Resurrection Day 2024: 1 Corinthians 15:29---What Was Baptism for the Dead?

 One of the strangest verses in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 15:29:  "Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead?  If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?" (ESV)

In chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, Paul argues against the view that Christian believers will not be resurrected from the dead in the future.  He asserts that denying the reality of resurrection means denying that Christ was resurrected, and Christ's resurrection is the cornerstone of the gospel.  Verse 29 is part of that discussion, with Paul saying that "baptism for the dead" makes no sense if there is no resurrection.  

But what was baptism for the dead?  Michael Heiser discusses this question in three videos from the Logos Mobile Ed Course BI 161, a course on difficult passages in the Bible.  He says that over the course of Christian history, there have been over 40 different proposals for what is going on in verse 29.  One's interpretation depends on the way one answers several questions:

1. Is this baptism literal or metaphorical?
2. Who is being baptized, and why?
3. How are we to interpret the Greek preposition hyper, which is translated "on behalf of" in the ESV.  Does it mean "in the interest of", "because of", "in place of"?  All these are possible.
4. Is Paul simply reporting a practice that is occurring, or does he endorse the practice?

Heiser goes on to talk about some of the leading options:

• The metaphorical view sees "baptism for the dead" as a way of saying "martyrdom."  In this view, to be baptized for the dead is to die for the faith, experiencing that type of "baptism of fire."  Why would one die for the faith if there is no resurrection?
• In the inspirational view, people are being baptized becuse they are inspired by the courage of a martyr they have heard about.  Baptism for the dead would then be "baptism for those who have died."
• In the last-day resurrection view, people are being baptized in order to be united with dead loved ones in the future resurrection.
• In the deathbed baptism view, people are being baptized shortly before they die, when they are nearly dead.  John Calvin favored this interepretation.
• In the vicarious baptism view, which may be the most popular one, people are being baptized for the benefit of those who have already died.  If this is what Paul was referring to, then he was reporting the practice without endorsing it.

Heiser himself leans toward an interpretation proposed by James E. Patrick in the paper "Living Rewards for Dead Apostles:  'Baptised for the Dead' in 1 Corinthians 15.29," New Testament Studies 52 (2006): 71-85.  In Patrick's reading, people in Corinth were dedicating their baptisms to Christian teachers---some of whom had already died---who were instrumental in bringing them to faith in Jesus.

This interpretation takes into account the whole letter.  Back in chapter 1, Paul mentions there were rivalries among Corinthian revolving around their special heroes in the faith.  Different people considered themselves the disciples of different apostles (1:10-12).  These heroes had been witnesses of Jesus' resurrection.  Why honor these heroes, Paul asks, if you don't actually believe in resurrection?