baptism – JARRETT FLETCHER

Little words can pack a big punch. This is especially true in New Testament Greek. I came across such a word recently: σύν (or syn, pronounced ‘soon’). Its simple little word- a preposition that we often translate “with.” It is technically a marker of association or accompaniment.[1] I prayed with (syn) my wife at our wedding ceremony.

The apostle Paul uses this little word to communicate a lot about our relationship with Christ. In Romans 6:3-4, he says that we have been “buried with him” in baptism into death so that we might walk in newness of life. The phrase “buried with him” is actually one word in Greek- synthapto, which carries the preposition syn at the beginning. We could translate it as this: you have been co-buried with Christ.[2]

In Romans 6:6, Paul also says that we were sustauroō with Christ. Once again, the word is syn combined with stauroō, which means to crucify. So we could translate it: we have been co-crucified with Christ.

But Paul also tells us that we have been co-crucified with Christ for a specific purpose: so that we could suzaō (co-live) with him (6:8)! And then he proceeds to tell us that all of this was to make us co-heirs (synkleronomos) with Christ (8:17)! In this verse, Paul uses syn attached to the word for heir.

Paul’s point is this: anyone who has trusted Christ has been co-crucified with Christ, co-buried with Christ, co-resurrected with Christ, and is now a co-heir with Christ. Therefore, Paul says, we must consider ourselves “dead to sin and alive to God” (Rom 6:11). Why? “Because you have died, and your life is hidden with (syn) Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

In other words, every bit of our salvation can be traced back to this little word: with. When it is attached to or associated with Christ, there is much power in this little word. The same is true for us. We are nothing without him. But with him, we have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), now and for all eternity. Thank God for syn!

[1] BDAG.

[2] Chad Bird first made me aware of this possible translation in his book Limping with God.

Why do you live the Christian life? After coming to faith in Christ, why keep pursuing him? Why keep coming to church? Why should we keep reading the same stories, preaching the same gospel, and doing the same things? Why not try something new? Paul answers these questions in our text this week.

In Colossians 2:6-15, Paul encourages his readers to continually pursue Jesus, but he also tells them why. He writes, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (2:6-7).

Notice the command: walk in Christ! Paul adds, “just as you have received him.” In other words, they needed to hold fast to the gospel that was preached to them: salvation by grace through faith in the divine Son who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven (see 1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Christ is the vine, we are the branches (John 15:5). We are rooted, built up, and established in him (v. 7). Spiritual growth comes not by moving on to “bigger and better” religious practices or philosophies, but my remaining tethered to Christ and deepening our roots in him.

This leads to the second command: don’t be taken captive. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (2:8).

It’s almost as if Paul anticipates the Colossians taking the role of my six year old who’s favorite question is, “why?” The what is the command: walk in Christ! Don’t be taken captive by anything or anyone else! But the why is found in 2:9-15. In fact, there are multiple whys, multiple reasons why the Colossians, and why we by default, have no where to turn besides Christ:

1. The whole fullness of deity dwells in Christ.

This is another undeniable statement of Christ’s deity. “For in him [Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (2:9). What a statement! In Jesus, the whole fullness of God dwells bodily. This is the miracle of the incarnation. The Son of God became man in Christ. If that is true, why would the Colossians need to look to anyone or anything else?

2. You have been made complete in Christ.

“…and you have been filled in him” (2:10a). The fullness of God that dwells in Christ has made us complete in him. He who fills all things has filled us in him. In other words, the Son of God has made us whole. He has met our greatest need, which is reconciliation with God. Once reunited to him, we lack nothing. In Christ, we have everything (2 Peter 1:3).

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