Biblical Fasting

In the last few decades many Protestant churches have developed a new interest in spiritual disciplines. Some are a bit bizarre, like labyrinth walking, and others are so ridiculously undemanding, like “digital fasting”, as to make a mockery of the discipline.

In this article we will seek to study what the Bible says about fasting, its link with prayer, and then survey its benefit to the believer.

What is Fasting?

In order to understand what biblical fasting is, we first need to consider what it is not.
First, while modern science believes there may be some health benefits from fasting, it is not a biblical means for promoting physical health. In fact, biblical fasting is for spiritual benefit, not physical.

Second, some see it as a means of manipulating God. The idea is that since I am fasting, God has to do what I wish. The sovereignty of God, however, teaches us that God is in control over all things. Everything ultimately obeys his will. Fasting does not require God to act in any particular way and to believe that it does is to misunderstand both God and the discipline.

Third, fasting is not a means of earning more divine favor. Believing this is to misunderstand grace. Because of God’s grace towards believers we are in a position such that nothing will make God love us more Or less.

Fourth, fasting is not preparation for battle with demons Faith healings are so 1990’s. Doing spiritual battle with demons is all the rage now in certain denominations. While it is true that Jesus told his disciples that demons can be driven off by the spiritual preparation of prayer and fasting (Matthew 14:21), Jesus was speaking to the Apostles whom he explicitly said would have power over demons. Appropriating that kind of authority is wholly unbiblical.

Finally, fasting is not a means of salvation. The Bible is clear that the development of spiritual disciplines has nothing to do with salvation. In fact, in one parable Jesus said,

"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, [The second ]man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:10-14)

Having dealt with what biblical fasting is not, let’s look and see what it is. In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul said,

“I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified..”

While Paul does not explicitly mention fasting, self-denial of the body comes across loud and clear. In this verse we are told that self-denial is an expression of humble reliance upon God.

Having examined what fasting is not, allow me to put forth a couple of complementary suggestions and then compare the to the Scriptures.

Biblical fasting is:

• A means of mortifying the flesh, brining it under the power of God 
• A denial of major bodily needs (usually food) for the purpose of seeking a closer relationship with God.

Let’s see if these two definitions stand the Scrutiny of the Scriptures.

What Types of Fasts are There?

Essentially, biblical fasting falls under three headings: Sustenance, Sleep, and Sex.
Biblical fasting most often deals with a denial of sustenance. Daniel, for instance, engaged in a partial fast.

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict.And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. n those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. (Daniel  10:2-3)

A partial fast, then, involves the restriction of one’s of menu as a sign of mourning and as an outward expression of repentance.

Matthew 4:1-4 describes the type of fast most familiar to us:

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, "' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

We could call this fast a normal fast, refraining from food, but not water. The forty days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness was of nearly lethal duration. A person can only live 3-4 days without water. A person can live a few weeks without food.. After nearly six weeks in the desert, Jesus would have been at death’s door. From a theological perspective and viewing Jesus as the last Adam, consider the contrasts: Jesus was alone. Adam had Eve. Jesus was in a desert. Adam was in Eden. Jesus went six weeks without food. Adam was surrounded by food. Adam fell into sin. Jesus did not.

In contrast to the normal fast Acts 9:9 describes what we could call a total fast.

And for three days [Saul] was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

This fast involved a total refraining from food and water. (Like Jesus, Paul would would have been nearly dead from dehydration.)

A second type of fast involves abstaining from sleep. Mark 1:35 provides a good example of this:

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

In a time in which peoples’ waking and sleeping was determined by the sun, the fact that Jesus arose “very early” meant that Jesus was depriving himself of sleep. To what end? To pray. In this passages and many others that describe fasting there is usually a close connection with prayer.

A third type of fast that to which the Scriptures refer to the denial of sexual relations. In 1 Corinthians 7:5:

Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Several things are worth noting here. First, this type of deprivation is not for an individual but for couples. Both husband and wife should agree to participate. Second, unlike other fasts, a sexual fast must be of limited duration. Third, we see once again the link between fasting and prayer., Finally, Paul expects couples to resume regular sexual relations again to stand as a bulwark against sexual immorality.

Why Should we Fast?

Having examined what a fast is and is not and looked at different examples of biblical fasting, we will now turn to the question of why we, as 21st century Christians, should exercise this discipline.
First of all, Jesus assumed that his followers would practice fasting. Matthew 6:16-18:

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Notice Jesus did not say, “If you fast,” but “when you fast.” Clearly fasting as a regular activity among God’s people is enjoined.

Secondly, the Bible is full of examples of fasting. Consider:

Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 27 And the people of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, "Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand." (Judges 20:26-28)

Here, Israel was fasting to seek divine assistance.

So [Israel] gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. (1 Samuel 7:6)

In this instance Israel engaged in a brief, total fast to express their contrition for having engaged in idolatry.

David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. (2 Samuel 12:16)

Here we see David using fasting as an intensification of prayers. By fasting and praying, he demonstrated how very much he wished God to spare his baby’s life.

And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days. (1 Samuel 31:13)

In this case the people fasted as an outward sign of mourning.

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. (Nehemiah 9:1)

Here fasting was engaged in as an act of community worship and repentance of sins, national sins at that. (See also Psalm 35:13 and Joel 2:12.)

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. ( Luke 4:1-2)

In this instance, fasting was spiritual preparation for coming temptation.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3)

Here the apostles prayed and fasted, seeking divine guidance as part of making important decisions. (See also Act 14:23.)

Who Should Fast?

Having looked at the “whats” and “whys” of fasting, we turn finally to the “whos.” Who should engage in fasting? The answers lie in the Scriptures we have just studied as well as in common sense. Who should fast?

• Those who can do it out of a sense of worship, not superstition, legalism, or hypocrisy 
• Those who are physically able to do so. People with medical conditions probably shouldn’t fast without approval from their physicians. And, finally,

How Should we Fast?

Matthew 6:16-18 says,

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Here Jesus commands fasting in a way that does not draw attention to oneself. While it is true there may be times in which a congregation fasts together, as a general rule we are to keep it between us and God.

Fasting should not be done in a way that is physically harmful. It is one thing to go a day without food in order to devote oneself to prayer. It is another thing to be reckless with our bodies. Fasting should never last too long and it certainly should not deny us water.

Finally, a good reason to fast is that one can concentrate on God, His Word, and prayer. Every time our stomachs growl, we should be reminded of our utter dependence on God and as a result should seek him in prayer

Wes Redenhoff once said:

“We must continually desire to be made holy. The Puritan Richard Sibbes once wrote, ‘He that looks to be happy, must first look to be holy.’ Fasting is a means of sanctification, a way to holiness. It must not be viewed as a way to salvation, since that is a free gift of God's grace. Fasting is for God's children who desire to serve Him better and to each day more and more reflect His image until they are completely regenerated in the hereafter by the Holy Spirit and live in perfect communion with the Father.”

Good advice, Gentle Reader. Think about it.

Burn, Baby, Burn?

Over my 21 years of pastoral ministry, I have been asked a number of times about whether or not cremation was sinful. My kneejerk response has always been to say that the Bible is silent on the subject and that we ought not to command where the Bible does not. I was challenged on that position recently and decided to do some more study on the subject. Following, Gentle Reader, are the fruits of that endeavor.

Introduction

Over the next decade, cremation is projected to become the leading funerary practice in the United States. A statistical analysis conducted by the Cremation Association of North America in 2008 revealed that the rate of cremations tripled between 1985 and 2007. In fact, in 2007 cremations accounted for 34% of all funerals and the report projected that cremations would climb to 56% by 2025.[1] While the reasons given for choosing cremation vary, the most commonly cited reason was cost.[2] (The average funeral costs about $7,000[3], whereas the average cremation can be as little as $1000.[4])

It is likely these trends will be reflected in the Church and necessarily pose an important theological and pastoral question: is cremation biblical? Put another way, is traditional Christian burial commanded by the Scriptures or is the issue adiaphora? In an attempt to answer these questions, this post will survey the various historical positions and scriptural arguments that have been advanced, as well as consider how the Westminster Standards affect them.

Historical Positions

Cremation was a common method of disposing of bodies in the Greco-Roman era. Early Christian antipathy towards cremation grew as persecutors of Christians would sometimes burn the bodies of Christians and scatter their ashes to mock the Christian belief in the Resurrection. Because of cremation’s association with paganism, early Christians rejected it, preferring to entomb their dead in catacombs. Tertullian (145-220) testifies to this preference for burial as early as the second century, noting that, “the [pagan] cry arose, ‘No areae—no burial grounds for the Christians!’”[5]

In contradistinction to their cultures, early Christian writers thought highly of the human body and saw burial as an integral part of the Christian faith. Justin Martyr (110-165) held that since the human body alone was fashioned by the hand of the Creator, it was “most precious of all to the maker.”[6]

Lactantius (260-233) called burial, “the last and greatest office of piety.” He said that God commanded “the performance of the rite,” citing Genesis 49:29-31 and Mark 14:8-9 as evidence. To Lacantius, burial was the only appropriate thing to do for the body as “the image and workmanship of God…[restoring] it to the earth, from which it had its origin.”[7]

John Chrysostom (349-407) wrote, “The laws of nature are common to all men, that he who departs this life should be hidden in the earth, and delivered over for burial, and be covered up in the bosom of the earth, the mother of all; and these laws… [never] changed, but all reverence them, and keep them, and thus are sacred and venerated by all.”[8]

Augustine (354-430) thought it nonsensical, “to fear that the omnipotence of the Creator [could] not, for the resuscitation and reanimation of our bodies, [reconstitute] all the portions [of the body] which have been consumed by beasts or fire, or have been dissolved into dust or ashes, or have decomposed into water, or evaporated into the air.”[9] Although he continued,

“Our Lord Himself, too, applauds, and commends our applause, the good work of the religious woman who poured precious ointment over [Christ’s] limbs, and did it against His burial. And the Gospel speaks with commendation of those who were careful to take down His body from the cross, and wrap it lovingly in costly cerements, and see to its burial. These instances certainly do not prove that corpses have any feeling; but they show that God’s providence extends even to the bodies of the dead, and that such pious offices are pleasing to Him, as cherishing faith in the Resurrection.”[10]

When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, burial rapidly became the only method of disposing of bodies. Cremation was seen not only as a throwback to paganism, but as a denial of the doctrine of the Resurrection. In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII issued a bull, excommunicating ipso facto those who boiled the flesh off nobles fallen in battle, to simplify the transportation of their bodies home for burial. Additionally, bodies so handled were denied Christian burial.[11]

During the Reformation, John Calvin called burial, “[a] sacred and inviolable custom…an earnest of new life.”[12] He said the rite of burial arose, “to let men know that a new life was prepared for the bodies laid away.”[13]

The great catechisms and confessions of the Reformation show similar regard for the human body. Burial was seen as the norm.

For instance, the Belgic Confession notes (1561) that, “All those who have died before [the return of Christ] will be raised from the earth.”[14]

The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) acknowledges that our bodies belong to the Lord as well as our souls, citing 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.[15]

The Westminster Standards (1647) touch on the subject in several places. The Larger Catechism says, “[The] bodies [of believers], which even in death continued united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they again be united to their souls.”[16] It continues, “the self-same bodies of the dead, which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls forever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ.”[17]

While the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) historically disapproved of cremation, The Code of Canon Law of 1917 expressly forbade it, making it an excommunicable offense until 1963. The reasoning behind the law was largely that since the body had received the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, it was holy. Cremation, therefore, was a sin against Christ. In 1963, however, the RCC relaxed its stance against, permitting cremation under certain conditions. Nevertheless, cremated remains were not allowed in a church building during a funeral Mass. Even this regulation was softened in 1997 by the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Now a Mass may be celebrated in the presence of cremated remains provided the cremation was not motivated by either contempt for the body or a denial of the Resurrection.

It is clear, then, that the prevailing opinion of ancient Christians through the first half of the twentieth century was that the human body was to be viewed highly and that the practice of burial was closely associated with the hope of the Resurrection.

Scriptural Arguments

Scriptural arguments for burial and against cremation follow a common trajectory, though the writers that use them range between relaxed and dogmatic views on on the subject. The arguments and Bible verses that are used generally include:[18]

1. In the Old Testament, burning was considered a sign of contempt, rejection, removal of something unwanted, and judgment.

a. Exodus 12:10, “And you shall let none of [the manna] remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.”

b. Deuteronomy 32:22, “For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase.”

c. 1 Kings 15:13, “[Asa] also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.”

d. Jeremiah 21:10, “For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.”

e. Malachi 4:1, “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts.”

2. More specifically, in the Old Testament, non-burial, even the burning of bones, was considered a mark of contempt.

a. Deuteronomy 28:26, “And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away.”

b. Psalm 79:1-4, “O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.”

c. Ecclesiastes 6:3, “If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.”

d. Amos 2:1-2, “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet.’”

3. In two passages of the Old Testament, the burning of bodies was associated with the curse of God.

a. Joshua 7:15, 25, “‘And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel…’ And Joshua said, ‘Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.’ And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.”

b. 2 Kings 23:15, “Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place [Josiah] pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the word of the LORD that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. Then he said, ‘What is that monument that I see?’ And the men of the city told him, ‘It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel.’ And he said, ‘Let him be; let no man move his bones.’ So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria.”

4. The New Testament, likewise, uses burning as a metaphor of God’s judgment.

a. Matthew 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned.’”

b. Luke 3:17, “His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

c. John 15:6, “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

d. Hebrews 6:8, “But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.”

Positively, the Bible is filled with numerous references to burial. Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, (Genesis 23) and was subsequently buried with her by his sons. (Genesis 25:8-10) Isaac was buried by his son in Abraham’s burial plot. (Genesis 35:29) Jacob instructed his son, Joseph, not to leave his body in Egypt, but to bury him with his fathers. (Genesis 47:29-31) Near the end of his life, Joseph commanded that his body also be taken from Egypt and buried in the Promised Land, a thing that was done some 400 years later. (Genesis 50:24-26, c.f. Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32)

Subsequent to the Exodus, we read that Israel buried Miriam (Numbers 20:1) and Aaron. (Deuteronomy 10:6) Amazingly, we are told that God, himself, buried Moses in a secret location. (Deuteronomy 34:5-6)

During the days of the monarchy, we find that David buried his son, Abner (2 Samuel 3) as well as the bones of Saul (2 Samuel 21). 1 Kings 14 tells us that Abijah alone of the cursed house of Jeroboam was buried. God promised Josiah that he would be buried in peace, not seeing the judgment God would send on Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 34)

In the New Testament, we are reminded that John the Baptist was buried (Matthew 14:12). Most significantly, our Lord, himself, was buried. (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19) Paul sees the burial of Christ as an integral part of the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:3)

Finally, some have added biblical arguments along these lines:

1. We are created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26-27) Cremation is an unfitting end for that image.

2. Cremation destroys, it is thought, the imagery of sowing a seed in corruption and seeing it raised incorruptible. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

3. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and ought to be treated accordingly.

Evaluation of the Historical Positions

Most early Christian opposition to cremation was seen as a rejection of paganism. The earliest Christian apologetic for burial was that since the body was made by the hand of God, it should be treated respectfully.[19] The cultural context has changed considerably since the late second and early third centuries, however. Paganism as a root justification for cremation is extremely rare. Similarly, while we do agree that the human body should be treated respectfully, yet it simply does not follow that the modern practice of cremation fails to do so.

Lacantius’ appeal to the Scripture is commendable[20], but his exegesis is suspect. For instance, he cites Genesis 49:29-31:

“Then [Jacob] commanded them and said to them, ‘I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.”

Though this passage certainly does contain an imperative, yet it was directed to Jacob’s sons, not the larger Church. By being buried in the cave at Hebron with his ancestors, Jacob, and later Joseph, demonstrated their faith in the covenant promises of God. Specifically God had promised to give them the land of Canaan. By being buried there, the identified themselves with it, by faith, until the end of time.

Lactantius’ appeal to Mark 14:8-9 is equally unhelpful. While Jesus commends the woman’s actions as good in anointing his body for burial, yet the verse does not seem to bear well the exegetical weight of requiring burial.

Chrysostom argues for burial on the basis of natural law[21], but surely natural law cannot be the final arbiter in declaring a thing to be, or not to be, sin.

Augustine speaks against those who believe that cremation thwarts resurrection.[22] We agree that the same God who can speak the universe into existence, can reconstitute our bodies, however scattered they may be. Like Lactantius, he commends the care that was shown Christ’s body as it showed they had faith in the Resurrection.[23] Yet this runs completely contrary to the gospel accounts which showed the disciples disbelieving and skeptical of the Resurrection until Christ showed himself to them repeatedly. The care shown for Christ’s body seems more naturally to have been the care shown for someone who is loved.

Calvin’s appeal to custom is a bit disappointing.[24] The Institutes are filled with many biblical and logical arguments offered to strengthen the Protestant position. He simply does not say very much here.

The various Reformed confessions agree in their hope of the General Resurrection as well as the fact that in his redeeming work, Christ bought our souls and our bodies. The Westminster Larger Catechism assumes that believers are buried, perhaps reflecting English cultural practices.

The development of Catholic theology about cremation is a curious thing to study. It is difficult to understand how over a period of 600 years cremation can go from an excommunicable offence to something that is permitted, provided belief in the Resurrection is maintained.

Evaluation of Scriptural Arguments

The vast majority of Scriptures that have been marshaled to speak against cremation and in favor of burial can be easily dismissed as being improperly exegeted, usually because they are isolated from their contexts and made to say things the authors did not intend.

For instance, the passages that point to burning and fire as signs of God’s judgment ignore passages like:

· Genesis 15:17—in which fire is a picture of God’s presence, pointing to the column of fire that led Israel in the wilderness;

· Exodus 3:2—in which God spoke to Moses from the burning bush;

· Exodus 13:21—in which God led Israel through the wilderness with both the cloud and column of fire;

· Exodus 19:18—in which fire visibly represented the presence of God (c.f. also 24:17);

· I Kings 18:24—in which fire represents the approving response of God (c.f. also 2 Chronicles 7:1);

· 2 Kings 2:11—in which fire represents heavenly glory (c.f. also 2 Kings 6:17);

· Psalm 29:7—in which flashes of fire (lightning?) are seen as a metaphor for the voice of the Lord;

· Psalm 104:4—in which angels are called “flaming fire;”

· Jeremiah 20:9—in which fire refers to the desire to proclaim God’s word;

· Daniel 7:9-10—in which fire describes to glory of the Lord;

· Matthew 3:11—in which fire is a mark of the baptism of the Holy Spirit;

· Revelation 2:18—in which fire describes the all-seeing gaze of the risen Christ (c.f. also 19:2);

· Revelation 15:2—in which fire represents the glory of God.

Yes, fire is at times used in the Bible to describe the wrath of God. Other times it describes the glory and presence of God. Context rules. It is an unwarranted hermeneutical jump to say that because the Bible (at times) shows burning as a sign of God’s wrath, that cremation is sinful.

Two more passages deserve special attention. It is alleged that the Joshua 7 account of the burning of Achan is a clear example of burning (as opposed to burial) as symbolizing the wrath of God. The emphasis in the passage, however, is not on burning as much as the Jewish practice of “devoting” something to God. The Hebrew word cherem referred to something so irrevocably given to God it was is if the thing no longer existed. In Numbers 18:14 cherem was the firstfruits offered by Israel which the priests alone were allowed to eat. In this case, the fruit was not literally destroyed, but it was no longer available to the one making the offering. The destruction of Jericho was seen as the firstfruits of the conquest of Canaan. Therefore, in keeping with the principle of firstfruits, everything related to cherem belonged to the Lord only. In Joshua 6:18, we read, “But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted (cherem) to destruction, lest when you have devoted (cherem) them you take any of the devoted (cherem) things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction (cherem) and bring trouble upon it.”

While the force of the warning is somewhat blunted in translation, God was warning Israel that to take of the spoils of Jericho was to share in the fate of Jericho. Joshua 6:24 tells us that Israel put the city to the sword, burned it with fire, and reduced it to rubble. Symbolically, Achan shared the same fate. Joshua 7, then provides very thin evidence (if any) to use as an argument against cremation.

The second passage from 2 Kings 23 records how Josiah defiled the altar at Bethel by burning human bones on. The passage makes clear that he did not disturb the bones of the two prophets who had been involved with the original prophecy against the altar. Again, however, it is quite a leap to get from this story to a prohibition against cremation. To begin with, cremation is not even in view. Josiah was taking something ceremonially unclean (viz., human remains, c.f. Lev. 21:1-11) to defile something consecrated for worship. The emphasis of the account is the power of the Word of the Living God over false idols. Cremation is not even in view.

Perhaps the two most significant passages on the subject of burial are Deuteronomy 34:5-6 and the gospel accounts of Jesus’ burial. In Deuteronomy it is pointed out that God himself buried Moses. While this is true, the fact that God buried Moses in a secret place would argue more forcefully that God was removing a possible idolatrous stumbling block from Israel (Jude 1:9) than laying down a prescription for burial as such.

Finally, the gospels all speak of Christ’s burial. It is argued that if our Lord was buried, we should be buried. While this argument is weightier than the example of Moses, yet it is worth remembering that Christ’s burial was far different that we practice in the West. Christ was not buried as much as he was entombed, in keeping with the cultural practices of his day. If we are to argue that we should handle the bodies of the Christian dead in the same way Christ’s body was handled, then we would have to dramatically change our entire funerary practices in the West.

In the end, the biblical evidence cited to mandate burial is weak at best. Simply because certain cultural customs are described, it does not follow that they are prescribed. For instance, both the Old and New Testaments describe slavery, yet we would hardly see those descriptions as a command to reinstate slavery in our country. Finally, the Bible, in both Greek and Hebrew, employs an imperatival form of verbs. In no place in the Bible do we see a command to bury the dead. We must accept the descriptions of burials as being just that, descriptions.

Conclusion

There is no do doubt that inhumation enjoys a long tradition in both ancient Israel and the Christian Church. Nevertheless, to insist on something that the Bible does not is to go beyond the Scriptures and to bind the consciences of men. We must conclude, then, that burial is not commanded by God nor is cremation forbidden by God.

We cannot ignore however, that inhumation, in one form or another has been the pattern that God’s people have followed for nearly 6000 years. It is, perhaps, ingrained in us as we collectively remember the curse of God that we are dust and will return to it. By laying the body in the grave, we symbolically fulfill the destiny God has spoken for us. At the same time, the Christian who buries his dead symbolically shows his faith that, “an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”

In the end, the issue of how we handle the bodies of the dead is one that is deeply personal and should be entered into prayerfully. Whether or not cremation is employed, the victory of Christ over death and the hope of the Resurrection must be central in any Christian funeral.

It is important to remember that God is omnipotent and, therefore, is able to resurrect the body, no matter its condition. Cremation does not make it impossible for God to raise the dead.

It is true that the Bible does show burial as the normal practice of God’s people from the time of the patriarchs and through the end of the New Testament. Further, inhumation has been the universal practice of Christians throughout the ages, except in times of extraordinary circumstance. The Bible,however, simply does not command burial or condemn cremation.

Inasmuch as we are created in the image of God and that our Lord shares a human nature with us, the human body should be treated with care, dignity, and respect. It does not follow, however, that cremation necessarily abuses the human body.

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[1] http://www.cremationassociation.org/?page=IndustryStatistics, accessed 7/12/11.

[2] http://www.cremationassociation.org/?page=WhyCremation, accessed 7/12/11.

[3] http://www.cremationassociation.org/?page=WhyCremation, accessed 7/12/11.

[4] http://www.costhelper.com/cost/finance/cremation.html, accessed 7/12/11.

[5] Tertullian, To Scapula, chapter 3.

[6] On the Resurrection, chapter 7.

[7] Divine Institutes, 4.12.

[8] Homilies on Saint Ignatius and Saint Babylas, chapter 2.

[9] City of God, chapter 20.

[10] Ibid., chapter 13.

[11] Extrav. Comm. lib. iii tit. vi c. i. This appears to be the first official canon made by the church with regards to burial.

[12] Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.25.5.

[13] Ibid., III.25.8.

[14] Article 37.

[15] Heidelberg Catechism, 1.

[16] WLC 86.

[17] WLC 87.

[18] These are culled from Cremation Not for Christians, by Alfred Levell (Gospel Standard Trust, 1996), Christian Burial: A Case for Burial, by Norman L. Geisler and Douglas E. Potter (http://www.equip.org/articles/christian-burial, accessed 9/8/11), and Is Cremation Biblical or Un-biblical?, by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (http://www.opc.org/qa.html?question_id=347, accessed 9/8/11).

[19] See footnote 6.

[20] See footnote 7.

[21] See footnote 8.

[22] See footnote 9.

[23] See footnote 10.

[24] See footnote 12.

The Faith to be Led

I was reading in the book of Exodus this morning and was struck by 23:20,

"Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared."

Spoken to Israel immediately following the giving of the Ten Commandments, this promise was given to encourage Israel as they prepared to set out for the Promised Land. By looking carefully at the verse, we see it is a comfort for us as well.

The first thing to notice is that the verse is an emphatic statement. God could have simply made the declaration, "I send an angel before you..." Even by itself, the statement would have been of comfort to Israel, but God desired it to grab their attention. By adding the command, "Behold!" the reader is made to notice and consider the words that followed.

While it is not obvious in English, the grammar of the verse also makes it emphatic. In Hebrew, as in many other languages, pronouns are not necessary for a sentence to make sense. Generally speaking they are implied in the conjugation of the verbs themselves. We cannot do this in English. If we say, for instance, "Send an angel before you," we do not know if this is a command or an incomplete sentence. By beginning the sentence with the first person pronoun "I," the sentence makes sense. In the Hebrew of this verse, the first person pronoun is added to the verb even though it is not necessary. It functions to draw attention to the one who is doing the sending: God himself. (My college Hebrew professor used to dramatically shout the pronouns with a tremulous voice when he was translating: "*I* send my angel before you!") Israel was to take note that God himself was sending the angel.

The second thing to notice is why God was sending the angel. Their were two purposes:

1. To guard Israel on the way. Israel would face many hardships and dangers. Nations that were hostile to Israel threatened to attack them. The desert itself presented many dangers: lack of water, lack of arable land (or the time to farm it), the heat of the sun, serpents, scorpions, and so on. The way that lay ahead of the nation was not an easy one. Yet God promised his mediated presence, so that Israel would know that they were not forsaken and that they were on the path God wanted them to be.

2. To bring Israel to the Promised Land. Beyond the dangers of the way lay the Promised Land itself. At one point tantalizingly close, Israel was forced to wander forty years in the wilderness because of her lack of faith to take possession of what God had given them. (Numbers 13-14) As that generation began to die in the wilderness, the promise of Exodus 23 had to have been a comfort to the nation. Yes, they were being chastised by God, yet God would do for them all he had promised.

The final thing to notice about the verse was the provision of God appended to the promise: the land to which God was leading them had been prepared by God for them. It was not just an available piece of real estate, rather it was something that God had ordained and made ready for them. By decree and providence, Israel was experiencing exactly what God wished.

I was speaking with someone at church yesterday. During the course of the conversation, I mentioned (and the individual agreed) that both the church and I were in limbo right now (though this is probably not a good word, what with limbo being a level of Hell and all). My medical absence from the pulpit tears me up every day. I feel that I am not doing anything or progressing in any way. (In sinful pride) I worry that the church will founder without me. I cringe as I imagine how people must feel toward me. I could go on, but I imagine the idea is clear.

As I meditated on these verses this morning, the Lord spoke powerfully to me through them. God himself leads me...and you. God himself guards me...and you. God himself is leading me (and you) to the appointed end that he, himself, has ordained. I, we, have but to have faith in him.

Further Erosion of the Family and Religious Rights

Colorado Senate Bill 2 is a bill that will make so called "civil unions" legal in the state of Colorado. The bill, which affords all of the rights of married couples to gay couples other than the moniker of being married, may find unlikely allies in opposition to it: proponents and opponents of gay marriage.

Proponents of gay marriage state that the bill would create a separate and unequal class of unions in the state. Opponents of gay marriage (such as myself) believe that it would further erode the family and religious rights. Politics, as the saying goes, makes for strange bedfellows.

When the bill came up for a vote last year, it died along party-line votes, with Senate Democrates in support of it. (Surprise, surprise.) Should it pass the Senate this year, it faces an uncertain future in the Republican controlled house. But let's suppose for a moment that it passes. What will that mean for the family?

From a religious point of view, the passage of the bill would be a disaster. While paragraph 14-15-112(4) provides that ministers will not be be required to perform such unions, it is difficult to imagine how such a provision will stand. Eventually, there will almost certainly be a civil suit for discrimination against those who refuse to perform such a ceremony, because of the language of the severability clause in 14-115-118. Additionally, churches who do not recognize such unions, indeed who believe that homosexuality is incompatible with the Christian life, may find themselves in civil jeopardy for refusing membership or disciplining such couples.

A day may soon be coming when ministers may have to refuse to perform any marriages at all, simply to protect themselves. It is difficult to see how churches will protect themselves. Any way you cut it, the bill means trouble for people of faith, who believe the Scriptures are the Word of God.

One can only hope that the bill will die again, but it will likely come back until it passes. May God have mercy on our state and nation.

I'm Back...Again

Hello, Gentle Reader.

Blogs, like people, have life cycles. They are born, flourish, wither, and die. Sometimes they die because the author has said all he can think to say on a subject. Or, perhaps, circumstances in his life will no longer permit him to write. Sometimes, people start new blogs with new emphases. Others, like literary zombies, arise from the dead.

I guess Reformed and Loving It is a bit like that. Several years ago, when I first started this blog, it seemed like my mind was a never ending well-spring of things to discuss. After several years, writer's block set in. I just felt like I had nothing left to say. Indeed, it seemed something of a narcissistic endeavor to keep writing.

As it turns out, though, I like to write and in God's providence I have time to be doing it again. So here I am...again, like the undead, ambling about and hoping some of you will join me in the journey.

Stay tuned.

Pray for Your Pastors

I found out this week about significant moral failures on the part of two ministers I know. Both of them are now out of the ministry, their churches are reeling, and whether they will repent of the harm they have done remains to be seen.

I do not wish to judge another man’s servant, so I won’t comment beyond observing that they will give account to God, during which no circumstance will mitigate.

On the other hand, while we each answer for our own sins, it is true that we are involved in mortal, spiritual combat with our three great goes: the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

The World is the present age, this life, a system of valuations that lives for the temporal and not the eternal. The Flesh is the corruption of our natures and the sin that proceeds from it. The Devil is, well, the Devil. These three foes help us into sin. The fact that we wrestle against them tells us we should pray not only for ourselves but also our shepherds.

Ministry is often lonely and is surprisingly hard on the emotions and even on the soul.
The Barna Group, Focus on the Family, and Leadership Journal have done a number of studies over the last ten years that have uncovered some unsettling facts about ministers.

Consider the following (compiled from various sources):

General Statistics

• A staggering fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout or contention in their churches.
• Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
• Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
• Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• Even so, eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• Eighty-five percent of pastors said their greatest problem is they are sick and tired of dealing with problem people, such as disgruntled elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors. Ninety percent said the hardest thing about ministry is dealing with uncooperative people. (You all know the saying, “Church work would be great, if it weren’t for the people!)
• Seventy percent of pastors feel grossly underpaid.
• Ninety percent said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be before they entered the ministry. (A seminary problem, IMO)
• Seventy percent felt God called them to pastoral ministry before their ministry began, but after three years of ministry, only fifty percent still felt called.
• Seventy percent of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor.

Pastor’s Personal Piety:

• Ninety-five percent of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouses.
• Eighty percent of pastors surveyed spend less than fifteen minutes a day in prayer.
• Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

Pastors' Marriages:

• Eighty percent of pastors' spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
• Eighty percent of pastor' wives feel left out and unappreciated by the church members.
• Eighty percent of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
• Eighty percent of pastors' wives feel pressured to do things and be something in the church that they are really not.
• The majority of pastor's wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry.
• Almost forty percent of pastors polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
• Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.

The picture that emerges of the average pastor is that he is discouraged, struggling with loneliness, feelings of inadequacy, and depression, facing challenges at home, and moral temptations all around. Sadly, most ministers cannot talk about their emotional or spiritual struggles with someone for fear of losing their livelihood.

I do not write these things to whine or to seek compliments but to ask you, Gentle Reader, to help your minister bear the load. Speak words of affection to your minister. Encourage his wife. Pray for him and let him know you are doing so. Beyond those things, come to church! Listen to the sermons. Live them. Grow in grace. Your minister will positively glow with joy.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack~

After a legthy absence, I find I just cannot stay away. Writing helps me thing. It sharpens my wits as I read others writings. It helps me extend my pastoral ministy. It has also made me some good friends. Now comes the difficult stuff of developping a readership again. I hope you will join me once more.