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1 Timothy 3:1
“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.”
God calls people to salvation by issuing both an internal call and an external call. The external call is the preaching of the gospel, which goes out to all people. Yet not all people believe. Instead, only those who receive the inner call of the Holy Spirit, which convinces us of God’s truth and renews our wills to trust in Christ, actually believe unto salvation (John 6:44; Rom. 10:14–15).
As we look at what the Bible teaches on the subject of the call of God, we see that there are other kinds of callings that our Creator issues that do not pertain to personal salvation. One of these is the call to ministry. Historic Protestantism has recognized that when the Lord calls a man to gospel ministry, He does so by issuing an internal call to the man’s heart and mind. That internal call, while important, is not enough for ordination. The man must also receive an external call from the church, which confirms that he has been appointed by God. Although we are talking about the call to ordained ministry here—the call to be an elder or deacon—we can make a broader application to all vocations. No matter our gifts or calling, we will all be able to recognize them both from an internal sense of what we should be doing and by confirmation from those outside ourselves.
Today’s passage is one text that mentions the internal sense of calling. Preparing to give the qualifications for church eldership, Paul states that those who desire the office of elder desire a noble thing (1 Tim. 3:1). Clearly, the Apostle envisions that at least some potential elders will experience a desire to perform the tasks of an elder and will want to hold the office of elder. Note that Paul does not speak against this desire but rather commends that which is desired. This means that there can be a holy way to seek church office. Of course, it is possible to desire eldership because one wants acclaim or to wield power over others, and some who seek ordination do so for the wrong reasons. Nevertheless, wanting to hold church office does not have to spring from wrong motives.
Throughout church history, many people have noted that the internal call to gospel ministry often manifests itself in a feeling of compulsion to preach. First Corinthians 9:16 gives us Paul’s own testimony of such a compulsion. Those who are called to serve in church office typically desire that ministry.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Whether we are talking about the internal call to the ministry of elder or deacon or the internal call to some other form of service in the church, the presence of a desire for that work is important. Sometimes that desire precedes the calling, and at other times we find ourselves coming to desire a work that we did not desire when we were first called to it. But if a desire for the calling never manifests, it is likely that we have not been called to it.
For further study
- Psalm 37:4
- Jeremiah 1:4–10
- Hebrews 13:17
- 1 Peter 5:1–2
The bible in a year
- Psalms 23–24
- Acts 20:1–16