Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-26
BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD,

our attention has been called to the
comments Of j. ID. MichaelIs, in his
translation OF the New Testament, on
the much disputed verse in the first let
ter OF the Apostle Paul TO the corin-
thlans q Cor, Is: 29) in which the in
splred writer argues for the reality Of
the resurrection Of the body from the
rite OF baptism for the dead
Michaells who died in the year 1921
was one Of the most influential Ger
man oriental scholars Of the eighteenth
century. Although somewhat rationalis.
tic in his Interpretation OF the Scrip
lures. he rendered theological science
invaluable services, particularly by the
series OF questions he submitted 10 the
eastern explorers Won Haven, Forskol
and Niebuhr, 10 guide them In their
researches for light on Bible history
ancient manners and customs, and doc
trlne His German translation Of the
Bible. with notes, Is one Of his great
literary works II can be read with
profit even at this time, supposedly SO
far In advance Of the biblical knowl-
edge OF the eighteenth century. His
faithful adherence 20 the letter OF the
written word is worthy Of imitation.
Concerning the verse referred TO,
Elise what shall they do which are
baptized for the dead, II the dead rise
not at all? why are they then bap-
tized for the dead?' Michaelis makes
these comments:
This verse has caused commentators
much trouble because II says some
| thing SO entirely different from ths
present church practice, nay, Is even
| by our teachers considered an abuse
OF baptism a superstition that could
not be- permitted by our ecclesiastical
| canon. Opinions are divided. and the
learned men have cndeayored TO help
| matters by artificial explanations,
| which however appear 20 me 10 be
| both violent and improbable. This Is
| not the place 90 state these opinions
| and criticize them. To do so 10 ad-
| vantage. special dissertation would
| be necessary and then 10 would take o.
| reader familiar with the Greek Ian
guage 20 comprehend H.
Il cannot but sanction the interpre-
| tation that understands the words TO
| say. that IN the city of CorInth, some
/ mad been baptized for persons who had
| died without baptism. and that some
| persons In Asia Minor and Galatia
| really did $50 in later times, We are as
| surpd by Epiphanius In the 18th heresy,
! p8r.Lpll4 But In one point ! differ with
! Inc usual explanation which holds that
| this baptism Tor the dead was for the
! now converts Or Cathechumenes, who
| died during the time OF probation be-
/ fore thcy had received baptism, because
| n die dine OF the Apostles. there was
not % LONG ime Of instruction previous
Go baptism. but this was generally per
/ formed ,he same day as the conversion
took place as we see from the Acts OF
| the Apostles acts o: a. q, Is. l5 3O,
| and ,he further instruction came after
| bapusm. according 20 the command Of
| Christ JNatt 2> lg) ] would rather
| think that those whose children haa
| died before the conversion 81 the par
| tuts Co Christ. had 10y the baptism de-
| clarel that IL should be valid Tor them
as wen as Tor their IN infancy dead
] tNlIlIIn. OF NNAl AItN NNNN AaA 49,
| formed a separate baptism In their
stead. Perhaps, also. Jews had done
SO for their religious forefathers, OF
whom they knew that they had been
anYlously looking for the Messiah, and
| who had died before the Gospel mos
sage reached them This may have gone
farther sim / only make the sugges-
u1ns that appear 20 be more reasonable
This is certain. that many among the
nrsi Christians entertained higher ideas
of baptism aud considered Il more nee
esary to salvation than we do. We
derive its virtue merely from th prom
ises of the savior and its necessity
when 10 can be obtained, only from Ills
commandments. But they saw IN 10
partly "a certain either physically on
upernaturally operating power. which
we can End IN the Bible no ground Tor
accepting The heretics IN Asia Minor
and Galatia. referred 10 above, were
baptized. because they held that lack