One could dismiss this as a new or unique interpretation of 15:29, but the connection to the practice of Taharah has been considered in the past, without being fully explored. Bernard Foschini states that:
- “This …opinion originated with Theod. Beza who in his commentary on the New Testament published in 1598… interprets the phrase, to perform an ablution upon the dead, as to wash dead bodies before burial. ‘For Paul,’ he says, ‘took his argument from that burial or funeral ablution and anointing already carefully observed by the Patriarchs and mentioned in the pages of the Talmud.’”1
Later, around 1750, John Gill commenting on 15:29 writes:
- “…it is also observed, that the Jews, as well as other nations, have used various rites and ceremonies about their dead, and among the rest, the washing of dead bodies before interment; see Ac 9:37 and this by some is thought to be what is here referred to; and the reasoning is, if there is no resurrection of the dead, why all this care of a dead body? why this washing of it? it may as well be put into the earth as it is, since it will rise no more.”2
Why has this interpretation not been widely accepted, and why should it be seriously considered today?
In the past there has been a general lack of knowledge on the part of the Christian community regarding Jewish traditions associated with immersion for ritual purity and the preparation of the dead for burial, as well as how these might relate to the understanding of 15:29. The solemn and private nature of Jewish immersion rituals and the Taharah ceremony—as well as the barring of non-Jews from participating or even witnessing these activities—have contributed greatly to this lack of understanding. Recently, however, many in the Jewish community have made great efforts to record and make available a wealth of information regarding immersion and Taharah. Information about these practices, not generally available until recently, is now easily obtainable through books, websites, and even internet videos.
While this may be a new insight for the Christian community, the traditional practice of Taharah provides a valid context for 15:29 that merits considerationand discussion. It is much simpler and more reasonable than speculations about vicarious baptism or a host of other less-than-satisfactory theories. Connecting the discussion to a known and cherished practice of the Jewish community moves it from the arena of conjecture and confusion, grounds it in historical reality, and greatly clarifies Paul’s bold proclamation of the resurrection of the dead.
[1] Bernard M. Foschini, “‘THOSE WHO ARE BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD,’ I COR. 15:29.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 12, no. 4, Catholic Biblical Association, 1950, p. 379f
[2] John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament (3 vols., 1746-8)
Copyright © 2022, 2024, Robert D. Claiborne
