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[Jim_Alaska]

Bro. Stafford. This is your thread, I attempted to answer your question in the best way I could. I cannot show you a scripture that specifically says that God called (my name) to the ministry because there is none, that's why I said we cannot manufacture scripture.

I did not base any conviction on a personal experience brother, I simply recounted my personal experience in the hope that it might be of some benefit to you.

I gave you my experience, the rest is up to you. You can cast it aside, but it is still my experience. I am sorry if my response to your question is not sufficiently adequate for you, but I feel no burning need to justify myself to men on an Internet message forum.

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[Jim_Alaska]

Bro. Stafford. My apologies for assuming that the seven verses I supplied might speak to your original question.

I am also sorry for "chiming in" on your OP with any expectation of being of some benefit to you.

Thank you for your "apple" illustration. It was gracious of you to bring it down to a level I could understand.

[Ukulelemike]

Eating apples, however, is a purely subjective things-some people like them, some don't. That illustration is a poor illustration, because what it should be is, Is there any biblical evidence that anyone likes apples?  You didn't ask, Why do some people believe they are called to the ministry, you asked for biblical backing for it.

As far as I can see, God called people to ministry in the past, God supplies the gifts for the ministry according to His will. Notice, 1Cor 12:28 says "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." Notice carefully, WHO set them in the church? God. HE set the gifts, we should take from that, that He also sets those who will USE such gifts, into the churches as well. Yes, we should DESIRE the best gifts, (the best being prophecy, or preaching the word), but it is God who sets them there, according to His will. 1Cor 12:11 says, concerning spiritual gifts, " But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." It is the Spirit that divides the gifts, as HE will. If we call ourselves, then He gives the gifts according to OUR will.

As well, church leaders, according the scripture, have 'the rule' over the churches. As such, would it not be appropriate to assume that, just as God has ordained the civil 'powers that be', that He would also ordain the spiritual rulers? Or does HE choose civil leaders, while WE choose the spiritual on our own?

Edit: This is not meant to be a final answer by any means, or a dogmatic statement, just what I had to to write, and continuing the discussion.

[weary warrior]

If I may add a tiny bit ... ? The "desire" to be a preacher is not a call to preach. Yes, "he that desireth the office of a bishop desireth a good thing", but that is more a statement regarding the importance of the office, not the methodology of filling it. Jeremiah did not want to preach or mention the name of God any more, but he had a fire burning him up from inside, and eventually he had to preach, whither he wanted to or not. Paul said that if he did this thing unwillingly, yet a dispensation of the gospel was committed to him. If you want to preach, and are qualified, humanly speaking, it's a good bet you are not called. If you feel you have to preach or simply die, and you are not anyone that would ever have been picked in high school as the "most likely to become a preacher", you are getting the idea. God chooses the weak, foolish and rejected, and his callings are "without repentance". If you can just choose, you have the power to simply un-choose. It's all in your hands.

Must be nice.

[Ukulelemike]

1Cor 12:28-31

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

I think this kind of answers the question at hand. Clearly here, we see that it is GOD who set these in the church, including prophets, who today would be pastors. That all these things are not around anymmore, like apostles and such, doesn't change the fact that it is God who is said to set officeers, (if you will) in the churches.  That the Bible doesn't explain HOW these people are all called and given their mandate and abilities doesn't change the fact that it is God who sets them, therefore calls them, and apparently, HOW it is done is between Himself and those He calls, perhaps to keep from more false callings. This way, those who are called KNOW they are called, even if they can't explain it clearly for those not called.

[Pastor Scott Markle]

22 hours ago, Ukulelemike said:

1Cor 12:28-31

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

I think this kind of answers the question at hand. Clearly here, we see that it is GOD who set these in the church, including prophets, who today would be pastors. That all these things are not around anymmore, like apostles and such, doesn't change the fact that it is God who is said to set officeers, (if you will) in the churches.  That the Bible doesn't explain HOW these people are all called and given their mandate and abilities doesn't change the fact that it is God who sets them, therefore calls them, and apparently, HOW it is done is between Himself and those He calls, perhaps to keep from more false callings. This way, those who are called KNOW they are called, even if they can't explain it clearly for those not called.

Brother Mike,

First, I am NOT at all contrary to the point which you have made from 1 Corinthians 12:28-31.  However, I do wish to expand it from the very same context of 1 Corinthians 12.  In 1 Corinthians 12:18 we find the following declaration -- "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him."  Even so, we learn that it is not just the pastoral leadership whom the Lord our God has set ("called") unto their specific place within the ministry of the church, but that it is EVERY SINGLE member whom the Lord our god has set ("called") unto their specific place within the ministry of the church.  Often there is talk concerning the "calling of God" upon a pastor for his place of pastoral ministry.  However, I would contend that we often neglect the truth concerning the "calling of God" upon each and every member for their specific, individual place of ministry within the church body.

[Ukulelemike]

1 hour ago, Pastor Scott Markle said:

Brother Mike,

First, I am NOT at all contrary to the point which you have made from 1 Corinthians 12:28-31.  However, I do wish to expand it from the very same context of 1 Corinthians 12.  In 1 Corinthians 12:18 we find the following declaration -- "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him."  Even so, we learn that it is not just the pastoral leadership whom the Lord our God has set ("called") unto their specific place within the ministry of the church, but that it is EVERY SINGLE member whom the Lord our god has set ("called") unto their specific place within the ministry of the church.  Often there is talk concerning the "calling of God" upon a pastor for his place of pastoral ministry.  However, I would contend that we often neglect the truth concerning the "calling of God" upon each and every member for their specific, individual place of ministry within the church body.

And I completely agree with that-and in that, each person is to KNOW they were called by the Lord to that position, and are as important as the call of God to be a pastor.

In our church, I teach that each believer has something that the Lord has for THEM, specifically, to do, each person has a (potential?) call to ministry, and it is up to each of us to make ourselves useful to the Lord and seek that calling.  When I answered the call to ministry, I didn't answer to be a pastor, I answered to ministry, because I believed God was calling me--I just didn't know to WHAT He was calling me. So, from that point I began to get busy in whatever was needed: I taught sinday school, to kids and adults, worked in the choir, on the bus, whatever I could find to do, until in time it became clear to me that I was to be a pastor. Again, HOW it became clear, I can't really explain it, though in my case, all those aspects of ministry I worked in, each gave me some experience that I have used as a pastor where I am.  But I believe that when we prepare for ministry and open ourselves to the Lord's will and leading in a calling, he will place you where HE wants you.

[Genevanpreacher]

[Ukulelemike]

On ‎1‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 6:33 AM, Genevanpreacher said:

I don't think I can explain it any better than this-thank you.

[Martyr_4_FutureJoy]

On 10/13/2016 at 1:36 PM, Brother Stafford said:

 

I am interested in objective Scripture that commands, allows or forbids what we are to do.

"Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

"(32) And the multitude of them that believed.--Literally, And the heart and the soul of the multitude of those that believed were one. Of the two words used to describe the unity of the Church, "heart" represented, as in Hebrew usage, rather the intellectual side of character (Mark 2:6; Mark 2:8; Mark 11:23; Luke 2:35; Luke 3:15; Luke 6:45, et al.), and "soul," the emotional (Luke 2:35; Luke 12:22; John 12:27, et al.). As with most like words, however, they often overlap each other, and are used together to express the totality of character without minute analysis. The description stands parallel with that of Acts 2:42-47, as though the historian delighted to dwell on the continuance, as long as it lasted, of that ideal of a common life of equality and fraternity after which philosophers had yearned, in which the rights of property, though not abolished, were, by the spontaneous action of its owners,

"made subservient to the law of love, and

 

"benevolence was free and full, without the "nicely calculated less or more" of a later and less happy time.

"The very form of expression implies that the community of goods was not compulsory.

 

"The goods still belonged to men, but they did not speak of them as their own.

 

"They had learned, as from our Lord's teaching (Luke 16:10-14), to think of themselves, not as possessors, but as stewards. . . ."

Edited September 4, 2021 by Martyr_4_FutureJoy