In a recent thread in the Baptist College and Seminary Forum entitled: “Seminary training and opportunity to minister” http://www.baptistboard.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/8/611.html contained a poll asking several questions. One of the questions drew my attention. The question asked us to rank what we believed to be the most important three considerations for a man entering the ministry. The choices to rank were as follows:
A. Marriage
B. Experience in Ministry
C. Seminary Degree and Training
D. Going to an Approved Seminary Versus an Unapproved Seminary
E. God's Effectual Call upon your Life to Ministry ...
It was this last choice (E) that caught my attention. I note that as of this writing 89 percent of the responders have selected (E) as one of the most important considerations for a man entering the ministry. This led me to ask:
Let me begin by stating that I do not believe that it is impossible for God (or not within His ability) to “call” someone into ministry. However, I do believe that we (as Evangelicals) use the term “called” way too loosely without fully understanding what God’s word has to say about those who serve in ministry. Typically, when Evangelicals talk about one’s life-work we default to a traditional view and use the distinctive biblical term—called. The traditional view cites many illustrations from Scripture where God called a specific individual to a specific task and thereby teaches that the call of God is the essential aspect in determining one’s profession (held to be true even if one does not become a pastor or missionary).
With all that said the best way to begin examining the idea of “called” is to examine the Scriptures where it is specifically used. The following summary relies heavily on Garry Friesen’s book Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View.
The Greek verb kaleo, meaning “to call,” is found 148 times in the NT (with an additional 70 uses of related terms from the same root).
There are three theological usages of the word:
1. In the gospels Jesus frequently uses the word in the sense of summoning or inviting sinners (Matt. 9:13) to come to repentance, faith, salvation, and service.
2. Paul applied the term to a more restricted doctrinal use to describe God’s gracious work within a sinner whereby He effectively brings that person to faith and salvation (effective or efficacious grace in contrast to the common grace given to all mankind but rejected by many). This use of “call” was important in Paul’s development of the doctrine of sovereign grace and election (Rom. 8:28-30).
3. The call to a specific function or office. This use of the term occurs three times in the NT: (A) God’s call of Paul to be an apostle (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1); (B) God’s call of Barnabas and Saul to be the Church’s first missionaries (Acts 13:2); and (C) God’s call to Paul and his companions to take the gospel to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10).
Clearly, the first two uses of the term “called” are not what we have in mind with respect to the traditional view regarding our life’s-work. It is this third use of the term “called” (to a specific function or office) where we want to focus our examination. A vigilant assessment of these examples along with the rest of the NT exposes the fact that they are the exception rather than the rule. In his book entitled, Can you Know God’s Will for Your Life? Charles R. Smith states:
Friesen goes on to point out that each “vocational call” (referenced in the bold number 3 above) was issued only to certain individuals at certain times. The book of Acts clearly reveals that the Holy Spirit was vigilantly overseeing the beginning stages of the Church’s growth. However, only at crucial moments and in influential ways did God intercede supernaturally to commission workers, chart a particular course, or point in a specific direction. The remainder of the time God’s purposes were accomplished through saints obeying the moral will of God (which is fully revealed to us in the Scriptures so we don’t have to guess what it is or seek out some special form of revelation).
Every instance of the special call of God was unsought and unexpected. Certainly God could give a vocational call to each believer. His ability to do so is not in question. However, it is important to note that there is no instruction directing Christians to seek out such leading. The biblical examples of God interrupting the normal flow of life to reveal His will clearly emphasize the sovereign origin of such revelations.
Finally, the concept of “the call of God” is prominent in the NT. However, the vocational sense of the term occupies only a minor place (J.I. Packer refers to it as “subordinate”), and when it occurs it is never presented as pertaining to all believers.
So we see that the idea of a vocational call is in harmony with the theological framework of the traditional view, and that there are indeed instances found in Scripture where God did call certain men to special tasks. However, these two facts are not sufficient to establish the reality of a vocational call for all believers. Again, clearly God could make such choices and reveal them as He has done in the past. Yet, the indication of Scripture is that God did not normally lead that way in biblical times, and we should not expect Him to do so today.
[ December 10, 2005, 01:04 AM: Message edited by: Bible-boy ]
A. Marriage
B. Experience in Ministry
C. Seminary Degree and Training
D. Going to an Approved Seminary Versus an Unapproved Seminary
E. God's Effectual Call upon your Life to Ministry ...
It was this last choice (E) that caught my attention. I note that as of this writing 89 percent of the responders have selected (E) as one of the most important considerations for a man entering the ministry. This led me to ask:
Where is the idea of "God's effectual Call" found in the Bible?</font>[/QUOTE]To date no one has responded to my question. I expect that this issue could result in some lengthy debate. However, the Baptist Colleges and Seminary Form is in the Baptist Fellowship section of the BB (not intended for debate). Therefore, I thought to move the discussion into the Baptist Debate section.
Let me begin by stating that I do not believe that it is impossible for God (or not within His ability) to “call” someone into ministry. However, I do believe that we (as Evangelicals) use the term “called” way too loosely without fully understanding what God’s word has to say about those who serve in ministry. Typically, when Evangelicals talk about one’s life-work we default to a traditional view and use the distinctive biblical term—called. The traditional view cites many illustrations from Scripture where God called a specific individual to a specific task and thereby teaches that the call of God is the essential aspect in determining one’s profession (held to be true even if one does not become a pastor or missionary).
With all that said the best way to begin examining the idea of “called” is to examine the Scriptures where it is specifically used. The following summary relies heavily on Garry Friesen’s book Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View.
The Greek verb kaleo, meaning “to call,” is found 148 times in the NT (with an additional 70 uses of related terms from the same root).
There are three theological usages of the word:
1. In the gospels Jesus frequently uses the word in the sense of summoning or inviting sinners (Matt. 9:13) to come to repentance, faith, salvation, and service.
2. Paul applied the term to a more restricted doctrinal use to describe God’s gracious work within a sinner whereby He effectively brings that person to faith and salvation (effective or efficacious grace in contrast to the common grace given to all mankind but rejected by many). This use of “call” was important in Paul’s development of the doctrine of sovereign grace and election (Rom. 8:28-30).
3. The call to a specific function or office. This use of the term occurs three times in the NT: (A) God’s call of Paul to be an apostle (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1); (B) God’s call of Barnabas and Saul to be the Church’s first missionaries (Acts 13:2); and (C) God’s call to Paul and his companions to take the gospel to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10).
Clearly, the first two uses of the term “called” are not what we have in mind with respect to the traditional view regarding our life’s-work. It is this third use of the term “called” (to a specific function or office) where we want to focus our examination. A vigilant assessment of these examples along with the rest of the NT exposes the fact that they are the exception rather than the rule. In his book entitled, Can you Know God’s Will for Your Life? Charles R. Smith states:
Note that in each of the three cases (identified in the bold number 3 above) the means of communication was some form of supernatural revelation. When Saul was on the road to Damascus he heard the audible voice of the exalted Christ (Acts 9:1-16; 26:14-20). The command to “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” is attributed to the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2). Here again God either spoke to the church at Antioch in an audible voice or through one of the prophets mentioned in Acts 13:1. Finally, Paul received his “Macedonian Call” through a revelatory vision (Acts 16:9-10). Most importantly we should note that in none of these instances (or elsewhere in the NT) was such a call communicated through any sort of inward impression.
Friesen goes on to point out that each “vocational call” (referenced in the bold number 3 above) was issued only to certain individuals at certain times. The book of Acts clearly reveals that the Holy Spirit was vigilantly overseeing the beginning stages of the Church’s growth. However, only at crucial moments and in influential ways did God intercede supernaturally to commission workers, chart a particular course, or point in a specific direction. The remainder of the time God’s purposes were accomplished through saints obeying the moral will of God (which is fully revealed to us in the Scriptures so we don’t have to guess what it is or seek out some special form of revelation).
Every instance of the special call of God was unsought and unexpected. Certainly God could give a vocational call to each believer. His ability to do so is not in question. However, it is important to note that there is no instruction directing Christians to seek out such leading. The biblical examples of God interrupting the normal flow of life to reveal His will clearly emphasize the sovereign origin of such revelations.
Finally, the concept of “the call of God” is prominent in the NT. However, the vocational sense of the term occupies only a minor place (J.I. Packer refers to it as “subordinate”), and when it occurs it is never presented as pertaining to all believers.
So we see that the idea of a vocational call is in harmony with the theological framework of the traditional view, and that there are indeed instances found in Scripture where God did call certain men to special tasks. However, these two facts are not sufficient to establish the reality of a vocational call for all believers. Again, clearly God could make such choices and reveal them as He has done in the past. Yet, the indication of Scripture is that God did not normally lead that way in biblical times, and we should not expect Him to do so today.
[ December 10, 2005, 01:04 AM: Message edited by: Bible-boy ]
