Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover
Unless you ascribe to baptismal regeneration, the burial and ressurection from the waters of baptism are symbolic of the burial of the old man and his walking in new life. It is a public declaration of what has occurred to the inner man. At the same time baptism is indeed a vital part of initiation for the new Christian, declaring openly what God has done in ones life.
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Scriptures for you statement... Also no it's not just a declaration or SYMBOLIC of what has happened(scriptures please) it is what the Bible says UNITING LITERALY! READ THE TEXT!
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 By no means! How can we
who died to sin still live in it?
Is that literal?
Rom 6:3 Do you not know that
all of us who have been
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Thus Paul asks the question of ackowledgment of how the STATED FACT HAPPENED! Thus the ALL OF THIS is LITERAL! Also notice the other direct stated fact of happening "baptized INTO Christ"! Does it say repented or anything else? NO! Does repentance bring you properly before the alter properly? yes! Is it though the reality of what happens on it? NO! Baptism is the reality of his death/crucifixion/blood applied to you!
Rom 6:4 We
were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,
in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Thus he continues his point of the LITERAL! To get to the point why we are baptized INTO HIS DEATH. WHY? IN ORDER THAT! You cannot say it is meaningless symbology when baptism must come first "IN ORDER THAT"! Why? Death must proceed life! You make baptism with you statement destitute of any spiritual reality!
Rom 6:5 For
if we have been
united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
pretty much explains itself.
Rom 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him
in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing,(DESTROYED,PUT TO DEATH) so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
It was crucified... HOW? Baptism! Which all the previous places point to baptism being OUR DEATH WITH HIM!
In ORDER THAT we might not be enslaved to sin. Which goes back to his first point of;
"How can we who died to sin still live in it?" We can't because we died to it in baptism and have been seperated from it IN BAPTISM! Which he pretty much says in the very next verse.
Rom 6:7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Which goes BACK to his whole question in verse 2!