The Call - or Just a Wrong Number?

By far and away the very BEST, that is, the most helpful, thoughtful, and above all, Scriptural, treatment of the "call" of God to the ministry comes from R. L. Dabney. In volume 2 of his Discussions collection there is an article titled, "What is a Call to the Ministry?" Here is an excerpt:

"What, then, is the call to the gospel ministry? Before the answer to this question is attempted, let us protest against the vague, mystical and fanatical notions of a call which prevail in many minds, fostered, we are sorry to admit, by not a little unscriptural teaching from Christians. People seem to imagine that some voice is to be heard, or some impression to be felt, or some impulse to be given to the soul, they hardly know what or whence, which is to force the man into the ministry without rational or scriptural deliberation. And if this fantastic notion is not realized–as it is not to be, except among those persons of feverish imagination who of all men have least business in the pulpit–the young Christian is encouraged to conclude that he is exempt. Let the pious young man ask himself this plain question, Is there any other expression of God's will given to us except the Bible? Where else does God authorize us to look for information as to any duty? The call to the ministry, then, is to be found, like the call of every other duty, in the teachings of God's revealed Word."

It just gets better from there. Dabney does not deny the validity of a call to the ministry; rather he demands that we anchor our call in the Bible . . . as we should!