“...buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead”
(Colossians 2:12 NKJV)

Without baptism, one is still dead in sin

Paul is writing to those who have already been baptized, reminding them of what happened in this act.

1. They were buried with Him (Christ) in baptism.
2. They were raised with Him as they emerged from the watery grave.
3. This happened through the working of God—the One who raised Jesus from the dead.
4. Baptism thus typified the reality of death and resurrection. Death is the negative side, resurrection is the positive.
5. False teachers asserted that the Colossians needed circumcision to be complete in Christ (cf. Acts 15:1). Paul shows what Christ did: He performed the Colossians’ true circumcision: putting off the body of the flesh (removal of the old man, Colossians 3:9): see Colossians 2:11.
6. This circumcision took place in baptism (Colossians 2:12) when they were buried with Christ and raised with Him. This spiritual circumcision removed their sins. “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Colossians 2:13).

Before: they were dead in sins and uncircumcision (their physical condition symbolized their spiritual state). Now: their spiritual circumcision (baptism) has put off the body of sins of the flesh (Colossians 2:11), raised them with Him, and made them alive with Him, by forgiveness (Colossians 2:12-13).

This passage parallels Romans 6:3-5. “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Without baptism, one is still dead in sin.

– Rick Duggin