The term “evangelical” is so broad today, it’s hard to figure out exactly what it means anymore. Roughly one-third of all Americans (90-100 million) claim to be evangelical.
The Greek word, euangelion, from which we get the word “evangelical,” is often translated “gospel” in the New Testament. Does this suggest that one one-third of all Americans actually believe the gospel? Do they even know what the true gospel is? Or has the term “evangelical” become more political than scriptural?
To reclaim a right understanding of true evangelicalism, we must reset our focus on the biblical gospel, which Paul sums up in 1 Corinthians 15:1-5:
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
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.
In Reformed Systematic Theology, Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley highlight “seven central truths of the gospel” from this passage:
It is an authoritative message from God: “For what I received I passed on to you. Earlier Paul wrote, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you” (1 Cor. 11:23). The gospel is God’s message. Therefore, it is not to be rejected or changed, but received and relayed to others.
It presents the unique person of Jesus Christ: Paul calls Jesus the “Christ,” that is, the Anointed One of God to administer God’s grace to his people. Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent by the Father to save sinners.
It proclaims the atoning death of Christ: “Christ died for our sins.” Jesus, the innocent One, received the punishment that we deserved on account of our sin. Christ alone has atoned for our sins. Our works cannot atone for sin.
It declares the bodily resurrection of Christ: “that he was raised on the third day.” The resurrection confirms the validity of Jesus’ death as an atoning sacrifice and secures our justification (Rom. 4:25). Christ’s resurrection fulfills his own prophecy (John 2:18-22). It attests to his trustworthiness and his identity as the Son of God.
It asserts the historical reality of these events: “Christ died for our sins, … was buried, … [and] was raised on the third day … and … he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection are historical facts attested to by eyewitnesses. These facts constitute the foundation of the Christian faith, for if they were not true, “then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (1 Cor. 15:14).
It teaches the plan of God for human history: Paul affirms that all these things took place “according to the Scriptures.” Though Jesus’ death was carried out by human beings acting of their own will, God sovereignly directed everything they did to fulfill his promises recorded in the Old Testament (Acts 2:22-32).
It teaches the necessity of faith in the biblical gospel: “the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, IF you hold firmly to the word I preached to you” (emphasis mine). This message is not an announcement that we are saved; rather, it is the preaching of Christ as Savior and the call to trust in him in order to be saved (Acts 16:31).
Beeke and Smalley conclude this summary by asserting,
Evangelical theology must proclaim the biblical gospel, expound its implications, defend its veracity, and call us to conform our worldview to its reality. Just as the entire Gospel of Mark is called “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1), so the entire system of evangelical theology should be informed by the content of the gospel and derive spiritual power from it.
So, in light of what the Bible teaches, are you a real evangelical?