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
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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
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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.

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Donavon Riley
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If God Would Just Choose Someone Else

The end of the pursuit isn't regeneration, but degeneration. We're fighting fire with bottles of gasoline.
Michael Berg
Michael Berg
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Jesus' Transfiguration and Our Lenses of Glory

God says, “Cross,” and we say, “Glory!” Sometimes – a lot of times – he knocks the glory glasses off our faces.
Kyle G. Jones
Kyle G. Jones
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The Introduction: Our Father Who Art in Heaven

This article begins an eight-part series inspired by the Lenten themes of catechesis, prayer, and repentance found in the Lord’s Prayer as Luther taught it in his Small Catechism.
1517 Staff
1517 Staff
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The Psychology of Crucifixion

The implications were clear: Jesus’ death destroyed the things that distinguished people as educated or uneducated, rich or poor, free or enslaved, black or white, pious or godless.
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Weaponizing Our Virtues

Virtue, like all good things, can easily be weaponized. And not only can, but constantly is. Indeed, I would argue that, for churchgoing, rule-following, tradition-honoring, morality-applauding people, virtue often becomes the cancer that we deem a badge of honor.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
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The Baptism that Swallowed the Rocks

The Church gathers around the Word and Sacrament in order to receive Christ and each other.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
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The God of Suicides and Evil People

His resurrection reveals that Jonah, and all of us, even the evilest people, are salvageable, even from suicide, in Jesus' death and resurrection.
Caleb Keith
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The Need to Recapture Catechesis

It would do us well to expand what we mean when we say catechesis and consequently broaden the reach of theological education into daily life.
Ryan Couch
Ryan Couch
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You Aren’t Jesus and You Don’t Need to Be

The gospel is the good news that in Christ we have been given the very righteousness of Christ himself. This means that everything God commands of us is given to us in Christ as a gift.
Philip Bartelt
Philip Bartelt
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Pelagius and Pelagianism

Pelagius maintained an orthodox appearance while rejecting original sin and the distinction between law and gospel.
Robert Kolb
Robert Kolb
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I’m Mortified and, If Not, I Must Get to It

God has placed preachers of His Word in the frontlines of His combat against Satan and all his minions that is fought out on the battlefields of the individual lives of believers.
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The Answer to All Our Questions About Salvation and Vocation

We confuse salvation and vocation in our quest to determine who is in control of our salvation.
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