Baptized for the Dead

2018-01-21

Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:29)

This is a very unusual verse in the middle of Paul’s defense for an actual bodily resurrection. What can this possibly mean?

The pronoun “they” has no immediate antecedent, so he is introducing a new group of people in this sentence: “they do which are baptized for the dead.”

Notice that Paul does not say, “we do which are baptized for the dead,” or, “you do which are baptized for the dead.” He must be mentioning a distinct group of people who actually believed in a resurrection, but are not among the apostles, or among the Corinthian believers. Apparently, there was a cult out there who believed in baptizing for the dead. Incidentally, there is a group today, that does not follow the Bible, who believes in baptizing for the dead.

The choice of the word “they” indicates that people not among Christians are involved in this practice. Moreover, such a group must believe that baptism must have some sort of special power beyond what it really has, because otherwise, it would be of no use for them to be baptized for the dead.

Baptism is a picture of being spiritually baptized and has no salvific power. Therefore, anyone who baptizes for the dead believes in a false gospel.