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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Comments

[Eddie]

Thanks for posting this again, Rebecca. It got me all fired up, so I put an article on my blog about it. :)

[rebecca]

Cool! I got kind of excited myself when I was reposting it last night. :)