{"id":85095,"date":"2025-02-26T09:59:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T15:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=85095"},"modified":"2025-02-26T09:59:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T15:59:32","slug":"obervations-on-the-significance-of-baptism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/obervations-on-the-significance-of-baptism\/","title":{"rendered":"Obervations on the Significance of Baptism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Nathan Smelser<\/p>\n

I have a few observations on the oft-overlooked significance of baptism in the New Testament.<\/p>\n

When Paul writes to the saints and faithful brethren in Colossae, he repeatedly contrasts their formerly dead state with their present life in Christ.<\/p>\n

For example: “…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<\/em> [Christ] from the dead<\/em>” (Colossians 2:12).<\/p>\n

Thought Questions:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Who raised the souls of the faithful from the dead? (God)<\/li>\n
  2. …based on what what condition? (faith)<\/li>\n
  3. …on what occasion? (when buried with Him in baptism)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Paul goes on to make application for those who have<\/p>\n

      \n
    • “died with Christ<\/em>” (Colossians 2:20),<\/li>\n
    • “been raised up with Christ<\/em>” (Colossians 3:1),<\/li>\n
    • “have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God<\/em>” (Colossians 3:3),<\/li>\n
    • “have laid aside the old self with its evil practices<\/em>” (Colossians 3:9),<\/li>\n
    • “and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge<\/em>” (Colossians 3:10),<\/li>\n
    • “those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved<\/em>…” (Colossians 3:12).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThese are those who, in faith, have died with Christ in baptism and been raised to life in Him.
      \n[See also Romans 6:2-14, Acts 2:38, I Peter 3:15, Mark 16:16, etc.]\n

      For those who reject baptism by arguing that salvation is by faith alone, I really do not want to be rude at all, but I do suggest sober thought be given to this question:<\/p>\n

      Does someone even have faith (in the working of God) if he rejects the instructions in God’s Word because it doesn’t make sense to him?<\/p>\n

      There is a very helpful illustration in II Kings 5:1-14 that may help break through the man-made confusion on this.<\/p>\n

      I hope you quietly and prayerfully consider whether these things are broadly consistent with God’s Word.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      by Nathan Smelser I have a few observations on the oft-overlooked significance of baptism in the New Testament. When Paul writes to the saints and faithful brethren in Colossae, he repeatedly contrasts their formerly dead state with their present life in Christ. For example: “…having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[52],"class_list":["post-85095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-baptism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":55578,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/circumcision-proves-the-necessity-of-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":85095,"position":0},"title":"Circumcision Proves the Necessity of Baptism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 7, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Kent Heaton The apostle Paul appeals to the \"saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse\" to discharge the philosophies of men and embrace Him who has the preeminence in all things (Colossians 1). The church at Colosse had been troubled by the teachings of men that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95595,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/baptism-faith-in-the-powerful-working-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":85095,"position":1},"title":"Baptism – Faith in the Powerful Working of God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edwin Crozier I honestly do not understand why there is so much debate surrounding baptism. To be clear, I get the doctrinal wranglings and how they have developed. I just don't understand how they hold sway in light of what the Bible clearly says about baptism. I'm not even\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40177,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-the-efficacy-of-baptism-in-our-faith-in-god-does-that-mean-faith-is-more-important-than-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":85095,"position":2},"title":"Is the efficacy of baptism in our faith in God? Does that mean faith is more important than baptism?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What is meant by Colossians 2:12, \"in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead\"? Is it teaching the efficacy of our baptism lies in our faith in God? If so then one of the faith\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29048,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-spiritual-significance-of-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":85095,"position":3},"title":"The Spiritual Significance of Baptism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 26, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Mark Larson via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 6, Feb. 8, 2009. \"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15168,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/doesnt-colossians-212-clearly-show-that-baptism-is-a-work-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":85095,"position":4},"title":"Doesn’t Colossians 2:12 clearly show that baptism is a work of God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 25, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Doesn't the following verse very plainly show that baptism is not a work of man, but rendering obedience to God's will? \"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).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37907,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-it-be-faith-or-the-faith-in-ephesians-28-and-colossians-212\/","url_meta":{"origin":85095,"position":5},"title":"Should it be “faith” or “the faith” in Ephesians 2:8 and Colossians 2:12?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings brother Hamilton, I am perplexed as to what the later part of Colossians 2:12 means, \"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye have risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.\" Does this part of the scripture\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85095\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}