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Baptism: Colossians 2:6-15

6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 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 from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.—Colossians 2:6-15

18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. - 1 Peter 3:18-22


Baptism is practiced in many ways, and it’s easy to be confused about what it is and what it means. The word itself is the transliteration of the Greek word βαπτισμός (baptismos). Transliteration means how one would say the foreign word in their language. The translation is different: that is what the word means. The Greek word βαπτισμός means immersion.

Discussion Questions

  1. Both passages connect baptism to the New Covenant established by Jesus. How does this connection deepen our understanding of the significance of baptism compared to circumcision in the Old Covenant?
  2. Read Romans 6:4. Paul says we are “buried with Christ in baptism.” How does this imagery connect to the themes of death and resurrection in Colossians 2 and 1 Peter 3?
  3. Both passages link baptism to death and resurrection. How does this connection relate to our own spiritual journey and ongoing growth in Christ?
  4. Colossians 2:11 emphasizes the “circumcision made without hands” through Christ. How does baptism, as an outward sign, reflect this inner transformation and new covenant relationship with God?
  5. How does the symbolic element of cleansing water in baptism relate to the actual spiritual realities it represents?
  6. Both passages emphasize faith’s importance for meaningful baptism. How does our personal faith journey intersect with the act of baptism and its ongoing implications?
  7. How does our baptized life reflect our new covenant commitments? Explore practical ways to live out the values and principles associated with baptism in our daily lives.
  8. Share your own experiences of baptism. How has it shaped your faith journey and relationship with God?
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