Origins in Christianity
Tertullian (Against Marcion 10) attributes the practice of 1 Corinthians "baptised for the dead" to the Marcionites, and Epiphanius of Salamis (Panarion 28) to Cerinthus, as the custom of baptizing dead bodies and giving the Eucharist to them has sometimes been interpreted as baptism for the dead. Thus John A. Tvedtnes, a Hebrew and early Christian scholar at Brigham Young University writes:
| “ | That baptism for the dead was indeed practiced in some orthodox Christian circles is indicated by the decisions of two late fourth century councils. The fourth canon of the Synod of Hippo, held in 393, declares, "The Eucharist shall not be given to dead bodies, nor baptism conferred upon them." The ruling was confirmed four years later in the sixth canon of the Third Council of Carthage. | ” |
John Chrysostom (Homilies 40) alleges a similar practice among the Marcionites of the same century: if one of their followers who was being prepared for baptism died before receiving baptism, the dead person's corpse was addressed with the question whether he wished to be baptized, whereupon another answered affirmatively and was baptized for the dead person. In the same passage, explained Paul's mention of people being "baptized for the dead" as a reference to the profession of faith in their own future resurrection that Christians made before being baptized.
Read more about this topic: Baptism For The Dead
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