Called According to Paul: Summary

This is another repost of an old post in the Called According to Paul series. I’ve been reposting them, one per week (sort of), so I can link to them in the sidebar under Favorite Posts. This post is the final post in the series and a summary of all the post series. What I’ve done is make a list of the ways Paul uses the word call or called in regards to God’s call and the things he most often associates with it. An explanation of this series can be found here, and the already reposted pieces are here.

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Places where Paul uses called as a word of divine power—as something that brings sure results. I’ve also included all the times that the word called is used as a metonymy for saved, since the reasoning behind this use of the word seems to be that the call, in these cases, always brings salvation. Given how many times Paul clearly uses the word called as a word of divine power, it’d be reasonable to conclude that he always (or usually) uses the word like this, and so this meaning ought to be understood in all the other instances as well. On this list, however, I’ve only included those times where the power in the call is unmistakeable from the language of the context.

• Ephesians 4:1-6
• Romans 11:28-29
• Romans 9:10-13
• Romans 9:22-26
• 2 Timothy 1:9
• Romans 4:17
• 1 Corinthians 7:15-25
  
• 1 Corinthians 1:7-9
  
• 1 Corinthians 1:22-23
  
• Romans 8:27-30

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Places where Paul uses called as a summons or appointment. I consider these to be a subset of the divine power category, since there is forcefulness in the idea of summons or appointment.

As a summons to apostleship:

• 1 Corinthians 1:1
  
• Romans 1:1
• Galatians 1:15-16
  

As a summons to holiness, Christlikeness, sainthood, etc.

• 1 Corinthians 1:7-9
• Romans 8:27-30
• Romans 1:7
• Colossians 3:15
• 1 Thessalonians 4:7
• Ephesians 1:18
  
• Ephesians 4:1-6
  
• 1 Timothy 6:12
• 2 Timothy 1:9
• 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

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 Places where Paul has the call originating in God’s choice/purpose/will.

• 1 Corinthians 1:1
• 1 Corinthians 1:26-28
• Romans 8:27-30
• 2 Timothy 1:9
• 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
• Galatians 1:6
• Romans 11:28-29
• Romans 9:10-13
  
• Romans 9:22-26

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Places where Paul has the call originating in God’s love/grace/mercy:

• Romans 1:7
• 2 Timothy 1:9
• 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
• Galatians 1:6
• Romans 9:22-26
• Romans 9:10-13

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Places where Paul stresses the insignificance or “nothingness” of who/what is called:

• 1 Corinthians 1:26-28
• Romans 9:10-13
• Romans 4:17

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Places where Paul stresses the personal/individual nature of the call. Included with this list should also be the instances found above where the call is to apostleship:

• Romans 8:27-30
• 1 Corinthians 1:26-28
• 1 Corinthians 7:15-25
• 1 Timothy 6:12

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Called According to Paul: All the Rest

This is another repost of an old post in the Called According to Paul series. I’m reposting them all, one per week (sort of), so I can link to them in the sidebar under Favorite Posts. An explanation of this series can be found here, and the already reposted pieces are here.

There are only three more examples of Paul using the word called in regards to the call of God, and the plan is to look at all three in this post. First up is Colossians 3:15:

Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. (NET)

The call to the Colossian Christians was a call to peace. We’ve seen this idea before in Paul’s usage of the word call: the call that believers received was an appointment to a certain kind of life—a life of holiness, peace, fellowship with the Son, etc.

The Colossian believers were called “as one body”. I understand this to be referring to the way they were called and not what they were called to. The believers in Colosse that Paul is writing to were called as a group (See chapter 1.) and came to faith as a group, and that they were called as “one body” was reason for them to not be factious, but to continue to be a unified, peaceful body.

The next usage of called by Paul is in 1 Thessalonians 4:7:

For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. (NET)

This is another place where the calling is to a certain kind of life. Those who are called are called to holiness. We can compare this to verse 3 of the same chapter, which says that “this is God’s will: that you become holy.” A calling from God is an appointment to sanctification.

The very last verse to look at is 1 Timothy 6:12:

Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for in the presence of many witnesses. (NET)

In this case, the calling is an appointment to eternal life, and this appointment serves as incentive to “compete well for the faith.”

Now I’m done—almost. I’ve examined every time Paul uses the word call in regards to God’s call. I’ll follow up with one last post summarizing everything I’ve learned and then I’ll compare that with the quote from Herman Ridderbos that started this whole series rolling.

Called According to Paul: Romans 11:28-29

This is another repost of an old post in the Called According to Paul series. I’m reposting them all, one per week (sort of), so I can link to them in the sidebar under Favorite Posts. An explanation of this series can be found here, and the already reposted pieces are here.

 Here are the verses from Romans 11:

In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. (28-29 NET)

What I’m not going to do is explain exactly what these verses mean. I think we can glean at least a couple of things about the way Paul uses the word “call” without explaining exactly what it is Paul is teaching about the Jews here.

• The call is associated with God’s choice (election). This is a common theme in regards to calling throughout Paul’s writings, so it’s not the first time we’ve seen it.
  
  
• The call is irrevocable. There is certainty or surety in the call.

Is there more? What more can you see about the way Paul uses the word call from these verses?