Remember the movie The Princess Bride? One of the funny characters, Vinzzini, kept using the word “inconceivable” in order to sound smarter than he really was. Finally, Inigo says to him, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” It’s such a funny scene and movie!
Today, I am starting a new series of episodes called “You Keep Using That Word.” In this series, I will focus on certain words Christians and non-Christians use, sometimes incorrectly, that relate to our faith or biblical concepts. My goal is to trace the origins of the word and compare it to how it is used today.
The media and politicians like to use the word “evangelical” and not in a good way. They tend to spin all kinds of negative connotations around this term. Simply do a Google search for “evangelical” and take a look at the images you find there. Instead of churches, people praying, and worship scenes, the first images you’ll find are of American flags, red caps, and Trump rallies. The media and politicians want viewers to conclude that all evangelicals are the same. But you don’t have to be affiliated with a certain political party, vote for a particular candidate, or carry around a Bible that includes The Bill of Rights and The Constitution to be evangelical. The term “evangelical” derives from the Greek word that means “good news.” Simply put, it describes a Christian who lives their life according to the good news gospel of Jesus Christ as presented in the Bible. That’s it!
From the birth of evangelicalism to the 20th century, there have been different opinions regarding the term “evangelical,” and with it, several Christian denominations have emerged. The history of the church is long, but in short, as the church grew, pastors and bishops of different churches in Rome and Carthage of the first few centuries of the Church sought counsel from one another and composed creeds and doctrinal statements of Protestant orthodoxy based on their careful examination of the Scriptures. Their goal was to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). As time went on, certain theological doctrines continued to be called into question, and around the 16th century, the term evangelical emerged as to proclaim Reformed Protestantism as “sola scriptoria, solus Christus, sola fida, sola gratia, sola Dio Gloria.”
According to Michael J. Svigel in his book RetroChristianity, “Evangelicalism originally sprang up as a defense of the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Though this response was characterized by extremes and overreactions, it ought to be viewed as a necessary corrective against very real threats to classic Christianity. However, since its initial identity as the guardian of classic Protestant orthodoxy, evangelicalism itself has changed and developed over the decades. In some cases, the pendulum has swung so far in one direction that it has gotten stuck!” Svigel asserts that evangelicalism has progressively strayed away from its core fundamentals that were established through church history and theological traditions. Instead of sticking to the basic fundamentals of orthodox Christianity, people began to throw all kinds of other theological thoughts, some of which are biblically sound and others heretical, deeming them as necessary beliefs of those claiming to be evangelical (Svigel, 89-90). In 2024, for some, standing by a specific political party has been added to the list.
True evangelical Christians profess that the Holy One, God the Father, sent the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ, His Son, to conquer sin and the grave so that every human being who believes and puts their trust in Jesus is made righteous before God and have a personal relationship with Him through the working power of the Holy Spirit and will one day be resurrected with Christ in eternal glory. Without Christ, there is no redemption of sin (John 3:16). Without Christ, there is no connection to God the Father (John 14:6). Without Christ, there would be no indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16). This Christ-centeredness and other fundamental doctrines that stem from it such as the Trinity, have been questioned and refuted for centuries by those who want to put man at the center of the gospel and step away from what the apostles established in the Holy Scriptures.
Now, we are living in a time where many opportunists see this label as profitable. After all, there are millions of people who claim to be evangelical Christians from various denominations all over the world. American evangelicals take up a large portion of the sum. While we will never be able to go back to the pure definition of evangelical, upon hearing this word, it is important to understand its origin but also the rhetorical situation of its use. When you read it or hear it, consider the following questions:
Who is using the word?
In what context are they using it?
What is the motive or purpose of the person using the word?
Who is their intended audience?
And remember to keep the good news of Christ at the center of evangelicalism.
Evangelical: You keep using that word