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!

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[1] BDAG.

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