In this verse Paul indicates that baptism is not merely a picture, but an actual event in which the believer shares in Christ’s death with him. By translating shared his death, the Good News Translation makes clear the meaning of Paul’s expression “unto the death.” By his use of the definite article “the” before death, Paul indicates that the reference is to Christ’s death (see Moffatt “in his death”; Jerusalem Bible “joined him in death”). To render this either as “into death” (Revised Standard Version) or as “and lay dead” (New English Bible) is to overlook an important aspect of what Paul is saying. He is stating that by baptism the believer somehow shares both in Christ’s burial and in his death.
By our baptism may be appropriately expressed in most languages as “when we were baptized.” If this must be made an active expression, it is usually possible to employ some indefinite subject—for example, “when people baptized us.” In some languages baptism may be expressed more specifically as means, “by our being baptized.”
The metaphor we were buried with him may be translated as a simile, “we were, as it were, buried with him” or “we were seemingly buried alongside of him.”
The concept of shared his death may be difficult to express, but it is usually possible to employ some such phrase as “we also died” or “we died together with him.” In some languages it is necessary to place death before burial—for example, “when we were baptized we died, as it were, together with him, and we were buried together with him.”
The phrase “the glory of the Father,” when used instrumentally, is merely a circumlocution for speaking of God’s great power: by the glorious power of the Father (Phillips “by that splendid revelation of the Father’s power”).
It is possible to make the Father the subject of the expression raised from death and therefore translate as “just as the Father raised Christ from death” or “just as the Father caused Christ to live again.” By the glorious power may be translated in some languages as “by his wonderful strength” or “by means of his power which is so glorious.”
In some languages there is a special problem involved in translating the Father since “Father” may not occur without some indication of relationship or possession. One cannot simply say “with the Father” but must always have “his Father,” “our Father,” or some such designation of the Father as being related to someone else. In this type of context the most appropriate form is normally “our Father” (first person plural inclusive), since Paul would assume that the Christians to whom he is addressing the letter acknowledge God as a common Father.
“To walk in newness of life” is simply a Jewish way of saying “to live a new life”; it is not necessary to carry over the metaphor of walking as some have done (see New English Bible “so also we might set our feet upon the new path of life”).
In many languages one does not live a new life but rather “lives in a new way.” However, since this is the direct purpose of the Christian’s being buried with Christ and sharing in his death, it may be important to invert the last two clauses of verse 4, or even to separate them completely—for example, “in order that we might live in an entirely new way, just as the Father raised Christ from death by his wonderful power” or “in order that we might live in a new manner. This is similar to what happened to Christ whom God caused to live again by means of his wonderful power.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.