WHAT IS MEANT BY BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD?

[doug]

[1 Corinthians 15:12 KJV] "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?" ************** Paul is correcting the erroneous doctrine that there was no resurrection.
[1 Corinthians 15:13 KJV] "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:"
[1 Corinthians 15:14 KJV] "And if Christ be not risen, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain." ************** Their faith would be vain if there was no resurrection because they believed the vain preaching of Christ's resurrection
[1 Corinthians 15:17 KJV] "And if Christ be not raised, your faith [is] vain; ye are yet in your sins." ************* Not only is their faith in vain, but they are still in their sins because their salvation rested on Christ's resurrection. The gospel they believed was that Christ died for their sins and rose for their justification. If there is no resurrection then there is no gospel to save them from their sins.
[1 Corinthians 15:18 KJV] "Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." ************ Those facing death would not have the hope of life after death
[1 Corinthians 15:29 KJV] "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?" ************** This simply means if they believed the gospel that they would rise again unto eternal life, and there was no resurrection, then they were baptized in vain, all they could anticipate was death