Baptism is one of the most central ordinances in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Faithful members of the church who are born in the covenant are usually baptized at age 8. Missionaries seek out potential converts who will be immersed in water in a special ordinance to enter into membership into Mormonism.
Mormonism teaches that, without baptism, a person cannot enter into God’s eternal kingdom. But such a teaching presents a major issue: billions of people who once lived on the earth never had the opportunity to be water baptized by someone with proper priesthood authority. What can be done to help them? The answer is baptism for the dead.
According to this practice, living Latter-day Saints perform water baptisms in proxy for those who have already died. Joseph Smith spoke strongly about proxy baptism when he said,
This doctrine was the burden of the scriptures. Those Saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their own salvation (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 193).
Most Christians have never heard of such a practice and are often surprised to find that there is a verse in the Bible that references it: 1 Corinthians 15:29. Latter-day Saints leverage this verse as evidence that baptism for the dead is a biblical practice. But was Paul really teaching that Christians should be practicing proxy baptism?
The Centrality of Resurrection to Christianity
Before considering 1 Corinthians 15:29, it is helpful to consider the broader context of chapter 15. Paul begins the chapter with a discussion about the resurrection.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:12-14).
In Corinth, there was a sect of people that denied the idea of bodily resurrection—rejecting that Christians would one day be physically raised from the dead. Paul points out the absurdity of such a belief: if there is no resurrection, then Christ was never raised. If Christ was never raised, then the Christian faith is in vain. Paul summarizes his argument in verses 16-19:
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied (1 Cor 15:16-19).
Reevaluating the LDS Interpretation
With this context in mind, let’s reevaluate verse 29:
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?
Notice that Paul does not define baptism on behalf of the dead. Nor does he define it anywhere else in the New Testament. In fact, 1 Corinthians 15:29 is the only reference to baptism for the dead (or any other proxy work) in the entire Bible. Because the text lacks any explanation, commentators and historians throughout the history of Christianity have been divided on what exactly the Corinthians were doing.
Despite the mystery surrounding this practice, there are some things of which we can be certain. First, this verse never commands Christians to practice proxy baptism. If proxy works were such an integral part of the Christian faith, one would expect the Bible to both clearly define and explicitly command the practice.
Second, Paul never states that the Corinthian Christians were practicing “baptism for the dead.” Consider how Paul speaks to the Corinthian Christians throughout chapter 15:
- “Our preaching is in vain.” (v14)
- “Your faith is in vain.” (v14)
- “We are found misrepresenting God.” (v15)
- “We of all people are most to be pitied” (v19)
- “Why are we in danger every hour?” (v30)
The pronouns used in 1 Corinthians 15 are 1st or 2nd person pronouns—”we,” “us,” or “you.” But in verse 29, Paul switches to a 3rd person pronoun:
“Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? . . . why are people baptized on their behalf?” (v29)
The King James Version makes this even more pronounced:
“Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?”
Paul did not claim that “we”—people who believe in a resurrection—were baptizing for the dead; rather, he was stating that “they”—those who deny a resurrection—were doing it. Verse 29 highlights an inconsistency—why do “they” engage in baptism on behalf of the dead if they reject a future resurrection? Their actions were not aligned with their theology.
The Nature of Baptism
According to LDS thinking, everyone must have the opportunity to be baptized; otherwise the majority of mankind will be unjustly barred from the fullness of the Gospel. However, this assumes that baptism is an absolute prerequisite for eternal life.
Baptism, while both important and commanded, is not an absolute prerequisite for entrance into God’s kingdom. It is conceivable for an unbaptized believer to have eternal life. Consider the example of the repentant thief who died on the cross next to Jesus. Jesus assured him:
“Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Despite never having received Christian baptism, the thief was accepted into paradise. The Bible is clear: eternal life is not granted through ordinances, but through faith. When the Jews asked Jesus, “What must we do to be doing the works of God?” Jesus replied:
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:29).
In the context of John 6, the Jews are asking about the works of God which lead to eternal life. Jesus’ response is simple: faith is this work of God.
Additionally, the entire book of Galatians warns against adding any ordinance to faith as a necessary prerequisite for eternal life. According to Paul, to add an ordinance to faith is to believe in a different gospel. Eternal life is granted to the one who believes in Jesus—even if that person never has the opportunity to be baptized.
“Whoever believes in him shall not perish, but shall have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
The Finality of Judgment
Proxy baptism also opposes what the Bible teaches about salvation after death. Hebrews 9 says:
It is appointed for man to die once, And after that comes judgment. Death, then judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
There is no holding place (like spirit prison) where the dead go to await another person to perform ordinances on their behalf.
On one occasion, Jesus told a parable about a wicked rich man and a righteous man named Lazarus. After they both died, they were ushered to their respective places after death. In the parable, Jesus records what Abraham said to the rich man, who was suffering in a hellish realm:
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us (Luke 16:26).
The rich man was unable to cross the chasm and escape his torment. He recognized that the time to make a decision for the Lord is during one’s lifetime, not after death. Thus, the man asked Abraham if he could return to warn his brothers about the agony of his current place before it was too late.
Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus reinforces this: once a person dies, their eternal destination is sealed. No post-mortem actions can change it. One’s decision for the Lord must be made in this life, and this life only. Ironically, the Book of Mormon teaches the same doctrine:
For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors (Alma 34:32).
Proxy Work Cheapens Christ’s Atonement
Perhaps the most egregious part of proxy baptism is this: all vicarious work on behalf of the dead inadvertently undermines the sufficiency of Jesus’ atonement. For billions of people, proxy baptisms performed by living Latter-day Saints are equally necessary for their eternal life as is the atonement of Jesus.
If these ordinances were never performed on their behalf, the atonement of Jesus would be insufficient for them to enter into the celestial kingdom. The very idea of this robs Jesus of the glory due Him because of His finished work of redemption.
Conclusion
While Paul’s reference to baptism on behalf of the dead in 1 Corinthians 15 is peculiar, LDS proxy baptism is incompatible with the Bible’s teaching because…
- Paul does not command the practice of proxy baptism.
- The text never says that Christians in Corinth were practicing proxy baptism.
- Baptism is not an absolute prerequisite for eternal life.
- There are no second chances after death.
- No person has any saving power over another (except for Jesus!)
The gospel is simple: if you repent of your sins and believe in the work that Jesus did, then you will have eternal life.