Modern Apostles. Baptism on Behalf of the Dead. Moses and the Rock.
by the Rev. Walter Snyder
Religion Columnist

Q: Why don't we have Apostles? Do you know of any churches with Apostles?

A: "Apostle" means one who is sent. In a strict Biblical sense, only those who were specially
schooled and sent by Christ are given that title. At times, those who worked with the Twelve
were also called "Apostles." It appears that the special gifts of the Holy Ghost were always
dispensed either directly by Christ or by this first generation and that once those who'd been in
contact with the Twelve directly died out, so did the special gifts. Thus, most churches do not
have people called "apostles" as part of their structure.

However, since all who are called to work in the Christian Church are "sent" by the Holy Ghost,
you might say that pastors are a continuation of the Apostolic Office. In the final sense, there is
one great Apostle: He is the One sent by His Father to accomplish mankind's salvation through a
perfect life and through His innocent suffering and death. Of course, this means Jesus Christ.

Q: What does 1 Corinthians 15:29 mean?

The passage reads, "Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If
the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?" Some think that this
means "at the request of" or "because of their testimony," where the dead were those who'd died
in Christ who urged their families to be baptized so they would share in the promise of eternal life.
Others think that Paul used a rhetorical device, speaking of a practice in the Corinthian
congregation of the living being baptized on behalf of the dead. If this was the case, he didn't say
that baptism for the dead did any real good, but that if people didn't believe in the Resurrection,
then such a practice couldn't have begun. Either interpretation works in the sense that it doesn't
develop a new doctrine not found anywhere else in Scripture, that the dead can be regenerated by
a baptism received by a living person. There is also another idea, since the word usually translated
"on behalf of" or "for the sake of" also means "over." Thus, some think that there was a group of
early Christians who literally baptized "over" the dead---that is, over the graves of departed
Christians, testifying to a belief that baptized believers might join them in death for a time, but that
all would be raised to glory. This is possible, but not as likely as either of the previous thoughts.

Q: Can you please tell me the Old Testament book and the passage where Moses took the
credit for the water that flowed from the rock? God told him to strike the stone with his
staff and God would make water flow from it. Is this not also why Moses could not enter
the Promised Land?

A: The reference is Numbers 20. It wasn't so much that Moses took credit, but that he disbelieved
and disobeyed God in his anger against Israel and struck it rather than speaking to it. The
command from God in verse 8 was, "Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and
Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water; so you shall bring water
out of the rock for them; so you shall give drink to the congregation and their cattle." In other
words, he was to speak, not strike. Perhaps the Lord didn't want people saying that it was just a
hollow rock full of water and all it took was a good clobbering from Moses' staff to crack it open.
Also, Moses spoke to Israel as if he and Aaron, rather than the Lord, were going to bring forth
water: "Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock? (verse 10)"

The incident concluded (verses 11--12), "Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his
rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle. And the
Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of
the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given
them.'" Whatever the reason for the command, this drastically changed the relationship between
God and Moses. Yet the Lord didn't abandon Moses. While he would die after being allowed to
view the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, men still honored him and God still loved him---while
Scripture lets us know that he was the greatest prophet until the coming of Christ.

To Ask the Pastor, please write Ask the Pastor, PO Box 12, Emma, MO, 65327 or send email
to askthepastor@aol.com. Find old columns at members.aol.com/askthepastor on the internet.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."

Ask the Pastor is copyright (c) 2001 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced  in totality,
including this disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said
republication and redistribution. Translations into other languages should similarly note
the United States and any appropriate international copyrights, as well as God's Scriptural
injunctions concerning the property of others.