Colossians 2 12

Colossians 2:12 kjv

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Colossians 2:12 nkjv

buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Colossians 2:12 niv

having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Colossians 2:12 esv

having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Colossians 2:12 nlt

For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Colossians 2 verses

Colossians 2 12 Meaning

Colossians 2:12 profoundly declares that believers are spiritually united with Christ in His death and resurrection. This verse illustrates that, through baptism as a visible identification, believers have died to their old life of sin and the control of worldly principles, and have simultaneously been raised to a new life in Christ. This spiritual reality is actualized and experienced "through the faith of the operation of God," emphasizing that it is God's divine, powerful working, exemplified in raising Christ from the dead, that grants this new spiritual existence. It highlights Christ's sufficiency and the believer's complete spiritual transformation in Him, distinct from any human rituals or philosophies.

Colossians 2 12 Context

Colossians 2:12 stands within Paul's powerful defense of the supremacy and all-sufficiency of Christ against various false teachings permeating the Colossian church. Chapter 2 particularly warns against "empty deceit" of human philosophy, traditions, legalism (e.g., food regulations, Sabbath observance), angel worship, and false humility. Paul asserts that in Christ alone "all the fullness of God dwells bodily" (Col 2:9). The preceding verse (Col 2:11) introduces the concept of spiritual circumcision "made without hands," which is the "putting off of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ." Verse 12 then clarifies that this spiritual transformation—dying to sin and being made alive to God—is vividly pictured and declared in baptism, being solely an outcome of God's miraculous resurrection power activated by faith, not human merit or ritualistic performance. It directly refutes any notion that external acts or human wisdom could add to what Christ has fully accomplished for believers.

Colossians 2 12 Word analysis

• Buried: (Greek: sygkaphentes - literally "having been buried together with"). This participle denotes a past action that resulted in a state. It signifies a profound identification with Christ's death, implying a complete separation from one's former life dominated by sin. It is a death to the old self, akin to physical burial symbolizing the end of a former existence.
• with him: Emphasizes inseparable union and identification with Christ in His historical, salvific act. It is not an individual's burial, but a shared experience with Christ.
• in baptism: (Greek: en tō baptisma - "in the immersion"). This points to the Christian practice of baptism, which serves as a visible symbol and declaration of an invisible, spiritual reality. While involving water, the focus here is on what the ritual represents and confirms: union with Christ in His death. It signifies being submerged into Christ's identity.
• wherein: Connects the spiritual reality (being buried and risen) directly to the act or meaning of baptism. It's the sphere or context in which this spiritual union is powerfully illustrated and participated in.
• also ye are risen: (Greek: synēgerthēte - "having been raised together with"). This also indicates a past, completed action with ongoing effects. Just as believers share in Christ's death, they also share in His triumph over death. It signifies new spiritual life, an awakening from spiritual death to a walk in God's resurrection power.
• through the faith: (Greek: dia tēs pisteōs - "through the faith"). This clarifies the instrumental means by which this spiritual transformation occurs. Faith is the essential human response and connection to God's work. It is not baptism itself, but faith, that accesses the power. It implies personal trust and reliance.
• of the operation: (Greek: tēs energeias - "of the divine working/power/energy"). This term refers to an inherent, powerful, and effective working. It underscores that this spiritual transformation (burial of the old self and resurrection to new life) is not a human accomplishment or ritualistic effect, but the result of God's supernatural, dynamic power.
• of God: Explicitly names the source of this "operation" or power. God Himself is the agent of resurrection for Christ and for the believer.
• who hath raised him from the dead: Grounds the believer's spiritual resurrection in the literal, historical resurrection of Jesus Christ. This specific reference reinforces God's omnipotence and makes Christ's resurrection the ultimate demonstration and guarantee of God's power to raise the spiritually dead.

Words-group analysis:

• Buried with him in baptism: This phrase links the spiritual identification with Christ's burial (dying to the old self, sins, and the law's curse) to the outward act of water baptism. The act itself is a testimony to an internal spiritual death, symbolizing repentance and rejection of a former way of life.
• wherein also ye are risen with him: Completes the spiritual reality. If we died with Him, we are also guaranteed new life with Him. This new life is resurrection life, empowered by God, freeing believers from the power of sin and death, allowing them to walk in spiritual vitality.
• through the faith of the operation of God: This highlights the crucial role of faith. It's not the physical act of baptism that saves, but the living faith that trusts in God's mighty "operation"—His power, specifically His power demonstrated in Christ's resurrection. This guards against mere ritualism and emphasizes God's sovereign work in salvation.
• who hath raised him from the dead: This foundational truth underscores the immense, undeniable power of God. The resurrection of Christ is the pattern and proof for the believer's spiritual resurrection, guaranteeing both present spiritual newness and future physical resurrection.

Colossians 2 12 Bonus section

The active spiritual participation mentioned in Colossians 2:12 ("buried with him," "risen with him") is indicative of what has already happened to every believer through their identification with Christ at salvation. It's a statement of established spiritual fact rather than an exhortation for a future act. This theological indicative (what is) provides the powerful basis for the subsequent imperatives (what believers ought to do, found later in Col 3:1-5). The spiritual circumcision "made without hands" in Col 2:11, referring to the "putting off of the body of the flesh," is parallel and intertwined with the spiritual burial in baptism in Col 2:12, both signifying the break from the old sinful nature. This emphasizes a complete spiritual deliverance from the power of sin and adherence to old ways, all achieved solely through Christ and God's power, appropriated by faith.

Colossians 2 12 Commentary

Colossians 2:12 serves as a pivotal theological statement on Christian initiation and identity. It beautifully encapsulates the spiritual reality of a believer's union with Christ: a past, completed, spiritual death to sin and the old nature, and a concurrent spiritual resurrection to a new life. This profound reality, symbolized in baptism, is not achieved by human effort, ritualistic magic, or philosophical enlightenment, but entirely by the potent "operation of God." The emphasis is consistently on divine power and activity, especially as manifested in Christ's literal resurrection.

Paul confronts the legalistic and mystical heresies at Colossae by reminding believers that they are complete in Christ. Their new identity, forged in spiritual death and resurrection, renders superfluous any attempt to achieve spiritual standing through outward rules, traditions, or angelic veneration. Baptism is presented not as a magical saving act per se, but as the visual testimony and confirmation of what God has already wrought spiritually through faith in His resurrection power. This transformation frees believers from the "elementary principles of the world" (Col 2:8) and equips them for a life of freedom and true devotion. Practically, this verse encourages believers to live consistent with their new identity in Christ, seeking the things above because they have been raised with Him (Col 3:1).