SpokaneFāVS
What do you want to know about Evangelicalism? Submit your question here.
What exactly is a Evangelical? Are they anointed through Christ, the ones that can heal through the gift of God?
When today’s question hit my inbox, I immediately thought it would be helpful to get in touch with a couple of professors at a seminary I attended because of how tough it was going to be to answer. However, having never attended any theological college, that was not a workable option so I decided to go it alone, leveraging over 30 years of attendance at Evangelical churches, my efforts, since 1989, to train Christians how to share their faith, and a love of my life…Google.
Although what is or isn’t Evangelical doesn’t appear to be universally accepted, the ability to heal through the gift of God wasn’t included as part of its most commonly found description.
Looking at a variety of online resources, such as Wikipedia; an article in The Atlantic; PBS’ investigative journalism feature, Frontline; and even the National Association of Evangelicals, I can safely (?) say Evangelical Christians, who can be found in nearly every Protestant denomination and tradition, are known by these four qualities…
- Confidence that the Bible is God’s revealed word to mankind
- Concentration on Jesus’s death on the cross and its redeeming power
- Conviction that humans need to be transformed into the Christian life
- Certainty that faith should influence one’s public life
While these traits are commonly held across the Evangelical spectrum, the idea that healing, by humans through the power of the Holy Spirit, is a part of some Christian’s makeup, is not. Generally, the belief can be found in the Pentecostal and charismatic branches of Christianity, which are also considered Evangelical, but as some would argue, of a more liberal makeup.
Scott McIntyre is glad his parents didn’t name him Vladimir or he’d be listed last on this page. While a long time California resident, he was the Oakland Spirituality Examiner for Examiner.com from 2011-12 and about the same time began blogging on several topics. The first, teaching Christians how to lovingly share their spiritual beliefs, emphasized skills that can benefit all forms of one-to-one interaction. He also writes on marriage, travel, downsizing, humor and the motive behind people’s words and actions. After retiring in 2016, Scott embarked on some major ‘R & R’ — Relocating and Rebranding. Following in his sister’s footsteps from the early 80’s, and later in the decade, his parent’s, Scott left the Golden State to become a Washingtonian in a small town just west of Spokane County.
