Scripture & Logic : Identified with Christ

Romans 6 :3-5

3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the >dead through the glory of the Father, so also we may live ⌊a new way of life⌋.

5 For if we have become identified with him in the likeness of his death, certainly also we will be identified with him in >the likeness of his resurrection. (LEB)

Image I have a metal bust of Abraham Lincoln, but I also have a metal body of a man without a head. Suppose I want a complete sculpture, and so I weld the two together. Then I throw the metal bust of Lincoln into the pool in my backyard to give the metal some weathered character. Because the body has now been joined with and identified with Lincoln’s bust, this body is necessarily cast into the pool. After the plunge, I next raise the bust of Lincoln and display it in prominent place of honor in my house. Since the body is joined with the bust the body will necessarily enjoy the same prominent place of honor together.

By “baptized with” or “identified with” the root meaning conveys the concept of “united or joined with,” with the added concept of X is joined to Y; Y is plunged under the water; therefore, both X and Y are plunged under the water together since they are joined together. This plunging of X and Y means they are put under or covered up under death, and then they are covered over by endless victory of life.

Verse 4 makes a simple categorical syllogism. [We] is the minor term, [buried with him through baptism] is the middle term, and [in death] is the major term. And thus, this first statement of Paul has all 3 terms for the syllogism in a simple A is B is C. The next statement in verse 4 (then repeated in verse 5) gives an added term (D) that in fact necessarily follows from (C). Thus, this make a chain argument or sorites. Paul, however, takes this D term and formulates a simple Modus Ponens argument in a repeat in verse 5. That is, A is C, and C is D. Paul, does this to emphasize the “necessary connection” of the C term to the D. Thus, we will do the same by making two arguments. The first is a categorical, and then a modus ponens to emphasis the C to D necessary connection.

Again, when there is a basic A is B, and B is C categorical logic, it is legitimate to put this into a Modus Ponens if the point is to emphasis the necessary connection rather than directly the categorical placement of the group.

V.1. All [those united with Christ] are [those buried with Him in His death].

V.2. All [believers] are [those united with Christ]

V.3. Therefore, All [believers] are [those buried with Him in His death].

F.1. (P) IF believers have been identified with Christ’s in His death, (Q) THEN the necessary result is they will be identified with Christ in His resurrection.

F.2. (P) Indeed, believers have been identified with Christ’s death.

F.3. (Q) Therefore, they will be identified with Christ in His resurrection of endless power of life.

From my site:
https://osheadavis.org/2019/02/01/scripture-logic-identified-with-christ/