1 Corinthians 15:29
Bible verses · Also called: 1 Cor. 15:29, Baptized for the dead, Baptism for the dead, Proxy baptism, Vicarious baptism
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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?
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
A verse that mentions "them which are baptized for the dead" and asks what such people will do if there is no resurrection. It is regarded as one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament to interpret, and it is the text on which groups that practice proxy baptism base the practice.
Context
In chapter 15, Paul argues against members of the Corinthian church who deny the resurrection of the dead. In verses 12–19 he states that if there is no resurrection, then Christ has not been raised and faith is in vain; in verses 20–28 he declares that Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection. Verse 29 resumes the rebuttal, asking in effect, "If there is no resurrection, why do people do this?" In verses 30–32 Paul says that the hope of the resurrection is also the reason he faces the danger of death every day.
Interpretation
The verse is reported to have received dozens of different interpretations. The principal ones are as follows:
- Actual proxy baptism: This view holds that some in the Corinthian church practiced a custom in which living persons were baptized on behalf of those who had died unbaptized, and that Paul, without endorsing the practice, merely pointed out that their behavior presupposed belief in the resurrection. Proponents note that Paul uses the third person ("they") rather than "we." Most commentators today lean toward this view.
- Baptism on account of deceased believers: This view holds that the verse refers to people who were baptized in the hope of being reunited at the resurrection with believers who had already died.
- Baptism in view of one's own death: Other interpreters take "the dead" to refer to the mortal bodies of those being baptized, or understand baptism here as a metaphor for suffering and martyrdom.
Controversy and Issues
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) cites this verse as the basis for performing proxy baptisms for deceased ancestors in its temples. Major Protestant denominations and the Catholic Church object that salvation depends on each person's own faith, and that a practice mentioned only once, and neither taught nor commended by Paul himself, cannot be made into doctrine. This point is frequently addressed in Korean churches' teaching on heretical groups.
Related Passages
- 1 Corinthians 15:30–32
- Romans 6:3–4
- Hebrews 9:27
- Mark 10:38–39
See also 5
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