2. The words of Chrysostom, just quoted, cer tainly convey also the same meaning as regards ' the dead,' but differ from the two former interpre tations with regard to inrgp ' in behalf of the dead' thus means ' in the belief of the resurrection of the dead.' This ungrammatical version is adopted by Theophylact ; Why are men baptized at all in behalf of resurrection, that is, in expectation of re surrection, if the dead rise not ?' (Isidor. Pelus. If bodies rise not at all, why do we believe that in baptism they are changed to incorruptibility ?' perhaps with reference to our passage).
3. Pelagius, Olearius, Fabricius, are of opinion that the phrase, `on account of the dead,' or ' ot those who are dead,' although strictly plural, here alludes to an individual, namely, to Christ, on account of whom' we are baptized, alluding to Rom. vi. 3. Though the plural is in itself admis sible (Winer, Grain. p. 163), its use here would nevertheless be rather strange, there being no ground whatever for the use of so peculiar a phraseo logy ; neither can we account for the fact, that the regular construction of pairriN with sir should have been converted into the unprecedented con struction with i'nrlp. Vater justifies the plural, by including in it yohn Me Baptist; Semler under stands it of Christ and those of the Apostles and teachers of the church who were already dead at that time ; Flatt, by adding, on account of Christ, and those who have died in him (in the belief in him) :—all quite inadmissible combinations.
4. Among the best interpretations is that of Spanheim and Joh. Christ. Wolf. They consider ' the dead' to be martyrs and other believers, who, by firmness and cheerful hope of resurrection, have given in death a worthy example, by which (inrip) others were also animated to receive baptism. Still this meaning would be almost too briefly and enigmatically expressed, when no particular reason for it is known, while also the allusion to the exem plary death of many Christians could chiefly apply to the martyrs alone, of whom there were as yet none at Corinth.
5. Olshausen's interpretation is of a rather doubtful character. In the first instance he inter
prets iiirep = instead ef, infivozir of ; and the mean ing of the passage he takes to be, that ' all who are converted to the church are baptized—for the goon of the dead, as it requires a certain number, a `fulness of believers, before the resurrection can take place. Every one therefore who is baptized is so for the good of believers collectively, and of those who have already died in the Lord' (both of which we can hardly suppose to embrace at once!) Olshausen is himself aware that the apostle could not have expected that such a diffi cult and remote idea, which he himself calls `a mystery,' would be understood by his readers without a further explanation and development of his doctrine. He therefore proposes an inter pretation as already suggested by Clericus and Ddderlein (Instit. Theo!. Christ. ii. 405). In this explanation, it is argued, that the miseries and hard ships Christians have to struggle against in this life can only be compensated by resurrection. Death causes, as it were, vacancies in the full ranks of the believers, which are again filled up by other individuals. ' What would it profit those who are baptized in Me place of the dead (to fill up their place in the community) if there be no re surrection? The tendency of the whole connec tion of the text, however, would rather lead us to expect the question, What would the dead profit by it ?' since the tenor of the passage de cidedly refers to them. To make inrep .= dent, therefore, is quite unsuitable; not to mention, that the idea—to enter into the ranks of Christians— must first be supposed to be contained in the word baptism,' in order to draw from it the figure of substitution. A reference is made, in support of the opinion which considers inrap.-- civri, to Dionys. Ha]icar. (Antiq. viii.), where he is treating of a new conscription, which was to be made to fill up the ranks rendered vacant by the death of the sol diers who had fallen in the war, and the expression there used is-0157-01 brep -rCbv