What is an Evangelical Church?

What does Evangelical mean? Definitions are constantly shifting. This video attempts to answer that question.

[PCHerc]

This speaker and his videos are EXCEPTIONAL!

[christianwalton]

As an Evangelical: it's a great shame how many self-proclaimed Evangelicals don't hold to basic orthodoxy and are totally ignorant of Biblical doctrine.

[josiahgamez]

I'm definitely evangelical according to the 9 questions . Praise the lord Jesus christ

[audesigns]

Well tonight I just learned from this video I’m classified in the 6% as “evangelical”.

This is news to me🤔🤔🤔

I did not realize first of all that I even fell in this category and did not realize second of all there are so few of us IN this category.

Your videos are great😊 Keep postin’ em!

[Brad-gkjd]

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

[cheerfulturtlegirl]

I'm definitely an Evangelical in my theology, but I'm disappointed with what has happened in the United States. It is painful to me that many now associate Evangelicals with Trump and prosperity gospel error. We need repentance and revival. The so-called Evangelical church has become weak, compromised, and in many ways no different from the world. I know many who are looking into Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy because many are craving traditional moral values. If we do not address the hypocrisy, abuse, and unbiblical practices in the Evangelical church, it will continue to decline until we all become desperate for revival, refreshing, and reformation.

Also, no other religion can lead to salvation. Evangelical means Gospel. How are we getting this wrong? We need to be reading in our Bibles and not be lead astray by false teachers. I sincerely love people of other religions and never would wish them harm. I do not believe at all that Christians should force or manipulate non-believers into becoming Christians. However, the Gospel is the only way to be saved and that is why it is paramount that we share this. Why else would God the Father send His Son to brutally die on the cross for our salvation if there was another way?

I was an agnostic before becoming a Christian. There's absolutely no point in playing religion. Either we believe that God is telling us the truth or we make God a liar. There is no in-between. I tried to live a life in that in-between viewpoint. It does not work. God is commanding people everywhere to repent from sin and surrender their lives to Christ in faith. The whole point of the Gospel is salvation from sin. Until we truly see our sins and idols for what they are, hateful rebellion against God and acts of destruction, we will not understand the purpose of salvation and sanctification. Jesus loves us with the purest and most beautiful love in existence. Love tells us the truth and that can deeply offend us at first. It is only through the truth we can heal and be made new.

[brendanjobe]

Appreciate the study that you've done. I looked up the word "mainline", and the "main" definition was "to inject a drug through a major vein."

[gonebamboo]

Great and balanced education here.
Thanks, I needed this.

[stananderson]

Thanks. I hear the word evangelical a lot, but never found a good definition of what it means until watching this.

[WilliamMcAdams]

I've always thought of Evangelicals as "come to church, and you'll hear the Gospel", as opposed to "here's the Gospel, once you believe, come to church."

[damonfarrington]

Thank you for this video. Great job on your research!

[AlfaOmega]

One thing that you missed to point out is that conservative Evangelicals teach that repentance from sin is essential part of the Gospel, and therefore genuine faith will be manifested in true repentance and spiritual regeneration (born-again) and will also be confirmed afterwards in life of progressive sanctification. It is not enough to say sorry for sins once at conversion so a person can be justified by Christ's atoning sacrifice, and afterwards continue living in willful sin. This belief that one is saved only by accepting Jesus as his savior is called Free Grace doctrine (maybe you should make a video about this).

[annibyniaeth]

As a young kid, I was told there was a man who was hung on the cross, was buried, and three days later arose from the dead. It sounded ridiculous to me. It still does. People all over the world, have their different religions, and believe that their God is the best God. I know many people believe fervently in their religion, but it all seems so nonsensical to me.

[Xochiyolotl]

How is prohibition of drinking alcohol a biblical principle when Christ’s very first miracle was to turn water into wine?

[Christian_Girl]

I'm Catholic but came from a protestant tradition, the United Methodist Church. However, I'm a saved Catholic. I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord and Christ is the ONLY way you can be saved, apart from works or the law. Even though I went through the RCIA, I vowed to myself that I would accept Catholic teaching only if it was compatible with God's word, the bible. I believe I was sent to my current church to pray for those in my parish and others, and my hope is that if some of them don't know Jesus Christ like they should, that they will. Accept him. He's the only one who can save you.

[sleepyycreampuff]

What type of churches are mainline? I have never heard of that term. Thank you for the video!

[JamesMC]

By the Barna criteria, this Catholic counts as one of the 6% 9-point Evangelicals. Not sure what to make of that. Maybe some of those criteria do not adequately reflect Evangelical belief.

From what I have heard, one of the big questions within Evangelicalism today is, "What is Evangelicalism ?" Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones and John Stott (I think it was) had something of a difference of opinion over this question. If Evangelicals of their standing could not agree on the matter, I am not sure that the question will be answered any time soon.

I think Evangelicalism is an *ethos*, an attitude, a way of doing things - something too subtle to be given unambiguous boundaries, like a triangle, or pinned down like a butterfly in a show-case; but recognisable when met.

Perhaps there are degrees of being Evangelical.

[christopherbayne]

6% are Evangelical by Barna's 9 criteria? What world do I live in? I thought the 9 are the basic standard. Narrow is the gate, I guess.

[VoVina]

Loved this video, wish you defined each term in the list for those of us who aren't well versed in theology. Like " higher criticism", "heterodoxy" and the rest. Great video tho

[zacdredge]

Is the Plymouth Brethren statement 'we don't like logos' from them or Joshua added it for clarification?

Also, on a more serious note, I don't think it should be treated as an essential of Evangelicalism for all Christians to have a 'born again experience'; it seems to me someone could have a 'born again theology' but have some range of acceptable notions of how that is experienced or perceived by a given individual.