The original intention was to undertake an exegetical investigation of this passage. However, it soon became obvious that, to understand the thought of the Apostle, it is impossible to confine one’s study to a simple passage. And so, though the original intention continued to remain the foremost concern, the problem assumed a broader scope, as the title of thesis indicates. Very naturally therefore, references to baptismal sayings outside the Pauline corpus lie outside the scope of this thesis, inasmuch as the purpose of the investigation is to ascertain the mind of Paul with regard to this sacrament
