The meaning of death, dust, and of the grave, is transformed, although none of these is taken away. A collect from the Office of compline puts this well: by resting in the sepulchre, Christ \u201csanctified the grave to be for us a bed of hope\u201d. All that finds its most profound expression in baptism, which is a redemptive entering into the death and burial of Christ, that we might die to sin, and share in his resurrection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is rather an upbeat \u2014 although entirely serious \u2014 approach to salvation: it is a vivification, a sharing in life. Barth also thought about the burial in terms of sin and salvation in a more sombre tone. Christ\u2019s burial, he wrote, showed us God\u2019s attitude to sin: that \u201cthere is nothing else to be done with sinful man, except to bury him and forget him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here is not the comforting idea of God as keeping company with us in death. Here, rather, is God\u2019s fierce anger dealing with sin itself. God puts our sinful humanity in the ground with a terrible finality. He does not accommodate himself to sin: he destroys and buries it. Again, baptism makes this clear: there is something about us \u2014 our sin, our guilt, the \u201cold man\u201d (or woman: Romans 6.6) \u2014 which does not make it out of the baptismal font.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p> Theology Matters: The Gospel 📖 in All of the Creed: Andrew Davison continues his occasional series #Faith<\/a> #ChurchTimes<\/a> @AP_Davison<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/JAu4AGf1v1<\/a><\/p>— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) September 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>