What Is The Calling Of The Gospel

Introduction

The calling of God has been instrumental to understand the gospel. God has called individuals, groups and an entire nation to seek Him and be His people. The purpose of this essay is to explore how God’s calling has been revealed throughout time. Calling appears throughout the Bible. People have responded to His call since the beginning of time and has it been key to understanding the Word of God. God draws humanity into His story through calling us to know and love Him. God loves all of humanity and calls us into relationship with Him.

Philosophical Foundations or Presuppositions

In realizing God’s calling one must first concede that there is a higher power (God), who is everlasting, omnipresent – everywhere at all times, omniscient

We are called by the Gospel to faith in Christ and through and from that Gospel we are called to a life of love and service. In Vine’s dictionary the word call, called, calling has many Greek words. In the New Testament these words are used time and again to express God’s call on His people to spread the good news of Christ Jesus.

The Greek word proskaleo God 's call to Gentiles through the Gospel, Acts 2:39 and the Divine call in entrusting men with the preaching of the Gospel," (Acts 13:2; 16:10). Paul says, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,” (2 Timothy 1:9). Paul, in Ephesians 1:4-5, tells us that God chose us before He created the word, and in love, He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ according to His purpose. Also in Ephesians 4:1. Paul continues; “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been

The early church fathers, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Augustine to name a few, felt that their calling was the call to faith in Christ Jesus. “Calling, in this context, was not to serve in offices of the church. Calling belonged to all Christians. It was the call to faithfulness, to share the good news regardless of the cost, and to give up everything to follow Christ.”

The early church believed that God’s first calling was to convert to Christianity. The early church did not necessarily commit their time to pondering what vocation they should have, instead, as Jones says, “they agonized over submitting to Christ. No one doubted the results of answering that call would be dramatic.” As Christianity spread across Europe, and the Mediterranean world, people witnessed the frequent horrific cost of spreading the gospel, but those who herald the good news of Christ knew it was their calling.

Also during this time, Christians came from every occupation and walk of life. The casting of these seeds allowed the gospel to flourish throughout then known world. Christians could spread the Word within their chosen vocations and in their communities with relative