MARSHALL The Meaning of the Verb 'Baptize' 21
people being under a cloud and going through the midst of water, as if on
dry land; there is no suggestion that rain was descending from the cloud.
In the latter case, Noah and his family were borne safely on the surface of
the water in the ark.
There are only two passages relating to Christian baptism in the New
Testament which might be taken to demand as their background thepractice of immersion. These are Rom. 6.4 and Col. 2.12 where the plung-
ing of the baptized beneath the water and their return to the surface has
often been thought to symbolize their death, burial and resurrection with
Christ. The analogy between baptism and dying and rising with Christ isnot uncommon at the sermonic level, but there is less unanimity among the
more recent commentators.^40 But it is important to note that the source of
baptism without immersion, and the Egyptians immersion without baptism' (quoted by
John Macleod, Scottish Theology in relation to Church History since the Reformation
[Edinburgh: Free Church of Scotland, 1943], pp. 253-54).
- The matter is not discussed in W. Sanday and A.C. Headlam, The Epistle to the
Romans (ICC; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1895), pp. 156-57. The symbolism is accepted
by J. Denney (W. Robertson Nicoll [ed.], The Expositor's Greek Testament [London:
Hodder & Stoughton, 1912], II, pp. 632-33); Flemington, Baptism, p. 59; G.R. Beasley-
Murray, Baptism in the New Testament (rept. London: Paternoster, 1972),p 133;F.F.
Bruce, The Letter of Paul to the Romans (TNTC; Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 2nd
edn, 1985), p. 129. C.K.Barrett, A Critical andExegetical Commentary on the Epistle
to the Romans (BNTC; London: A. & C. Black, 1957), p. 123, sees baptism by immer-
sion as picturing burial. It is mentioned in passing as possible by C.E.B. Cranfield, The
Epistle to the Romans (2 vols.; ICC; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1975,1979), I, p. 302.
This possibility is strongly rejected by J.D.G. Dunn, Romans 1-8 (WBC, 38; Dallas:
Word, 1988), p. 312, who insists that baptism is a symbol of cleansing and not of death
or burial (although he grants that the suggestion is not 'entirely absurd', as H. Ridder-
bos, Paul: An Outline of his Theology [London: SPCK, 1977], p. 402, had rather more
strongly affirmed). D.J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT; Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1996), p. 362 n. 54, mentions briefly that the symbolism of immersion and
emersion is seen as a secondary factor by many but significantly does not take it up
himself. J. Ziesler, Paul's Letter to the Romans (NTC; London: SCM Press, 1989),
p. 157, goes no further than saying that 'there may also be a reference to the practice of
immersion in baptism'.
Commentators on Colossians are more sympathetic to the imagery: J.B. Lightfoot,
Saint Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (London: Macmillan, 8th edn,
1886), p. 182; R.P. Martin, Colossians: The Church's Lord and the Christian's Liberty
(Exeter: Paternoster, 1972), p. 86; J.D.G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to
Philemon (NIGTC; Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 1996), p. 159, who is surprisingly posi-
tive here as compared with his attitude in his commentary on Romans! Contrast, P.T.
O'Brien, Colossians, Philemon (WBC, 44; Waco, TX; Word Books, 1982), pp. 118-21.