Anglicans Ablaze: Is That So?

Robin Jordan has posted an excellent critique of a brochure published by the Anglican Church in North America. Robin has pinpointed several blatant errors and misleading statements in the pamphlet which every concerned Evangelical and Reformed believer ought to be aware of.

The first statement is, “Anglican Christians are evangelical Christians.” Authentic historic Anglicanism is evangelical. The problem is the accompanying explanation of what it means to be evangelical. Being evangelical involves more than believing that “the Bible is the Word of God and has a unique authority in our lives.” The Tractarians also believed that the Bible was God’s Word and had a unique authority in the life of a Christian. But they were not evangelicals. Believing that the Bible has a unique authority in a Christian’s life is not the same as believing that it is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. The word “evangelical” is derived from the Greek word, “evangelion,” or glad tidings—a reference to the Gospel of Grace. A true evangelical believes that the essence of Gospel teaching is salvation by grace by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, as opposed to sacraments and good works. The English Reformers called themselves “gospel men,” which is another way of saying “evangelicals.” The English Reformation was sparked by their rediscovery of the Gospel of Grace in the New Testament. “God’s love for the world expressed in Jesus,” which the accompanying explanation describes as “Good News that we are all called to share with everyone” is a watered-down version of the Gospel. It makes no mention of the Cross. The explanation of what being evangelical means is inaccurate and adequate. It represents a redefinition of the term “evangelical” that permits its application to people who are not evangelical in the classical Anglican sense.

To read the rest of the article click here: Anglicans Ablaze: Is That So?