2:12

In 2:11 Paul used circumcision as a figure of speech to describe what Christ does when a person becomes a Christian: he removes the person’s old, sinful nature. In 2:12 Paul used a different figure of speech: baptism. Baptism also describes and symbolizes what happens when a person becomes a Christian, but it includes something extra. In baptism, not only is the old, sinful nature put to death, but also God gives the person a new nature. Paul compared the death of the old sinful nature and the receiving of the new nature to the death and resurrection of Christ.

2:12a

And having been buried with Him in baptism: Paul compared the death of a person’s old sinful nature to Christ’s death and burial. Here Paul said that when a Christian is baptized, the act of going into the water is like being buried. In 2:12b he said that the act of coming out of the water is like rising from death. Therefore, baptism shows what happens when a person becomes a Christian—his old nature dies and he receives a new nature.

Since Paul was not writing about being literally buried, in your translation you may want to say something like this:

When you were baptized, it is as if you ⌊died and⌋ were buried together with Christ,

You may also want to repeat your translation of the phrase “sinful nature” from 2:11 in your translation as follows:

When you were baptized, ⌊your sinful nature died and⌋ was buried just like Christ,

with Him: The phrase with Him means “together with Christ” or “just like Christ.” It shows that Christians identify with Christ. Be careful not to translate this phrase in a way that implies that Christians were buried beside/alongside Christ at the same time as he was.

in baptism: This means “When you were baptized…,” or “At the time of your baptism…”

2:12b

you were raised with Him: The Berean Standard Bible implies that the phrase “in baptism” is only connected to the verb “buried.” However, in Greek this phrase actually is connected to the verb raised in 2:12b as well as to the verb “buried” in 2:12a. Therefore, Paul was comparing a person coming out of the water after being baptized to someone rising from the dead. This is the second part of Paul’s figure of speech. Paul was comparing the way God raised Jesus from death with the way he gives a new nature to believers.

with Him: As in 2:12b, this phrase with Him shows that people who are baptized identify with Christ. It does not mean that people were raised from the dead at the same time as Christ was.

2:12c

through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead: This means that believers are given a new nature by believing that God has the power to do it just as he had the power to raise Jesus from the dead.

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