In 1 Corinthians 15:29, Paul spoke about baptism for the dead. What did Paul mean by baptism for the dead, since we don’t read anywhere in the Bible about being baptized for the dead? Were people baptized in a cemetery? Where the dead baptized? Or were people baptized on behalf of the dead? Corinth was full of idolatry and occult customs and rituals. But did Paul address a pagan custom, which was practiced in the carnal church at Corinth? It could be that the baptism for the dead was practiced by the church at Corinth since the church was a carnal church and did many things, which were against the will of God. However, the baptism for the dead could also mean something else.
The gospel of Jesus Christ
It’s important to read the baptism for the dead in the context. Therefore it’s important to look at what Paul was writing about when Paul mentioned the baptism for the dead.
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, He was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
Paul wrote about the gospel, which he preached to the saints at Corinth, and which they had received and wherein they had to stand and by which they were saved, if they kept in memory what Paul had told them, unless their belief would be in vain.
The gospel that Paul preached was the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His appearance.
What if there is no resurrection of the dead?
Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: Whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).
In verse 12, Paul continued and confronted the church that although they preached that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, some among them said, there was no resurrection of the dead.
Jesus Christ was fully Human and the first One, Who rose from the dead. Therefore if there would be no resurrection of the dead, Christ would not have risen from the dead.
And if Christ would not have risen from the dead, then the gospel would be void and their faith would be vain and without fruit (Read also: ‘Was Jesus fully Human?’ And ‘A faith without content’).
If there would not be a resurrection of the dead and Christ would not be raised from the dead, then all who preached the gospel of Jesus Christ would be false witnesses aka liars, who preached lies of God, since they preached that God had raised Jesus Christ from the dead, while God had not raised Jesus from the dead.
If the dead would not be raised and Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead, their faith would be vain and worthless and they would be still in their sins and those who had fallen asleep in Christ would have perished.
If they believed that their hope in Christ was only for this temporary life on earth, then they would be the most miserable and most to be pitied.
In short, if there would not be a resurrection of the dead then:
- Christ has not been risen from the dead and is still dead
- Jesus has not taken the keys of hell and death
- There is no remission of sin,
- People can’t be made righteous and holy
- Sinners remain sinners, because they are subject to death and remain a slave to sin,
- It would be impossible to become born again and enter the Kingdom of God
- The position of fallen man has not been restored
- Man can’t be reconciled with God and become a son of God,
- It’s not possible to receive the Holy Spirit and to walk after the Spirit,
- The dead remain dead,
- Those, who have fallen asleep in Christ are perished
- There is no hope, because once a person dies, the person remains dead
But what if there is a resurrection of the dead?
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the Firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the Firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
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?
And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame (1 Corinthians 15:20-34)
Then in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Paul continued about the resurrection of the dead and speaks about the resurrection body.
In the section above, Paul wrote about the fact that by man came death, but by Man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive.
This already starts during life on earth through regeneration. Because if a person is not born again in Christ, the person remains bound to the death and lives under the authority (power) of death and shall remain spiritually dead and shall not be able to see nor enter the Kingdom of God, but shall live in the kingdom of darkness, and remain part of the congregation of the dead (Read also: ‘The vine of Sodom‘).
What is the meaning of the baptism?
In Whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, Who hath raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:11-15).
Baptism is not only a purification of sin and is not a Christian ritual that must be done on a regular basis. Nor is the baptism meant to cast out demons and deliver people. The baptism is a choice of everyone, who believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and is willing to lay down his or her own life in Christ and follow Him.
It’s impossible to be baptized on behalf of others, let alone on behalf of the dead; those, who have naturally died (Read also: ‘What is baptism?’ and ‘Is christening the same as adult baptism?‘)
Baptism stands for the death, burial, and resurrection in Christ. If you are baptized then you identify yourself with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; the old man (flesh) dies in Him is buried, and the new man (spirit) is raised from the dead in Him. The new man is clothed with Christ and joined together with Him, through baptism in His Name, and is no longer joined together with the death (a.o. Acts 19:5, Romans 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 1:13-17; 12:13, Galatians 3:27).
The death, burial and resurrection in Christ
But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:4-10)
You are buried with Christ through baptism in the dead. Through the death and burial of the flesh, you are redeemed from the law of sin and death, which reigns and works in the flesh. Since your flesh has died, you have died to sin. You are no longer a slave of sin and death.
Due to the fact that Christ did not remain dead, but by the majesty of the Father, was raised from the dead, your spirit is also raised from the dead and you shall walk in newness of life.
Because of that, the law of sin and death doesn’t reign over you anymore, since the law of sin and death reigns in the flesh, and your flesh has died in Christ. Now, the law of the Spirit of life reigns in you, and you are led by the law of the Spirit, which represents the will of God.
Since your spirit is raised from the dead and you have become the new man, a son of God, and have received a new nature, you shall walk in obedience to the will of the Father and do righteous works
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you (Romans 8:9-11)
Through the resurrection of the spirit from the dead and the indwelling of the Spirit of God, you are no longer spiritually dead, but you have become alive to God.
And if the Spirit of God that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, then He shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit, Who dwells in you and you shall not see the death.
Although you will die physically, you shall not see the death nor enter death, but the life (John 8:51)
If there is no resurrection of the dead, why are you being baptized for the dead?
But… if it is not believed that there is a resurrection of the dead and therefore Christ is not raised from the dead, then Jesus Christ is still dead.
The whole gospel, which revolves around the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the redemption of fallen mankind and healing mankind, who from dead enters life through regeneration, would be one big lie, because Christ would not have been risen from the dead, but would still be dead.
If Christ was not raised from the dead, your sins have not been forgiven and you are still a sinner and you are still spiritually dead because of your subjection to the death and your sins and iniquities.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, why does someone let himself or herself be baptized for the dead?
If those who are spiritually dead don’t become spiritually alive, why are they being baptized?
Why are you being baptized in Christ, who is dead and for the (spiritual) dead, if there is no resurrection of the dead? What is the use of being baptized if the dead are not raised at all? Why would you be baptized if you, who are spiritually dead, be baptized in His death and remain buried in His death?
If there is no resurrection of the dead, why would you want to suffer and be hated and persecuted by the world during your life on earth? Why would you want to endure sorrow, if you perish after your life on earth?
Why would Paul and the others allow themselves to be constantly in danger and be persecuted because of what they preached, if it were not true? Why would they put so much effort into preaching the gospel and giving their lives for the gospel, if there would not be a resurrection of the dead (during and after the life on earth)?
Paul died daily and was persecuted because of the gospel, he preached, which is the power of God. A gospel, which is so powerful that it makes the dead alive in Christ, both during and after the life on earth.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
