Question:  Dear Greg,

            Can you please explain Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:4?  Can one be buried without going down into something and can they be raised if they are already standing?

            Ruty

Answer:  Dear Ruty,

            These passages speak of the death of the old man and the new life in Christ, the life that the resurrected Lord lives in those who believe in him.  Both of these passages are speaking symbolically, using a metaphor of death and life, for this happens while we continue to be physically alive.  If you are asking whether these words refer to the mode of baptism—the specific way in which someone should be baptized—the answer is no.  They cannot be used to say such a thing, for they use symbolic and not literal language.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht