The Meaning of “Evangelical” in our Name
As indicated by our name, Trinity Evangelical Church deliberately identifies itself as an “evangelical” church body. In recent years however, the term “evangelical” has been used in so many different and confusing ways that a few words of clarification are in order.
The term itself comes from the Greek noun eύaggέlion, translated as “good news,” or in later English “gospel.” It is the word used in the New Testament to announce the coming of the salvation provided by God through Jesus Christ. In I Corinthians 15, Paul defines it thus:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (I Corinthians 15: 3-8)
In recent times, the term “evangelical” has come to refer to a movement within the Christian faith that embraces all of the classic doctrines of the faith as defined in the Ecumenical creeds of Christianity, but has a number of distinctive points of emphasis which it believes are often obscured in other approaches to the faith. Among them are:
1. Conscious decision to believe
As evangelicals we believe that no one is saved by church membership or by baptism, nor can one inherit faith from family tradition. Rather, faith requires a willful, conscious decision to believe the Gospel message and to commit personally to it. Sometimes this is referred to as a “moment of decision,” but it may also involve a gradual process where one comes to understand the Gospel as true and embrace its life-changing message. Regardless, however, faith is never apart from personal and active commitment.
2. Belief in the final authority of the Bible
As God’s word, evangelicals believe the Bible is our final authority in all things. All other sources of authority, whether church creeds, church leadership, or our own beliefs, have validity only insomuch as they accurately reflect what the Bible says.
This also means that a strong commitment to understanding and studying the Bible and implementing its truths in our daily lives is central to everything we do.
3. Emphasis on Evangelism
Evangelicals believe it is every Christian’s responsibility to spread the message of God’s gracious provision for salvation to the world. It is not just for ministers or trained professional evangelists, but every believer. This is a natural response of gratitude for what God has done for us and not a legalistic requirement.
4. A belief that our faith should be lived out in every area of our lives
An Evangelical believes that faith is not simply an internal, personal belief system but a “whole life” worldview that informs our every action and thought. For evangelicals, faith does not stop at the church door on Sunday mornings; it should be lived out in all the arenas of life, including work, recreation, politics, community life, family relationships, business, and even the way we interact with strangers. In all of life we strive to be “salt and light” for the world around us as we act out the Lordship of Christ in our lives.
There are of course many additional implications of these distinctives that could be developed. For a more complete explanation, we recommend reading Evangelical Affirmations.