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Paul i.s not talki.ng about being bapti.zed
"in
the
place of" the dead ; or "in behalf of
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the dead, or "for"
the dead. The :1nsp1.red Greek word translated ' 'for" is
huper. It has several meanings: "above, over, instead of',
for the realization of, f or the hope of .
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The context
determines the meaning of the word.
Turn
to Philippians
2:13, for example. Paul here declares: "For it is God
which worketh
:1n
you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure." The Greek word trans l ated "of" in this verse
is huper, the same word used in I Corinthians 15:29. In
Philippians 2:13, huper cannot mean ' 'in stead of." It
would be senseless to say: "For it is God which worketh
in you both to will and to do instead of His good pleasure!"
The proper translation of this verse
157
"God worketh
1n
you both to will and to do for the realization of His good
pleasure!" This is the transla t ion given in TheAnalytical
Greek Lexicon.
What
is God •s "good pleasure
'nr--lt
Is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom," said
Jesus (Luke 12:32). God works in us "in the hope of"
giving us
~s
Kingdom.
Now turn to I Corinthians 15:29. Here the Greek
word huper should be trans l ated
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for the hope of" according
to context: "Else what shall they do which are baptized FOR
(THE HOPE OF) the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why
~re
they then baptized FOR (THE HOPE OF) the dead?"
What is the hope of the dead? THE RESURRECTION!
Paul is writing about baptism, which illustrates THE HOPE OF
THE RESURRECTION! Baptism -- arising out of a watery grave
-- is a symbol of the hope of' the dead -- the hope of the
resurrection. This verse has nothing to do with the false
doctrine of baptism in behalf of the unbaptized dead.
LETTER
ANS~G
DEPARTMENT
Copyr ishc 1958 • IUdio Cbutch of God