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Devout NT Believers Bury Their Own

S

Scripture More Accurately

Well-Known Member
In my reading through the Bible for 2025, I came to Acts 8 this morning and read the following:

Acts 8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

What do devout New Testament believers do?

When their own die, they carry them to bury them, and they lament over them. Doing so, they honor their deceased and God by refusing to cremate their deceased loved ones in any manner.

O that devout people today would give God and His Word every benefit of any doubt instead of giving every benefit of any doubt to their own wisdom about culture, finances, etc.
 
Deacon

Deacon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
You've brought a meaning into the passage that was not intended.
The passage is describing an historical event.

When people died in NT times, a common practice was that they were placed in a catacomb, a place where over the course of a year, the flesh decayed.
After a year or so, a family member would collect the bones and place them in an ossuary, a bone box. Often bones from one were mixed with those of others.

Rob
 
S

Scripture More Accurately

Well-Known Member
Deacon said:
You've brought a meaning into the passage that was not intended.
The passage is describing a historical event.

When people died in NT times, a common practice was that they were placed in a catacomb, a place where over the course of a year, the flesh decayed.
After a year or so, a family member would collect the bones and place them in an ossuary, a bone box. Often bones from one were mixed with those of others.

Rob
Click to expand...
Nothing in the NT supports intentionally burning or destroying the bodies of believers. There is a world of difference between what you talk about in these remarks and the wicked pagan abomination of cremation that intentionally burns or destroys the bodies of believers in some other manner.
 
S

Scripture More Accurately

Well-Known Member
Deacon said:
You've brought a meaning into the passage that was not intended.
The passage is describing an historical event.

Rob
Click to expand...
I have done no such thing. The passage is describing a historical event that reveals what godly NT believers did with their own who died. The Spirit has inspired that revelation for our profit (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Spirit never commends cremation in any way.
 
Deacon

Deacon

Well-Known Member
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TRUE: The passage is describing a historical event that reveals what godly NT believers did with their own who died.
TRUE: The Spirit has inspired that revelation for our profit (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
TRUE: The Spirit never commends cremation in any way.

Also true - The passage in no way expresses any opinion regarding cremation.

Curiously, I've been reading the latest book written by John H. Walton, New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis. He mentions the passage about Stephen in Acts 7 as it relates to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (regarding the nature of inerrancy).

Walton notes that there is a distinction between what Scripture references and what Scripture affirms.

"In Acts 7, Stephen makes a long speech recounting Israelite history just prior to his execution. Luke's account of that speech is reference-- it records how Luke presents what Stephen said in a way that serves the rhetorical purposes of Luke. Acts is inspired (not Stephen). Stephen's speech itself is not thereby confirmed to be a totally accurate record of history. It represents his recollection and view of history filtered through Luke's rhetorical strategy as he presents the affirmations of his book". (Walton, p. 23.)
Click to expand...

Cultural patterns such as OT/NT burial practices can be classified as reference.

The common practice of cremation in modern cultures is not linked to the pagan practices of the past.

“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.”” (Genesis 3:19, ESV)

Rob
 
S

Scripture More Accurately

Well-Known Member
Deacon said:
TRUE: The passage is describing a historical event that reveals what godly NT believers did with their own who died.
TRUE: The Spirit has inspired that revelation for our profit (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
TRUE: The Spirit never commends cremation in any way.

Also true - The passage in no way expresses any opinion regarding cremation.

Curiously, I've been reading the latest book written by John H. Walton, New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis. He mentions the passage about Stephen in Acts 7 as it relates to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (regarding the nature of inerrancy).

Walton notes that there is a distinction between what Scripture references and what Scripture affirms.



Cultural patterns such as OT/NT burial practices can be classified as reference.

The common practice of cremation in modern cultures is not linked to the pagan practices of the past.

“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.”” (Genesis 3:19, ESV)

Rob
Click to expand...
I'm not sure why you mention things about Acts 7. I did not cite Acts 7.

Acts 8:2 is inerrant, infallible historical divine revelation that the Spirit inspired Luke to write for our profit. Walton's comments are irrelevant to a right evaluation of Acts 8:2. (Walton is also wrong about what he says about Stephen's historical references that are recorded in Acts 7, but that is a separate discussion that I do not want to get into in this thread).
 
Deacon

Deacon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Scripture More Accurately said:
I'm not sure why you mention things about Acts 7. I did not cite Acts 7.
Click to expand...
I mentioned Acts 7 for two reasons,

1) because you mentioned Stephen's burial in the OP (Acts 8:2)
2) because John Walton mentioned Acts 7 in support an interpretational observation.

Walton's observations relate to our own cultural assumptions which may cloud a proper interpretation.

Apparently he's spot on.

Another observation is that the term Luke used regarding the devout men is euphemistic for burial, generally the word is translated 'gathered' or 'collected'.
If you're a KJV user you may observe that the word burial is italicized.

Rob
 
JonC

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
Scripture More Accurately said:
Nothing in the NT supports intentionally burning or destroying the bodies of believers. There is a world of difference between what you talk about in these remarks and the wicked pagan abomination of cremation that intentionally burns or destroys the bodies of believers in some other manner.
Click to expand...
The issue is nothing in the NT prohibits cremation either. Your argument is one from silence.

@Deacon is absolutely correct about how Jews in the NT buried their dead. There was a point to Jesus being buried in a new tomb (the new part). These cave like structures (or caves) were reused after the bones of the previous occupant were removed. They had two burials.

But either way, you can't argue from silence. Thats like saying nothing in the NT allows us to chew gum, so gum chewing is a sin.
 
canadyjd

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
So, when I get cremated (hopefully after I die) what are the eternal consequences?

If I remember correctly, Catholics dug up the body (John Knox?) of someone that disagreed with them and burned it to ashes, thinking it would prevent him from going to heaven.

I get it. You believe cremation is not biblical. What are the consequences if it’s done if any?

And BTW, the ancient practice of the Jews did not include modern embalming. If wealthy enough, they wrapped the body in strips of perfumed cloth to help with the smell.

So, should we reject modern embalming. If you don’t know what’s done, it’s quite barbaric

Peace to you
 
Deacon

Deacon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
“Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.” (Genesis 50:1–3, ESV 2016)

“So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” (Genesis 50:26, ESV 2016)
 
S

Scripture More Accurately

Well-Known Member
canadyjd said:
So, when I get cremated (hopefully after I die) what are the eternal consequences?

I get it. You believe cremation is not biblical. What are the consequences if it’s done if any?

And BTW, the ancient practice of the Jews did not include modern embalming. If wealthy enough, they wrapped the body in strips of perfumed cloth to help with the smell.

So, should we reject modern embalming. If you don’t know what’s done, it’s quite barbaric

Peace to you
Click to expand...
Scripture does not reveal anything about any eternal consequences for a believer's choosing to be cremated. Those who love God should not make their choices based on such things--they should choose to do what pleases Him. Cremation is an abomination that God hates. Those who love God should hate that wicked practice that desecrates the bodies that God made for His glory, both in life and in death.

I have read some of what is done with modern embalming. Because of the Scriptural data concerning Joseph, there may be some room for a believer's making that choice.
 
Silverhair

Silverhair

Well-Known Member
Scripture More Accurately said:
Scripture does not reveal anything about any eternal consequences for a believer's choosing to be cremated. Those who love God should not make their choices based on such things--they should choose to do what pleases Him. Cremation is an abomination that God hates. Those who love God should hate that wicked practice that desecrates the bodies that God made for His glory, both in life and in death.

I have read some of what is done with modern embalming. Because of the Scriptural data concerning Joseph, there may be some room for a believer's making that choice.
Click to expand...

You say "Cremation is an abomination that God hates." I am sure you have a clear text on that. Care to share?
 
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