“3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
(Romans 6:3-4 NRSV)”
“That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!
3-5 That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. (The Message)
Today we cannot skip over the next couple verses that bring up the topic of baptism that has divided Christian theologians through the centuries. We debate if baptism is to be by emersion (our whole body being put under water as we imagine the Jordon experience was at the time of John the Baptist) or is it sufficient to sprinkle water on the recipient? We debate between ritual and sacrament. We debate infant baptism or adult baptism. We debate, and many are confused by our debates. Mysteries are so hard and the Bible does not clearly give us rules surrounding baptism.
Paul seems to be connecting baptism as an outward expression of personal faith. He has presented an argument that shows Abraham’s faith that justified him was before the Mosaic Law was given and before circumcision was given. Faith in God’s promises is the foundation. Salvation is through Christ’s death on the cross and baptism is a way we tie faith and works together. I laid the Message, a more modern translation next to the NRSV as I think it explains the symbolism clearer.
It is our tendency to dismiss the marriage ceremony as a piece of paper today as we seek to be independent, free, and live our lives our way. But rituals and sacraments tie us to the core of our faith when we go through trials and when clouds cover the presence of God from our eyes of faith. My husband would call it anthropologically a rite of intensification. Paul talks about it as raising us to “newness of life” as we or our parents stand before witnesses and confess faith and as the community promises to love the person into maturity, during good and bad times. Baptism is a “boundary event” or a “defining moment” in our spiritual life. Martin Luther encouraged us to revisit and renew our baptismal vows daily. Even as marriage is not just the ceremony but also the relationship must be lived into on a daily basis, so too baptism is not just the church experience but also the beginning of that new life in relationship with God.
How does the reality of your baptism or lack of it impact your life? Let us spend a moment in prayer thanking God for the gift of faith.
On the Way to Wonder 