A prevalent misinterpretation views this verse as scriptural endorsement for proxy baptism on behalf of the deceased, as practiced in some modern denominations, but Paul neither describes, approves, nor institutes the custom; instead, he cites it hypothetically and critically against resurrection deniers, using their inconsistent behavior to affirm the reality of resurrection without establishing it as normative Christian practice.
I Corinthians 15:29
King James Version (1769)
29 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?
Paul employs a rhetorical question referencing a contemporary practice of baptism for the dead to bolster his defense of the bodily resurrection, arguing that such actions would be utterly pointless if the dead do not rise, thereby underscoring the logical necessity and foundational truth of resurrection hope in Christian doctrine amid Corinthian skepticism.