What is a Biblical evangelical? The word evangelical comes from the Greek word from which we get the English word gospel. In fact, a synonym for the gospel is evangel. The gospel (or good news) is also the plan of salvation, which Christians are entrusted with (1 Thess. 2:4) and commanded to spread (Mt. 28:18-20). That message will cause people to believe on Jesus (John 17:20).
If you are a true evangelical you agree with the Biblical gospel. Conversely, if you are not an evangelical you are not a person who aligns yourself to the gospel as found in the Scriptures. So what is the real Biblical gospel, which all Christians are to protect and spread to others? Various passages show us it centers around the Lord Jesus:
Now, brothers, 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 (1 Cor 15:1-4).
The gospel is also shown to be the message which is taught resulting in salvation:
Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. (1 Cor 4:15)
Much more of an exact message of the gospel is shown here:
I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:21)
Acts 20:21 is a very important verse. It is very concise and even more detailed than some of the actual salvation sermons cited in the book of Acts. For example, it expands and clarifies to believe on the Lord Jesus as was taught to the jailer in Acts 16:30,31. To believe on Jesus for salvation is synonymous with obeying Jesus and includes repentance, even though it is not specifically stated there.
Evangelize
An evangelical evangelizes when he carries the message of the gospel (evangel) to others so they can find eternal life which is only in the Lord Jesus Christ. The only one named an evangelist in the Bible was Philip (Acts 21:8) and that was exactly what he did. He was a great soul winner. Winning souls is the heart of the great commission (John 20:21). Pastor Timothy was told to do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim 4:5).
Related with all of the above and stressing the vital necessity of preaching a pure and accurate plan of salvation is the anathema on anyone who would preach a false gospel message. Such will be eternally condemned:
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! (Gal 1:8,9)
All of that helps us also to better understand how important the true gospel is and how serious it is to preach a false gospel, which evangelicals are also to fight against. Hence, the real gospel has nothing to do with the strange Jehovah’s Witness gospel (which states that 1914 is when Jesus started his invisible reign) or the Roman Catholic epitome of their whole gospel (the Rosary). Both are dangerous counterfeits. It is vital to know what the true gospel is, defend it and spread it to others because salvations depend upon it. Sadly, many professing Christians don’t even know they have been Entrusted With The Gospel. SOULS are the most precious things on the planet and only the truth of God can help them. You have been given that responsibility, if you adhere to the New Testament. How evangelistic have you been? GOD BLESS YOU.
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