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Bible Q & A
Q.
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Many continue to ask the question, “What is ‘Baptism for the Dead’?”
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A.
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The practice of being baptized for unconverted friends
is widely taught by one particular denomination.;
This custom is founded in their
misinterpretation of I Corinthians 15:29.
inspired New Testament Church did NOT practice this
custom!; The Apostle Paul did not teach it!; The
custom was introduced into the professing Christian
world about 150 A.D. by the heretic Marcion.
Notice!; Before a person may be baptized, he must
first REPENT (Acts 2:38) and BELIEVE (Mark 16:16 and
Acts 16:31, 33).; The dead are not able to repent or
believe.; The dead are dead – “for the living know
that they shall die; BUT THE DEAD KNOW NOT
ANYTHING…” (Eccl. 9:5).; The dead have no hope until
the resurrection!; BAPTISM IS FOR THE LILVING.;
Baptism is a symbol whereby THE LIVING acknowledge
their sins, figuratively die with Christ in a watery
grave, and rise out of the watery grave in hope of a
NEW LIFE through the merits of Christ and the
promise of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:4).
Baptism is also a symbol of THE RESURRECTION!; TO
RISE UP out of the watery grave is to acknowledge
belief IN THE RESURRECTION of the dead (Rom. 6).; To
surrender one’s life to Christ now, to crucify the
self now, to be baptized – all this is foolish
unless there is a RESURRECTION—if the dead are not
raised, “…let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die”
(I Cor. 15:32).
we are ready to understand verse 29.; The subject of
the entire 15th chapter of ;;;;;;I
Corinthians is the RESURRECTION.; As one proof of
the resurrection, Paul cites the example of those
who were baptized, symbolizing their hop in the
resurrection.; The resurrection is THE HOPE OF THE
DEAD.; Why were they baptized if the dead rise not--
is Paul’s question.; But the verse is NOT CORRECTLY
translated from the original inspired Greek!
is not talking about being baptized “in the place
of” the dead, or “in behalf of” the dead, or “for”
the dead.; The inspired Greek word translated “for”
is huper.;
It has several meanings:; “above, over, instead of,
for the realization of, for the hope of.”; The
context determines the meaning of the word.; Turn to
Philippians 2:13, for example.; Paul here declares:;
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and
to do of his good pleasure.”; The Greek word
translated “of” in this verse is
huper,
the same word used in I Corinthians 15:29.; In
Philippians 2:13,
huper
cannot mean “instead of.”; It would be senseless to
say:; “For it is God which worketh in you both to
will and to do instead of His good
pleasure!”; The proper translation of this verse is¨
“God worketh in you both to will and to do for the realization of His good
pleasure!”; This is the translation given in The Analytical Greek Lexicon.; What
is God’s “good pleasure”?; “It is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the Kingdom,” said Jesus (Luke
12:32).; God works in us “in the hope of” giving us
His Kingdom.
turn to I Corinthians 15L29.; Here the Greek word
huper
should be translated “for the hope of” according to
context:; “Else what shall they do which are
baptized FOR (THE HOPE OF) the dead, if the dead
rise not at all?; Why are they then baptized FOR
(THE HOPE OF) the dead?”
is the hope of the dead?; THE RESURRECTION!; Paul is
writing about baptism, which illustrates THE HOPE OF
THE RESURRECTION!; Baptism – arising out of a watery
grave – is a symbol of the hope of the dead – the
hope of the resurrection.; This verse has nothing to
do with the false doctrine of baptism in behalf of
the unbaptized dead. |
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