David for their behavior (2 Sam 2:5). That same verse in 2 Samuel shows that David considered cremation a form of burial. David’s endorsement of cremation as a godly practice is worth noting.

The Bible does not seem to place much focus on how someone is buried. God’s emphasis is upon how we live (Gal 2:20), not what is done with our body after we die.

     What would constitute as an unbeliever?  This term is brought up a lot in the Bible and in biblical conversations, but what would constitute an unbeliever?

Sincerely,
Define It

Dear Define It,

An unbeliever is someone who doesn’t place their faith in Jesus.  In 2 Cor 6:14-16, believers and unbelievers are compared.  Believers live according to the light of the Word; unbelievers walk in darkness.  Believers live for God; unbelievers’ lives are led by idols.  That is the contrast between the two.

    What does the Bible mean when it says that it is better for a man to marry than to burn with passion?  I got married, and I am still burning with passion.  I lust all the time, seems that I can’t help it.  I ask God to forgive me every day.  Please pray for me.

Sincerely,
On Fire

Dear On Fire,

1 Cor 7:9 is the verse you are referring to, and it is warning that it is better for a man and woman to marry than to burn for one another.  We will never be able to remove all lusts or sexual temptations from life, but marriage was designed as a safeguard against those temptations.  1 Cor 7:1-5 states that marriage is a God-designed defense against fornication.  Don’t think that by getting married, you miraculously remove all struggles and lusts of the flesh – that isn’t what that verse is dealing with.  1 Cor 7:9 is simply stating that it is better for a man and woman to marry if they find themselves struggling to stay chaste and pure in their courting.

     I know that I cannot change my husband's mind about being a Mason and a Shriner, but I do worry about his salvation.  He reads those books, but never, I mean never, picks up the Bible to read.  I have mentioned to him about reading the Bible as well as the Masonry book, but he does not say anything.  Because of the Masonry and Shriners, he believes that if he works, he can be saved that way.  I have tried to explain to him that we are only saved because of God's grace and that we have to believe in Jesus alone in order to be saved, that our works will not save us.  He is a good man, and I pray for him.  Is there anything else I can do?  If not, would you please pray for him as well?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Worried Wife

Dear Worried Wife,

A Christian should never be a Freemason.  There are those who believe that the two are compatible, but this is typically because they haven’t reached a level of the Masonry organization that reveals the occult and anti-Scripture practices involved in the organization.  Ignorance is the reason for most involvement with Freemasonry, but it isn’t an excuse.  Everyone is responsible for seeking the truth for themselves (Php 2:12) and testing all teaching against Scripture (1 Jn 4:1).

Which brings us to your question – what can you do for your husband?  You can show him Scriptures like Tit 3:5 and Rom 3:27 that teach that we can’t be saved by works or any great acts of virtue – all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).  However, it sounds like you have done that.  All that is left is to pray for him and let your quiet life of godliness work on his heart (1 Pet 3:1).

    Why is the Old Testament put together with the New Testament?  Jesus was a Jew, not a Christian.  Jews did not or do not put the New Testament with their Torah, Tanakh, Halakha, etc.  Jews see Jesus as a great prophet, not the Messiah.  Christians only see Jesus as Messiah.  Different religions, different books.

Sincerely,
Apples And Oranges

Dear Apples And Oranges,

There is a great dispute in the religious world about what parts of the Bible to follow.  Some people follow just the New Testament, some the Old Testament, and the majority fit somewhere in-between those two positions.  The answer is in the word “testament”.  Testament means ‘covenant’ or ‘contract’.  There is the old contract that people followed before Christ came (Gal 3:24-25), and Christians are under the new law that Jesus set up (Rom 8:2).  If you are going to be a Christian, the New Testament (i.e. new contract) is your rulebook.

So what use is the Old Testament to Christians?  It is still a great teaching tool for several reasons:

1. Examples of good and bad lifestyles (1 Cor 10:1-6, Heb 12:1)
2. Prophecies about Jesus and His church (1 Pet 1:10-12)
3. Explanations of where we came from (Gen 1:1)
4. Knowledge of the world Jesus lived in
5. God wrote it!

The Old Testament is not the place to go to find the specific standards you should live by, but it is a wonderful place to see God at work, interacting in the lives of men.  God’s character never changes, and how He valued His old contract should impress upon us how important the new one is (Heb 2:1-3).