BAPTISM OF THE DEAD

“Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?” In Paul’s discussion about the resurrection, he used this practice to support his argument: “If there is no resurrection, then why do you still practice baptism for the dead?” The question now is: what exactly is this practice? Because Paul didn’t even explain it, it’s obvious that his readers already knew what he was talking about. Scholars have offered different views about what he might have been referring to.

Theory 1: It was a pagan practice in Corinth.

Paul had been using first-person pronouns (“I,” “we”) in his letter to the Corinthians. He included himself in the discussion, but when he reached 1 Cor. 15:29, he switched to the third-person pronoun (“them”). This might imply that he was referring to people outside the church, and Paul did not want to be identified with them. If this is what he meant, Paul was actually not supporting the practice that some Corinthian believers were doing. It’s as if Paul was simply saying: “You are even practicing baptism for the dead—even if it’s wrong—and yet you don’t believe in the resurrection?”.

Theory 2: It was the practice of some believers who were baptized again on behalf of departed unbelievers.

Some say that believers in those days were being baptized on behalf of their deceased loved ones who had died as unbelievers, thinking that they could still be saved after death. If this is the case, we cannot expect Paul—or any of the apostles—to approve of it, because this practice is rooted in misinformation. If this is what Paul was referring to, then he simply used it to make his point without endorsing it: “Why are you being baptized for unbelievers if there really is no resurrection?”.

Theory 3: It referred to the pre-burial washing of the dead.

It’s possible that Paul was not referring to Christian baptism but to the Jewish ceremonial washing of the dead. There was a practice where members of a religious group oversaw the burial of their fellow members (cf. Acts 5:9-10). Jewish tradition once held that the body would be raised again in the form it died in before being healed. If this is what Paul meant, then he was saying: “Why do you even take the trouble to care for the bodies of the dead, if you don’t believe that God will one day raise them up?”.

Theory 4: It was being baptized again on behalf of unbaptized departed believers.

Originally, believers were baptized immediately after believing (Acts 2:37-41; 8:35-38; 10:44-48, etc.). But in the Corinthian church (and maybe in others), there might have been a “probationary period” (perhaps a year or less) before new believers were baptized and became full members of the church. It’s possible that some believers died while waiting for their baptism schedule. If this is what Paul meant, then he could be saying: “Why are you being baptized for brothers and sisters who died waiting for baptism, if they won’t be raised again anyway?”.

Theory 5: It was baptizing new believers to fill the ranks of those who had died.

Some suggest that this refers to baptism as a kind of initiation rite. The idea was that every time someone new was baptized, they “replaced” a believer who had died. In the earlier verses, Paul also mentioned believers who had already died (1 Cor. 15:18). If this is what Paul meant, then he was saying: “Why keep baptizing new believers to replace those who have died, if you don’t believe there is a resurrection? What’s the point of having new members if there’s no hope beyond this life?”.

Theory 6: It was the baptism of those who believed because of their departed loved ones.

Some believers may have been converted because of the testimony and preaching of believers who had already died. Their baptism, in a sense, was the fruit of the work of these departed Christians. They were baptized “for the sake of” the dead believers who had reached them with the gospel. If this is the case, Paul was saying: “Why would you be baptized as a result of the testimony of those who died, if you don’t even believe in the resurrection?”.

Theory 7: It was baptism in participation with those who died in Christ.

Others suggest that Paul was indeed referring to Christian baptism, but he shortened his expression by calling it “baptism for the dead.” In this sense, he could be saying that baptism is done with the hope of eternal life together with those who have already died in Christ. In other words: “Why be baptized at all if you don’t believe you’ll one day be reunited with believers who have gone ahead?”

Theory 8: It was baptism in view of being dead to sin with Christ.

The Greek word for “for” (eis) can also mean “in view of.” Paul might have simply been referring to baptism itself, since it symbolizes dying to sin and being raised to new life (Rom. 6:2-4), with the hope of future resurrection (Rom. 6:5). If this is the case, Paul was saying: “Why did you even get baptized, if you don’t believe in the resurrection?”.

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In the end, we can only speculate about what Paul really meant. Most of these views do not contradict our established beliefs about baptism and resurrection, so it’s up to you to weigh which seems most likely. Whatever the practice was, the Bible is clear that faith must always be personal. You cannot believe on behalf of others, and no one else can believe for you.

Also, whether Paul supported this practice or not doesn’t change his point—he was simply exposing the inconsistency of his readers: they practiced baptism for the dead while not believing in resurrection (1 Cor. 15:29-58). For us today, it serves as a reminder to value the truth of resurrection. If Christ was not raised, our faith is meaningless (15:14-18). And if we will not be raised like Him, then we have no hope (15:19-34). Stay Curious. 

Sources and Studies:

Walton, J., Keener, C., (2016). See footnotes for 1 Cor 15:29. 𝘕𝘐𝘝 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. Zondervan.
Walton, J., Keener, C., (2016). Resurrection. 𝘕𝘐𝘝 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. Zondervan.
Rhodes, R. (2013). The Role of Baptism. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴. Harvest House Publishers
Archer, G. (2011). In 1 Corinthians 15:29 what is meant by baptism for the dead? 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘯𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. Zondervan
Keiser, W., et al., (1996). 1 Cor 15:29 Baptism for the Dead. 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. InterVarsity Press
Geisler, N. Howe, T., (1992). 1 Corinthians 15:29 —Doesn’t advocating baptism for the dead contradict Paul’s teaching that each person must believe individually?. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘈𝘴𝘬: 𝘈 𝘗𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. Victor Books.