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What did St. Paul teach about baptism and union with Christ?

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Caravaggio: The Conversion of St. Paul (second version) — St. Paul the Apostle *The Conversion of St. Paul* (second version), oil on canvas by Caravaggio, 1601; in Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.

For St. Paul the Apostle, baptism serves as the essential means for an individual to escape the overwhelming power of sin. Paul taught that through baptism, a believer is "baptized into" Christ, effectively being "buried with" him.12

This act of baptism facilitates a profound union with Christ, which Paul described as becoming "one" person with him. By being united with Christ in his death, the believer mystically or metaphorically dies to the power of sin that reigns in the world. This union is transformative:12
* Newness of Life: Dying with Christ grants the believer "newness of life" in the present.2
* Future Hope: This union guarantees that the believer will be raised with Christ in the future.2
* Inclusivity: In this state of being "in Christ," traditional social and religious distinctions—such as Jew or Greek, slave or free, and male or female—are transcended, as all become one in him.1

Ultimately, Paul viewed this union as a "clothing" of oneself with Christ, marking a definitive transfer from the power of sin to the power of Christ.1