Colossians 2:12
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Buried with Christ in baptism, they were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
What Does Colossians 2:12 Mean?
Paul moves to baptism as the picture of this new reality. Going down is buried with him -- a sharing in Christ's death and burial, the old life laid to rest with him.
But the grave is not the end: also ye are risen with him, raised to new life. The power that accomplishes this is no human ritual force but the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. The same almighty power that raised Christ raises the believer to walk in newness of life. Baptism dramatizes a real union: death and resurrection with Christ, received through faith in God's power. For the Colossians, this means they have already passed from death to life in him. No additional rite could add to what God has done -- they are united with the risen Christ himself.