BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 15, 1877

“BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD.”

“ELSE what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?” 1 Cor. 15 : 29.

Thus baptism is emblematical of the resurrection, since it is meaningless “if the dead rise not,” and a deceptive practice. It sets forth a vivid “likeness” of Christ’s death as a state, and also a “likeness of his resurrection” therefrom. It has been well remarked by Dr. Clarke in reference to primitive baptism: “As they received baptism as an emblem of death, in voluntarily going under the water; so they received it as an emblem of the resurrection unto eternal life, in coming up out of the water: thus they are baptized for the dead, in perfect faith of the resurrection.”

If this is the real meaning of the apostle, how can sprinkling, or pouring, or trine dipping, emblemize the resurrection? Christ was really plunged into death once, and only once; and raised therefrom once, and only once; but neither sprinkling nor pouring emblemizes either act, while trine dipping sets forth three deaths and resurrections. Why, then, be baptized after a wrong “likeness”?—Sel.