15:29 The Baptism of the Dead
Early Christians Baptized Catechumens on the Graves of the Deceased.
Martin Luther: But Paul adds a phrase to the word “baptize,” pro mortuis. This has been interpreted
to mean—and so it reads in Latin—that they had themselves baptized “for the
dead,” that is, for the unbelievers in heathendom. Then they would have been
baptized twice, once for themselves and the second time for members of their
family. But that cannot be. For in Acts 2:38 Peter says: “Be baptized everyone
of you in the name of Jesus Christ,” etc. This does not mean that one should be
baptized for another. It is the same as that everyone must repent, believe, and
profess faith for themselves. Therefore I adhere to the meaning, in concurrence
with the old Greek teachers.… In St. Paul’s day this article [regarding the
resurrection] was still novel and was just being spread. It was unheard of
among the heathen, also among the most erudite in Greece, although they did
advance to the point where they assumed that the soul lived after the death of
the body, without being able to prove this conclusively. However, that human
beings would rise again and that body and soul would be reunited, of that they
knew nothing at all. In view of this, it was hard for them at first to believe
the apostles’ proclamation; and those who believed it had to endure much
ridicule. And so, in order to strengthen this article among the people, they
had themselves baptized at the graves of the dead in token of their firm
conviction that the dead who lay buried there and over whom they were being
baptized would rise again.… For that reason they baptized people here at the
graves, as though to say: “Here I am having myself baptized in proof of my
faith and conviction that these deceased people lying here will all arise.” …
So you see that it is
all-important that this article [regarding the resurrection of the body] be
firmly maintained among us; for if it begins to totter or is no longer regarded
as valid, all the other articles will also be useless and invalid, because all
that Christ did in coming to earth and establishing his kingdom in the world
was done for the sake of the resurrection and the future life. Commentary on 1 Corinthians
15:29.
Why Does Paul Speak of the Baptism of the Dead? Huldrych Zwingli:
This meant either that they sprinkled the graves of the dead with water, or
perhaps that they were baptized on behalf of those who had died. By this
comparison Paul proves that the soul continues to live after the death of the
body. It’s as if he were saying: “By baptizing on behalf of the dead you
demonstrate that their souls are alive. For if they were not still alive, why
is it necessary for them to be baptized? Without a doubt, you believe that by
doing this they are granted freedom from misery and affliction, transferring
them to a better life. Clearly this demonstrates that their souls continue to
live. Why then do you deny that there is life after death?” By this argument
Paul reveals that those who teach otherwise are false teachers. Paul does not
defend this rite of baptism, but he says this with a grimace and a look of
contempt on his face. Annotations on 1 Corinthians 15:29.
Paul May Be Referring to Pagan Burial Practices. Heinrich Bullinger:
Paul once again returns to the main topic and demonstrates the resurrection of
the dead by means of several arguments. The first he adduces from their
superstition—which he doesn’t approve of, but which it appears was customarily
practiced there. Certain people were being baptized hyper tōn nekrōn, that is, on behalf of, or for the advantage and
benefit (as it seemed to them) of those who were dead, since they had been
preceded in death. Those people, indeed, believed that the souls of the dead
were immortal; it followed, therefore, that they were baptizing for the sake of
those buried corpses (which would not have happened without an awareness of
resurrection). “It is necessary,” Paul says, “either that there is a
resurrection of the dead, or that your practice of baptism for the dead is
completely superfluous. But you will not grant that it is superfluous.
Therefore, you indicate by this rite of sprinkling that there is a resurrection
of the dead.” Now, all those sacred commentators that I have consulted
interpret this passage in this fashion, including Tertullian, Theophylact, the
Paraphraser, the schoolmen, and also Ambrose. The latter states explicitly, “By
this example, Paul is not approving of what they were doing, but he
demonstrates their unshakeable confidence in the resurrection.”
But if we change the words, and
read this passage as follows: “If the dead are not raised at all, why are they
baptizing over the dead?”—changing the verb from being passive to active, and
changing the phrase “on behalf of the dead” to “over the dead”—the passage
conveys this more simple meaning, namely, that ceremony by which almost all
pagans baptize by washing (that is, soaking and sprinkling with water) the
bodies of the dead at burial to testify publicly that those feeble bodies, sown
in the earth, will once again be resuscitated.… Hence it seems that the apostle
has drawn his argument from this present ceremony of the pagans, of which,
nevertheless, he does not approve. Indeed, he has demonstrated the attitude
with which the Corinthians have advanced their argument, exposing their
impiety. It’s as if he were saying, “Are you not ashamed to deny what even
pagans affirm in their burial rites?” Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15:29.
Catechumens Sought Baptism When Death Was Imminent. John Calvin:
Now, let us seek the meaning [of this verse].… I say that those who are
“baptized for the dead” are people already thought of as dead who have
altogether despaired of life. And thus the particle hyper will have the force of the Latin word pro, as when we say, “to consider one to be abandoned”—an
interpretation not forced. Or if you would prefer a different interpretation,
the phrase “baptized for the dead” will mean to be baptized for the good of the
dead, not the living. Now, it is well known that, from the very beginning of
the church, those who were still catechumens, when afflicted with disease, if
the threat of death seemed likely, would customarily seek baptism so that they
would not depart from this world before they had surrendered themselves to
Christ—and they did this so that they might carry with them the seal of their
salvation. It appears from the writings of the church fathers that, later on,
superstition intruded into this practice, for the Fathers attack those who were
delaying their baptisms until the point of death so that they might face the
judgment of God with all their sins expiated once and for all. This was
certainly a gross error, which proceeded partly from great ignorance and partly
from hypocrisy. But Paul in this passage is only addressing a custom that was
sacred and in accordance with the Lord’s instruction—that if catechumen, who
had already embraced in their hearts the Christian faith, perceived that death
was imminent, they would seek baptism, partly for their own comfort, and partly
for the edification of their fellow believers. For it is no small consolation
to wear a token of salvation stamped in one’s body. There is another source of
edification to be mentioned, namely, that it serves as a confession of his faith.
Therefore they were baptized on behalf of the dead because it was not at all
profitable for this present world; and so the fact that they were seeking
baptism was because they had despaired of life. We now see that Paul had good
reason to ask the Corinthians what they would do if no hope remained after
death. Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15:29.
“Baptism of the Dead”—Two Possible Interpretations. John Donne: We
find among our own expositors since the Reformation two senses of these words,
either of which may be taken, for both capture the purpose and intention of the
apostle, which is to prove the resurrection.… The first is that this was a
baptism of those people who, in order to provide a special testimony of their
faith in the resurrection … administered or received baptism atop the tombs and
graves of other Christians who had already departed this life, thereby
declaring their opinion that those who were buried would receive a
resurrection, and that they themselves were baptized into the same faith, and
so were part of the communion of the saints. And in this sense, the original
[text] would be preserved, which is best translated, not for the dead (pro mortuis),
but on the dead (super mortuos), i.e., on the graves of the dead.… This is the
interpretation of Luther, who is powerful in the interpretation of every
Scripture passage that he undertakes. And Melanchthon, a man of more learning
and temperance than probably anyone of us has met in our perverse times,
follows this same interpretation.… [Luther and Melanchthon] may have seen early
authors [who testified to this practice] whom I have not. For my part, I
confess that I never remember seeing a reference to this practice in
ecclesiastical histories.
There is an additional
interpretation, which is … subject to no such objection, and is therefore the
best to be embraced, which is founded on a custom that began very early in the
church of God.… Based on the belief that, at the time of baptism, sinners experienced
a complete washing away and deliverance from their sins, people regularly—or at
least, very often—deferred their baptisms until their death beds, so that they
might migrate and pass out of this world in that restored purity provided by
baptism, without contracting any more sins after baptism. We are convinced of
this early practice, for ecclesiastical history is full of examples of it. Thus
St. Paul argues in accordance with this custom [that] … if people desire
baptism at the very end of their lives, when they are judged no better than
dead (pro mortuis) and when they have
had no fellowship with the church militant here in this life, does not this
very desire imply a confession of the resurrection? Sermon Preached at Saint
Paul’s.
False Baptism Was an Ancient Problem. Menno Simons: And so, dear
children, because the learned ones have always sought righteousness in infant
baptism and still seek it, therefore you can easily surmise that these
proponents of infant baptism have because of this consideration gained entrance
[into the church]. With the earliest ancients it was not the common practice, I
say common practice, as may be learned from Tertullian, Rufinus, and others;
but as it appears immediately after the demise of the apostles, or perhaps
while they were still alive, people began to abuse the true Christian baptism,
which belongs to believers only, even as some of the Corinthians already in the
days of Paul suffered themselves to be baptized for the dead. Christian Baptism.
(1 Corinthians: New Testament, ed. Scott M. Manetsch, Timothy
George, and David W. McNutt [Reformation Commentary on Scripture 9a; Downers
Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2017], 377-39)
