What Does Baptism Do?
By Brian W. Thomas
05/01/26
21mins

What Does Baptism Do?

This is an excerpt from the third chapter of By Water and the Word: God’s Gift of Baptism for You by Brian Thomas (1517 Publishing, 2026), pgs 52-60.
The Tree That Sweetens Every Sorrow
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
04/30/26

The Tree That Sweetens Every Sorrow

Even when the bitter places sink down deep into our bones, the Restorer never relinquishes his grip on you.
A Review of
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
04/28/26

A Review of "To Live Well: To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times" by Alan Noble

To Live Well is therefore not a general advice book, but a message suffused with the gospel.

All Articles

Ryan Couch
Ryan Couch
02/05/26

Fear is Dividing Us

Ultimately, Scripture does not confront fear with commands. It confronts fear with a promise.
Caleb Keith
Caleb Keith
02/04/26

On Being Made Holy

The Scriptures consistently speak about sanctification as a sure gift for the Christian.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
01/12/26

Christian Self-Defense Isn’t a Dirty Word

There’s a difference between refusing revenge and refusing responsibility.
Russ Lackey
Russ Lackey |
Mark Mattes
Mark Mattes
01/08/26

The Future of Lutheranism Belongs to Builders

The crisis is not merely that people are leaving. The crisis is that we have relinquished what is uniquely Lutheran and deeply needed.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
01/01/26

The Doctrine of God at Christmas

Christmas is not only about a cradle in Bethlehem, it’s also about a cross outside Jerusalem where salvation was won for us.
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
12/18/25

Psalm 11: The Lord is in His Holy Temple Loving His Own Righteousness

What God perceives is not what our eyes see; he is focused on righteousness because his love creates what is righteous.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
12/16/25

Christmas for the Spiritual but Not Religious

Christianity doesn’t start with our speculation about God. It starts with God’s self-revelation.
Adam Francisco
Adam Francisco
12/15/25

Be Kind...But Why?

Christ did not merely urge humanity to be kind. He embodied perfect kindness by giving his life for those who neither earned nor expected such a gift.
Philip Bartelt
Philip Bartelt
12/12/25

A Review of "Life Under the Cross: A Biography of the Reformer Matthias Flacius Illyricus" by Wade Johnston

Wade Johnston, Life Under the Cross: A Biography of the Reformer Matthias Flacius Illyricus, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis: MO, 2025.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
11/25/25

A Review of The Well That Washes What it Shows by Jonathan Linebaugh

“The well that washes what it shows” captures the essence of Linebaugh’s project, which aims to give the paradigmatic law-gospel hermeneutic a colloquial and visual language.
Matthew L. Rubinstein
Matthew L. Rubinstein
11/20/25

The Greatest of Psalms

If Psalms 1 and 2 reveal the Christ who reigns, Psalms 3 and 4 reveal the Christ who remains.
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
11/19/25

A Review of "The Quiet Ambition" by Ryan P. Tinetti

While Thoreau’s Walden is seen as a central text of that most American of virtues—self-reliance—quiet ambition as envisioned by Tinetti is exactly the opposite: dependence on God.
1517 is a Christian non-profit (501(c)3) multi-media organization. Our mission is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus alone.
1517.org
Search
Academy
Donate

1517 grants permission for our free online resources to be printed, photocopied, and otherwise used freely for private and church use. We require that authorship and source (1517.org) are referenced and maintained. These resources may not be sold or included in any publications for sale.