Note: This is the first of a twelve-part study on the meaning of evangelicalism today.
For most of the past four decades of my life I have had a special, enduring interest (personal and professional) in the interpretation within the church and the general community, of the designation, or term “evangelical.”
As a native of that part of America that has traditionally been known as “the Bible Belt” (in my case, deep Southern Illinois), and coming from a family that had connections to a religious community with roots in a particular brand of Christian beliefs and orientation ( in my case, the Methodist traditions), naturally I formulated certain “religious” understandings which for me seemed to make sense. The matter of faith, from a religious perspective, is very personal, of course, and yet it usually depends upon the diverse influences in one’s upbringing and even factors during adult years, albeit given the opportunities to refine, change, or otherwise remove long-standing ideas from one’s opinions.
Likewise, with my personal background still very much a part of me, I have had the opportunity in my adult years to secure a graduate education in the field of theology, church history, and denominational polity, even broadened by several years as a professional clergyman.
Of great concern to me at this stage of my life, as I reflect on my own role in the “fellowship of believers”, the church, the Christian faith, or whatever context we might consider, is that there is what I consider to be a misunderstanding of the theological or Christian terms “evangel”, “evangelist”, “evangelical”, or “evangelism”, and that the frequent references to these terms by the media, or by society in general, often cause what I consider a major misuse of the terms, and, more importantly, a confusion among many persons who have questions about the mission of the Christian faith or their part in it.
So, the statement that follows is my personal effort to throw some light on how these terms might be interpreted. Under no circumstances is this statement meant to be a judgment on anyone’s understandings of the terms or their own religious commitments.
John Biggers, Tucson, Arizona, April 16, 2009
Table of Contents
An Introduction: Who and What, Really, is an”Evangelical”
“Evangel” Defined
To Become or Not to Become a Christian
Self-Proclaimed “Evangelicals”
‘You Must Be Born Again”
Exclusivity
Christianity Takes its Place in History
Judaism as the Forerunner of Christianity
Dealing with “Pagans”
Jesus on the Scene: A Welcomed Savior/Messiah
Christianity Grows Up
The Evangel–A Job for Each or All of Us; If and When
Appendix A-C: The ABC’s of the Christian Faith
A. The Scriptures
B. The Structure
C. The Spirit
In Summation
Part One
Who and What REALLY is an “Evangelical” ?
EVANGEL DEFINED
Two of the languages by which the Christian faith was first considered to be expressed among its followers were the Hebrew and Greek dialects that were most in use in the Middle East region (fondly referred to as “the Holy Land”) during what the Western World now calls the First Century . We are referring to cultures and languages that existed over two thousand years ago. Of course, they have been translated and intrepreted into modern languages throughout history.
One of the cornerstones of the Christian faith (as a system of beliefs, doctrines, and practices ) is the English word “evangel”, adapted from the Greek language word for “bearer of good news“, and which was utilized over two thousand years ago by the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth, who was, and still is, referred to in a reverential manner as “Jesus, the Christ“, and commonly known by Christian adherents as “Jesus Christ”.
Another frequent reference to Jesus in church parlance is “Messiah”, adapted from the Hebrew language and tradition for “the One” expected by the Jews to “save” or “redeem” that religious community (which in those ancient times–and also in recent years– was constantly trying to avoid oppression or slavery.)
The written account of this faith-history, that is thought to cover at least one thousand years before the advent of Jesus, is called “the Old Testament” (which means “covenant” or “promise”) by Christians, who traditionally have believed that it was a foretelling of the revelation of a plan for “salvation” by God, thus laying the ground work for the arrival of Jesus, who Christians commonly refer to as “the Son of God”, a concept that emanated from the Hebrew reference to “Yahweh”, or “Jehovah”, or God, as the “Father” of all creation.
The reference to God as a “Father” very possibly comes from the Jewish paternalistic traditions, which in large measure have been used in Christian traditions over the centuries, perhaps resulting in the early references to males as supposedly the closest “disciples” (learners/teachers) of the beliefs among the community that called itself “Christian”. Again, this resulted from the accepted belief that many, if not most, early followers of Jesus Christ were of Jewish background. But, then, church history also shows an early departure from the Jewish faith, as the local Christian communities developed their own distinctive beliefs and practices.
Of course, Christians have preserved the faith-historical account of the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ, in what is called the “New Testament”; which also includes the writings of the early leaders in the Christian movement, who interpreted what they believed was the essence of the message Jesus Christ left for his followers to share with anyone with whom they came into contact.
Once the church became an established religious and cultural force in the Western World, it was only logical that scholars in the tradition would strive to define the faith in more specific and organized terms, thus the New Testament was established as the basic source of the faith, and considered along with the “Old Testament” as the underlying teachings about the purpose and mission of Jesus Christ. The English word “bible” ( literally, “library” or collection of books ) has long been used as the term for the collection of the scriptures that were retained in the Old and New Testaments.
Needless to say, the Bible has been the motivation for countless writings over the centuries, wherein efforts to interpret the meaning of faith have been an ongoing challenge for persons who either claimed to follow the Christian tenets, or otherwise sought to challenge their authenticity or purpose. The same goes for social and personal efforts to explain what the Christian experience means to individuals and to the world at large. The discussions and debates continue; and most likely will have no end!
For many Christian believers in the early centuries, and still today, the word “evangel” means “the bearer of glad tidings” or “good news” that was made manifest in what the followers of Jesus believe was his life, death, and resurrection from the the dead; this good news being (from my interpretation) that: In a world of struggle and challenges, e.g. war and violence, poverty, illness, unhappiness, dishonesty, and, ultimately, death (all of which is theologically referred to as “sin”, that is, being separated from God or God’s plan for humankind), there is the promise of hope or “deliverance from ‘sin’ and death” in the face of the worst that life can bring us. This good news is also a message about life that is most reassuring and reinforced when it is shared within a community of fellow believers; the Christian word for which is “the church”.
My basic belief is that the above description of “the bearer of good news”, “the evangel”, is not something that can be, or must be, empirically observed in all events of one’s life, or relegated to any specific person, persons, or events, in the life of society; but, it always remains as a source of hope and a motivating and guiding force that enables each of us, and together as a community, to reach for healing and wholeness in the face of those divisions and devastations that have plagued and continue to plague us.
This good news, also called “gospel” (using Greek language of that day), we are told from the accounts surrounding the Christ event more than 20 centuries ago, is a message that each person who hears it has a responsibility to share the same good news in his or her own life. Thus, hearers of this word are also called upon to be messengers; namely, evangel-ists (bearers of good news).
Following the example of Jesus Christ, whose fate was one of being reviled and rejected by the leaders of his day, resulting in his own suffering and death, the early Christians took seriously the admonition that he reportedly gave them, “take up your cross daily and follow me.” For these beliefs many of these early believers suffered the same fate.
Those of us who like to “talk religion” (and perhaps try–I emphasize “try”– to “live” according to our religious beliefs) may become part of some group, organization, or system of beliefs (or “doctrines”) that will underscore and define where we are coming from and where we are headed, in terms of life’s scheme of things. It is a comforting, reassuring feeling that may help us in the midst of storms and strife, personal and social. For some followers of Jesus Christ this may be referred to as a sense of “salvation”, ( some like to refer to this as having one’s “soul saved”), knowing that the cares of the world will not overcome us. In the extreme, this ultimately means that even the event of our death does not defeat us.
From the teachings of Jesus Christ, and his early followers, as they tried to capture his words in the scriptures, this happening to any one or all of us is a gift; not something earned, not some sort of honor. In one poignant passage of the early writings, Jesus is quoted as saying, simply, “He who has ears, let him hear.”
The good news is available to everyone.
