Do you baptize dead people?
The Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Near the middle of Paul’s great chapter on the resurrection, the apostle pauses to say, “Otherwise [ if there is no resurrection of the dead ], what will those who are baptized for the dead do? [Or, it could be translated, “Why do those who are baptized for the dead do it?”] If the dead are not raised at all, why are they [certain Corinthians ] baptized for them?” “ Baptism for the dead .” The phrase is so obscure and perplexing, the variety of interpretations so numerous, that we must admit from the outset that no one knows what it means. Given the difficulties, some wonder why we should bother to investigate. But “baptism for the dead” matters, both because the false Mormon system places extraordinary importance upon it and because Paul uses it to defend the resurrection of believers. The plain understanding of the text is that some Corinthian Christians were baptized, on behalf of some who had already died, seeking a spir