Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 8/4/2004

Question
What does Paul mean in 1 Corinthians 15:29? Thank you.

Answer
Hi Rick
You have asked a tough question.  Below I will paste a good answer that I found.

1 Corinthians 15:29
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?
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

29. The expression they … which are baptized for the dead is obscure. The practice of vicarious baptism such as that which is practiced by Mormons today, appeared as early as the second century (Leon Morris, The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, p. 219). Some suppose that this custom had already been introduced into Corinth (Hodge, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 337). It is extremely doubtful that the apostle would have made reference to this heretical practice without, in the same breath, condemning it. The context clearly indicates a different concept. Two more satisfactory views are as follows. First, the expression may refer to young converts who took the place of the older brethren in the church who had died so that it would be properly rendered “baptized in the place of” (Gr hyper) which has this sense (cf. II Cor 5:15; Phm 13).
Since the context centers on the reality of the resurrection, it seems that Paul would be questioning why they are continuing to baptize new converts “over” or “in place of” the dead ones, if there is no resurrection, since baptism symbolizes our death and resurrection. To continue to baptize new converts, then, in place of the dead ones, would be meaningless if there were to be no real resurrection of the dead.
A second alternative is that the expression is to be taken synonymously with verse 30, thus being rendered “baptized with reference to the dead.” This would be a nonsacerdotal use of the term “baptism.” That is, the people of whom Paul was speaking were being literally immersed in such severe persecution that they were dying for their faith.

Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.

I hope that this helps.

In Christ,
Pastor Don