Verse 3 Were baptized into his death. The idea expressed in this passage seems to be this,--that, by the union of the believer with Christ, represented by the rite of baptism by which it is consummated, he under goes a change analogous to the death and resurrection of Christ; for, as Christ, at his crucifixion, brought one life,--that is, his life as mortal man,--to a close, and by his resurrection commenced a new life, as it were,--that is, his immortality,--so the believer closes his life of sin, and commences a new spiritual existence. Thus he becomes dead to sin, and alive to God. (Romans 6:11.) That this is the meaning, appears to be distinctly stated in Romans 6:4.