Raised Up by the Lord: The Call of God to the Office of Pastor

Raised Up by the Lord: The Call of God to the Office of Pastor

Brief overview on the importance and centrality of God’s call to men who serve as ministers.

“To begin with, it is good to remember the absolute indispensability of God’s call to ministry. In fact, Calvin maintained, in keeping with Scripture, that the call of God is the most crucial element in the making of a minister: “No man is to be counted a lawful pastor of the Church … save he which is called of God” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 18, on Acts 13:2). Calvin warned against the tendency of many who seek to thrust themselves forward into office without the divine call. He wrote to the king of Poland that “no one should rashly intrude into, nor any private person usurp the office of a pastor” (Letters of John Calvin, vol. 3, p. 106).”