Baptism Buried Christ Dead Death Entirely Father's Glorious Glory Newness Order Placed Power Raised Walk
6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead {d} by the glory of the Father, even so {e} we also should walk in newness of life.
(d) So that Christ himself, being released of his infirmity and weakness, might live in glory with God forever.
(e) And we who are his members rise for this purpose, that being made partakers of the very same power, we should begin to lead a new life, as though we were already in heaven.
6:4 We are buried with him by baptism into death. The argument is that a burial implies death. Baptism is a burial, therefore its subject has died. As Christ died through sin, we die to sin; as the Crucified Christ was buried, we who have died to sin through the gospel are buried with him. As death and burial separate from the natural life, so death to sin and burial into Christ should completely sever our relation to sin.
That like as Christ was raised up from the dead. The glorious power of the Father lifted up Christ from the tomb. So we, too, rise from the watery burial, with death and burial between us and the old life of sin, in order to walk in newness of life. Conybeare and Howson write:
This passage cannot be understood unless it is borne in mind that the primitive baptism was by immersion.''
Dr. Philip Schaff says:
That the custom of baptism by immersion is alluded to is generally admitted, but the emersion is as significant as the immersion.''
Godet states:
It seems to us very probable that the apostle alludes to the external form of the baptismal rite in the primitive church.''
And John Wesley says:
The apostle alludes to the ancient manner of baptizing by immersion.''
6:4 We are buried with him - Alluding to the ancient manner of baptizing by immersion. That as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory - Glorious power. Of the Father, so we also, by the same power, should rise again; and as he lives a new life in heaven, so we should walk in newness of life. This, says the apostle, our very baptism represents to us.
6:3-10 Baptism teaches the necessity of dying to sin, and being as it were buried from all ungodly and unholy pursuits, and of rising to walk with God in newness of life. Unholy professors may have had the outward sign of a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness, but they never passed from the family of Satan to that of God. The corrupt nature, called the old man, because derived from our first father Adam, is crucified with Christ, in every true believer, by the grace derived from the cross. It is weakened and in a dying state, though it yet struggles for life, and even for victory. But the whole body of sin, whatever is not according to the holy law of God, must be done away, so that the believer may no more be the slave of sin, but live to God, and find happiness in his service.
Baptism Buried Christ Dead Death Entirely Father's Glorious Glory Life Newness Order Placed Power Raised Walk
Baptism Buried Christ Dead Death Entirely Father's Glorious Glory Life Newness Order Placed Power Raised Walk
