The following is taken from:
Oecumenius, Commentary on
the First Epistle to the Corinthians (PG 118:876-77)
[After quoting 1 Cor 15:29-33:]
Greek:
Πάλιν είς τόν της
άναστάσεως ήλθε λόγον, καί φησιν· Εί άνάστασις ούκ έστιν, οί βαπτιζόμεναι ύπέρ
τών νεκρών, τί ποιήσουσι; τουτέστιν ώ; μή άνισταμένων. Εύδηλον γάρ ότι είς
άνάστασιν νεχρών πιστεύσαντες, βαπτεζόμεθα, ώσει έλεγε · Τί ποιήσουσιν ει ύπέρ
νεκρών μέν ώς άνισταμένων και πιστεύσαντες καί βαπτισθέντες, ψευσθέντες δε τής
ελπίδος, και άλλο τι ευρηκότες παρά τά προσδοκτ- θέντα: Πόσα, φησίν,
άδημονήσουτε καί άποκλαύσον- ται, καί τήν πίστιν τήν είς Χριστόν ώς ψευδή
λο:δο- ρήσουσι; Τούτο λέγει, ο Τί ποιήσουσι;» Τουτέστιν, αυτά ποιήσουσιν άπερ
είπον. Όρας που άνήγαγε τό πράγμα; - Έπει τί ποιήσουσι, φησίν, cl βαπτιζόμενοι,
ώστε μή είναι διαπαντός νεκροί, και εν τψ άδη κατέχεσθαι; ο!ον, Τής άναστάσεως,
φησί, μή ούσης, οί έπι τοιαύταις έλπίσι βαπτιζόμενοι, ώστε κατά θάνατον
άναστήναι, τί ποιήσουσι; « Εί όλως νεχροί ούκ εγείρονται. » Εί όλως νεκροί ούκ
έγείρονται, τί καί βαπτίζονται ίνα άναστώσιν; αύ- τός δε επιπληκτικώτερον, «
Ύπέρ τών νεκρών,» φησίν, οξον, θος ύμείς διά της Ιδίας δόξης, αϊδίους νεκρούς
άπεφήνατε, νεκρούς δε, κα τούς άλλους κα έαυτούς, καί νεκρούς αιωνίους
άποφηνάμενοι, τί βαπτίζεσθε ύπέρ ύμων, τών μήκετι καθ' ύμας άνα- στησομένων,
άλλ' άει νεκρών εσομένων; Έπι άλλων δε προσώπων προάγει τέν λόγον, καί ούχι έπ'
αύτων εκείνων, Ινα μή πλέον καθαψάμενος, είς άπόνοιαν έκκαλέσηται. «Τί καί
ήμεϊς κινδυνεύσμεν;>> Ει όλως, φησίν, άνάστασις ούκ έστι, διατί ήμεις οί
άπόστολοι άει έν κινδύνοις έσμέν; τούτο λέγει, καθ' ήμέραν, τό άεί. Μεγίστη δε
της άναστάσεως άπόδειξις, τό κα! τους άποστέλους δρασθαι, μέχρι θανάτου
κινδυνεύον- τας. «Καθ' ήμέραν άποθνήσκω. » Τη προθυμία, καί τ πρός αύτόν
έτοίμως έχειν. "Η όσον ταίς έπι- φοραίς τών θλίψεων καί πειρασμών, και τη
καθημε- ρινή ελπίδι το θανάτου. «Νή τήν ύμετέραν καύχησιν.>>
English:
Once again, he comes
to the matter of the resurrection and says, "If there is no resurrection,
what shall those do who are baptized on behalf of the dead?" That is to
say, as if they are not to rise. For it is evident that we are baptized, having
believed in the resurrection of the dead. It is as though he were saying: What
shall they do who, having believed and been baptized on behalf of the dead as
though they will rise, are deceived of their hope and find something other than
what was expected? How much, he says, will they grieve and lament, and revile
the faith in Christ as false? This is what he means when he says, "What
shall they do?" That is, they will do the things I have mentioned.
Do you see where he
leads the matter? For what, he says, shall those who are baptized do, that they
may not remain dead forever and be held in Hades? It is as though he were
saying: If there is no resurrection, what shall those who are baptized in such
hope, as though to rise after death, do? "If the dead are not raised at
all." If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized so
that they may rise?
He himself, with
greater emphasis, says, "On behalf of the dead," as though to rebuke:
Since you, by your own reasoning, have declared the dead to be eternally
deceased, and the others as well as yourselves to be dead and eternally so, why
are you baptized on your behalf, when you yourselves will no longer rise, but
will remain forever dead?
He advances the
argument with reference to other persons and not directly to themselves, so as
not to provoke greater despair by reproaching them further. "Why do we
also face danger?" If there is no resurrection, he says, why are we
apostles constantly in danger? This is what he means by "every day,"
always. The greatest proof of the resurrection is that the apostles themselves
act, risking their lives even to death. "I die every day," he says,
showing his readiness and willingness for it—either in the face of afflictions
and trials or in the daily expectation of death.
"By your
boasting." This is an oath affirming his argument.
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