By Rollin Grams, Bible and Mission.
In arguing for the resurrection, Paul puts forward a strange argument in the paragraph in 1 Corinthians 15.29-34:
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? (v. 29, ESV).
I might prefer to translate the beginning, ‘Otherwise, what are those baptising on behalf of the dead doing?’ What is baptism on behalf of the dead? Commentaries offer a variety of interpretations for this obscure reference, and this interpretation that I have garnered from my own reading is one I believe is along the right track.
First, the word ‘baptism’ is broader than Christian baptism itself and means to dip in or under a liquid such as water or wine. We should not read our Christian view of ‘baptism’ into the meaning of this verse.
Note, second, that Paul does not say, ‘You’ do this or that Christians should do this. He says that people do this. These ‘people’ are those in the Graeco-Roman culture.
Third, note that in this whole paragraph his main point is that there is life after this life, life after death. This practice in Greek culture of a ‘baptism on behalf of the dead’ only makes sense if people believe in life after death.
In v. 33, Paul says, ‘If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”.’ He is quoting a saying in Greek culture, and his point is that we are to be raised from the dead and so we should not live this way. He is not distinguishing at this point of the chapter between belief in life after death and the resurrection of the dead. To be sure, some in the culture did believe that they should just live for the day and not concern themselves with life after death.