Gary W. Deddo – författare

In this 12-part essay, Dr. Gary Deddo explores the nature of the church and its ministry, with an eye toward equipping its members for the work of ministry.

An ethic is theological if it begins with God, rather than humanity. Who is God, and what is his purpose for humanity, and how is that implemented in our lives. Jesus gave two love commands: to love God with all that we are, and to love our neighbors. We cannot ignore the first (or collapse it into the second), for it is the foundation of the second. God sets the example, provides the motivation, and works it out in us. He has described for us what it should look like. But what then is the role of grace? Does it negate the importance of the ethics God has given? How do the statements of grace fit in with the commands of the New Testament?

This essay clarifies terms used in Grace Communion International to describe the salvation we have been given in Christ. Particularly important are the phrases "e;All are included,"e; "e;union [and communion] with Christ,"e; and "e;vicarious humanity of Christ."e; Although the original context is the way that GCI pastors used the phrases, the discussion is a clarification of what incarnational, Trinitarian theology teaches about the scope of the salvation work done by Christ and by the Holy Spirit.

This article is a revised version of a chapter by Gary Deddo in the book An Introduction to Torrance Theology: Discovering the Incarnate Savior, edited by Gerritt Scott Dawson. In this article, Dr. Deddo explains that ministry is not an add-on to our faith - it is something that flows out of our union with Christ. And when we consider the source, we can also see more clearly the form and content of our ministries.

God is three Persons in one Being. Within this Triune God, who is the Holy Spirit? What can we say about the work of the Holy Spirit without over- or under-emphasis? How do we respond to the Spirit?

Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, but what is it? Building on the work of George Ladd and Thomas Torrance, Gary Deddo describes the kingdom as existing now, as well as being a future reality; we now live with a partial realization of the future. What does this mean for the church and the way we interact with those who are not in the church?