A consideration of the divine call to the ministry of the Word of God is greatly facilitated by examining the teaching of the sixteenth-century reformer, John Calvin. There is great advantage in reflecting upon Calvin’s pastoral doctrine. His pastoral experience was extensive, lasting for nearly thirty years. Apart from his three years of ministry in Strasbourg, his life’s work was done in the Republic of Geneva where he preached in various churches, mainly in the pulpit at St. Pierre Cathedral. It was in this setting of total engagement in the pastoral ministry that Calvin wrote on the subject of the pastoral office, largely in his biblical commentaries and the Institutes of the Christian Religion, but also in his letters. His teaching was based on meticulous exegesis of biblical passages dealing with the office of pastor.
The Vital Necessity of a Call from God
Calvin insisted upon the absolute indispensability of the call of God to the ministry.
He maintained, in keeping with Scripture, that the call of God is the most crucial element in the making of a minister. “No man,” said Calvin, “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 pastor” (Letters of John Calvin, vol. 3, p. 206).
This then is the fundamental biblical perspective: “True pastors do not rashly thrust themselves forward by their own judgment, but are raised up by the Lord” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 21, on Eph. 4:11). What, however, is the divine call, which alone can make a true minister? The Call of God, Calvin argued, has two parts: “There is a twofold call; one is internal and the other belongs to order, and may, therefore, be called external or ecclesiastical” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 10, on Jer. 23:21). The external call depends on the existence of the church with a form of government and discipline. Indeed, Calvin insisted upon the selection of pastors by “common consent of the company of the faithful” (“Ecclesiastical Ordinances,” in The Register of the Company of Pastors of Geneva in the Time of Calvin, p.37). For Calvin, however, the inward call has priority: “The external call is never legitimate, except it be preceded by the internal; for it does not belong to us to create prophets, or apostles, or pastors, as this is the special work of the Holy Spirit” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 10, on Jer. 23:21).
What the Call from God Entails
The inward call of God is the fundamental element, but what exactly is it? How did Calvin explain its nature? In Calvin’s thought, there is the absence of a sensational and spectacular experience. He judiciously maintains that when a man has been endowed by God with the necessary gifts, he has in fact been called by God. He articulated his position in this way: “Those whom Christ calls to the pastoral office he likewise adorns with the necessary gifts, that they may be qualified for discharging the office” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 18, on John 20:22). “When men are called by God,” said Calvin, “God . . . endows them with gifts” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 21, on Eph. 4:11–14).
What are the necessary gifts for the ministry which demonstrate the call of God in the life of a man? Calvin affirmed that “there are particular endowments required” for “the pastoral office” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 10, on Jer. 23:21). And what are those gifts? Calvin declared, “They who have the charge of governing the people, ought to be qualified for teaching . . . in applying the word of God judiciously to the advantage of the people” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 21, on 1 Tim. 3:2). Obviously, the gift of teaching with application must necessarily entail the gift of biblical and theological knowledge. For individuals to “glory in a secret call from God, while in the meantime they are unlearned and utterly ignorant” is to demonstrate that they are “fanatics, and actuated by an evil spirit” (Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 20, on 1 Cor. 12:28).
The Question to Be Considered
This brief reflection upon Calvin’s exposition of the biblical teaching on divine call to the ministry may lead some readers to consider the question as to whether the call of God is upon your life. Is it the Lord’s intention that you serve in the office of pastor? The biblical position that Calvin expounded provides significant help in answering this question. It frees us from subjectivism, enabling us to assess wisely the will of God for our lives.
In light of the perspectives here articulated, how do you respond to the question of the call of God in your life? Do you meet the essential moral qualifications—summarized by the term blameless–as presented in 1 Timothy 3:1–7? Even beyond a godly and holy life, have you been endowed with the gifts for ministry? Is there a recognition in the church, among the men and women of wisdom, that you have a significant and conspicuous understanding of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3)? Furthermore, is there a realization among the people of God that you, as a faithful man, are “able to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2)?
It may be that sober and careful reflection upon these questions forces you to respond in the affirmative. If this be the case, it may well be the will of the Lord for you to seek to prepare yourself for the work of the ministry.
Dr. Mark J. Larson
Warrenville, SC