Is the Gospel Proclaimed by Evangelical
Protestants Heterodox?
(copyright Jon Jacobson
, last revised 16 August 2002)
Evangelical Protestantism is the fastest-growing Trinitarian Christian movement in the world. In particular, the growth of Pentecostalism far outpaces the growth of other churches in both North America and the developing world. While some of this growth is due to non-Christians embracing Evangelicalism, other growth occurs when members of established Christian churches (including Anglicans, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics) have an experience of conversion that leads them to identify with Pentecostals or other Evangelicals. This experience of being "born again" or "baptized in the Spirit" is almost always detached from the sacraments, and often results in converts leaving their original church in order to join an "independent" Evangelical or Pentecostal congregation. On other occasions, the convert remains within his own church and works to promote Evangelical or Charismatic renewal, interacting with other Evangelicals through para-church organizations and by reading the same literature.
In this essay, I do not focus on the theological issues that distinguish Pentecostals from other Evangelicals, or Evangelicals within established churches from "independent" Evangelicals. Instead, I focus on the basics of the gospel proclaimed by Evangelical Protestants of whatever stripe. My main question is this: Is the gospel proclaimed by most Evangelical Protestants the pure milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2) that would be recognized as authentic by the Apostles and the teachers they appointed (2 Tim. 2:2), or is it heterodox? While the commitment of Evangelicals to discipleship and global mission (Matt. 28:18-20) is praiseworthy and shames most other Christians, the core issue in assessing Evangelicalism is whether their gospel is the same as the "Faith delivered once for all to the saints." (Jude 3) When considering whether or not to purchase a product, the final decision should be determined, not by the enthusiasm or skills of those who market it, but by the value of the product itself. Should we purchase (or, if we already possess it, cling to) the Evangelical Protestant gospel, or is this pearl flawed and not the Pearl of Great Price (Matt. 13:45-46)? Is the Evangelical path to salvation the true Narrow Path (Matt. 7:13-14)?
Evangelicals often appeal to Scripture to support their views, but what they often fail to appreciate is that, while the books of the New Testament were written by A.D. 96, the Canon was not finally agreed upon until A.D. 397 (by the Council of Carthage, following the letter of Athanasius, A. D. 367). Over those three centuries, Christians were dependent on the teachers of the "holy catholic Church" to understand the true Gospel. Since Christ Himself had promised that the forces of Hades would not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18), and that the Holy Spirit would be with His disciples forever (John 14:16) to lead them into all truth (John 16:13), it only makes sense to compare the Evangelical understanding of the Gospel with the early Church’s understanding—that of the Church that gave us both the New Testament and the Nicene Creed. I will compare the Evangelical Protestant gospel with the early Church’s Gospel in four areas: the doctrine of God, of the human condition, of Christ and His saving work, and of salvation. I will then offer some conclusions for Christians seeking to confess Christ’s true Gospel today.
1. Doctrine of God
In terms of their doctrine of God, Evangelical Protestants share with the early Church a belief in one God in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Many Evangelicals are willing to confess faith in the Holy Trinity using the words of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (A. D. 381). Historically, most Evangelicals have used the Creed with the Filioque (the expression "and the Son" after the phrase "We believe in the Holy Spirit...who proceeds from the Father", cf. John 15:26). This Latin addition to the Creed was foreign to the consensus of the late 4 th Century Church and was condemned in later centuries as contrary to the Orthodox Faith by popes in the West (both Leo III and John VIII during the 9th Century) and the greatest theologians of the East (John of Damascus, Photius of Constantinople, and Gregory Palamas). More recently, some Evangelicals have followed the 3rd-Century heretic Sabellius (and not a few liberal and feminist theologians) and confused the Persons of the Trinity with God’s roles as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Many Evangelicals, thankfully, recognize that the Persons (hypostases) of the Trinity are distinct and non-interchangeable, but they share a common activity (energia) and will (thelema) together with a common Essence (ousia). All three Persons work together to create, redeem, and sanctify us.
A major difference between the Evangelical doctrine of God, and the doctrine of the early Church, concerns the nature and transmission of knowledge of God. For Evangelicals, God reveals Himself preeminently by inspiring the prophets and apostles to compose the books of Scripture. Evangelicals believe that the key to transmitting knowledge of God is making accurate, readable versions of the Bible available so everyone may encounter God through His written Word. All other teaching about God, whatever its source, is considered fallible and non-apostolic, although it may be useful in helping believers understand the Scriptures. Most Evangelicals do not rely heavily on the received doctrines of the Church, the "pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15), but compare Scripture with itself, and rely on prayer and personal experience for guidance. The emphasis on God speaking to each believer personally through Scripture is very important in Evangelical piety, even though reliance on private interpretation of Scripture is challenged by Acts 8:30-35, Eph. 4:11-16, 2 Tim. 4:3-4, and 2 Peter 1:19-21, 3:15-16.
For the early Church, divine revelation is not so much Scripture itself as it is the experience of the Prophets and Apostles in seeing the uncreated Glory of God (the Energy of God, distinct from God’s incomprehensible Essence; see Gen. 17:1, 18:1-3, 32:24-30; Exod. 3:1-6, 13:21-22, 14:31, 19:16-19, 20:18-21, 24:15-18, 33:18-23,40:34-38; Joshua 5:13-15; 1 Kings 3:5, 8:10-11, 9:1-2; Isaiah 6:1-8, 40:5; Ezek. 43:2-5; Matt. 17:1-9; John 1:14-18; Acts 2:1-4; 1 Cor. 2:7-8, 9:1, 15:3-8; 1 Tim. 6:14-16; 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-4; Rev. 1:10-19, 22:1-5). This Glory was manifested to Abraham and the other Patriarchs, to Israel through Moses, Isaiah, and the other Prophets, and above all to the Apostles through the Incarnation of the Son of God. The Scriptures have authority for the Church because they contain the divinely inspired teaching of the eyewitnesses of God’s Glory, and are passed along by trustworthy teachers (2 Tim. 3:14-17) so we may share—that is, be partakers of—-that same Glory (John 17:22, Rom. 5:2 and 8:30, 2 Thess. 2:14, 2 Peter 1:3-4). The Church is the united Body formed by the work of God’s Son and Spirit, whose members then transmit to future generations the authoritative oral and written teaching they have received from God. Only by living in the community of the Church, subject to her duly ordained pastors (Heb. 13:17) and in accordance with her received Tradition (2 Thess 2:15), can we understand the inspired Scriptures properly. While this claim does not exclude a personal experience of God, it means that all claims to such knowledge (gnosis), even if based on the reading of Scripture, must be measured against the true Church’s unchanging and official teaching.
2. Doctrine of the Human Condition
According to Evangelicals, all humans since Adam and Eve have a "sinful nature" (the New International Version’s translation of "flesh" in Rom. 8:3-4), the image of God being corrupted by the Fall. Whether the image of God (with free will) is totally lost in humanity is disputed, as are the inheritance of guilt and the power of Satan.
According to the early Church, all humans were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27), having the use of reason and free will, and participating in God's life and love. Adam and Eve’s sin resulted in death being transmitted to the entire human race (Rom. 5:12-21), and in slavery to Satan (Eph. 2:1-3, 2 Cor. 4:3-4) and to sin (John 8:34). Sin is a fatal disease attached to and infecting our nature, but is not an essential part of human nature (Luke 5:31-32). The image of God--including both the use of reason and free will--remains, even after the Fall (Gen. 9:5-6, Matt. 23:37, Luke 7:30), although we have been deprived of the moral likeness of God, and cannot do good without God’s help (John 15:5; 1 Cor. 2:14, 4:7; James 1:17). Newborn babies are free of personal sin and guilt but suffer the effects of sin (Psalm 51:5).
The main difference between these two views of the human condition is that the early Church took a less dismal view of human nature, and a more dismal view of the world’s captivity to death and the devil, than most Evangelicals do today. However, because the early Church viewed sin as a foreign invader to our nature, rooted in our mortal passions and the deception of Satan, the early Christians placed a great emphasis on repentance from specific sins (James 5:16) and heresies (2 Peter 2:1) than most contemporary Evangelicals. While having a very dismal view of human nature in general, most Evangelical Protestants are independent-minded and are uncomfortable with submitting their personal morality and theology to the authority of church leaders.
3. Doctrine of Christ and His Saving Work
According to Evangelicals, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, assumed our nature except for sin. As a sinless man, Christ suffered and died on the Cross to satisfy God’s just wrath against sin, so God would not have to punish sinners. Our sin was imputed to Him, so His righteousness could be imputed to us (Isaiah 53). Christ’s descent to Hell was His experience of being forsaken by the Father (Psalm 22, Matt. 27:46), which merited our forgiveness. In the proclamation of Christ’s work, the Cross is central, and His resurrection is secondary. Mary’s title of the Theotokos (Mother of God), affirmed by Luther and Calvin, is disputed by modern Evangelicals.
According to the early Church, Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, assumed all of our nature, but not our sin (Heb. 2:14-17, 4:15). Mary’s identity as the Theotokos (Luke 1:43) is the key to understanding Who Christ is and what He did. The Son of God became fully human by nature to make human beings sons of God by His grace through their voluntary participation in the gift of His divine life (John 1:12-14, 2 Cor. 8:9, 2 Peter 1:3-11). God worked in Christ to reconcile us to Himself (2 Cor. 5:14-6:1) and renew us in His moral likeness (2 Cor. 3:18, Col. 3:5-11). God the Son’s death on the Cross conquered Satan (John 12:31) and the power of sin over humanity (Rom. 6:6-11, 8:1-4), and completed His offering of a pure creature to the Father (Heb. 9:11-28). Christ’s descent to Hades delivered those held in captivity (1 Peter 3:18-20), and His resurrection defeated the power of death (2 Tim. 1:8-10).
The Evangelical view of salvation is primarily one of substitution and exchange, inspiring relief. Christ suffers so we do not have to suffer, and God treats Christ as if He were a sinner so He can treat us as if we are righteous. This view portrays divine justice as retributive, and places central emphasis on the Cross of Christ but not the Empty Tomb. The early Church’s view is one of sharing and mutual participation, inspiring joy. Christ shares fully in our humanity by nature so we can share freely in His divinity by grace. This view portrays divine justice primarily as restorative , and places central emphasis on Christ’s Passover from death to life (1 Cor. 5:7) as the proof of His identity as the Son of God (Rom. 1:3-4) and His triumphant victory over sin, death, and the devil (Col. 2:8-15).
4. Doctrine of Salvation and the Church
Evangelicals believe that the promise of forgiveness of sins, and eternal life with God, is received by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Those who trust in Christ’s death as the basis of their forgiveness have an infallible assurance that they will be saved and live with God forever (despite the warnings in Luke 8:4-15; 1 Cor. 4:3-5, 9:24-27; Heb. 2:1, 6:4-8, 10:26-31; and 2 Peter 2:20-22). Since Luther, Evangelicals have viewed justification as a forensic act in which the alien righteousness of Christ is imputed to a believing sinner so she can be forgiven and declared righteous. Since Zwingli, most Evangelicals have viewed Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as symbolic reminders of Christ’s death, but not as the means by which Christians are actually united to the divine-human Person of Christ. While Evangelicals would agree that believers should join a church, pursue visible unity in the truth, and seek to live a holy life, fulfilling these obligations is generally not considered necessary for salvation.
According to the early Church, salvation is union with Christ in body, soul, and spirit (Gal. 2:20, 1 Thess. 5:23). This union is ordinarily effected through the new birth of Baptism into the Church, the Body of Christ (John 3:3-5; Acts 2:38, 22:16; Rom. 6:1-4; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21), and Chrismation (confirmation) that provides the seal of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17, Eph. 1:13-14, 1 John 2:27). Those so incorporated into the Church begin a journey of personal transformation in which they must, with God’s help, join works of love to their profession of the true Faith, or else they will not be saved (Matt. 7:21, John 15:5-6, 1 Cor. 13:2, Gal. 5:6, Eph. 2:8-10, Phil. 2:12-13, James 2:14-26). Those who commit serious sins (Matt. 12:30-32, 1 Cor. 6:9-11, Gal. 5:19-21, 1 John 5:16-17), including sins against the unity of the Church (1 Cor. 3:16-17), place their salvation in grave danger. Union with Christ, initiated in Baptism and Chrismation, is perpetuated and deepened through the Eucharist, which is not ordinary bread and wine but the true Body and Blood of Christ by the invocation of the Holy Spirit (Cyril of Jerusalem; 1 Cor. 10:1-4,16-17). The Eucharist is the "medicine of immortality" (Ignatius of Antioch) which, when received rightly, saves us (John 6:47-58), but, when received without repentance, condemns us (1 Cor. 11:23-34). Only those in good standing with their pastors may partake of this Mystery (Matt. 5:23-24, 7:6; 1 Cor. 4:1, 5:1-13).
It is on the topic of salvation that the difference between Evangelical Protestants and the early Church is greatest. Evangelicals view justification as a forensic declaration of forgiveness to all who have confidence in God’s mercy because of the Cross of Christ. For the early Church, justification was union with Christ our righteousness in His life, death, and resurrection (1 Cor. 1:30), and cannot be separated from participation in the Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation, and the Eucharist, and a life lived in synergy with Christ in His visibly united Body on earth. Most Evangelicals reject baptismal regeneration and the Real Presence of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and consider membership in a visible church and the pursuit of actual holiness as optional for salvation. The early Church, in contrast, taught that "whoever does not have the Church for his Mother cannot have God for his Father" (Cyprian of Carthage), and that we must seek holiness (Heb. 12:14) through continual repentance (Luke 18:1,13-14) and an ongoing struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil (1 John 2:15-17, 1 Peter 2:11, Eph. 6:10-18).
5. Conclusions
While not considering Evangelical Protestants as entirely alien to the truth of Christ or the influence of the Spirit (Acts 18:24-28, 1 Cor. 12:3), the Fathers of the early Church would view the Protestant gospel as different from their own. While views of the Trinity can be similar for both groups, views of divine revelation, the human condition, the work of Christ, and above all the process of personal salvation are often radically different. Do these differences, many of them substantive and not simply differences of formulation or emphasis, justify placing Evangelicals under an anathema akin to that proclaimed by the Apostle Paul against the Judaizers? To be orthodox, must Christians be in 100 percent conformity with the substance of the Tradition of the Church? This is certainly what Paul praised his followers for doing (1 Cor. 11:2, 2 Thess. 2:15), consistent with his teaching that a little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6), with James’ teaching on the need to hold to the "law of liberty" in its entirety (James 2:8-13), and Christ’s own teaching on being faithful in "little" things as well as "great" things (Luke 16:10).
Consider that the Judaizers shared the same view of God, man, and Christ as Paul, and differed only in this one respect: They considered submission to the rite of circumcision as necessary for salvation (Acts15:1, probably citing Gen. 17:9-14). Yet, because their gospel was not in complete agreement with the substance of the Gospel received by the churches established by the Apostles, it was to be rejected (Gal. 1:8-9), because it gave Christians a false fear that their salvation was imperiled by their failure to cling to rituals that were a shadow of Christ (Col. 2:11-12,16-17, 3:11). The fact that the Judaizers and Paul had "more things uniting them than dividing them" did not prevent the Apostle from considering them "cut off from Christ" (Gal. 5:4), deluded, and in need of repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26).
Evangelical Protestants, unlike ancient
Judaizers, offer Christians a false assurance, rather than a false
fear. This false assurance is that all who place their confidence
in Christ’s death for salvation will necessarily be saved, regardless
of whether they avoid serious sin and are united visibly with Christ and
each other by the Spirit in the Body of the Church. This assurance is contrary
to Jude 3-4 and the received Tradition of the Church, from the Apostle’s
disciples such as Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch, to Irenaeus of
Lyons, Cyprian of Carthage, Athanasius of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem,
Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, Hilary of Poitiers,
Ambrose of Milan, and Augustine of Hippo. Christ Himself said to His disciples,
"Whoever rejects you rejects Me" (Luke 10:16), and "If anyone refuses to
listen to the Church, let him be to you as a heathen or a tax collector"
(Matt. 18:17, cf. Titus 3:10-11). Too many of us take the visible unity
of Christ’s followers in one Body far less seriously than we should.
We neglect the numerous testimonies of Scripture on the necessity of unity
in the truth, both as a moral imperative (Exodus 12:46; Psalm 133:1; John
17:20-23; Rom. 15:5-6, 16:17; 1 Cor. 1:10-13; 2 Cor. 13:11, Eph. 4:1-3),
and as a mark of the Church (compare 1 Kings 11:29-33 with John 19:23-24,
Matt. 13:47-50 with John 21:11; and see 1 Cor. 11:18-19 and Eph. 4:4-6).
While God alone knows where the reality of the one true Church is entirely
absent, it should be clear that the true Body of Christ is present
today in the Orthodox Church, which confesses the Creed, and understands
the apostolic Gospel, in accordance with the consensus of the Fathers of
the East and West. Rather than listening to teachers who depart from the
Gospel transmitted by the early Church, it would be wise for Christians to
repent of removing the ancient landmarks set by our Fathers (Prov. 22:28),
and to seek the ancient paths (Jer. 6:16) to be filled with God’s fullness
in the fullness of Christ’s Church (Eph. 1:23, 2:19).
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