1 Corinthians 15:29-34

The text today starts with an interesting text in verse 29. This text has a multitude of different interpretations. I want to quickly go through a few just for informational purposes.

Beza forced the Greek syntax to mean who wash their dead [for burial]

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The First Epistle to the Corinthians Multiple Interpretations of “Baptism for the Dead” and Our Conclusion

John Lightfoot (d. 1664) understood τῶν νεκρῶν to refer to the dying martyrs, and interprets baptism metaphorically to refer to the baptism of suffering and martyrdom

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The First Epistle to the Corinthians Multiple Interpretations of “Baptism for the Dead” and Our Conclusion

John Edwards (1692) interprets this verse as referring to people who have themselves baptized as converts because they have witnessed the radiant confidence and courage of the martyrs

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The First Epistle to the Corinthians Multiple Interpretations of “Baptism for the Dead” and Our Conclusion

the dead refers to the decision of a person or persons to ask for, and to receive, baptism as a result of the desire to be united with their believing relatives who have died. This presupposes that they would share the radiant confidence that they would meet again in and through Christ at the resurrection of the dead

Koster sees the practice as referring to living Christians who had got themselves baptized for the sake of deceased believers, to show their yearning for them and assuring their connection with them and participation with them in the resurrection. But not all this is implied in the text

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 10: Romans through Galatians D. Implications of Denying the Resurrection from the Dead (15:29–34)

According to Meyer, this verse means that believers already baptized were rebaptized for the benefit of believers who had died unbaptized. This was done on the assumption that it would count for the unbaptized dead and thereby assure their resurrection along with the baptized, living believers. As Meyer put it, “This custom propagated and maintained itself afterwards only among heretical sects, in particular among the Corinthians (Epiphanius, Haer. 28:7) and among the Marcionites (Chrysostom; cf. moreover, generally Tertullian, de resurr. 48; Adv. Marc. v.10)” (The Epistles to the Corinthians, pp. 364, 365).

This is just a few of many different interpretations. However the Church of the ladder day saints take this seriously. They take this one verse and make it a major doctrine in their faith.

This is what one of their websites say about this.... Jesus Christ taught that “except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).  For those who have passed on without the ordinance of baptism, proxy baptism for the deceased is a free will offering. According to Church doctrine, a departed soul in the afterlife is completely free to accept or reject such a baptism — the offering is freely given and must be freely received. The ordinance does not force deceased persons to become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nor does the Church list deceased persons as members of the Church. In short, there is no change in the religion or heritage of the recipient or of the recipient's descendants — the notion of coerced conversion is utterly contrary to Church doctrine.

Of course, proxy baptism for the deceased is nothing new. It was mentioned by Paul in the New Testament (see 1 Corinthians 15:29) and was practiced by groups of early Christians. As part of a restoration of New Testament Christianity, Latter-day Saints continue this practice. All Church members are instructed to submit names for proxy baptism only for their own deceased relatives as an offering of familial love.

With all these different interpretations of the text I believe you have to realize that this isn't mentioned all over the rest of the bible. This was a specific issue in the church of Corinth. While I could be wrong with this I think the people of Corinth were undergoing baptism of the dead to affirm their understanding of resurrection by their own actions.

2 Points today from the text that I got from John MacArthur

The Resurrection motivates us from Christian service. 31-32

The resurrection motivates us for sanctification. 33-34

Paul in verses 30-31.. Makes the real point to the church of Corinth that there is danger for following Christ. There is a real reality of death for them. So if this life is all we have and their is no resurrection of Jesus Christ that why dont we just eat drink for tomorrow we die.

Jesus himself calls us to die to self everyday Luke 9:23-27 The Christian life is not about self fulfillment but self denial…

One commentator said, “without eternal hope through the resurrection, men have nothing to turn to but gratification of their appetites.”

IF it was not for the resurrection we would not be gathered here today. We wouldn’t have hope for tomorrow or eternally, we wouldnt be motived to give, serve do do anything else in this life but please ones self. The resurrection impacts everything in this life, and Paul knew it. He had it sown in his heart.

It went so far that Paul fought with beasts at Ephesus, while we dont have any outside information we know that Paul had a tough life. 2 Cor 11:23-28 speaks of these events. Even though Paul had went through some of the worst things in this life he had hope, because this life isnt it....

***Why I have hope, and examples of hope because of the resurrection***

The sufferings that happens in this life have purpose in the resurrection.

The resurrection motivates us for sanctification

Bad company ruins good morals.. Pastor Jermey preached a few weeks ago about friends, and how important they are in your life. my friends as a teenager… but my nephew introduced me to bad things…

Paul already in this book has stressed the importance of not involving ourselves with certain types of people. 1 Cor 5:9-11 . I think you could go a step further and not align yourself with organizations that possibly corrupt your character and morals. Someone read Matthew 5:13-16.. When my father in law opened up his pool this year it was extremely salty. It hopes to counter that he ran water to make it less salty. If we are watered down with worldly ideas and influences we will not be as salty as we should. Scripture gives us the answer on how to stay more salty. Romans 12:1-2. If we dont saturate ourselves with the word of God, and the promises he has for us such as the resurrection than we will be captivated by something else.

Isabella is easily captivated by new things and so are we.

verse 34 could better be translated become sober after drunkeness. Come to your senses. These people thought that the were sober-minded, but they were not, they were denying the resurrection of the dead. Which in turn was denying the resurrection of Christ. You cannot be a Christian if you deny the resurrection. You dont truly know God if you dont know of the resurrection. People who claim to know God yet deny this truly do not know God.

Ultimately all people who deny the resurrection are the worst company.