Baptism does what nothing else can. As Martin Luther said, by baptism “we are made holy and are saved, which no other kind of life, no work upon earth, can attain.” All of God’s promises come together ...

Baptism was not a new idea. There is evidence that a monastic group called the Essenes used baptism at their monastery at Qumran as a type of ritual cleansing. Qumran was in the Jordan wilderness ...