Calling or Desire – The Bible tells us the following:
Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)”
Calling or Desire – 1 Timothy 3:1 “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.“
The so-called qualifications listed in Timothy and Titus do not require a calling. https://drdonporter.com/qualifications-or-attributes/
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
1 Thessalonians 5:24 “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Ephesians 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”
Acts 13:1-4
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid [their] hands on them, they sent [them] away.
It requires very little study to arrive at this conclusion: God is 100% involved in the Pastorate.
The word “called” gets tossed around in Baptist circles, but it doesn’t hold the clout Baptists would like to purport.
Paul told Timothy that “This is a true saying, If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”
Dr. Rice used to say that the desire comes from God, so if the desire is there and the qualification is there, you are probably being called. And even if that is not the case, the desire is a good one and God blesses when we do good.
So, are you “called?”
Do you have a license from a church?
Has an ordination council endorsed you? Link
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah was set apart and appointed by God, not man.
Maybe a deacon board offered their voice of credibility.
Possibly Pastor “called?”
Ah, maybe it’s who you know clique Link
None of the above are necessary or a requirement
- And he gave some
- desire the office of a bishop?
- you desire a good work
- 1 Timothy 3:1 “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.“
- good is from above
- James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.“
- James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.“
It isn’t possible that every Pastor behind a pulpit this Sunday is “called” or “qualified” as the IFB would like to believe. Many are just good speakers, and orators, and possess the ability to excite a crowd. However, many are serving in the ministries of the church because of Godly desire, which is good, and the Lord blesses them.
How do you know that your Pastor is “called?”
You don’t! We’re all on the honor system and accountable to God.
So, are you “called?” Who has endorsed you or placed their hand of credibility upon you so Pastoral participation is yours? Hopefully, it isn’t a deacon board, ordination council, or a piece of licensure from the church. Prayerfully, your desire is manifested in your good works and consistent Christian living wrapped in a growing and passionate love for God’s Word. The proof of your desire for the Pastorate will be visible to the church. The church will have a responsibility to pray over you and send you forth as the Holy Spirit has already placed the desire within you.
Our churches must become more inclusionary instead of exclusionary. 1 John 1:9 and Galatians 6:1
https://www.biblesprout.com/articles/church/elders-bishops-pastors/
Pastor: This doesn’t describe a man in office, but only the ministry. (Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 5:2)
Bishop: Administrative term used to identify the work. (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7; 1 Pet. 2:25)
Elder: Referring to maturity and wisdom, used in the plural when describing the church’s function. (Acts 20:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1)
Were Timothy and Titus Pastors? This is a statement worth more study from: https://ancient-faith.com/2013/11/16/the-pastoral-epistles-were-timothy-and-titus-pastors/
Apostles traveled; elders stayed in one place. The idea that an elder (pastor) could be raised in some faraway church, trained in seminary, then recruited by a pastor search committee is a modern, heretical [the word, in a general sense, means “divisive”] tradition. Tertullian described something different going on in the early church:
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
1 Timothy 1:12 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;” This verse removes the opinion of man and the unbiblical ordination council.