The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 134

It seems moro natt1ml to interpret the circumcision of Christ ns the circumcision under- gone by Christ, and to take the time from that event. It is not unnatural to pass from tho spiritual circumcision described to tho circumcision of Christ so understood, unless its spiritual significance is left out. That event was more than a mere honouring of the Mosaic rite, it pointed to (though it did not actually effect) its fulfilment. Did it uot point to Christ putting off in his death the body with which our sin wa.s asso- ciated? It could be said then that when Christ was circumcised we were spiritually circumcised in his circumcision. A cognate thought is added for the purpose of further ducidation. (2) Baptized with Ghrist in his baptism. As we interpret the circumcision of Christ of the circumcision undergone by Christ, so we interpret baptism here of the baptism undergone by Christ (not their baptism). It could be said that when he was baptized we were baptized in his baptism. There are two sides of baptism. (a) A going down into the water. "Having been buried with him in baptism." There is ~imi:ar language employed in Rom. vi. 4. We were buried with him throngh baptism into death. 'l'he language is evidently taken from immersion. It is said of Jesus that he came up out of tbo water, so we nre to understand that be went down into the water. 'rhere was, as it were, a burial under the waves. And as the coming up out of the water is connected in what follows with the resurrection of Christ, so we are to un<lerstarnl that the burial in baptism is connected with the burial of Christ. In baptism we arc represented as burying what Christ may be said to have put away in his grave-the old state of sin. 'l'be language employed here tells in fo,our of immersion as a scriptural mode. There is every reason to believe that it was the mode followed in Palestine in our Lord's day. It has an advantage over sp1inkling in pointing so strikingly to the burial of the old nature as in the grave of Christ. The only reason !hat can be urged against it is that it is not suitable in a cold climate. 'l'he use of water being all that is essential, the mode may be accommodated to altered conditions. On the other band, there is an identification of baptism with circumcision. What is the putting off and laying aside of the body of the flesh in the one, is the burial in tho other. And thus the language of the apostle seems to tell in favour of infant baptism. (b) A coming up out of the water. "Wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." The language is taken from the comin~ up out of the water which is associated with our Lord's baptism, but none the less truly does it 1ioint to !he fact of Christ's resurrection, which is clearly referred to. Christ went down into the grave, but came up again. So the belie,er disappears under the waters of baptism, but comes up to sight again. '!'his is a si,lo that is not presented in circumcision. In baptism there is an impressive exhibition of the fact that we nre regenerated. This uew lifo we get in union with Christ. 'l'he working of God was sigcally displayed in raising Christ from the dead. But that was more than a display of omnipotence. It is to be taken in connection with the remornl of the cause that operated in Christ's death and burial, viz. sin. Christ rose from tho dead the possessor of a new and endless life. And if we take as the object of our faith the working which raised Obrist from the dead, we shall become sharers with him in the same new and endless life. 3. Pa1·enthetical application of the being raised with Olirist to the Oolossians and to the Ge11tiles generally. "And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did be quicken together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses." There is a difficulty started here regarding the subject of the remainder of the paragraph. Meyer, Alford, ancl. Eadie make God the subject; Ellicott makes it Christ. Lightfoot makes it a case of a sudden change of subject. It can be said in favour of Christ being "subject," that he has been prominent iu the apostle's thought in the context as in the Epistle as a whole. It can also be said that the putting off from himself the principalities and powers is language which cau only be applied to Christ. On the other band, it is unnaturnl, with Ellicott, to pass from the thought of Christ being raised by God to the thought of Christ quickening himself. Nor is it satisfactory simply to say that there is a. sudden change of subject. 'l'he most natural solution of the difficulty seems to be to regard this verse ruJ parenthetical. The apostle 11pplies the thought of being roiseu with Christ, and, having done so, he proceeds with Christ as the subject as though the application had not beeu interjected. 'l'he Colossians had been in a. state of deadness. '!'heir deadness ,ms caused by their trespasses. '!'here is nothing of the p:rnthci~tic  128 THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [on, n.1-23.