Posted on 07/10/2008 3:51:12 AM PDT by Gamecock
[ee’-van-jel‘-ih-kul]
(Greek euangelion, “good news” or “gospel”)
A transdenominational term that finds roots in the historic church, but most commonly, from a theological standpoint, represents those who identify with historic Protestantism and are committed to 1) the necessity of conversion to Christ, 2) the authority of Scripture, 3) the spread of the Gospel message, 4) a belief in the Five Solas of the Reformation, 5) a belief in the Nicene Creed and Chalcedonian statement of faith. Evangelicalism is not represented by any leader or institutional structure, but is representative of an ethos the permeates many Christian traditions.
TWOTD Ping
A word that has lost it’s meaning in today’s church.
Say more?
Once upon a time if you said Evangelical, people would envision the above definition.
Now adays, it was said by a high placed Evangelical, “Evangelicalism spans a range from RC Sproul to Benny Hinn.” (paraphrase)
Sorry, but most TV prachers, who folks consider to be Evangelicals, are not.
Interestingly, evangelical is not a bible word.
Evangelist is. The evangel is.
There is no “evangelical” that appears in any search I’ve conducted.
“Evangelical” in our era means “a theologically and socially conservative Church attender.”
If one had constructed such a word in the early church, it would have had to have something to do with “telling others the Good News of Jesus’ atoning death, burial, and eyewitnessed resurrection.”
The "good news" is not immediately clear in the counsels, but I think if we view them eschatologically we can at least entertain the notion that those who take up such "counsels" are seeking to proclaim by their lives the promise of the Kingdom.
In my conversations about preaching, I like to point out that what gets preached (prae-dicere, proclaim) is news. We don't go around "proclaiming" ethics or geometry.
So if we're engaged in Christian preaching we'd better be proclaiming good news. That may sound like a big duh, but the number of "sermons" that are instructions, explanations, or studies suggests to me that some people have not digested this "duh".
I have been told that early Lutherans called themselves Evangelicals. Can’t prove that is true mind you....
Five Solas of the Reformation
Imagine Man Reforming The Catholic Church of God..Founded by His ownly son... Like Man Can do Better...
In The Catechism of the Catholic Church a Man who makes a decision to put himself above GOD commits a sin!
Okay. I blush to admit I am not a student of TV preachers. Are you saying this because most of them are sort of Arminian or because they just generally wander off the reservation, or what?
Even though you are not a student, some names may be familiar. Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes.
They make Mormons look orthodox.
Considering how men screwed it up...
You know what it is: When the press gets ahold of a term like "Evangelical" they mess it up and make it almost useless right away. For them evangelical probably means "loud, a tad bizarre, funny hair". It's amazing anyone believes the papers.
Unfortunately, these days, even this broad definition doesn't really apply.
Benny Hinn thinks there are nine Persons in the Trinity, and that he can heal people by swinging his coat at them.
Joel Osteen has purdy hair, but thinks there should not even be a mention of "sin" in the church today.
T.D. Jakes is a Trinity-denying Oneness Pentecostal heretic.
The German Lutherans still call themselves evangelicals.
They are the “Evangelische” church in Germany and are not called “The Lutheran Church.”
I listen to the Catholic Channel on Sirius Radio, and they have a really funny talkshow host, Lino Rulli, who was talking about Joel Osteen’s mullet hairstyle one day-—he said it was a little Joel up front but Osteen in the back
I tend to agree with you.
However, the use of “evangelical” assumes that anyone using the label is “pro-family balanced and stable,” just like those old theologically and socially conservative evangelicals of the last few decades.
In that sense, “evangelical” is a bit of a Trojan horse in terms of politics.
I was under the imprssion that evangelical has become a catch all phrase for recoginzed protestant churches, be they Reformed or Lutheran. Much of it depends on the location inside of Germany.
I know Wikipedia is not carved in stone, but they list the following, note that some have Lutheran in the title:
Evangelical Church of Bremen de:Bremische Evangelische Kirche
Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Brunswick de:Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche in Braunschweig
Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Hanover de:Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Hannovers
State Church of Lippe de:Lippische Landeskirche
Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg de:Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Mecklenburgs
North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church de:Nordelbische Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg de:Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Oldenburg
Pomeranian Evangelical Church de:Pommersche Evangelische Kirche
Evangelical Reformed Church - Synod of Reformed Churches in Bavaria and Northwestern Germany de:Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche - Synode evangelisch-reformierter Kirchen in Bayern und Nordwestdeutschland
Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Schaumburg-Lippe de:Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Schaumburg-Lippe
Evangelical State Church of Anhalt de:Evangelische Landeskirche Anhalts
Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia de:Evangelische Kirche in Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz
Evangelical Church of Silesian Upper Lusatia de:Evangelische Kirche der schlesischen Oberlausitz
Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau de:Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau
Evangelical Church of Hesse-Kassel and Waldeck de:Evangelische Kirche von Kurhessen-Waldeck
Evangelical Church of the Palatinate de:Evangelische Kirche der Pfalz (Protestantische Landeskirche)
Evangelical Church in the Rhineland de:Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland
Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony de:Evangelische Kirche der Kirchenprovinz Sachsen
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony de:Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Sachsens
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia de:Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Thüringen
Evangelical Church of Westphalia de:Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen
Evangelical State Church of Baden de:Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria de:Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern
Evangelical State Church of Württemberg de:Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg
That’s funny.
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