Questions & Answers
[EGW
editor's preface: One of our readers in the Brookings,
SD area sent in the following question: I have read in
the Bible about people being baptized for the dead. Please
comment on what this means. 1st Corinthians15:29???
This passage in the New King James Version reads, Otherwise,
what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead
do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the
dead?
As with any question concerning what we read in the Bible,
we must always strive to apply good hermeneutics and to let the
Bible interpret itself.
Jim Mettenbrink, preacher for the
Brookings church of Christ in Brookings, SD, addresses here the
meaning of this verse in light of its context. I am addressing
the meaning in light of other passages. (For more tips
on good Bible-reading skills, click the subjects Hermeneutics and Bible study)]
What is the
meaning of baptized for the dead in 1 Corinthians
15:29?
by Jim Mettenbrink
Many
people think the Corinthians were baptizing people for those
who had already died. However that does not consider the
broader context. This passage is part of Paul's response
to the question Is there really a resurrection after
death? (1 Corinthians 15:12).
Paul
says if there is no resurrection, why preach the gospel (1
Corinthians 15:1-4; 14). The entire basis of the gospel
and the claim of a resurrection is that Jesus rose from the dead.
He further states that if Jesus has not risen we are a
pitiful people (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). Why endure
the persecution if there is only death and no resurrection (1
Corinthians 15:30, 32)?
In
verse 29 Paul is asking why be baptized for the remission of
sins looking to the promise of resurrection to eternal life,
if when you die that is the end of you. He uses the word
dead in the same way Jesus used it. Let the dead bury the
dead (Matthew
8:22; Luke 9:60). In that context Jesus was saying
let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. Paul
is saying why be baptized for the spiritually dead (to become
spiritually alive) if the physically dead do not rise at
all (1 Corinthians 15:29). What purpose is baptism
if when you die that is the end of you?
Why doesnt
baptized for the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:29 mean
a proxy baptism?
by David Churchill
1st
Corinthians 15:29 in the New King James Version translation reads,
Otherwise,
what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead
do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the
dead? As
with any question concerning what we read in the Bible, we must
always strive to apply good hermeneutics and to let the Bible
interpret itself.
Many people have claimed Paul here
was either acknowledging or else teaching that Christians could
or should practice proxy baptism on behalf of the dead. Among
the denominations, the Mormon church is probably the best-known
example of this practice. Each year thousands of Mormons
are baptized on behalf of their dead relatives and friends with
the idea of providing those who died in their sins the choice
of changing their places of judgment from the Mormon versions
of hell and purgatory over to heaven.
In a similar fashion some denominations,
such as Catholicism, encourage their members to buy
prayers, worship services, and other indulgences to help shorten
their loved ones time in torment.
Do these practices agree with
are they in harmony with
what the rest of the Bible teaches
about baptism and salvation? What makes the heavenly paradise
so desirable we would want our loved ones and ourselves to be
there after death? Is God there because its so good
or is it so good because God is there? Of course, being
with God is why being there is good, of course, and not the other
way around. Spending eternity with God is the ultimate
reward for everyone who kept diligently seeking life with God
by obeying Him on His terms (Psalm 14:2; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews
9:24-28; Romans 2:4-8; John 3:16-21).
Spending eternity away
from God is the ultimate fulfillment for those who kept living
without God and for those who kept living in disobedience to
God (2 Thessalonians 1:6-12; Romans 10:3; Hebrews 3:12; Matthew
13:37-43; Luke 13:24-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
The idea of our actions switching
someone elses eternal destination after theyve arrived
at it raises even more questions for us. If it is possible
for the physically alive to spiritually save the physically
dead, then is it possible to unsave them? Or
if we could help save dead people through proxy baptisms
and indulgences, why couldnt we go one step further and
save other living people with proxy baptisms and indulgences?
Living or dead, would they then be saved against their
will? And if God would save people against their will anyway,
then why did He bother with all His efforts through the Bible
to instruct people about His offer of salvation hoping they will
choose to accept?
Truth does not contradict truth.
We look to the Bible for the truth about God. A basic
technique of good Bible study is usinge plain passages to explain
not-so-plain passages
using the clear and simple passages
in order to explore and explain the passages that confuse us.
Likewise, we must avoid using not-so-clear passages as
an excuse to ignore or even disobey clear passages. Claiming
1 Corinthians 15:29 teaches proxy baptism
is this in harmony
with what the rest of the Bible, especially the New Testament,
teaches about baptism and salvation? If it is, fine. If
it is not, then we must continue looking for another answer.
So what are some plain, simple, clear passages about baptism,
salvation, freedom of choice, and heaven and hell?
Johns opening remarks about
Christ in his gospel account indicate that God allows people
a freedom of choice either to receive or to refuse salvation
through Christ. In chapter one, verse twelve, we read,
But
as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in His name. Plain and simple. People
have a choice to make. Those who accept Christ are given
the privilege of being a child of God (i.e. salvation)
and their acceptance is tied to their belief in the name of Christ.
In those days, and even today,
in the name of a person or office
was a reference to that persons or offices authority. Open
up in the name of the law. I
greet you in the name of the President of the United States.
We know those statements have to do with authority. Likewise,
from the verse above, we know that our belief in the authority
of Christ is a condition of our personal acceptance of Christ.
This is the work of God, Jesus tells us in John 6:29, that you believe in Him
whom He sent.
Plainly if we refuse to accept the authority of Jesus,
then we are disobeying one of Gods commands
one of
Gods laws. Lawlessness, according to 1 John 3:4,
is sin.
For if you do not believe that I am He, Jesus discusses later in John
8:23 about accepting Him as the Christ, you will die in your
sins. Isaiah
59:1-2 tells us that sins and iniquities separate people from
God. Clearly, God through Jesus offers us a choice whether
or not to die in our sins, but if we die in our sins, then we
die without salvation we die separated from God.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commands
His disciples to go make disciples from people of all nations
by baptizing them in the name (theres
that authority issue again) of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all of Jesus
commandments. Clearly, Jesus commandments are what
communicate the authority of Christ, and therefore
of God. So now we see that our belief in Christ is tied
together to our obedience to Christ. And that baptism is
one of the commands we, as Christs disciples, must obey
and then teach.
Notice that the person being baptized
is also the one responsible for knowing and obeying Christs
commandments. Clearly a baptism has no value without obedience.
The personal responsibility is intertwined. If I
am baptized without my commitment to obey Christ, I am disobedient
to God and still in my sins. If I commit to obey Christ
without being baptized, I am still disobedient to God and still
in my sins. Baptism without obedience is worthless and
obedience without baptism is not really obedience.
Jesus Himself makes the same point
in Mark 16:16 concerning belief and baptism. He who believes and is
baptized will be saved;
He reminds us, but
he who does not believe will be condemned. Baptism without belief means
nothing and belief without baptism is not really belief. And
we remember that belief and obedience are tied together as well.
Belief without obedience is worthless and obedience without
belief is not really obedience.
Note also from both of these passages
that the candidates for baptism are physically alive. They learn
for themselves, they believe for themselves, they obey for themselves,
they are baptized for themselves, and they are to go themselves
making disciples capable of these things. The physically
dead cannot do these things themselves. We see this principle
applied again in Acts chapter two when Peter preaches the first
recorded gospel sermon encouraging those present to become Christians.
Then
Peter said to them,
we read in verse 38, Repent, and let every one of you
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Each person is expected
to repent for themselves. Obviously, baptism without repentance
is worthless and repentance without baptism is not really repentance.
Notice who gets the gift of the Holy Spirit, the remission
of sins, the salvation clearly it is the one being
baptized, not someone else. And heres a thought
to consider: if baptized believers could be baptized for
their dead family and friends, wouldnt this have been the
time to say so plainly
at the very beginning of the church
itself?
On one hand, we have yet to discover
Gods instruction about how people can be enabled to accept
Christ after their physical deaths. On the other hand,
we've seen several plain and clear passages commanding, instructing,
and exhorting people to accept Christ themselves while they are
still physically alive.
This fact demands that we ask,
Is it even possible
does God permit
for
a person to be transferred after death from a place of hellish
torment to a place of heavenly joy?
In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus addresses
this very issue with His account of the rich man and Lazarus.
However we might feel about this account and whatever label
we might use to describe it, one thing is quite plain. Jesus
presents it as though it were an historical event. So,
lets set aside any preconceived thoughts and feelings we
might have about it and read it now from that perspective
that of an historical event.
There was a certain rich man who was
clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every
day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full
of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the
crumbs which fell from the rich mans table. Moreover
the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abrahams
bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And
being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham
afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Then he cried and said,
Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that
he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue;
for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said,
Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good
things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted
and you are tormented. And besides all this, between
us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want
to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass
to us.
Then he said, I
beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my fathers
house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to
them, lest they also come to this place of torment. Abraham
said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them. And he said, No, father Abraham;
but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.
But he said to him, If they do not hear Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise
from the dead.
Clearly people who die in their
sins separated from God do go to a place of painful suffering
that is separated from Gods presence. And no matter
how much they desire to change their situation then, they may
not cross over from their torment to Gods comfort or even
back to the world of the living.
Some teach and practice that according
to 1 Corinthians 15:29 Christians may be baptized on behalf of
dead people allowing them a chance to move from hellish torment
to heavenly joy. Others teach and practice that payments
of certain actions, and especially money, will accomplish this
as well. But, according to other Scripture passages we've
been examining, these people are mistaken. They
are teaching and practicing a false doctrine a man-made
teaching that contradicts plain Bible teaching about our freedom
of choice, baptism, salvation, and heaven and hell. |