1 Corinthians 15:29 (KJV)

Passage

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?

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

1 Corinthians 15:29 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?

1 Corinthians 15:30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our LORD, I die daily.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "else", "shall", "baptized", "dead", and "rise". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "else" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "And when all things shall be subdued..." into verse 30's "And why stand we in jeopardy every...", so "else" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "else" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.