The vindication of the premise consists in the appeal to the import of baptism: “Or do ye not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (vs. 3). The appeal is to their knowledge of the identification involved in baptism. Even if we suppose that the apostle is castigating them for failure to recognize and appreciate the implications of baptism the intent of his appeal is not altered. It is clear that he is eliciting from baptism the argument particularly relevant