Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, April 25, 2103 Read – Colossians 2 One of Paul’s insights is that baptism is a picture of death and resurrection – as a person enters the waters of baptism they enter into death and are buried with Christ and as a person comes up out of the water they are made alive in Christ. Baptism by immersion is assumed in this picture. Of course that does not mean that only immersion baptism is effective. It is interesting that in this connection between baptism and death/resurrection Paul has “spiritualized” or “symbolized” the event. While the gospel writers tell of the baptism of Jesus it is likely that they did not think of Paul’s analogy between baptism and death/resurrection. Of course Jesus did speak of his own death as a “baptism” (Mark 10:39) but Luke omitted that part of Mark from his gospel.