Luther's first use of the word "evangelical"

This morning at a men's breakfast someone asked, "when was the word 'evangelical' first mentioned or came into being. Denoting a group of believers that was differentiated from others.

Someone said it was during the Reformation others said around 1970 or so.

So how would I search for either Luther' own wording or someone else contemporaneous with Luther or earlier?

mm.

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Jan Krohn

Luther used the word as synonym for "Protestant", not in the modern sense of conservative and born-again.

In German, there's the fine distinction between "evangelikal" (modern sense) and "evangelisch" (as used by Luther). I'm not aware of a way to translate these word into English while preserving the distinction.

The modern word "evangelical" I'd say has likely American origin, and as evangelicalism was re-imported to Europe, the German word was already taken, but had a different meaning, so they came up with the new word "evangelikal" instead...

Anyway, if you have Luther's works in German, you want to look for the wording "evangelisch". If you have Luther's works in English, then that's a challenge... It's unlikely to be rendered as "evangelical" in any translation.

I've done a quick search on Luther's works in German, and found him use the word "evangelisch" as early as 1523 in multiple documents.

MJ. Smith

From the Online Etymological Dictionary:

[quote]evangelical

1530s "of or pertaining to the gospel" (adj.), also "a Protestant," especially a German one (n.); with -al (1) + evangelic (early 15c.), from Old French evangelique, from Late Latin evangelicus, from evangelista (see evangelist).

From mid-18c. in reference to a tendency or school in Protestantism seeking to promote conversion and emphasizing salvation by faith, the sacrifice of Christ, and a strictly religious life. As "member of the 'evangelical' party in a church" from 1804. Related: Evangelically; Evangelicalism (1812).

[quote]

evangelism (n.)

1620s, "the preaching of the gospel," from evangel + -ism, or else from Medieval Latin evangelismus "a spreading of the Gospel," from Late Latin evangelium "good news, gospel," from Greek euangelion (see evangelist). In reference to evangelical Protestantism, from 1812.

Milkman

So doing a quick search for evangelical NEAR Luther I got a ton of hits. One took me to https://ref.ly/logosres/lw26?ref=Bible.Ga3.5&off=3682 where he's expounding Gal 3.5.

Another took me to https://ref.ly/logosres/lw23?ref=VolumePage.V+23%2c+p+10

But I'm not exactly sure who he's comparing these "evangelicals" to. With the Anabaptists? the Roman church? or others.

So, am I reading this right? Did Luther actually use the word "evangelical" in his time?

Simon’s Brother

It depends upon which sense of the word you are referring to as to whether he used it or not.

Rosie Perera

So, am I reading this right? Did Luther actually use the word "evangelical" in his time?

Yes, he did. But he meant something different by it than what it means now.

This might be helpful to you, from Gene Edward Veith Jr., Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals. It's not in Logos but I have it in Kindle:

A better term for “Lutheran” spirituality is “evangelical” spirituality. The term evangelical is simply a term derived from the Greek word for “Gospel,” which in turn literally means “good news.” Evangelical means someone who focuses on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News that Christ, through His death and resurrection, has won forgiveness for sinful human beings and offers salvation as a free gift.

Today the term evangelical is used to refer to a wide variety of more-or-less conservative Protestants. For all of their differences, Baptists, charismatics, Calvinists, Wesleyans, and the various nondenominational “para-church ministries” do stress salvation through Christ and emphasize “evangelism,” so the term is apt. But originally, the word evangelical meant “Lutheran.”

In the years following the Reformation, “evangelicals” were those who followed Martin Luther, as opposed to “reformed,” who followed John Calvin. (A later attempt to bring the two factions together resulted in the “Evangelical and Reformed Church,” which became a denomination of its own.) Even today in Europe, churches that follow a Lutheran theology call themselves not “Lutheran”—a term Luther himself hated, not wanting Christ’s Church to be named after him—but “Evangelical.” The American usage of the term for any Bible-believing, salvation-preaching Christian is starting to catch on in Europe also,but American tourists at times get confused when they go into a German or Scandinavian church with evangelische on the sign, expecting revival songs and altar calls, only to find chorales and liturgy.

Though others are entitled to call themselves “evangelicals,” Lutherans are at least the first evangelicals. Keeping in mind the fact that Christians have always focused on the Gospel, from the New Testament days through the Early Church and even through the Middle Ages—a time when, Protestants contend, the emphasis on the Gospel and its implications became somewhat confused—Lutherans were the first to be called evangelical. They were also the first to emphasize the Gospel to such an extent that it became central to every facet of their doctrine and practice. This evangelical focus, made over against medieval Catholicism, opened the door to every other Protestant expression that came later. But evangelical Lutheranism remains distinct from all of the later Protestant traditions.

Rosie Perera

This might be helpful to you, from Gene Edward Veith Jr., Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals. It's not in Logos but I have it in Kindle

BTW, I just added a suggestion for it to UserVoice. Add your support here if you think it should be in Logos:

https://suggestbooks.uservoice.com/forums/308269-book-suggestions/suggestions/38997607-spirituality-of-the-cross-the-way-of-the-first-ev

Milkman

Ok. I guess that makes sense. So Luther's term was more of a baulk against Calvin and his reformed theology and not a label signifying the difference between todays so called Liberal theology and what we would call evangelicalism?

Does that sound right?

Hamilton Ramos

Hi Jan:

Real neat.

Wonder if you can recommend some books (the most basic) I can try to read / engage with in German. I have German package, and eventually would like to learn to read theological type German. German language's ability to come up with words for nuanced meaning is amazing.

Kind regards.

Hamilton Ramos

” Evangelical means someone who focuses on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News that Christ, through His death and resurrection, has won forgiveness for sinful human beings and offers salvation as a free gift.

This makes sense, but from a charismatic point of view, Jesus primary mission was twofold:

1 die for our sins to pay for our debt

2 baptize us with the Holy Spirit. (without this there is no restored Koinonia with the Father)

If you are not moving in the Holy Spirit dimension, then you are not connected to God's reality (which happens to be ultimate, as we are living in a downgraded region of His Kingdom that will eventually be renewed).

Thanks for the input Rosie.

P.S.

I sent you a message via FL concerning another thread.

Jan Krohn

Hi Jan:

Real neat.

Wonder if you can recommend some books (the most basic) I can try to read / engage with in German. I have German package, and eventually would like to learn to read theological type German. German language's ability to come up with words for nuanced meaning is amazing.

Kind regards.

Yeah. Since we have much less words available than the English language, we have to become creative at times and concatenate words together, or invent new words for these nuances.

I see two challenges coming up for you:

1. German scholars sometimes seem to express themselves as complicated as possible. (I keep wondering whether this is on purpose... Do they want to be understood, or to be admired...?)

2. Prior to 1903, there was no standardization of spelling and grammar. Everyone could write as they pleased. And they did.

You could start with reading some segments of the German versions of Grudem's Systematic Theology, or the Lexham Survey of Theology, so you can verify your understanding of the text with the originals.

For some genuine German theology, the HTA series should be quite beginner-friendly.

Eta Linnemann's books (the post conversion ones) are quite excellent, however, they're not in Logos, sadly, but easy to get hold of in dead tree format.

Bonhoeffer is more advanced, but also highly interesting, and maybe the most relevant German theologian of the 20th century.

If you want to venture into older works (which would surely be unavoidable at some point), the Keil-Delitzsch commentaries seem to be on the easier side. Of course, they do suffer from weird spelling.

EastTN

... Of course, they do suffer from weird spelling.

Thank you for that! It's good to know that English isn't the only language where the spelling in older books gets weird.

Hamilton Ramos

Thank you Jan for the recommendations.

I saw once a site that had comparison between Latin, German and English grammar.

I wonder if you could be interested into doing something like that but for theological terms. Maybe you can develop something in that sense for your theological studies.

Example: Louw Nida semantic domains, comparing theological concepts in Latin, German, English, Koine and maybe Hebrew.

A comparative grammar and semantical domain work could facilitate reading language skill, and conceptual framework augmentation.

Peace and grace.

David Thomas

In German, there's the fine distinction between "evangelikal" (modern sense) and "evangelisch" (as used by Luther).

As a pastor in a movement/denomination that has "evangelical" in its name (Evangelical Free Church of America), I'm aware that "evangelical" was used before 1970 and even used before 1950 and has European roots. It was used by Swedes, Norwegians and Danes before they immigrated to North America. An International Federation that is rather recent was formed to recognize that Free Evangelical movements are more global - at least 25 separate but related denominations.

from Wikipedia because I don't want to impose my bias - "The Swedish Evangelical Free Church formed as the Swedish Evangelical Free Mission in Boone, Iowa, in October 1884. Several churches that had been members of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Ansgar Synod and the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Mission Synod, along with some independent congregations, were instrumental in organizing this voluntary fellowship. In the same year, two Norwegian-Danish groups in Boston, Massachusetts, and Tacoma, Washington, began to fellowship together. By 1912, they had formed the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association. The Swedish and Norwegian-Danish bodies united in June 1950 at a merger conference held at the Medicine Lake Conference Grounds near Minneapolis, Minnesota. The two bodies represented 275 local congregations at the time of the merger.^[4]

The EFCA shares some early ties with those who formed the Swedish Evangelical Covenant Church. It has been a member of the National Association of Evangelicals since 1943, the year after that organization was formed."

It may be prudent to remember that, not only is modern sense and historical sense diverse (as Jan shared vocabulary), but there are MULTIPLE senses of the word in modern usage. The way I use the term to describe our tribe within Christendom is different than the way it is used in the media. Possibly the EFCA usage of "one who believes that God's Word alone is the final authority for faith and practice" (as compared to tradition or Ecclesiastic (Papal) authority) [sola scriptura] is more aligned to Luther's usage than the modern usage of a political voting block.

Thank you to Rosie for sharing the quote from Veith "Evangelical means someone who focuses on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News that Christ, through His death and resurrection, has won forgiveness for sinful human beings and offers salvation as a free gift." In personal use I separate "Evangelistic" from "Evangelical". In my mind Veith's quote defines "Evangelistic" more than "Evangelical". I differentiate Evangelistic as one who tells/proclaims the good news. Evangelical is someone who lives under the authority of the Good News.