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?
Else - if there be no resurrection.
What shall they do? - what profit do they get?
Baptized for the dead - third person: a class distinct from that in which the apostle places himself - "we" (1 Corinthians 15:30): first person. There is no reference to baptizing a living person in behalf of a friend who died unbaptized-a heretical practice unknown in the Church before the times of Marcion. Benget translates, 'over (immediately upon х huper (G5228)]) the dead' - i:e., who will be gathered to the dead immediately after baptism (cf. Job 17:1). The fruit they get from their baptism is, that they should be gathered to the dead forever. Many in the ancient Church put off baptism until near death. But the "for" scarcely bears this meaning in the Greek Testament. Rather, as in Philemon 1:13, it means, 'baptized to take the place of the dead' saints (2 Timothy 2:2) 'Of what use are fresh witnesses for Christianity, baptized to minister instead of those dead!' Olshausen takes it, A full number of believers is to be made up before Christ's coming and the resurrection; so every one baptized, by filling up the number, is baptized on behalf of the dead in the Lord (Revelation 6:10-11). But the Greek х ti (G5100) kai (G2532) before kinduneuomen (G2793) corresponding to ti (G5100) kai (G2532) before baptizontai (G907)] favours the former view, 'Why are they then baptized for the dead? Why then (why too) stand we in jeopardy every hour?' Why are they baptized, filling up the place the martyred dead, at the ask of sharing the same fate? Why too stand we in jeopardy every hour? Probably some symbolical rite of baptism or dedication of themselves to follow the martyred dead even to death, grounded on Matthew 20:22-23, is alluded to; or, without such rite, "baptized" is used as it is in 1 Corinthians 10:2. The best punctuation is, 'If the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for them?' So 'Aleph (') A B Delta G f g, Vulgate, read, instead of "for the dead."