CALLED TO PREACH     By John Henry

Through the years I have heard many different claims as to how many denominational preachers are “called to preach.” I deny such allegations and claims. It has nothing to stand on and is advocated by those who seem to be self-deluded. 

The entire notion is preposterous when you consider that the different denominational preachers who rely on the same evidence of their call, all preach different and conflicting doctrines. In reality, this calling is a big joke. Think about this: If the Holy Spirit put one doctrine in one preacher’s mouth and a completely different one in another preacher’s mouth, and so on and so forth. Then the consequence of such action is that GOD is responsible for all the confusion in the religious world today. Who can believe this? Paul said, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor. 14:33). The idea of God having a “divine call” where God calls one preacher to preach a doctrine and then calls other preacher to preach a different doctrine is out of harmony with Galatians 1:6-9, where Paul states that there is just ONE Gospel or Doctrine. This “divine call” would make God a liar. Yet, Paul declared, “Let God be true but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).  I suggest that this so-called “divine calling to preach” is simply a delusional lie of the devil, which denominational preachers have come to believe as the truth (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

Preachers who claim to have a “special call” to preach are immediately ready to state that their group is the only one that is divinely called. All of those who differ with them are just delusional in their calling. It would be interesting to hear one group debate another group as to whom had been called. Both would have to rest their case on the same evidence – some extraordinary experience. I suppose the winner would be the one who could tell the biggest experience.

When Paul wrote, “And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” (Rom. 10:15), he never had in mind an assortment of denominational preachers. Paul was simply referring to the Great Commission of Christ (Mk. 16:15-16; Matt. 28:18-20). Any man who is a Christian may preach the gospel under this plan without having to wait for a “mystical call” of some kind.

We need to realize that preachers have no rights, privileges, powers, priorities, or titles with God over other Christians. They are no more called than any other servant of God. They are no better or any more righteous or any more holy than other followers of Christ. For preachers to seek preeminence or for people to give them eminence is explicitly forbidden (Matt. 23:8-12).