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NASB | Colossians 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Colossians 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God, [as displayed] when He raised Christ from the dead. |
Bible Question:
Dear Nolan, Greetings in Jesus' name! Are you then saying that both water baptism AND baptism of the Holy Spirit are integral parts of this 'migration' from the Old Testament to the New Testament? I think the problem may be that we try to separate the three baptisms as completely different things. (sorry, I don't count 'baptism for the dead' among the 'pertinent' baptisms) Perhaps, if we look at if from the viewpoint of the writer of Hebrews, we may see that all three baptism are 'washings,' to the New Testament believer, and together they work to the end of sanctification. In this way, all three participate in our 'circumcision of heart,' and fulfil the promise and the command. My friend, I bring this forth humbly, as to one that has just recently made a decision to be baptised. :-) To reject water baptism as nothing to do with Colossians 2:11 and 12 seems out of order with the Scriptures. In Christ Jesus, charis |
Bible Answer: Greetings charis! Let me give you my point of view, the point of view of one who has been recently baptised! :-) Water baptism is not completely excluded from the meaning expressed in Colossians 2:11 and 12.. We are commanded to baptize and be baptized (Matt. 28:19, Acts 2:38). Water baptism is important because it is our outward affirmation and a public declaration of the inner transformation that has already been accomplished. We are, in effect, making a confession that Jesus Christ is Lord during water baptism (Romans 10:9,13), since this publicly symbolizes that our allegiance is now with Christ. With all that said, just as circumcision symbolized man's need for the cleansing of his heart (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 9:26; Acts 7:51), it was the outward sign of that inward cleansing that came by faith in God. Water baptism symbolizes man's burial of his old sinful nature and raising with Christ through having faith in Him. At salvation, the sinful nature is crucified, dead and buried, resulting in a new birth, a spiritual "circumcision", a new creation in being converted by grace through faith. This inner transformation that occurs at salvation is being "born again" (John 3), it is the Baptism by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11) and the Baptism by fire (Matthew 3:12, Luke 2:35, Isaiah 6:6-7, 1 Peter 3:21). Through the Baptism by fire, we have cleansing from sin. Through the Baptism by the Holy Spirit, we have been raised with Christ as "partakers" of His death, burial and Resurrection! And we have been born again as new creatures under a new covenant, a new allegiance, and a new eternity! This occurs at Salvation with one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph. 4:5), that being the Baptism of Jesus Christ! This one baptism encompasses the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Baptism by fire, which happens at the same instant (salvation) as one baptism, by which a believer is placed into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:11-13). Water baptism is included in Colossians 2:11 and 12 simply because it is symbolic and a reminder of the baptism that occurred at salvation. Water baptism is a public declaration of what being baptized in Jesus' name is all about: that we are now under the spiritual authority of Christ, since He has made all of this possible by His saving grace. We mustn't feel as if we absolutely need to undergo water baptism, but we must be baptized under the authority of Jesus Christ (Spiritual baptism, also known as salvation) if we ever hope to reach heaven. However, we must continue to practice water baptism so that we can publically declare to the world and to all the principalities and spiritual forces that we are now a child of God and saved by His grace. Now, since Hebrew babies were circumcised as infants (Phil. 3:5), does this mean that the baptism of infants is also entirely warranted? That is an entirely different question, my friend! :-) Blessings to you, Nolan |