I CORINTHIANS 15:29

Q: Why don't we practice baptism on behalf of the dead in our churches? And what spiritual benefit does it do for those who have died?

This is indeed a very difficult verse. Gordon Fee (The First Epistle to the Corinthians) states that at least 40 explanations have been offered for it, and Deny and Stewart (101 Most Puzzling Bible Verses) say that “up to 200 explanations have been given.”

The consensus opinion, if one can speak of such a thing in this case, is that:

a. “Paul...is appealing to an aberrant practice (of the first century, but otherwise unknown to us) without giving it his approval.” (Dictionary of New Testament Theology, I, 1208.

b. The Greek word for “on behalf of” should be translated “over.” Thus, this alludes to the practice of the Corinthian Christians being baptized above the tombs of their relations who had died in Christ to express their unity and eventual reunion with them. (F. W. Grosheide, The First Epistle to the Corinthians).

c. The same Greek word should be translated “because of.” In this case, “the reference is to the baptism of those influenced by the testimony of a Christian who had recently died, and in the hope of being re-united with him or her at the resurrection.” (The New Bible Commentary: Revised) G. R. Beasley-Murray cites a number of commentators who hold to this last view (Baptism in the New Testament, pp. 185-8)

Other possible interpretations include (d) the dead are ordinary converts who get baptized with death before their eyes, knowing their mortality, (e) being baptized in memory of, or with affection for, the deceased who had desired their conversion, (f) new converts viewed their baptism as filling up the ranks left depleted by Christians who had died, (g) the unbaptized who died during a persecution were reckoned as having been baptized in their death, etc.

The first option is the most likely one, in my mind.