1 Corinthians 15:29 (WEB)

Passage

Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 15:27 For, “He put all things in subjection under his feet.”Psalm 8:6 But when he says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him.

1 Corinthians 15:28 When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.

1 Corinthians 15:29 Or else what will they do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why then are they baptized for the dead?

1 Corinthians 15:30 Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?

1 Corinthians 15:31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "When all things have been subjected to..." into verse 30's "Why do we also stand in jeopardy...", so "else" and "baptized" 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 "baptized" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.