1 Corinthians 15:29, What does it mean?

[shammah]

Always had trouble with this one; and I won't accept a Catholic answer.

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

Of cousre we know the dead are raised ,but it is appointed once to die and then the judgement, and the ressurection unto life for the believer. But this being baptized for the dead must mean something other than what the Catholics preach! They not only think you can baptize an unbaptized person who is dead or even burried long ago, but even those who were obviously,(an unbeliever), but for a certain amount of money, pray them out of pergatory or even Hell!

I think I heard a plausable answer over the radio years ago , but forgot the answer!

Maybe these were people that had just been saved but hadn't had time for water baptism yet; but hope for some good answers!

Agape; Ephraim. :x:

[Jedi4Yahweh]

Always had trouble with this one; and I won't accept a Catholic answer.

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

Of cousre we know the dead are raised ,but it is appointed once to die and then the judgement, and the ressurection unto life for the believer. But this being baptized for the dead must mean something other than what the Catholics preach! They not only think you can baptize an unbaptized person who is dead or even burried long ago, but even those who were obviously,(an unbeliever), but for a certain amount of money, pray them out of pergatory or even Hell!

I think I heard a plausable answer over the radio years ago , but forgot the answer!

Maybe these were people that had just been saved but hadn't had time for water baptism yet; but hope for some good answers!

Agape; Ephraim. :x:

Hi,

From what I understand from reading several differant commentaries is that the Church of Corinthian had a practice in which if a believer died with out baptism they would appoint a close relative or friend of the believer to be baptized for them in their place.

Paul was actually preaching against this practice.

God bless,

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings Shammah,

Paul did the same thing here:

Acts 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

There is a particular term used for this type of communication device. I forget what it is called, but if you were to check in with Hank Hannagraff or R.C. Sproul in particular, they could tell you immediately what this "device" is.

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

[SharingTheGoodNews]

What is baptism for the dead?

In writing about the heavenly resurrection, the apostle Paul penned a most intriguing passage. In the King James Version, we read:

[AllforJesustheLord]

It is just a way of proving, that the resurrection is true. That is why some people did it, now the apostle did not, but it was done by some who thought it was right.

[bad biker]

That is a Mormon practice, isn't it? Seems like I remember reading about Mormons baptizing by proxy a lot of the Holocaust Jews.

[BobTriez]

That is a Mormon practice, isn't it? Seems like I remember reading about Mormons baptizing by proxy a lot of the Holocaust Jews.

Yes, baptism by proxy for the dead is a common Mormon Temple ritual...

[Jedi4Yahweh]

That is a Mormon practice, isn't it? Seems like I remember reading about Mormons baptizing by proxy a lot of the Holocaust Jews.

I think they actually baptise the dead, not stand in the gap for the dead.

[BobTriez]

I think they actually baptise the dead, not stand in the gap for the dead.

No, they baptize by proxy. They write the deceased's name on a piece of paper and go through baptism in their stay. Weird

[sail2awe]

1Co 15:29 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?

when Paul wrote this, there was no reason to explain it, as it was something of common knowledge that everyone would know. As far as we know, no one was baptised by proxy, in place of a dead one, not in the Bible, and not in history either. Our translators havn't supplied what had been left out. This is the figure of speech called "elipses". As baptism represents the resurected body,

Dr Bullinger points out first of all that the word "dead" is not dead people, but dead bodies as the Greek uses the term, and he repunctuates it; as we are at liberty to do-remember there were no punctuation marks, not even spaces between words; they have all been added by mere mortals. so we can repunctuate as long as we are careful and that it makes sense according to the context.

what is the great subject of the ch? of course, it is resurection, that most fundamental doctrine. without this doctrine then those who died in Christ are finished and perished. but the apostile doesn't hesitate to state it in this chapter:

repunctuated:

Else, what shall they do, who are [being] baptised?

clearly they were being baptised. what is baptism? it is clearly a symbol, a picture of death, burial, and resurection, as clearly as a symbol can be; so what is the picture?

[it is] for dead bodies if the dead rise not at all.

Now that makes sense doesn't it. if there is no resurection, then whats your baptism for? when you come up out of the water, that speaks of resurection, a whole new life. well, the whole things empty if theres no resurection, then its for dead bodies if the dead rise not at all.

lets put it all together, and supply the elipsis:

1Co 15:29 Else, what shall they do, who are being baptised? It is for dead bodies if the dead rise not at all. Why are they then baptised? For the dead?

Now, that makes a lot more sense doesn't it? it is very important to understand figures of speech in the Bible. We use them every day, all the time. And of course, they are used thru out the Bible as well. when something doesn't make sense, it is wise to see if there is a figure of speech being used; esp. when there is a seemingly contradiction. For we know God doesnot contradict Himself. Therefore, the err must be in our own mind. Figures of speech is the first place to look, the second is to find the opposite meaning and cross reference the contexts.

Hope this helps.

Edited October 1, 2004 by sail2awe