1 Corinthians 15:29
Baptizing on behalf of the dead

ἐπεὶ τί ποιήσουσιν οἱ βαπτιζόμενοι ὑπὲρ τω̃ν νεκρω̃ν εἰ ὅλως νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται τί καὶ βαπτίζονται ὑπὲρ αὐτω̃ν

Consider an enigmatic verse that has stubbornly resisted logical explanation by Christian expositors for centuries, 1 Corinthians 15:29, "Baptizing on behalf of the dead." A simple, meaningful explanation may be obtained when it is viewed as relevant primarily to Jewish believers. I offer the following examination for further consideration.

Chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians is Paul's proclamation of the truth of general resurrection of all human dead, occasioned by its denial by certain Corinthian believers. This is made obvious by Paul's question of verse 12,

"How is it that some among you are saying there is no resurrection of the dead?"

So please notice carefully. Paul is combating the denial of the resurrection, but not ignorance of the resurrection. In other words, these believers understood the concept of the resurrection and yet said "no such thing." Paul marshals all the evidence he can muster to crush the false belief.

Jewish Presence in Corinth

While there may have been non-Jews who understood the concept of resurrection, and denied it, yet we are told several times in the New Covenant that the Jewish Sadducees explicitly denied the resurrection of the dead, Acts 23:8. Paul used that fact some time after he composed 1 Corinthians to divide the Sanhedrin when he cried out that he was on trial as a result of his faith in the resurrection of the dead, Acts 23:6.

There were also Jews dwelling in Corinth, and it is well known that Jews were required by the Torah to attend three feasts a year in Jerusalem. It is quite reasonable to believe that Jewish pilgrims from Greece had become familiar with the ideas of the Hellenistic leaning Jewish priesthood, who also constituted the major part of the leadership of Israel.

It would not be surprising that Corinthian Jews, as fellow Hellenists, would accept Sadducean teaching, though they would not have been considered full-fledged Sadducees. Analogous to this idea, on the day of Pentecost the apostles preached and three thousand Jewish pilgrims and proselytes became adherents of the new religious revelation of Messiah they'd just heard. In this regard, in the opening chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul corrects those who were saying, "I am of Kephas (Peter)," and this appears to indicate direct contact with Peter and would not exclude the possibly of that having been on Shavu’ot (Pentecost).

Moreover, Paul wrote to the Corinthian congregation of believes in Messiah Yeshua, in 1 Cor. 7:18-20, that if anyone was called to faith in Messiah while circumcised (i.e. an observant Jew) then let him not become uncircumcised (i.e. not forsake his Jewish heritage).

Crispus, mentioned by Paul specifically in 1 Cor 1:14, is not only Jewish, but is also mentioned in Acts 18:8 as being the president of the Corinthian synagogue. His entire house believed, and there can be little doubt that following the lead of the synagogue president other Jews of that synagogue believed as well.

Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 12:13 Paul says that the believers in Corinth have been made one body "whether Jews, or whether Greek." (εἴτε ’Ιουδαι̃οι εἴτε ‘Έλληνες). So there are Jews in the congregation in significant number, enough for Paul to refer to them directly in this epistle.

Indeed, those involved in the schism of 1 Corinthians 1 claimed to follow Kayfa or Apollos and may also have been Jewish since both of these men are seen in Scripture directing much attention towards Jews, cf. Galatians 2:7-8, Acts 18:26-28. Possibly this particular schism was of a similar nature as the earlier “murmuring” in Jerusalem in Acts 6:1 between Hellenistic diaspora Jews (Apollos) and Hebrew Judean Jews (Kayfa).

Moreover, Paul’s instruction about collecting gifts for the saints on the “first day” of the week in 1 Corinthians 16:1-3 could indicate respect for the Jewish disdain of handling money on the Sabbath. Additionally, in Paul’s two letters to this congregation in the heart of Greece he used several transliterated Hebrew and Aramaic words, ahmen, pascha, paradeiso, arrabon, belial, maranatha, and only calls Simon Peter his Aramaic name, Kayfa. The presence of these words cannot be pressed far since some are already found in the Septuagint, but they easily remind us of Paul’s stated desire to “be a Jew” to Jewish friends in Corinth.

So it seems perfectly reasonable to believe that Paul is confronting a group of Jewish skeptics in Corinth that had accepted certain Sadducean teaching while in Jerusalem.

Paul begins chapter 15 with heavy reliance on Scripture to prove the resurrection, vvs. 3, 4, and then mentions the pillars of the Judean believers: Kephas (the Aramaic form of Peter's name, and who in the heart of Greece knows Aramaic if not Jews?), the twelve (again, a number important mostly for Jewish believers), five hundred brethren, James (Ya'akov) and all the apostles. This introduction of witnesses to the resurrection is impressive for anyone, but especially so to Jews.

Many Jewish Purifications

In Second Temple days the Jewish people practiced many purifications, both from the Torah, as well as those developed from various traditions.

One of the traditional purifications was performed on deceased Jews so that they would be prepared for the resurrection from the dead. In other words, living Jews took it on themselves to purify their deceased loved ones as a final preparation for bodily resurrection. One of the earliest references to this traditional practice from any source happens to be Acts 9:37 where we are told the Jewish believer Tabitha-Dorcas, who had died, was washed.

F.F Bruce observed that this washing of Tabitha was “in accordance with the Jewish custom of purification of the dead.” and cites the Mishnah, Shabbat 23.5 (The Book of the Acts—Revised, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988, p. 199)."

The verse in the Mishnah Shabbat 23:5 reads:

כג,ה עושין כל צורכי המת, סכין ומדיחין אותו

[One performs all the necessary steps for the dead, anointing and washing him...]

While the contents of the Mishnah are not infallible, it is nevertheless accepted that the book was compiled during the 3rd century and certainly reflects practices of earlier times that the New Covenant Scriptures call the "Traditions of the Elders."

So this traditional purification of Jewish deceased, apparently performed in the days of Messiah and the first disciples, is still performed for deceased Jews, usually today by a special society called the Hevra Kadisha.

The reason for performing the rite is for the Jew to arise from the dead in a state of purification and undefiled. From a Jewish mind-set that is an acceptable tradition, no matter how strange it may seem for non-Jews.

Jewish Purification and the Greek verbs λουω and βαπτιζω

While Acts 9:37 uses the Greek verb λουω to describe the purification and not βαπτιζω, yet λουω is used in Hebrews 10:22 to describe purification of the body, and the verse is written in a conspicuously Jewish sense.

Expositors argue whether or not Christian baptism is described in Hebrews 10:22, but none doubt a Jewish purification rite is in the author's mind.

On top of that, λουω is used a number of times in the Septuagint Pentateuch to describe Israelite purification events. So although λουω is not limited to such usage, cf. Ex. 2:5, Acts 16:33, it certainly is used at times to speak of Jewish purifications, consistent with Jewish traditional purification of the dead prior to burial, in anticipation of the resurrection.

Consider the following examples from the New Covenant Scriptures and the Septuagint Greek of Leviticus to observe the overlap between λουω and βαπτιζω. The verses below from Leviticus show that λουω is used in a clearly ritual aspect and does not refer solely to hygienic considerations, and is made clear by the following two phrases:

καὶ λούσεται τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ ὕδατι καὶ καθαρὸς ἔσται

καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι πα̃ν τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

Both acts are the same, the person washes his body with water, but the results are different, depending on the religious requirements of the rite. The first example says the person is purified, the second says he remains impure until evening. So from Leviticus the Jewish people added a ritual aspect to the use of λουω that would support the idea that Acts 9:37 refers to a ritual washing.

Hebrews 9

¹⁰ μόνον ἐπὶ βρώμασιν καὶ πόμασιν καὶ διαφόροις βαπτισμοι̃ς δικαιώματα σαρκòς μέχρι καιρου̃ διορθώσεως ἐπικείμενα

Leviticus

^8:6 καὶ προσήνεγκεν Μωυση̃ς τὸν Ααρων καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτου̃ καὶ ἔλουσεν αὐτοὺς ὕδατι

^14:8 καὶ πλυνει̃ ὁ καθαρισθεὶς τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτου̃ καὶ ξυρηθήσεται αὐτου̃ πα̃σαν τὴν τρίχα καὶ λούσεται ἐν ὕδατι καὶ καθαρὸς ἔσται καὶ μετὰ ταυ̃τα εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν καὶ διατρίψει ἔξω του̃ οἴκου αὐτου̃ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας

^14:9 καὶ ἔσται τη̨̃ ἡμέρα̨ τη̨̃ ἑβδόμη̨ ξυρηθήσεται πα̃σαν τὴν τρίχα αὐτου̃ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτου̃ καὶ τὸν πώγωνα καὶ τὰς ὀφρύας καὶ πα̃σαν τὴν τρίχα αὐτου̃ ξυρηθήσεται καὶ πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ λούσεται τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ ὕδατι καὶ καθαρὸς ἔσται

^15:5 καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἂν ἅψηται τη̃ς κοίτης αὐτου̃ πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτου̃ καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:6 καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ του̃ σκεύους ἐφ' ὃ ἐὰν καθίση̨ ὁ γονορρυής πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτου̃ καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:7 καὶ ὁ ἁπτόμενος του̃ χρωτὸς του̃ γονορρυου̃ς πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:8 ἐὰν δὲ προσσιελίση̨ ὁ γονορρυὴς ἐπὶ τὸν καθαρόν πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:10 καὶ πα̃ς ὁ ἁπτόμενος ὅσα ἐὰν ἠ̨̃ ὑποκάτω αὐτου̃ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας καὶ ὁ αἴρων αὐτὰ πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτου̃ καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:13 ἐὰν δὲ καθαρισθη̨̃ ὁ γονορρυὴς ἐκ τη̃ς ῥύσεως αὐτου̃ καὶ ἐξαριθμήσεται αὐτω̨̃ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας εἰς τὸν καθαρισμὸν καὶ πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτου̃ καὶ λούσεται τὸ σω̃μα ὕδατι καὶ καθαρὸς ἔσται

^15:16 καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὡ̨̃ ἐὰν ἐξέλθη̨ ἐξ αὐτου̃ κοίτη σπέρματος καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι πα̃ν τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:18 καὶ γυνή ἐὰν κοιμηθη̨̃ ἀνὴρ μετ' αὐτη̃ς κοίτην σπέρματος καὶ λούσονται ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτοι ἔσονται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:21 καὶ πα̃ς ὃς ἐὰν ἅψηται τη̃ς κοίτης αὐτη̃ς πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτου̃ καὶ λούσεται τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:22 καὶ πα̃ς ὁ ἁπτόμενος παντὸς σκεύους οὑ̃ ἐὰν καθίση̨ ἐπ' αὐτό πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτου̃ καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^15:27 πα̃ς ὁ ἁπτόμενος αὐτη̃ς ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται καὶ πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ λούσεται τὸ σω̃μα ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας

^16:4 καὶ χιτω̃να λινου̃ν ἡγιασμένον ἐνδύσεται καὶ περισκελὲς λινου̃ν ἔσται ἐπὶ του̃ χρωτὸς αὐτου̃ καὶ ζώνη̨ λινη̨̃ ζώσεται καὶ κίδαριν λινη̃ν περιθήσεται ἱμάτια ἅγιά ἐστιν καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι πα̃ν τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ καὶ ἐνδύσεται αὐτά

^16:24 καὶ λούσεται τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ ὕδατι ἐν τόπω̨ ἁγίω̨ καὶ ἐνδύσεται τὴν στολὴν αὐτου̃ καὶ ἐξελθὼν ποιήσει τὸ ὁλοκάρπωμα αὐτου̃ καὶ τὸ ὁλοκάρπωμα του̃ λαου̃ καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτου̃ καὶ περὶ του̃ οἴκου αὐτου̃ καὶ περὶ του̃ λαου̃ ὡς περὶ τω̃ν ἱερέων

^16:26 καὶ ὁ ἐξαποστέλλων τὸν χίμαρον τὸν διεσταλμένον εἰς ἄφεσιν πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ λούσεται τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ ὕδατι καὶ μετὰ ταυ̃τα εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν

^16:28 ὁ δὲ κατακαίων αὐτὰ πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ λούσεται τὸ σω̃μα αὐτου̃ ὕδατι καὶ μετὰ ταυ̃τα εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν

^17:15 καὶ πα̃σα ψυχή ἥτις φάγεται θνησιμαι̃ον ἢ θηριάλωτον ἐν τοι̃ς αὐτόχθοσιν ἢ ἐν τοι̃ς προσηλύτοις πλυνει̃ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτου̃ καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἕως ἑσπέρας καὶ καθαρὸς ἔσται

^17:16 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ πλύνη̨ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ τὸ σω̃μα μὴ λούσηται ὕδατι καὶ λήμψεται ἀνόμημα αὐτου̃

Hebrews 10

²² προσερχώμεθα μετὰ ἀληθινη̃ς καρδίας ἐν πληροφορία̨ πίστεως ῥεραντισμένοι τὰς καρδίας ἀπò συνειδήσεως πονηρα̃ς καὶ λελουσμένοι τò σω̃μα ὕδατι καθαρω̨̃

Acts 9:37

³⁷ ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ται̃ς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἀσθενήσασαν αὐτὴν ἀποθανει̃ν λούσαντες δὲ ἔθηκαν αὐτὴν ἐν ὑπερώ̨ω̨

Luke 11

³⁸ ὁ δὲ Φαρισαι̃ος ἰδὼν ἐθαύμασεν ὅτι οὐ πρω̃τον ἐβαπτίσθη πρò του̃ ἀρίστου

³⁹ εἰ̃πεν δὲ ὁ κύριος πρòς αὐτόν νυ̃ν ὑμει̃ς οἱ Φαρισαι̃οι τò ἔξωθεν του̃ ποτηρίου καὶ του̃ πίνακος καθαρίζετε τò δὲ ἔσωθεν ὑμω̃ν γέμει ἁρπαγη̃ς καὶ πονηρίας

⁴⁰ ἄφρονες οὐχ ὁ ποιήσας τò ἔξωθεν καὶ τò ἔσωθεν ἐποίησεν

⁴¹ πλὴν τὰ ἐνόντα δότε ἐλεημοσύνην καὶ ἰδοὺ πάντα καθαρὰ ὑμι̃ν ἐστιν

Mark 7

¹ καὶ συνάγονται πρòς αὐτòν οἱ Φαρισαι̃οι καί τινες τω̃ν γραμματέων ἐλθόντες ἀπò ‘Ιεροσολύμων

² καὶ ἰδόντες τινὰς τω̃ν μαθητω̃ν αὐτου̃ ὅτι κοιναι̃ς χερσίν του̃τ' ἔστιν ἀνίπτοις ἐσθίουσιν τοὺς ἄρτους

³ οἱ γὰρ Φαρισαι̃οι καὶ πάντες οἱ ’Ιουδαι̃οι ἐὰν μὴ πυγμη̨̃ νίψωνται τὰς χει̃ρας οὐκ ἐσθίουσιν κρατου̃ντες τὴν παράδοσιν τω̃ν πρεσβυτέρων

⁴ καὶ ἀπ' ἀγορα̃ς ἐὰν μὴ βαπτίσωνται οὐκ ἐσθίουσιν καὶ ἄλλα πολλά ἐστιν ἃ παρέλαβον κρατει̃ν βαπτισμοὺς ποτηρίων καὶ ξεστω̃ν καὶ χαλκίων καὶ κλινω̃ν

⁵ καὶ ἐπερωτω̃σιν αὐτòν οἱ Φαρισαι̃οι καὶ οἱ γραμματει̃ς διὰ τί οὐ περιπατου̃σιν οἱ μαθηταί σου κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τω̃ν πρεσβυτέρων ἀλλὰ κοιναι̃ς χερσὶν ἐσθίουσιν τòν ἄρτον

1 Corinthians 15:29

²⁹ ἐπεὶ τί ποιήσουσιν οἱ βαπτιζόμενοι ὑπὲρ τω̃ν νεκρω̃ν εἰ ὅλως νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται τί καὶ βαπτίζονται ὑπὲρ αὐτω̃ν

So regarding the context of 1 Corinthians 15:29, it appears:

· There are Jewish believers in Corinth

· There is a Jewish purification directly related to the resurrection of the dead

· The Hellenistic Sadducean denial of the resurrection might easily have been held by Jewish pilgrims from Greece, including a number  from Corinth

Translating 1 Corinthians 15:29

Now we come to the translation of βαπτιζόμενοι and βαπτίζονται. Both words have an identical form in either the passive or middle voice. The form is sometimes called the middle/passive. That means it is up to the translator to decide from various factors, including context, how he will render the words.

A.T. Robertson says of middle form:

"The only difference between the active and middle voices is that the middle calls especial attention to the subject. In the active voice the subject is merely acting; in the middle the subject is acting in relation to himself somehow. What this precise relation is the middle voice does not say. That must come out of the context or from the significance of the verb itself." (Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament, p. 804)

Middle voice is a highly flexible verb form in Greek that has been called "Subject Focused." Following are examples of definitions of Middle voice verbs.

"Middle Voice

[145]

The Middle Voice denotes that the subject is in some especial manner involved or interested in the action of the verb. In some of its uses the middle corresponds to the English reflexive, but the signification is much wider and shades off from what is practically a direct reflexive until it ceases to present any translatable difference from the active." See here.

In another article the following comments also indicate greater subtlety than only the reflexive.

"Chamberlain puts it thus:

The middle voice calls special attention to the subject, but does not indicate the particular thing about the subject which is emphasized. The context must do that... Commentators and translators often make unnecessary difficulty for themselves by assuming that the primary meaning of the middle voice is reflexive. An Exegetical Grammar of the Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979 [reprint MacMillan 1941 edition]), p. 81." See here.

The following is another example of a definition that indicates great subtlety in Middle Voice: "Many instances in the Greek are not this obvious [reflexive] and cannot be translated this literally."

"Middle Voice

The Greek middle voice shows the subject acting in his own interest or on his own behalf, or participating in the results of the verbal action. In overly simplistic terms, sometimes the middle form of the verb could be translated as "the performer of the action actually acting upon himself" (reflexive action).

For example: "I am washing myself." "I" is the subject of the sentence (performing the action of the verb) and yet "I" am also receiving the action of the verb. This is said to be in the "Middle Voice". Many instances in the Greek are not this obvious and cannot be translated this literally." See here.

The following comment comes from a blog so consider it cautiously, but example number 2 below does reflect the idea being presented here.

"In Greek, "middle voice" has a sense of "on behalf of the speaker", "for the advantage of the speaker", or is simply reflexive, as GG says. So if you imagine the following examples in Greek, with the verb in the middle voice, they mean:

1. I bought-MIDDLE a bottle of Scotch. i.e. it was for me, not for someone else.

2. I washed-MIDDLE the shirts. i.e. they were my shirts.

3. I washed-MIDDLE. i.e. I washed myself."

Mounce says of Middle Voice:

"S.77 The vast majority of middle forms in the New Testament are deponent.

S.78 Some words, even in the middle, have basically the same meaning as they have in the active.

S.80 The classical definition of the middle voice is that the action of a verb in the middle voice in some way affects the subject. We will call this the "self-interest" nuance of the middle.

This is not necessarily the reflexive idea. If the subject of the verb performs an action to itself, Hellenistic Greek normally requires the reflexive pronoun (heautou). Rather, in the middle the subject does the action of the verb to the direct object, and yet the action of the verb in some way affects the subject."

Summarizing What Middle Voice Can Mean

So taking this all together, in Middle Voice the subject may do something for himself, to himself, or to something that belongs to him.

In that case Paul may actually be asking,

"Otherwise, what will they do, those who themselves are baptizing for the benefit of the dead? If the dead do not rise at all, then why are they themselves baptizing for their benefit?"

This translation makes much sense of context and appears to be what Paul intended.

A paraphrase will help clarify the idea:

"Otherwise, why then are the Jewish people themselves purifying the dead for their benefit? If there never was an idea like resurrection among the Jewish people, then why are they themselves purifying them for their benefit?"

In my understanding Paul used middle voice verb and participle to emphasize the fact that living Jewish people baptize the dead specifically because they believe in the resurrection of the dead, which would add supporting weight to his argument of the general resurrection of the dead.

Notice also that in this case, the verb and participle for baptizing do not indicate immersion, but rather purification from defilement because this rite was (and is) performed by pouring water on the deceased.

It seems likely that someone in Corinth knew the intent behind Paul's casually asked rhetorical questions. Crispus had been the Corinthian synagogue president and was certainly Jewish.

As mentioned, Paul also wrote in this same epistle that Jews who become disciples of Messiah should not abandon their Jewish heritage. So there were Jewish believers in the Corinthian congregation. If the verse refers to Jewish practices, as it seems to, then there were people who understood the questions.

While at this point one cannot be one hundred percent certain, it seems likely that in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul wrote about a Jewish purification custom. He asked Jews who deny the resurrection why the Jewish people take it on themselves to baptize their dead, purifying them via the ritual tohorah, to be prepared for the resurrection, because if there were no resurrection there would be no need.

Finally it may be observed that in this case baptize would strictly means to ritually purify, not to immerse.