Vers. 29-32.-Baptismfor the dead. The apostle evidently allud-,s to some custom of the early Church, or some sentiment that prevailed concerning a custom "which has not come down to us. "'.l'he only tenable interpretation of the passage is that them -existed amongst some of the Christians at Corinth a practice of baptizing a living person m the stead of some convert who had died before that sacrament had been administered to him. Such a practice existed amongst the Marcionites in the second century, and i,till earlier amongst a sect called the Cerinthians. The idea evidently was that ·what- ever benefit flowed from baptism might be thus vicariously secured for the deceased -Christian." It was plainly what we should call a superstitious custom, and we are not to understand that St. Paul gives it his sanction-he only recalls the fact of the custom, and uses it for the purpose of his argument. F. W.!Robertson objects to the association ,of such a custom with St. Paul's argument, saying," There is an immense improbability ,that Paul could have sustained a superstition so abject, even by an allusion. He could not have spoken of it without anger." lt may be that the apostle simply refers to the baptism of trial and suffering through which the disciples had to go, which often -involved even death. A very needless enduring of suffering and death if there was no resurrection-life beyond. This is certainly more in harmony with the other argu- ments adduced in the chapter. Not only have those who are fallen asleep in Christ .perished, if there be no resurrection, but they very needlessly endured suffering and .trial. The underlying idea evidently is, that Christians are baptized into a life which is full of peril, trial, persecution, and martyrdom. '.l'hey must look in the face, and fully accept, the possibility of death to seal their faithfulness. But how absurd it would be to voluntarily accept such a burdened and suffering life, if this life were all! Surely, then, the heathen were far wiser who said, "Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." Why should the apostle be in "jeopardy every hour"? why 11hould he die daily? save that he held fast the sure hope of being made partaker of his Lord's resur- rection, if he was made partaker of his sufferings. This point may be more fully -opened and illustrated by dwelling on three separate thoughts. I. BAPTISM INTO GHRIST IS BAPTISM INTO SUFFERING. It may be shown (1) that this was the fact in apostolic days; (2) it has been the fact in every Christian age, sometimes more and sometimes less manifestly , and (3) though it ·may take on milder forms, it is still as true as ever that" they who will live godly must suffer persecution," and "through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom." It may be argued that there is even a necessity for this, if the exclusive demands of the Christian profession are estimated in view of the antagonistic claims of the world, in which Christian profession .finds a sphere. II. BAPTISM INTO SUFFEmNG MAY BE EVEN UNTO DEATH. Of this God keeps illustra- tion for every age. There are no martyr ages. Men die for Christ by overwork, by -exposure, by peril, nowadays, as truly as when our fathers burned at stakes and died in prisons. 'l'he Martyns, and Williamses, and Browns, and Pattisons, are the proofs t,hat still baptism into Ghrist may mean baptism unto death. UL SUFFERING MAY BE BORNE, AND DEATH MAY BE ENDURED, THR01'GH FAITH IN THE RESURRECTION. 1.'iiere is a sufficient sustaining motive. Without a cle:ir and full ,belief in the life beyond, men may well say that Christians are mad to put themselves under such painful limitations and endure such accumulated suffering. " If the future ,were no Christian doctrine, then the whole apostolic life-nay, the whole Christian life- were a monstrous and senseless folly. Grant an immortality, and it all has meaning; deny it, and it was in Paul a gratuitous folly." Impress what baptism into Chris, pledges for us now. Show what forms of trial and suffering it may involve for us now. And urge what a sublime light of meaning on present trial is shed from the Christian revelation of the resurrection-life, with Christ.-R. 'l'.
Ver. 33.-" Evil communications." This sentence is taken from a work by Menander, .and may be regarded as an indication of St. Paul's acquaintance with classical literature. 'foo much, however, must not be made of this, because so sharply defined a sentence miaht very well have become a common proverb, and the apostle may only have kn~wn it in this form. As a proverb it was designed to embody the truth that evil words are dangerous. The constant repetition of an immoral maxim may lead to immoral life. "Words that seem harmless, because they float lightly like thistleJown, 548 THE FITIST EPISTLE TO TIIE CORINTilIANS. [en. xv. 1-68,
may bear in them a seed of evil which may take root and brino- forth evil fruit." The apostle nsed it in reference to the mischievous moral influence "or those who deny the resurrection. It was, to the apostle's view, positively immoral to assert thnt the resurrection is only spiritual; that sin belongs only to the body, and so will pass away with its death. Dealing with the proverb in its more general applications, we note- I. MAN OANNOT AVOID CONTACT WITH EVIL MEN. We must meet them in busineRS and in all the various forms of life-association; and we cannot keep ourselves fre~ from their contaminating influence. We are like transplanted trees; the bad atmosphere for us is all around us, and the question is whether our vitality is stroncr enoucrh to thrive even under the had influence. Illustration of this point is very ab;_ndant and ready to band. It applies to evil thought as well as evil life. II. MAN MAY AVOID FRIENDSHIP WITH EVIL MEN. We can put firm limitations on the character of our relationships. Much of the practical wisdom in ordering our life- is shown in doing so. III. MAN MAY DE PRESERVED FROM TIIE INFLUENCE OF EVIL MEN. Mainly in three ways. 1. By due watching and care. 2. By adequate culture of the spiritual life into vigour and strength. 3. By cherished dependence npon the cruardincrs of Divine grace. A man may he in the world, and not of it. " " IV. MAN MAY BE A CORRECTIVE POWER ON EVH, MEN. Man may stand in three· relations to evil. 1. He may yield to it. 2. Ile ruay stand aloof from it. 3. He may master it. The last is at once the relation that is safe; and the relation to which, the Christian ruan is called, and for which be is endowed.-R. 'I'.