Class #4: A call is not determined to be divine because of some inner emotional experience or heartfelt desire of the person. The call is divine because it comes from God–either directly (immediately from God as it did in the case of prophets and apostles, including St. Paul), or indirectly (mediately from God, by means of the congregation, Acts 20:28, to whom God has given the command to place a man into the pastoral office, 2 Tim. 2:2). For New Testament churches, the divine call (1) comes from the congregation (2) for Word and Sacrament and (3) is not time limited (not licensed).
In Galatians 1:1, St. Paul explains that he did not have a non-divine call (humanly determined), nor did he have a divine call which was mediately given through a congregation, as do today’s pastors. St. Paul was an apostle through an immediate divine call from God!
Handout: Galatians Overheads class 3
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