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The words "to be" are in italics, showing they are not in the original Greek. They are
not needed. Paul was a "called apostle", saved and called by the risen Christ.
Again in Phil. 3: 15 we read:
"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded."
But the apostle has stated that he himself was not at this stage perfect or mature, nor
had reached the goal in the race in which he found himself, pressing forward for the
"prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (3: 14). This being so, it was very
unlikely indeed that any believer in the Philippian church had outstripped him in
experience. The Greek reads literally: "as many as perfect therefore" showing that the
figure ellipsis is here. We must therefore supply the words "would be" or "wish to be".
Paul is setting the example for all who desire, not only to run the heavenly race, but to
reach the goal and attain the prize. In I Cor. 15: 29 we have one of the problematic
verses of the New Testament:
"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?"
Many have been the interpretations put on this verse. The Mormons use this to bolster
up their idea of baptism, vicariously on behalf of someone who has died, though what is
this supposed to achieve, expressed in New Testament terms? The New Testament
knows nothing of such a practice and it was not heard of until the second century and
then among the heretics. Some have thought it means that the apostle refers to those who
were baptized on the basis of the testimony of some who had died. Others that the verse
refers to young converts who took the place in the church of older believers who had
passed away, and yet again Paul was thinking of baptism as a symbol of death and is not
referring to those who have died physically.
We believe the best explanation has been given by Dr E.W. Bullinger in his Figures of
Speech. Re-punctuating the verse and supplying the ellipsis he translates:
"What shall they do who are being baptized? [It is] for dead bodies, if the dead rise
not at all."
That is to say, water baptism has no meaning apart from resurrection, and to this
chapter 6: of Romans plainly testifies and moreover it fits in to the context in chapter 15:
The afore-going will give some idea of the great importance of figures of speech as
used in the Scriptures. All sorts of wrong ideas and false doctrines can arise where these
are not recognized and understood. We would strongly advise the reader to obtain a copy
of Dr. Bullinger's monumental work referred to above. Unfortunately it is out of print,
but occasionally may be obtained through a second-hand bookseller.