When Religion Becomes Obsolete, Christ Does Not
By Russ Lackey | Mark Mattes
01/20/26
19mins

When Religion Becomes Obsolete, Christ Does Not

American religion did not become optional because the gospel failed. It became optional because religion slowly redefined itself around usefulness.
Behold the Lamb
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
01/19/26

Behold the Lamb

The Passover wasn’t just Israel’s story; it’s ours.
Psalm 12, Part 2: The Saint Fails, The Word Purifies
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
01/16/26

Psalm 12, Part 2: The Saint Fails, The Word Purifies

God makes us pure saints by planting us back in the earth we imagined we needed to escape.

All Articles

1517 Staff
1517 Staff
10/23/21

A Lot Can Happen in Forty-Five Seconds

Forty-five seconds is about how long I have as a pastor leading a Sunday morning service to sit at the feet of the cross and receive Jesus’ body and blood given to me by the hands of another at the Lord’s Table.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
10/20/21

The True and Better Naboth

When we — sinful, reprehensible we — become the enforcers of justice, we never bring about true justice. We either go too far or not far enough.
Magnus Persson
Magnus Persson
10/15/21

The De-formation of the Church and the Need for Re-formation

The church’s reformation is not about fragmentation, but a way forward to unity around that which is central to the church, around Christ and him crucified.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
10/14/21

Erasmus versus Luther - Bound to Be Free, Part 7

Luther understood when the Word of God came it did not offer sinners a choice.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
10/12/21

A Q&A for How Melanchthon Helped Discover the Gospel

This is a Q&A for 1517 Publishing’s newest release, “How Melanchthon Helped Luther Discover the Gospel,” by Lowell C. Green. This release also marks the launch of our new Melanchthon Library.
Philip Bartelt
Philip Bartelt
10/11/21

Luther at Augsburg

Even if not a turning point, 1518 is a point of no return for Luther.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
10/09/21

The Mystery of Faith

The Son of God is still God the Son in the Incarnation.
1517 Publishing
1517 Publishing
10/08/21

"Faith" in the Mature Luther

The way to salvation does not consist in works invented by men, but that which leads to God is believing and trusting in Him.
Valerie Thur
Valerie Thur
10/07/21

Martha: Herald of the Gospel

Martha’s pain is not met by a to-do list. Jesus’ reply is not that she should try harder or change her behavior
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
09/30/21

Mary: When Gabriel was Frightened by Mary

Grace does not emancipate us from any requirement of obedience. Rather, grace allows Jesus to be obedient on our behalf that the righteous demands of the law can be fulfilled.
1517 Publishing
1517 Publishing
09/24/21

In Search for the Meaning of Grace

Except for the Augsburg Confession, Melanchthon’s Loci communes of 1521 were the most important of his writings.
Kelsi Klembara
Kelsi Klembara
09/23/21

Deborah and Jael: Thelma and Louise Defeat God's Enemies

God uses the unlikely, the unexpected, and sometimes even the unsavory to deliver us and to crush the heads of his enemies
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