Evangelicalism - An exposition
Christian Evangelicalism - How Biblical is it?
Evangelicalism in the Christian World has become very popular, being the largest group of protestants after Liberals.
Many have come to understand and believe that Evangelicalism is Biblical and Evangelicals are true bible loving christians.I wrote this article to clarify the substance, bearing and position of Evangelicalism.
Evangelicalism has its root in Lutheranism.
Lutheran churches in German are called Evangelical Churches, and Lutherans are called Evangelicals.Lutheranism began at an early time of the Reformation.
The founder, Martin Luther, a former Roman Catholic, believed that the Roman Catholic Church is indeed a true christian church, but has corrupted herself. Luther aimed to reform the christian faith by establishing a denomination that derives all principles from bible interpretation alone.
Luther is taken as one of the reformers, although Lutheranism differs from Calvinism (termed - the Reform Faith).However, Luther and other reformers did not prove from the Bible (scriptures) that the Roman Church is Biblical (ie: it truly has its roots from Jesus Christ and the Apostles).
They appealed to tradition and history for proof.
The belief that the Roman Catholic Church is a Christian church remains a foundation belief even without any convincing proof.In the last 200 years (especially from the Industrial Revolution, the Age of Reasoning) bible believing christians (often regarded as fundamentalists) are lossing ground to the educated liberal christians (called Liberals- as they come to think that they are liberating others from the stupidity of believing in an inerrant Bible, and they are advanced, and modern in thoughts and evidence to understand the Bible as nothing more than a historical human record that has to have human errors of all sorts.)
More and more biblical illustration (truths) are rejected by Liberals as myths and human error. Miracles are thought of as impossible and unreasonable.
The Christian Faith is being reduced to a mere set of philosophy and myths for the guidance of primitive unscientific, and unreasonable living.
Then came the Evangelical Movement (taking place in different countries), somehow akin in spirit to the Reformation.
Bible-believing Christians came to called themselves Evangelicals, and protested for the inerrancy and all-sufficiency of the Bible as their law, covenant, and guidance in all human conduct and affairs.
Evangelical Movements turned the tides of Liberalism, and brought many back to the Biblical Faith with the view that the Bible is inerrant.
Some of these Bible believing Christians also strived to achieve intellectual superiority through studying Theology and answering their opponents with scholarship others have to reckon with. In the 20th century, F.F Bruce was a leader scholar in Manchester, England; and Jade Adams was the equivalent in the United States.
After some decades of struggle Evangelicals have established power centres in Theology. Theological Seminaries trained ministers in Hebrew and Greek, History, Archaeology, and many other subjects especially Apologetics.
The aim was to have christian leaders/workers with a respectable education, and above all, to reason and argue for the Biblical Faith via Apologetics.The enemy to the Biblical Faith is no weak subject. Error crept into the Evangelical organisation slowly and surely.
Many Evangelical scholars began to doubt the inerrancy of scriptures. Fundamentalism is substituted with Conservatism.
Conservatives only aim to uphold the Bible conservatively. They make no effort to preserve the entire bible as trustworthy.
In another view, these Conservatives are a different kind of Liberals.Evangelical also becomes a term for anybody who is outreaching with a gospel. (being evangelistic) These people need not believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. They are just inclined to evanglise unconquered territories.
Some Liberals who are zealous in spreading their version of christian faith are also regarded as Evangelicals, since they have a zeal to follow the great commission of Christ to spread the gospel - oi evangelion (only that they are spreading their version of the gospel - that is mythical and mystical).
Some Liberal Evangelicals came to accept the Bible as their guidance of all matters.
This approach wins many Evangelicals over.The catch is that they do not regard the Bible as the Law and the supreme law for their conduct and matters pertaining to faith and life. The Bible only serves as a guidance to their faith and action.
Liberalism and Conservatism crept into the Evangelical communities due to this lossness in acknowledgment of Biblical matters.
Are there Biblical believing Christians that are not rooted with Evangelicals?
Are there Christians not rooted to the Roman Catholic tradition?
Are there Christians other than Evangelicals?
Does God preserve His Holy faith by using other people?The answer is YES.
There were the Ana-baptists at the time of the Reformation who did not belong to the Reformed Faith. People who came to understand that the Bible is the only law book in human matters.
Ana-baptists believe in the necessity of new life (being born again according to Scriptures), therefore belonging to the tradition of Transformed Faith.
Being clearly different to the Reformed Faith, early Ana-baptists were persecuted by both Catholics and Reformers. Many were killed for their simple belief. Some fled to other countries such as Russia and the United States.There are also people who come to believe God and the Bible via listening to the reading of scriptures and repentance. These Biblical Christians recognised no authority other than scriptures and have personal relationship with the living God.
They are the Biblical Christians not tinted by Catholicism and Evangelicalism.The Baptist Faith that came out of Ana-baptism, also have a different source to the Reformed Faith, though some Baptist Churches built their Faith from the Reformed Faith. Some modern Baptist churches have become Liberals, even affiliated to the Ecumenical body (movement).
Some other descendants of Ana-baptists also developed their faith and practice to accomodate Liberal and Roman Catholic doctrine, breaking away from the Biblical Faith, to embrace the great body of deception.
The Roman Catholic Church claim that the Christian Bible is preserved through Catholics, and that all Bible believers are learning the Bible and coming to the Christian Faith through the Roman Catholic Church (Mother Church).
I have some answer to this allegation:
1) God choose to raise up whoever He wishes.
2) God can use any means to serve His will.
God can use Pharaoh, Pilatus, Nero, Paulus, Hitler, 666 and many to fulfil His purpose. We are masters of devices, and not slaves of such.
The electronic calculator is invented by an Atheist; yet not all users of electronic calculators are subscribers to Atheism.
Gesenius was an Atheist, we do not spring from Atheism when we use his Lexicon.
There are also many scrolls and papyri of the Bible discovered and safeguard by authorities other than the Roman Catholic Church, and none of these organisation claimed precedence of the Biblical Christian Faith.
3) No Bible reference indicated the Roman Catholic Church is a Christian Church.
4) No Bible Christian claim heritage of the Roman Catholic Church that fits Bible reference.
5) 1Tim1v3,4 - As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than futhering the adminstration of God which is by faith.
Titus3v9 - But shun foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law; for they are without object and worthless.
6) Matt12vv47-50 - ... And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He(Jesus) said,"Behold, My mother and My brothers!
"For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."
So, precedence depends on doing the Will of God and not on age and human ownership....
A Failed Prophesy on Tyre? || Another Failed Prophesy on Tyre? ||
Why 4 Gospels? ||
Hebrew Matthew and document Q || Census in Luke Ch 2 ( Anachronism? ) ||
A Christian Witness || A letter on loving your neighbours ||
Similarity warrants Recognition and Unity? || Freewill and pre-destination ||
Dynamic Equivalence and Propitiation ||
Photography || Photo Gallery || Portrait Gallery || Architecture ||
Design Consultancy || Preacher || Herbalist || Cool Sites ||
News ||