Buried with him in baptism
The apostle goes on to observe how complete and perfect the
saints are in Christ; that they are not only circumcised in him
in a spiritual sense, and the body of the sins of their flesh is
put off, and removed from them, in allusion to the cutting off
and casting away of the foreskin in circumcision; but that they
and all their sins were buried with Christ, of which their
baptism in water was a lively representation: Christ having died
for their sins, was laid in the grave, where he continued for a
while, and then rose again; and as they were crucified with him,
they were also buried with him, as their head and representative;
and all their sins too, which he left behind him in the grave,
signified by his grave clothes there; and baptism being performed
by immersion, when the person baptized is covered with water, and
as it were buried in it, is a very significant emblem of all
this; it is a representation of the burial of Christ, and very
fitly holds him forth to the view of faith in the state of the
dead, in the grave, and points out the place where the Lord lay;
and it is also a representation of our burial with him, as being
dead to sin, to the law, and to the world, by him. This shows
now, that baptism was performed by dipping, or covering the whole
body in water, for no other form of administration of baptism, as
sprinkling, or pouring water on the face, can represent a burial,
or be called one; and this is what many learned interpreters own,
and observe on this place:
wherein also ye are risen with [him];
Christ is risen from the dead as the head and representative of
his people, and they are risen with him; and their baptism is
also an emblem of his and their resurrection, being administered
by immersion, in which way only this can be signified; for as the
going down into the water, and being under it, represents
Christ's descending into the state of the dead, and his
continuance in it, so the emersion, or coming up out of the
water, represents his rising from the dead, and that of his
people in him, in order to walk in newness of life; for the
apostle's meaning is, that in baptism saints are risen with
Christ, as well as in it buried with him: and this
through the faith of the operation of God;
that is, it is through faith that saints see themselves buried
and risen with Christ, to which the ordinance of baptism is
greatly assisting, where there is true faith; for otherwise,
without faith, this ordinance will be of no use to any such end
and purpose; and it is not any faith that will avail, but that
which is of God's operation; faith is not naturally in men, all
men have it not; and those that have it, have it not of
themselves, it is the gift of God; it is what be works in them,
and by his power performs:
who hath raised him from the dead;
this is a periphrasis of God the Father, to whom the resurrection
of Christ from the dead is generally ascribed; though not to the
exclusion of Christ, and of the Spirit, who were also concerned;
and is here added, partly to show in what respect faith, which is
God's work, has him for its object, as having raised Christ from
the dead, who was delivered for offences, but is risen again
through the power of God for justification, and whoever with his
heart believes this shall be saved; and partly to show, that the
same power is exerted in working true faith in the heart, as was
put forth in raising Christ from the dead.