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Books and Booklets

Books and eBooks by Gary Deddo

George MacDonald: A Devotional Guide to His Writings by Gary W. Deddo (April 1996) Paperback
God, the Bible and the Shack - by Gary and Cathy Deddo (June 2010) Pamphlet

A Theology of the Holy Spirit
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?

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​What Does the Bible Say About the Kingdom of God?
Sometimes Jesus talked about the kingdom of God as if it were already here, and sometimes he talked as if it were far in the future. Which is it, and how does it affect life right now? Another way to approach the question is to observe that Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, but his disciples preached about Jesus. Why this difference in focus, and why does it matter for us today?

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The Christian Life and Our Participation in Christ’s Continuing Ministry
​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. When we consider the source, we can also see more clearly what ministry looks like.

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​The Church and Its Ministry
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.

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​The Kingdom of God
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?

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These featured booklets are by Dr. Gary Deddo, PH.D.

Gary has a vital interest in subjects such as ministry, integration of faith, learning and vocation, evangelism, pastoral counselling, and apologetics--topics of concern for a more general readership.
Gary's passion is to see the best of Christian academic studies, especially theological studies, made accessible to the general readership.

The above eBooklets are downloadable in PDF format by right-clicking the relevant image and choosing 'save target as'  - click here for ebook versions

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GCI eBooklets: What Does The Bible Say About...? 

Old and New Covenants

Christians sometimes wonder why the Old Testament and New Testament are different. Some theologians stress similarity, but others stress differences. In this book, we examine every biblical occurrence of the Hebrew and Greek words for covenant. We also look at related subjects: "the law of Moses," whether tithing is commanded for Christians, and the role of the Ten Commandments in Christian ethics ​

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Wine and Alcohol Abuse

​Many religious people believe that the Bible forbids any use of alcoholic beverages. But this is a distortion of the Bible and of ancient history. Although the Bible does not forbid alcohol, it does mention the abuse of alcohol. It is a serious social problem, and this series of articles addresses alcoholism, how it is treated, how we can avoid it, and the special needs of women.

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The Holy Spirit

This collection of articles examines key biblical passages about the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues - Acts 2, 10, 1 Corinthians 14, and others. The Bible neither forbids nor requires tongues-speaking; tongues are sometimes inspired by God, and other times not. Suggestions are given as to how this unusual phenomenon may best be used. By Michael D. Morrison and Joseph Tkach and others. ​

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Suffering

​If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why doesn't he do something about the pain and sorrow being experienced by the people he supposedly loves? How can he wipe hundreds of thousands of people out in earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and famines? Why doesn't he stop war, terrorism, and child abuse? Why doesn't he do something about the evil that lurks in the hearts of all of us? Well, he has.

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Women in Church Leadership

​In 2004, Grace Communion International began a thorough examination of women in church leadership positions, such as pastors. A careful study was done in Scripture, with special attention to certain key NT texts. Both complementarian and egalitarian scholars sometimes push the evidence further than is warranted. With a cautious approach, we concluded that women may serve as pastors. ​

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The Sabbath

​A systematic examination of each scripture about the Sabbath, with careful attention to what it says and what it does not say. Special attention is given to Genesis 1, the teachings of Jesus, and the practice of Paul. The book concludes with a summary chapter addressing the most common arguments. Conclusion: Christians are not required to observe the seventh-day Sabbath.

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Worship

A series of articles about the differences between Old Testament worship and New Testament worship, and how that plays out in churches today, with different traditions and preferences. ​

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The Millennium

​Bible prophecy is an often-misunderstood and abused subject. How should we approach the topic - is there something that can give us an overview? What about the millennium, a topic that divides many scholars of equal ability and equal respect for Scripture? Is there any common ground for us all?

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The Kingdom of God

​Sometimes Jesus talked about the kingdom of God as if it were already here, and sometimes he talked as if it were far in the future.

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The above eBooklets are downloadable in PDF format right-clicking the relevant image and choosing 'save target as' - click here for ebook versions

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GCI eBooklets: Exploring the Word of God...

James, 1st & 2nd Peter

In this lay-level commentary, we cover one verse in James and four chapters in 1 & 2 Peter; that is all we have now. But what we have, we offer to you for your encouragement and instruction.

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Corinthian Letters

This is a lay-level commentary of selected chapters in 1 and 2 Corinthians. Our goal is to make the main message plain, and easy for people to see how it is based on the text. ​

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Acts 24-28

Paul Kroll completes his commentary on the book of Acts with an examination of the final chapters: from Paul's trial before Felix, to his arrival in Rome. ​

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Pastoral Epistles

In this lay-level commentary, Michael Morrison, instructor in New Testament at Grace Communion Seminary, examines Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus. All chapters of 2 Timothy and Titus are covered; the work is not done on 1 Timothy. ​

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1st & 2nd Thessalonians

In this lay-level commentary, Michael Morrison examines the purpose and flow of 1 Thessalonians, from 1:1 to 5:13. An overview of 2 Thessalonians is given, with extra chapters devoted to the rapture and the man of sin. ​

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Galatians

Galatians, one of Paul's earliest letters, clearly states the gospel of salvation by grace without any need to keep the laws of Moses. But this does not mean that Paul does not care about how a Christian lives - he includes numerous instructions about it.  Michael Morrison, Professor of New Testament at Grace Communion Seminary, explains how it all works together. Written for lay readers. ​

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Hebrews

In this lay-level commentary, Michael Morrison examines the story-flow of the epistle to the Hebrews, showing the author's rhetorical strategy and its significance for Christians today. Two additional chapters focus on the question of the validity of Old Testament laws for believers today. Dr. Morrison wrote his dissertation on the book of Hebrews and now teaches at Grace Communion Seminary. ​

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Romans

​In this lay-level commentary, Michael Morrison goes through the entire letter to the Romans, commenting on what it means for us today. The focus is on what we do know, not on controversies that have no resolution.

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Ephesians

In 13 lessons, Lorenzo Arroyo guides you through the Epistle to the Ephesians, with questions designed to help you explore what this book meant and what it means today. Chapters 2 and 5 are explored with commentary by Michael Morrison. ​

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​Colossians and Philemon

In this lay-level commentary, Michael Morrison explores the details of Paul's letter to the Colossians and to Philemon. In Colossians, Paul insists that Christ is fully sufficient for our salvation; we do not need to add any extra knowledge or rules to qualify for the kingdom. In his letter to Philemon, Paul asks Philemon to treat a slave as a brother, and to send him to help Paul. ​

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Acts 8-11

Paul Kroll continues his commentary with an examination of four more chapters, including the expansion of the church in Judea, Galilee and Samaria, the conversion of Paul, the Gospel goes to Gentiles, and the church expands to Syria.​

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Philippians

In this lay level commentary, Michael Morrison, instructor in New Testament at Grace Communion Seminary, examines the story-flow and each verse of Philippians. Paul encourages the believers in Philippi to imitate the self-sacrificing love of Jesus, and he points out several examples of people who have done so. ​

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Revelation 1-3

In this lay-level commentary, Paul Kroll explores the book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse. A series of introductory articles explore the nature of this kind of writing, and its purpose. Some commentators have turned Revelation into an outline of history, when that is not its purpose. The commentary then turns to chapters 1-3, including the seven letters to the seven churches. ​

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​The above eBooklets are downloadable in PDF format by right-clicking the relevant image and choosing 'save target as' - click here for ebook versions

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