The following is taken from St. Bruno of Cologne (d. 1101), Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians (PL 153:208-9)
Latin:
Ita tamen subjectus, ut sit æqualis, scilicet, ut
Christus sit Deus in omnibus, id est in singulis creaturis : et ita in omnibus
quod omnia singulis, id est perfecta beatitudo, perfecta gloria, et pax
superans etiam omne hominis desiderium. Revertitur ut probet resurrectionem mortuorum dicens : Mors per Christum
destruetur, et homines tunc resurgent : alioquin, id est si dicas non esse
resurrectionem mortuorum, quid facient ills qui baptisantur pro mortuis ?
Tangit hic reprobum morem quorumdam, qui, audito quod resurrectio fatura esset
eorum qui baptizarentur, cum essent baptizati, iterum loco infidelis patris jam
mortui baptizabant se : ut sic pater vel mater salvarentur in resurrectione. Et
hoc adducit ad verecundiam Corinthiorum : quia si illi perversi tantam fidem de
resurrectione habebant, quanto magis Corinthii deberent resurrectionem credere
? Littera sic est : Quid facient illi qui baptizantur pro mortuis spe
resurgendi, si omnino mortui non resurgunt ? Ut quid etiam baptizantur pro
illis justificandis : cum nec illi justificentur ? Si enim justificarentur a
peccatis et resurgerent. Vel aliter sic : Alioquin, id est si resurrectio non
est, quid facient illi qui baptizantur pro mortuis operibus, id est pro
peccatis, quæ mortem operantur? Baptizantur dico spe resur- rectionis. Et quid
facient, si omnino mortui non resurgunt ! Ut quid etiam baptizantur pro illis,
id est, ut justificentur a peccatis ? Vel aliter : Alioquin si non resurgunt
mortui, quid facient illi qui bapti- zantur pro se mortuis, id est
mortificandis peccato !: Vel pro se mortificatis per peccatum Deo. Cætera sicut
dicta sunt. Iterum si resurrectio mortuorum uon est, ut quid etiam nos apostoli
periclitamur omni kora : Non enim finem habent tribulationes nostræ, quas
gaudemus pati spe futura resurrectionis.
English :
"Nevertheless, He is subject in such a way as to be
equal, namely, so that Christ is God in all things—that is, in each individual
creature—and so in all things that all are in each, that is, perfect beatitude,
perfect glory, and peace surpassing even all human desire.
He returns to demonstrate the resurrection of the dead,
saying: Death will be destroyed through Christ, and men will then rise again.
Otherwise—that is, if you say there is no resurrection of the dead—what will
they do who are baptized for the dead? Here, he touches on the reprehensible
custom of certain people who, having heard that the resurrection would happen
for those who were baptized, would, after being baptized themselves, have
themselves baptized again in the place of an already deceased unbelieving
father. In this way, they hoped the father or mother might be saved in the
resurrection. He mentions this to shame the Corinthians, because if even those
misguided individuals had such great faith in the resurrection, how much more
should the Corinthians believe in the resurrection?
The text is as follows: ‘What will they do who are
baptized for the dead in the hope of rising again if the dead do not rise at
all? Why then are they baptized for the dead to justify them, since the dead
cannot be justified? If they were justified from their sins, they would rise
again.’ Or, another interpretation is as follows: ‘Otherwise—that is, if there
is no resurrection—what will they do who are baptized for dead works, that is,
for sins which bring death? I say they are baptized in hope of the resurrection.
And what will they do if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they
baptized for them—that is, so that they may be justified from sins?’ Or yet
another interpretation: ‘Otherwise, if the dead do not rise, what will they do
who are baptized for themselves, being dead—that is, to mortify sin? Or for
themselves, having been mortified by sin, to God? The rest is as it has been
stated.’
Again, if there is no resurrection of the dead, why also
are we, the apostles, constantly in danger every hour? For our tribulations,
which we gladly endure in hope of the future resurrection, are unceasing."
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