An unusual practice in the early church…

Some years ago,someone came up with a question from the Scripture which was very difficult to answer.We ended up just explaining it away!

The person’s question was taken from 1 Cor 15:29:

“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?”-NKJV

“If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again?”-NLT

Who were those being baptized for the dead?What does it mean to be baptized for the dead?

It happened that there was a practice among the Corinthians then to get baptized for those who do not have the opportunity of being baptized while alive.In other words,the living performing the ordinance of baptism in proxy for the dead!

Sounded unusual?

Anyways,Apostle Paul was neither endorsing or condemning it.Rather,he used the practice to explain the concept of resurrection.He was asking the Corinthians,who were into this practice, that if the dead do not rise at all,why are they then baptized for the dead?

This exposition then clearly answers the question the person asked years ago.