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4.We have then been buried with him, etc. He now begins to indicate the object of our having been baptized into the death of Christ, though he does not yet completely unfold it; and the object is — that we, being dead to ourselves, may become new creatures. He rightly makes a transition from a fellowship in death to a fellowship in life; for these two things are connected together by an indissoluble knot — that the old man is destroyed by the death of Christ, and that his resurrection brings righteousness, and renders us new creatures. And surely, since Christ has been given to us for life, to what purpose is it that we die with him except that we may rise to a better life? And hence for no other reason does he slay what is mortal in us, but that he may give us life again.
Let us know, that the Apostle does not simply exhort us to imitate Christ, as though he had said that the death of Christ is a pattern which all Christians are to follow; for no doubt he ascends higher, as he announces a doctrine, with which he connects, as it is evident, an exhortation; and his doctrine is this — that the death of Christ is efficacious to destroy and demolish the depravity of our flesh, and his resurrection, to effect the renovation of a better nature, and that by baptism we are admitted into a participation of this grace. This foundation being laid, Christians may very suitably be exhorted to strive to respond to their calling. Farther, it is not to the point to say, that this power is not apparent in all the baptized; for Paul, according to his usual manner, where he speaks of the faithful, connects the reality and the effect with the outward sign; for we know that whatever the Lord offers by the visible symbol is confirmed and ratified by their faith. In short, he teaches what is the real character of baptism when rightly received. So he testifies to the Galatians, that all who have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. (Gal_3:27.) Thus indeed must we speak, as long as the institution of the Lord and the faith of the godly unite together; for we never have naked and empty symbols, except when our ingratitude and wickedness hinder the working of divine beneficence. (185)
By the glory of the Father, that is, by that illustrious power by which he exhibited himself as really glorious, and as it were manifested the greatness of his glory. Thus often is the power of God, which was exercised in the resurrection of Christ, set forth in Scripture in sublime terms, and not without reason; for it is of great importance, that by so explicit a record of the ineffable power of God, not only faith in the last resurrection, which far exceeds the perception of the flesh, but also as to other benefits which we receive from the resurrection of Christ, should be highly commended to us. (186)
(185) That the mode of baptism,immersion, is intimated by “” has been thought by most, by [Chrysostom ], [Augustine ], [Hammond ], [Pareus ], [Mede ], [Grotius ], [Doddridge ], [Chalmers ], and others; while some, such as [Scott ], [Stuart ], and [Hodge ], do not consider this as necessarily intended, the word “” having been adopted to express more fully what is meant by being “” and there being another word, “” used to convey the same idea, which cannot be applied to the rite of baptism.
“ with him,” means buried like him, or in like manner; and so “ with him,” in Rom_6:6, is the same : συν prefixed to verbs, has clearly this meaning. See Rom_8:17; Col_3:1; 2Ti_2:11. “ death” is not to be connected with “” but with “” it was “ baptism into death,’ that is, which represented death, even death unto sin. — Ed.
(186) [Beza ] takes διὰ by, before “” in the sense of εἰς to, “ the glory of the Father;” but this is unusual. It seems to be a metonymy, the effect for the cause: it was done by power which manifested and redounded to the glory of God. The word “ , δόξα is used for power in Joh_11:40. The Hebrew word, עוז strength, power, is sometimes rendered δόξα by the Septuagint; see Psa_68:34; Isa_12:2. God’ power is often expressly mentioned in connection with the resurrection; See 1Co_6:14, 2Co_13:4; Col_1:11. — Ed.