Should we get baptized in behalf of dead loved ones?
“Otherwise, what will they do who are being baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?”—- 1 Corinthians 15:29 NKJV
Based on the scripture above, Mormonism, the LDS Church, teaches that its members have an obligation to research their genealogy and get baptized for any of their deceased relatives who were never baptized in the Mormon Church. The problem with this multifold, primarily:
(1) The scripture is not translated accurately above. It should be translated as: “However, people are baptized because the dead will come back to life. What will they do? If the dead can’t come back to life, why do people get baptized as if they can come back to life” (1 Corinthians 15:29 GWT). This verse makes the point that getting baptized makes no sense if there is no resurrection.read more
What does the New Testament tell us about genealogies?
The genealogies leading to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, are vitally important as supportive proofs of his being qualified as God’s Messiah (Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38). So we definitely do need them, and should pay attention to them. Other Biblical genealogies, while being important for historical purposes, so we should be aware of them, but, nevertheless, are not of great importance for Christians. Please see the other two articles on this site about genealogies.
Beyond what is mentioned above, Christians are warned:
“Stop teaching false doctrine and occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies. These myths and genealogies raise a lot of questions rather than focusing on God’s plan, which centers in faith” (1 Timothy 1:3,4 GWT).
“Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9 NIV)
Apparently some first century Christians were indulging in unscriptural “controversial speculations” (NIV) that included “endless genealogies” (NIV), and “arguments and quarrels”. So Christians today can take this as a warning against doing the same things. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t study, discuss, and examine, different interpretations of the scriptures. The warning is actually against “genealogies”, petty quarrels and “speculations,” that “go beyond what is written in Scripture” (1 Corinthians 4:6 GWT). We should engage in fruitful, productive, discussions of the Bible that lead to wisdom (Acts 17:11; Proverbs 17:17).
Differences in Hebrew & Greek Genealogies of Genesis 5 & 11
There are some significant differences between the Hebrew and Greek genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11. Do these differences really matter?
“I want you understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return”—Philippians 1:9 NLT
The Bibles that we use today are generally based on a Hebrew Refined Master Text, usually the Biblica Hebraica. A comparison of the genealogies in Genesis 5:1-32 and Genesis 11:10-26 in the Old Testament in our modern Bibles, which are translated from the Hebrew Text, with the Greek Septuagint Version (LXX), reveals that the Greek version has more years between the time of Adam’s creation and Abraham, because: (1) The listed mens’ ages when their son is born are generally higher, often by 100 years; and (2) Cainan is included in the Greek Septuagint text, but not in the Hebrew text. However, the overall length of their lives remains the same, in the both the Hebrew and the Greek texts.
Below are listed the names of the men in the genealogies of Genesis 5and 11, where the Hebrew and the Greek texts differ, and the ages at the birth of their son, first in the Hebrew, next in the Greek, and then the differences in these two ages.
Some people today, including some who claim to be Christians, such as the Mormons, place much importance on genealogies. The Hebrew people recorded public genealogical records that document history, establish identity, and/or legitimate office. Family tradition, marriage, links to the past, inheritance and property rights were all important to them, as they are to people today (Deuteronomy 25:5-10; 1 Chronicles 1-9; Ezra 10:18-43). The key to legitimacy and identity is a direct irrefutable familial tie with the past. Bible and other genealogies may go backward in time from the present (1 Chronicles 6:31-33; Ezra 7:1-5; Luke 3:23-38), or forward in time from a certain point in the past (Genesis 5:1-32; 11:10-32; Ruth 4:18-23; Matthew 1:1-17). These two types of genealogies can be combined, as they are in Matthew 1:1-17. Additionally, genealogical rolls may either contain a simple succession of names or may be supplemented with expansive content pertaining to the activities of certain prominent individuals on the list.
Genealogies are prominent in both the early and late history of the Hebrews, and others. In the book of Genesis there are ten primary genealogical lists. One important thing is that these document the line leading to the Messiah, although Genesis itself does not tip the reader off to this purpose. For historical purposes, the lineagies of non-Yahweh worshippers, such as Cain (Genesis 4:17-26), Ishmael (Genesis 25:12-18), and Esau (Genesis 36) are also documented.
Genealogies were very important credentials to the Hebrew people. Abraham’s descendants through Isaac and Jacob were promised special blessings from Almighty God, which were guaranteed if they obeyed the conditions of God’s covenant with them (Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:3-8; Deuteronomy 11:22-28). However, if they could not prove they had descended from Abraham, they were not considered true Jews and were excluded from full participation in Jewish community life. So, a lost genealogy put one’s status as a Jew at risk. In addition, some privileges were restricted to members of certain tribes. For example, only descendents of Levi (Abraham’s great-grandson) could serve at the Temple. All this is well illustrated in the case of some returnees from the Babylonian exile, who could not prove their descent, “they searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so [the result was that] they were disqualified” (Ezra 2:59-63 NLT).
Do we today need to be concerned about our genealogy? No! However, if someone wants to check their (or someone else’s) genealogical ancestry, there is nothing wrong with that. But being obsessed with it, making it a matter of faith, or spending excessive time with it, goes against Biblical counsel. Notice:
“Command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work — which is by faith”—1 =&0=&
“But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, =&1=&
When we view matters in the light of Bible principles, making Bible and other genealogies to to be important issues of faith, or consuming inordinate amounts of time runs contrary to Bible principles.
Can God the Father of the Bible be the only Almighty?
“The Father is Almighty, the Son is Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet there are not three Gods, but one God”—The Athanasian Creed
Trinitarians assert, in probably their main creed, above, that ‘God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,’ all rolled into one Almighty God, but three entities at the same time. Of course, this makes no sense, but let’s see what the Bible says:
“We know that, ‘An idol is nothing at all in the world’ and that ‘There is no God but one’. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us
there is one God, the Father . . . and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christread more
There are some significant differences between the Hebrew and Greek genealogies of 
