THE CALLING OF THE MINISTRY

Much confusion surrounds the concept of ministerial calling, with many assuming it must involve some mystical experience or supernatural voice creating an overwhelming desire for the work. While such dramatic calls have occurred in Scripture, they are exceptional rather than normative.

Consider Isaiah's extraordinary calling, where he beheld a vision of the Lord and heard an audible
voice, declaring, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me" (Isaiah 6:8). Similarly, Paul received direct  instruction from the Holy Spirit for specific missionary endeavors: "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2).

However, these exceptional cases must not obscure the ordinary pattern of divine calling. The apostle Paul himself uses the term "calling" to refer simply to one's vocational position: "But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk" (1 Corinthians 7:17). This fundamental understanding illuminates the true nature of ministerial calling.

 In its essence, the call to ministry is the appointment of a qualified man to a ministerial office. This truth is demonstrated clearly in Aaron's case: "And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron" (Hebrews 5:4). Aaron's calling was manifested through his appointment: "And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office" (Numbers 3:10).

Even our Lord Jesus Christ's high priestly ministry follows this pattern. He was both "appointed" (Hebrews 3:1-2) and "called of God" (Hebrews 5:10) to be the great High Priest. The terms are synonymous, demonstrating that calling equals appointment.

God's call is recognized primarily through the presence of ability and the meeting of biblical qualifications. Consider Bezaleel, who was "called" to craft the tabernacle through the specific abilities God gave him: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel...and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship" (Exodus 31:1-3).

Significantly, Bezaleel's calling included both ability and desire: "Then wrought Bezaleel...and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary" (Exodus 36:1). The divine gift carried both the capability and the inclination to serve.

The practical manifestation of this calling comes through ordination by existing ministers. Moses, as God's appointed leader, "called Bezaleel" (Exodus 36:2), providing the practical confirmation of God's call. This pattern continues in the New Testament church, where ordination serves as the external and practical confirmation of God's call.

Let it be firmly understood: a call to ministry is not primarily about subjective feelings or mystical experiences. Rather, it is God's appointment of qualified men to ministerial office, demonstrated through:

1. The possession of God-given abilities
2. The meeting of biblical qualifications
3. The recognition and confirmation by an existing minister
4. Formal ordination to office

Those who desire the ministry must examine themselves not by their feelings or desires alone, but by these objective criteria. An ordained minister must likewise judge potential ministers not by their claims of supernatural experiences, but by their qualifications and abilities as set forth in Scripture.

This understanding preserves both the dignity of the ministerial office and the order of Christ's church. It prevents both presumptuous self-appointment and the confusion that results from elevating extraordinary experiences above ordinary divine appointment through qualified ordination by another “called” minister.