罗马书6:5

作者：谢德华 (©By Edward Short)

Romans 6:5

©By Edward Short

“联合”，“结合”，“合而为一”，这几个词，意思都差不多一样。我结婚的时候，就跟我太太“结合”在一块儿。如果要建立一个美满快乐的家庭，夫妻都要“合而为一”。

《圣经》用同一个说法形容基督徒与耶稣基督彼此之间的关系。张三李四成为基督徒时，就要跟耶稣联结起来，联合起来。

也许您很想问我，一个人与耶稣基督“联结起来”，与耶稣建立这种往来，是由什么时候开始的呢？《圣经》罗马书六章五节告诉我们说，是从受洗的时候开始的。请听使徒保罗的话：“我们若在他死的形状上与他联合，也要在他复活的形状上与他联合”

当张三接受洗礼时，就象征着他经历了耶稣的埋葬和复活。耶稣钉十字架后，被安葬在坟墓里，第三天复活了。张三入水受洗时，象征他与耶稣一同埋葬。张三被埋在水里只有半秒钟，但是，当张三从水里出来时，又象征着他与耶稣一同复活。在那短短的时间内，张三就“在[耶稣]死的形状上与他联合”。从此以后，张三就是一名基督徒。

朋友，现在您晓得“洗礼”对基督徒是那样重要。您是否想要与基督“联合”呢？请您借着洗礼与耶稣基督联合，成为基督徒。

One aspect of English that makes it a unique language is the use of synonyms.  Unite, combine, integrate, link and ally all have similar meanings. Think about marriage, for example.  When we married, my wife and I were “united” in matrimony and we were “linked” together.  We were determined to establish a happy and harmonious home, so we  “integrated” with each other; we “combined” and “united” our  minds, purposes and lives. 

The Bible uses similar wording to describe the relationship between a Christian and Jesus Christ; the Bible says that a Christian is to be “united” with Christ.

And how is a person united with Christ?  When does someone begin such a relationship with Jesus Christ?  The answer is found in Romans, chapter six, verse five, which tells us that it’s in baptism that a believer is united with Christ.  The apostle Paul says, “If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection” [NIV].

When a person is baptized, he symbolizes the burial and resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus was nailed to the cross and then buried in a tomb but was raised on the third day.  When a person enters the water of baptism, he is buried with Jesus in a symbolic way.  His burial with Jesus beneath the water is but less than a second, yet it carries deep meaning.  When he comes up from the water, the person symbolizes his resurrection with Jesus.  In that very brief period of time he’s “united with [Jesus] like this in his death.”  In this brief moment, the person becomes a Christian.  He’s united, allied, combined, integrated and linked with Jesus Christ.

Now you understand why baptism is so important to Christians.  Don’t you too want to be united with Christ, to be allied and linked with the Son of God?  Be baptized into Christ, and thus be united with him and become his disciple.

Rev. and translated into English, Sept, 2005