Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Difference between Evangelists and Evangelicals

A Muslim friend from Turkey asked me today to explain the difference between Protestants and Evangelists.  I guessed immediately that he meant "Evangelicals". 

So, being my typical long-winded self, I started all the way back with the Greek.  "Ev" = good, "angel" = news (and yes, that is the same "angel" that we get our English word angel from).  And of course I explained what the Good News is (the perfect life, substitutionary death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus).

Then I finally got to evangelists.  I explained that an evangelist is someone who shares the good news about Jesus.  And (after pausing slightly to think how to explain the difference) that an evangelical is someone who believes the good news should be shared.  I wish I could remember the exact words he used, but it was something like, "I think I see the difference.  An evangelist actually does it, and an evangelical is a spectator?"

Uh, actually...yes!

Ouch.

1 comment:

  1. That is exactly what I was thinking, doer vs viewer, it totally makes sense to me, now i know where I stand.

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