Grace Communion Jamaica believes that theology should be rooted in the Bible, especially the New Testament. We see a reliable theology articulated by Irenaeus, Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzus, and more recently, Karl Barth, Thomas F. Torrance, and many others. This theology is often referred to as Trinitarian Theology due to its emphasis on the relational nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.Here is a summary of our core beliefs:
- The Father, Son, and Spirit are one God, united in love for one another.
- Jesus Christ, as the Word made flesh, is fully God and fully human.
- Jesus accurately reveals the goodness and love of God, and reveals humanity as God intended us to be.
- As our Creator, Jesus represented all humanity, and all people benefit from his vicarious humanity: his life, death, resurrection and ascension.
Jesus Christ atoned for all sin and suffered its full consequence. - God has in Christ reconciled all humanity to himself through his son, Jesus (Colossians 1:20). (However, universal atonement should not be equated with universalism.)
- The judgment of God against evil has been executed in Jesus Christ so that all might repent and receive forgiveness and, through the Holy Spirit, share in Christ’s resurrected, eternal life.
- People are exhorted to respond to this reconciliation and participate in the life for which we were all created.
- Jesus, as the nexus of divinity and humanity, has enabled humanity to participate in the life and love of the Trinity, which was God’s intent from before the beginning of time.
If you are interested in a comprehensive look at our doctrines, read The GCI Statement of Beliefs and to get an introduction to our theology, please read The God Revealed In Jesus Christ. You may also want to see our page on Historical Documents of the Church, which gives some information about a few of the early creeds of the church, which we also believe.