DIVINE COMMISSIONING

Brian Gregg

BTHE 5243: Systematic Theology 1

Professor: Dr. Alan Hawkins

Family of Faith College and Global Awakening Theological Seminary

March 14, 2019

Introduction

At certain times and in various ways, God has intervened in the lives of individuals and

commissioned them to carry out special tasks. Even though the task before these individuals was

unique to their specific situations, God’s visitation empowered them for special tasks that were

meant to move forward His redemptive plan for this world and these visitations have changed

history. This paper will look at the cause, nature, and process of such visitations by looking at

the example of Old Testament call narratives. Following this will be an examination of how

these relate to the commissioning of Saul of Tarsus in the book of Acts and how this serves as an

example of the continuity of God’s commissioning by visitation continuing into the New

Testament era.

Cause

In a general sense, the cause of these commissioning visitations is the response of God to

a situation in which people need His help. In response to this need, He visited a chosen person

whom He desired to use as a vehicle to fulfill His redemptive desires. When God’s chosen

people strayed, He commissioned a prophet through whom He called His people to repent and to

return to Him. In the Book of Judges, as the people strayed from God, other nations were able to

oppress them, so God raised up Judges and empowered them to deliver His people. The

recorded accounts of these visitations are often referred to as call/commission narratives. One of

the most well-developed call narratives in the Old Testament is found in the book of Exodus in

the calling of Moses.

For some, the calling of Moses has served as a prototype for call narratives and one that

has been heavily examined by form critics in developing the structure of Old Testament call

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narratives.1 In Exod 3:7-8, God reveals to Moses the reason for the visitation: “I have heard

them [Israel] crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of

that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey….” God responded

to the cry of His oppressed people by visiting Moses and commissioning Him to be God’s

chosen deliverer of the nation of Israel. This led Moses to return to Egypt and deliver the people

from the oppression that they were under. Yet, the nature of a commissioning such as Moses’

generally goes beyond a specific moment in history. One of the most important aspects of the

nature of commissions is that it advances God’s redemptive plan.2 They happen in a moment in

time, but they need to be seen within the larger scope of redemptive history.

Nature

In looking at redemptive history, not only is this an extremely important moment of

Israel’s history and the beginning of a great salvation story in delivering the nation from the hand

of the Egyptians, but it is also God being faithful to the covenant that He made with Abraham.

God’s promise to Abraham included the land that they were to be delivered into as well as

becoming a great nation that would be a blessing to “all the peoples on earth” (Gen 12:3).3 The

ultimate fulfillment of this blessing was fulfilled in Jesus (see Gal 3:14) who was a decedent of 1 Norm Habel used Moses’ call narrative as well as Gideon’s to serve as early examples of Gattung. See

Norm Habel, “The Form and Significance of the Call Narratives,” ZAW 77 (1965): 297-323. This will be explored more in the process of the call narratives.

2 Another great example of a call narrative that exemplifies God’s desire to help the nation of Israel is found in Judges 6 and the calling of Gideon. At this period of time the Midianites, among others, were invading Israel. They were destroying their crops and livestock and Israel had to build shelters in mountain cliffs to protect themselves. In response to Israel crying out to God, the angel of the Lord visits Gideon and commissions him to go “’and save Israel out of Midian’s hand’” (Judg 6:14). This call narrative serves as a good example of the causation of the call narrative, but how do call narratives such as this show the larger aspect of advancing God’s redemptive plan? It is these types of call narratives that show God responding to Israel’s needs and keeping them as a people. God’s supernatural providence in sustaining Israel as a people against seemingly impossible odds served as a means to advance His redemptive plans. The existence of the nation of Israel was not something that was left to chance. It was something that was not only desired by God but determined as well. See Larry D. Hart, Truth Aflame: Theology for the Church in Renewal (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 183.

3 See Gen 12:1-3, 15:4-20, and 17:1-8

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Abraham. Jesus brought salvation to all nations as seen in the Great Commission (Matt 28:17-

20).4 In this Commission, Jesus did not just tell them to go to the tribes of Israel but to all

nations. So ultimately, the nature of this commissioning was not only about Israel, it was about

God’s redemptive plan for the entire world. God’s visitation was something beyond what Moses

or Israel could see. The nature of commissioning is not just about an individual. It is ultimately

about God’s plan being realized.

This is why no person can manufacture or will God’s commissioning. It is something

that is much larger than just what can be seen in any given place or time. It has to be seen

through the scope of history or more specifically, God’s redemptive history. Yet, this does not

leave humanity out of the process; for God will choose those who make themselves available to

Him.5 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts

are fully committed to him” (2 Chron 16:9). The nature of the commission involves the person

who is chosen, empowered and will go; but it also (more importantly) is dependent on God who

is sending the person. It is going, but it is going in the power of the one who has given the

calling. A person cannot manufacture a commission; it comes from God and it often comes as a

surprise to those who receive it.

Process

4 Not only was Jesus a descendant of Abraham, but in a way He redefined what this means since through Him salvation came to the Jews and Gentiles alike. “At an earlier stage in the evolving self-understanding of Christian communities, Paul set about redefining descent from Abraham in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and he did so while affirming and even boasting about his own Abrahamic descent.” Joseph Blenkinsopp, Abraham: The Story of a Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015), 206.

5 As Dr. Tom Jones writes, “One might appropriately ask, ‘Are these encounters due to the sovereignty ofGod, or are they in response to the individual’s personal hunger?’ A very good question but one where an either/or answer may not be possible. Instead a both/and explanation may be more appropriate.” Tom Jones, “Divine Encounters: Analysis of Encounters that Shape Lives” (PhD diss., United Theological Seminary, 2013), 15.

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Norm Habel proposed what has now become a widely accepted model of call narratives

in the Old Testament and he suggests that they should be seen as their own genre.6 He

accomplished this by looking at the callings of Gideon, Moses, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and II

Isaiah. In looking at these narratives, Habel’s goal was “to isolate the primary literary features of

the ‘call narrative’, to discuss their significance where pertinent, and to trace their development

as closely as possible.”7 Habel proposes six features that can be identified in the form of a call

narrative. These are the divine confrontation, the introductory word, the commission, the

objection, the reassurance, and the sign. Habel was looking for the literary features of these

narratives, but these features also frame the process by which these commissions are given.8 The

primary examples that Habel used were Gideon and Moses, but since Moses has already been

developed in this paper, his narrative will serve as an example of the call narrative process.

The Divine Confrontation

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and

he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the

angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire within a bush. Moses saw that though the

bush was on fire it did not burn up…” (Exod 3:1-2).9

When Moses received his commissioning, he was simply going about his day as usual.

He was leading his flocks. Charles Swindoll writes, “The day that was going to shatter that

silence, however, dawned like every other day in the wilderness…. There were no hints, no

premonitions, no special signs to alert him to the fact that God Himself would break the silence

6 Fred Guyette, “The Genre of the Call Narrative: Beyond Habel’s Model.” Jewish Bible Quarterly 43, no. 1, (2015): 54.

7 Habel, 297.8 Habel looked at these as a form critic, whereas Habel’s study is being looked at here in order to see the

way that the process of the call narratives unfolds. It is more to identify what is happening when God commissions someone through visitation rather than the genre of the literature or the Gattung. Yet, it is the literary comparison that has identified the similarities in the commissioning process.

9 See also Judg 6:11-13, Jer 1:4, and Isa 6:1-3.

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that day and that life would change forever.”10 It was a normal day that God appeared and

disrupted what Moses was doing. God intervened and confronted Moses with the calling that He

had for him. “The call, therefore, appears as a disruptive experience for which there has been no

obvious preparation. The call marks the initial interruption of God in the life of the individual.”11

When God has a special commissioning for a person, He knows how to get their attention

and confront them with His purposes for their lives. Moses and Amos were working in the

fields, Gideon was at the wine press, and Jeremiah was still a youth. God’s initiative in

commissioning them is seen by His intervention/confrontation in their lives, which woke them

up to His purposes for them.

The Introductory Word

"God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses! Moses!... Do not come near, put off your

shoes… I am the God of your father…' for he was afraid to look at God… ‘and now the cry of

the people has come unto me…'" (Exod 4b-9).

Prior to the direct commissioning, there is a word a personal communication that prefaces

the commissioning. This prepares the individual for the commissioning.12 “The introductory

word is, therefore, an explanatory word and a preparatory word which will vary according to the

corresponding historical situation. The greeting delineates the peculiar personal relationship

between Yahweh and the individual.”13 Once God has confronted the person and framed the

confrontation with the introductory word, He reveals the actual commission.

The Commission

10 Charles R. Swindoll, Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication: Profiles in Character (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1999), 94-5.

11 Habel, 298.12 Guyette, 54.13 Habel, 299.

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In the commission, the verbs halak (to go) and shalak (to send) are often found and “have

a technical connotation in this context.”14 This is seen in Moses’ commission: “‘So now, go. I

am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt’” (Exod 3:10). Thus,

Moses is to go as one who is sent by God. The specifics of this commission are given in the

attendant clause. Moses is to be Israel’s mediator and savior.15

It is helpful here to point out that no matter the circumstances or supernatural events that

are seen in call narratives, the commissioning itself is rather simple. It comes down to someone

being instructed to “go” and he/she is to go as someone who has been “sent.” The person’s

response is in the going, but it is the sending that empowers the person who has received the

commission. He/she is not going merely on his/her desire or volition but on the authority of the

one who is sending. The very terminology within the commission itself shows that a

commissioned person is one who goes in authority and backed by the power of the one who gave

the commission. This does not mean, however, that the person receiving it does not have doubts

or fears in going.

The Objection

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites

out of Egypt” (Exod 3:11). It is in this objection that the subject of the commission sees his/her

inability to achieve that which God is calling him/her to. Yet, in the call narrative, God is

looking at the same person who is objecting. God is viewing that person from His perspective

and what He is capable of doing through a human instrument and the person only sees the

limiting factors that would inhibit accomplishing the task. For Moses, “[h]is protest was

twofold: in his position he could not approach Pharaoh the mighty ruler and he did not have the

14 Ibid., 299. 15 Ibid., 304.

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ability to deliver Israel from Pharaoh's hands. He was neither a messenger nor a mediator.”16

God was less concerned about Moses’ perceived limitations because God knew that His presence

would be with Moses.

The Reassurance

“And God said, ‘I will be with you’” (Exod 3:12a). This is almost identical to the

reassurance that God gave to Gideon in Judg 6:16. In both places, the meaning of what God is

saying is the same. That since God will be with them, their objections are invalid. This word not

only reassures Moses, it also empowers him. Habel wrote,

When Moses reiterates his objection in the following scene (v. 13-15) and professes his ignorance, the I AM formula is repeated in its most forceful form, 'ahyh asher 'ahyh/I am who I am. Yahweh imparts the power and the words. This concept of the empowering word which effects hitherto unknown changes in the prophet's life and which enables him to perform momentous feats with the divine "word" must be kept in mind as we read the classical prophets and treat their calls.17

God’s reassurance places a focus on the nature of the commission. He is to be God’s

agent.18 Receiving a commissioning means that whatever the task at hand is, it will not be done

alone or by the strength of the one commissioned. The objections are very real. Gideon was the

least member of a poor family in a minor tribe (Judg 6:15). Jeremiah was young and his concern

was valid as he objected based on his youth (Jer 1:6-8). The larger, more important reality,

however, is the presence of God for He is the one who is sending and He is also the one who will

go with them to ensure that they achieve what is needed in order to carry forward God’s plan

within redemptive history.

The Sign

16 Ibid., 304.17 Ibid.18 Stephen D. Ricks, “The Narrative Call Pattern in the Prophetic Commission of Enoch (Moses 6),” BYU

Studies Quarterly 26, no. 4 (1986): 100.

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“‘And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought

the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain” (Exod 3:12). For Moses, the

sign is an interesting one. It is a sign that is to encourage him and show that God will be present

with him, but he will only observe the sign once he has completed the commission of delivering

Israel from the hand of the Egyptians. Whereas in Gideon’s call narrative, the sign he received

was immediate and was to be further evidence that God would be with him. It was an

encouragement to help him go. The sign Gideon asked for was proof that God had spoken to

Him, not that Midian would fall. If it was God speaking, then the commissioned task would take

place. For Moses, the sign would not only be for him but for all of Israel. The sign would take

place with the entire nation already being out of Egypt.

Moses and Gideon serve as early examples of the call narrative Gattung (literary form).

One more example should suffice. The call narrative of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-10) also

fits within this form and is a later example of the Gattung:

1. Diving Confrontation v.4, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying,”2. Introductory Word v.5a, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,”3. Commission19 v.5b, “I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”4. Objection v.6, “‘I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.’”5. Reassurance vv.7-8, “But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am only a

child.” You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.”

19 It is important to notice that the Gattung cannot be overly generalized. Even though Jeremiah fits the overall structure, there are also nuances to this in comparison to the call narratives of Moses and Gideon. Rob Nicholls observes, “In all prophetic call narratives there is an initial address by God to the one being called. This call contains a brief description of the call which tends to be expanded later. For example, we read in Ex 3 of the call of Moses to deliver the people of Israel from their captivity in Egypt or in Judges 6:14 we read of God commanding Gideon to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian (NRSV). However, God’s initial call to Jeremiah is simply to be a prophet to the nations (Jer 1:4 NRSV) and the expansion comes later after Jeremiah’s objections. This doesn’t disturb the pattern of the call narrative dramatically but does disturb the over-generalisations that can be made about the gattung.” Rob Nicholls, “Calling Jeremiah: The Pattern of the Call Narrative and the Unique Call of ‘A Fortified City.’” Accessed March 14, 2019. http://www.academia.edu, 4.

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6. Sign vv.9-10, “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now, I have put my

words in your mouth. See… to build and to plant.’”

Habel was the first to propose this call narrative model and identify these elements.

Since his work, others have created nuanced versions of this but the overall structure remains

largely the same. (Appendix A contains two other examples of call narrative models. Table 1.1

is from Mark Boda and Table 1.2 is from Dennis Bratcher.) The Gattung form has also been

noted to have two distinct types. There are examples of the narrative variety (i.e. Moses,

Gideon, and Jeremiah) and the throne theophany type (i.e. Isaiah and Ezekiel).20 Also, features

within the various call narratives vary. Dennis Bratcher observed,

Even a cursory examination of this structure reveals that the narratives of Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah share more common features, while the narratives of Samuel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Michiah only exhibit abbreviated versions of the form. Some scholars (for example, Walther Zimmerli) have noted that in the case of the latter group, there is emphasis on a Divine Assembly, a Heavenly Council, or a vision of the transcendent (to use modern philosophical categories) that gives shape to the commissioning. In this case, the encounter with the divine provides its own assurance and alleviates the questions or objections before they can be spoken.21

Bratcher also identifies two purposes for the use of the fuller form of the call narratives.22

The first is to highlight the conviction that the leaders would not succeed by using their own

skills or abilities. The second purpose is to show God’s faithfulness in going with them and

guiding His people.

All of these commissions serve to eliminate self-sufficiency and arrogance on the part of

the one receiving the commission.23 These people are God’s chosen instruments that He intends

to use to reveal Himself as well as to fulfill His redemptive purposes. These were also unique

20 Blake T Ostler, “The Throne-Theophany and Prophetic Commission in 1 Nephi: A Form-Critical Analysis,” BYU Studies Quarterly 26, no. 3 (Fall 1986): 68.

21 Dennis Bratcher, "The Prophetic ‘Call’ Narrative: Commissioning into Service," accessed March 14, 2019, http://www.crivoice.org/prophetcall.html.

22 Ibid. 23 Ibid.

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events and they were used to validate the role of the one being commissioned. Gerhard von Rad

notes “the very fact that a call was recorded in writing shows that it was regarded at the time it

occurred as something unusual.”24 These people “were men who had been expressly called upon

to abandon the fixed orders of religion which the majority of the people still considered valid.”25

Thus, they needed to be able “to justify themselves both in their own and in other people’s

eyes.”26 The commission demonstrates that God is involved and present in the person’s life who

is representing God. Habel concluded,

[I]t seems logical that the goal of the prophetic formulation of the call in this Gattung is to announce publicly that Yahweh commissioned the prophet in question as His representative. Thus the word of the call narrative gives the Individual's credentials as a prophet, messenger and ambassador from the heavenly council. This word summarizes the ultimate commission from the Master.27

The Theology of the Commissioning Narratives

Several theological themes emerge from these narratives.28 The first is that leadership

within God’s people is not something that can be sought after. The importance of divine

initiative and God intervening in a person’s life cannot be understated. It is God who decides

that a person is to be commissioned and this type of commissioning is often done outside of the

normal societal power structures. “In fact, a careful examination of the narratives reveal that

often God chooses leaders that are totally outside the accepted power structures: the youngest

child (David), a woman (Deborah), a wandering Aramean (Abraham), a scheming liar (Jacob), a

coward (Gideon), a simple fisherman (Peter), a teenage girl from a remote country village

(Mary).”29

24 Gerhard von Rad, The Message of the Prophets, trans. D.M.G. Stalker (London: SCM Press, 1972), 33.25 Ibid., 34. 26 Ibid.27 Habel, 32328 The first two of these insights were gleaned from Dennis Bratcher, "The Prophetic ‘Call’ Narrative:

Commissioning into Service."29 Ibid.

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Another major theme is that commissioning is not dependent upon the skills that people

possess, “because ultimately it is not the power structures, the connectedness, the oratory, the

management expertise, the personal flair, or the intellect that makes the difference.”30 What does

make the difference is the promise that God will be with them. The promise of His presence is

the key to the fulfillment of the commission, not the gift set or personality composite of the

person being commissioned.

Finally, when God commissioned someone it resulted in a major shift in the life of each

person. The reality of the visitation was not just a point-in-time event. It revolutionized the lives

of the people God encountered. The commissions had a deep and transforming impact on the

people receiving them. It can be said that they served as pivotal points in their lives. They were

demarcation points by which their lives can be discussed. Moses was a shepherd before the

burning bush and a deliverer of God’s people after. Gideon was a coward before the Angel of

the Lord visited him and a mighty warrior after. Saul of Tarsus was a violent, zealous Pharisee

before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and a passionate apostle of Jesus after

the encounter.

Up to this point, the focus has been Old Testament call/commission narratives, which

leads to an important question: Is this relevant for people living in the New Testament era? Was

this the way in which God worked in dealing with the nation of Israel exclusively in Old

Testament times or is there continuity of these narratives from the Old Testament to New

Testament? When comparing the form of the Old Testament call narratives to the calling of Saul

of Tarsus in the book of Acts, it is easy to see similarities.

The Calling of Saul

30 Ibid.

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Johannes Munck in Paul and the Salvation of Mankind described the three “conversion”

accounts of Saul of Tarsus (Paul) as call/commission narratives “modeled on the order of the OT

prophetic call/commissioning narratives.”31 Even though there are differences in the three

accounts, Munck sees a similarity in their nature and meaning and these are connected to Gal

1:15. Munck’s thesis is that “‘in all four accounts [including Gal 1:15], Paul’s call was related in

the same way as the call of the OT characters in the history of Salvation.’”32

As mentioned above, not only does the narrative share elements with the OT call

narratives but in Gal 1:15, Paul specifically associate his calling with Jeremiah (cf. Jer 1:4-5):

“But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace…” (Gal 1:15). Thus,

Munck sees Paul as connecting his experience or commissioning along the same lines as the OT

prophets (especially Isaiah and Jeremiah). Charles Hedrick does not believe Munck proves his

thesis. He proposes, “A simpler and more reasonable explanation is that Luke was responsible

for stylizing the narratives in Acts along the lines of OT call narratives.” Yet, regardless of

whether it is Paul associating himself via motif with the OT call/commission narratives or if

Luke stylizes the accounts along the lines of OT call narratives, the result is that the book of Acts

contains a commissioning encounter that shares the form of the OT call narratives. Thus, the

purpose and nature which has been established and related to the OT call/commission narratives

can be related to Paul. This shows that there is continuity of God commissioning by visitation in

the style of the OT in the NT era. The elements of the Gattung in Acts can be demonstrated as

such:

1. Divine Confrontation Acts 9:3-4a, “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

31 Charles W. Hedwick, “Paul’s Conversion/Call: A Comparative Analysis of the Three Reports in Acts.” Journal of Biblical Literature 100, no. 3 (September 1981): 415.

32 Quoted in Ibid.

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He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him…”

2. Introductory Word 9:4b-5, “‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?.... I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’”

3. Commission33 26:16-17, “‘I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of

me and what I will show you…. I am sending you….’”

4. Objection34 9:13, “‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.”

5. Reassurance 9:15, “‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before

the people of Israel.’”6. Sign 9:18, “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s

eyes, and he could see again.”

One of the important functions of the call/commission that von Rad pointed out was that

it was a necessary element to validate the prophet in his own eyes and in the eyes of others. We

see this need in Paul’s life as well. Paul’s commission was for a task that was a major deviation

from what had occurred in Israel’s cultic practice or even early Christianity. It was a move from

a national-centric religion to intentionally evangelizing Gentiles. Thus, Paul’s encounter

distinguishes and validates him for this calling. It also marks a major shift in God’s redemptive

history as the message of salvation is about to go forth into the entire world.

In looking at what has been called the “conversion” accounts, this author’s opinion is that

it is important that the accounts be looked at not as simply conversion but as a call/commission

33 Even though I split the call narrative between Acts 9 and 26, if the account in Acts 26 was taken on its own it would be sufficient enough to be viewed as the same form as the abbreviated OT call narratives mentioned above. See also Dennis Bratcher’s abbreviated examples in Appendix A.

34 The objection here is by Ananias, but it serves the same functionality as the objections in the OT call narratives. It shows that Paul is inadequate for the call at the current time. He is the opposite of who should be chosen when looked upon through human understanding. Yet, Jesus will be with him as He is the one who is sending him. And since Ananias states the objection, he is also the one who is reassured. These details were likely shared with Paul by Ananias. According to Paul, it was Jesus who called him to be an apostle (Gal 1:1). Yet, some see Ananias’ involvement as a stumbling block in Paul becoming an apostle: “The commissioning of Saul, and the part played by Ananias, must ever remain a stumbling in the path of those whose conception of the apostolic ministry is too tightly bound to one particular line of transmission or form of ordination. If the risen Lord commissioned such an illustrious servant in so ‘irregular’ way, may he not have done so again, and may he not yet do so again, when the occasion requires it?” F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, Revised Edition, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988), 189.

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narrative similar to what is seen in the OT. This brings understanding to the dramatic and

supernatural nature of the encounter. It is a major shift in redemptive history and needs to be

seen through that lens rather than merely a dramatic conversion. Most people probably

recognize this shift through Paul’s legacy and the impact he had on the early Church. However,

it also needs to be recognized through the form of the call/commission as well so that we

understand just what Luke is communicating in Acts. Luke recognizes Paul, even during Paul’s

lifetime, as someone to be associated with the likes of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.35

Into Today

Recognizing the continuity between OT and NT with the commissioning of Paul shows

that God commissioned through visitation in the NT era, but that does not necessarily show that

God is still doing this today. Some who would agree and see the continuity from OT to NT with

the commissioning of Paul would see this as foundational to the Church and unique to the time

of the apostles but occurrences such as this do not happen today. The argument may be taken

that this was a period of establishing the Church and what Paul experienced was one of the last

post-resurrection appearance of Jesus in Scripture and was done in order to establish Paul as an

apostle. Even though it happened in the NT era, it is possibly something that does not continue

to happen today. The intent here is not to debate cessationism vs. continuationism as that is

35 The connection to Isaiah and Jeremiah has already been briefly noted. Most scholars see Paul’s association with Isaiah and Jeremiah as largely accepted. The connection with Ezekiel is not as well known. Dale Allison wrote an article on this and noticed similarities in Ezekiel’s encounter and Paul’s. “Segal—whose debt to Quispel in this connection is unclear—is like-minded. In his judgment, the ‘most provocative parallel to Luke’s account of Paul’s conversion is the commissioning of the prophet Ezekiel…..’ Although Segal fails to supply supporting references to his observations about Luke’s Paul, it is easy to fill in the blanks. He is suggesting these parallels: Both Paul and Ezekiel see the divine glory: Ezek 1:28, Acts 22:11; Both hear a revelatory voice: Ezek 1:28–2:8, Acts 9:4–6, 22:7–10, 26:14–18; Both fall to the ground: Ezek 1:28, Acts 9:4, 22:7, 26:14; Both then stand on their feet: Ezek 2:1–2, Acts 9:6–8, 22:10–11, 26:16; Both are charged with a mission, one to Jews, one to gentiles: Ezek 2:3–7, Acts 26:16–18.” Dale C. Allison, “Acts 9:1-9, 22:6-11, 26:12-18: Paul and Ezekiel.” Journal of Biblical Literature 135, no. 4 (Winter 2016): 810.

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beyond the scope of this paper. The intent is to ask the very relevant question: Does God still

commission people through visitation today, and if so, how does this occur?

First, is the main element that causes the commissioning narratives still applicable today?

In that the cause has been observed as people being in a situation where they are in need (i.e.

oppressed, struggling, or in need of deliverance), then it will never stop being applicable until

Christ returns. As long as sin and evil exist in this world there will always be oppression and

people, even God’s people (whether Israel or the Church), will find themselves in a situation

where they need direct and/or indirect supernatural providence to aid them.36 In this, God may

choose to commission a person to bring about the help that is needed to rescue/deliver them or

bring the Gospel message to give them the opportunity to receive ultimate freedom.

Second, is the nature of commissioning still relevant? The nature of the commission can

be seen as simply God choosing to call a person to a certain task in order to advance His plan(s)

within redemptive history. Moses led Israel out of Egypt. The prophets called the nation to

repentance. Gideon helped free Israel from oppression. Paul carried the charge of bringing the

Gospel to the Gentile world. All of these are amazing stories of God using people to impact

history and accomplishing His purposes. Yet, not one of them ever brought about the

completion of God’s redemptive story. God’s redemptive purposes and plans for this world are

still being advanced. Thus, the nature of the commission is still relevant.

Finally, the hardest and most controversial question is: Does God still follow the same

commissioning process that He did in the OT call narratives or with Paul? This gets at the heart

of what people are wondering today. Not necessarily whether or not God is still calling people

36 God’s providence in helping people can come by Him acting mediately or immediately, “not only with means but also without means.” J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology: Systematic Theology from a Charismatic Perspective (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2007), 142. As this relates to a person being commissioned, God sometimes chooses by His divine providence to use a person as His means of aiding others.

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today, but exactly how is God calling and commissioning people today? The fact that people are

called/commissioned should not really be an issue; for everyone who claims to be a Christian has

an open commission from Jesus Himself to “go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt

28:19), and Jesus promises to be with us in this commission (Matt 28:20). Jesus was sent by the

Father to the earth to bring the Kingdom of God. When Jesus ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit

to empower us for this commission. And we are now here as sent people in the legacy of sent

ones who are to go and continue the advancement of the Kingdom. So what Christians today

need to look to is not the question of whether or not they are commissioned, rather what is their

role within this commission. This can still be viewed as a commissioning; it is just more of a

commissioning within an existing commission.

One of the advantages of living in the Church age is that we have the guidance of the

Holy Spirit. This does not rule out direct visitation by Jesus. However, it does make it less of a

necessity. The Holy Spirit is now a means by which God can communicate His commission to

the believer. This can be done directly (direct revelation), through an encounter with the Holy

Spirit, or through someone operating in the gifts of the Spirit (i.e. revelatory gifts). Often, a term

that is used for one of these events occurring in contemporary settings is “encounter.”

Encounters can include signs, wonders, visitations, angelical visitations, visions, the

prophetic, and dreams.37 Paul’s experience, as well as OT call narratives, fall not only under the

specific encounter of visitation but also that of a commissioning visitation mainly via a

theophany or Christophany. All encounters are not visitations and all visitations are not

37 James W. Goll and Michal Ann Goll, God Encounters: The Prophetic Power of the Supernatural to Change Your Life (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 2005), 13. Section two of this book goes through explanations and examples of these various encounters.

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commissions,38 and some encounters that are not visitations are commissions.39 However, God

can use the process found in the OT call narratives to commission a person using different types

of encounters.40 This is especially true of the abbreviated call narratives where the direct

dialogue between the person and God is largely absent (i.e. objection and then reassurance).

Whether it is done by visitation or any other type of encounter or even if the process is altered,

the function of the commissioning is largely the same and so is the result: a person takes his/her

place in God’s redemptive history.

In 1997, Heidi Baker was a burned out missionary who had yet to see tremendous fruit

from her mission’s work and was wondering if she should continue. She visited the Toronto

Blessing revival in Canada where Randy Clark was speaking. She went to the front and Randy

gave her the prophetic word: “‘Heidi, God wants to know, do you want the nation of

Mozambique?’”41 She responded, “‘Yes!’” and the power of God came on her so strongly that it

paralyzed her from the neck down for seven days.42 What came out of the commissioning

encounter “is perhaps the most phenomenal harvest of souls in our present day…. Through the

38 A post NT example of a visitation (Christophany) is the story of Sundar Singh. His story mirrors Paul’s in that he was hostile toward the gospel, but then he had an encounter with Jesus that led to his conversion. From reading a couple of accounts of this story, it seems to be an example of a visitation that led to conversion but may not have had an expressed element of commissioning. Yet, the story itself has a lot of similarities to Paul’s conversion/commission narrative. Bruce, 184.

39 One of the distinctions between an encounter that is a commission and one that is not is that there is an awareness of some sort of calling/task/mission behind what is happening. See examples of Heidi Baker and Dennis Balcombe below.

40 Even within the OT, there are various means by which God commissioned people that are beyond the scope of the call narratives. Guyette observed: “This model [Habel’s] only applies to the formal call narrative, when God directly confronts and specifically commissions an individual. However… the Lord calls us in many ways, not only in the form of a confrontation and commission. For example, Abraham hears God's call, not as a confrontation but as a promise and an invitation to a journey. Furthermore, there are examples of other narratives in the Bible which seem to break from Habel's model as part of a different version of a call narrative.” Guyette, 55. Guyette specifically highlights and expands the example of Elisha as being distinct from Habel’s model as Elisha was called by Elijah, not through direct confrontation from God.

41 Randy Clark, There Is More!: Reclaiming the Power of Impartation (Mechanicsburg, PA: Global Awakening, 2006), 65.

42 Ibid., 65-66.

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Bakers, God has birthed a miraculous church-planting movement that now encompasses over ten

thousand churches in ten nations, as well as over a million salvations.”43

As a young man, Dennis Balcombe felt like God was placing a calling on his life to go

into full-time ministry. Dennis initially resisted this call because he had a desire to be a

physicist. However, during a meeting at a church in California in 1961, Marjorie McKay said

during the service, “‘There is a young man here who, three months ago, had received a very clear

call to the ministry. You have been rejecting that call…but the Lord will not let you go…you

must come forward of your own volition, repent, and give yourself to the Lord.’”44 At that

moment, he went forward and stopped fighting the calling on his life. It was also confirmed to

him that he was being called to China. Dennis did eventually make it to China for the first time

in January of 1978 and “[t]hrough his ministry over 25,000,000 people came into the kingdom of

God through the house church leaders Dennis influenced. Another 60,000,000 were saved

through another house church network, whose leaders were powerfully influenced through

Dennis.”45

Many more examples exist. John Alexander Dowie had an experience while reading

scripture where Acts 10:38 was illuminated in a whole new way and led to him becoming “the

healing apostle.”46 Edward Miller had an encounter with an angel that led to the great

Argentinean revival.47 John Wesley experienced a strange warming in his heart that led to his

assurance of salvation and he became a major figure in the First Great Awakening.48 Charles

43 Ibid., 66.44 Dennis Balcombe, China’s Opening Door: Incredible Stories of the Holy Spirit at Work in One of the

Greatest Revivals in Christianity (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2014), 45.45 Randy Clark, “Lesson Seven.” Christian Theologies (BTHE 5173) from Family of Faith/Global Awakening

Seminary, August-October 2018. Retrieved from http://faithglobal.populiweb.com. 46 Roberts Liardon, Gods Generals: Why They Succeeded and Why Some Failed (New Kensington, PA:

Whitaker House, 2003), 21-44.47 Clark, “Lesson Seven.”48 Bill Johnson and Jennifer Miskov, Defining Moments: God-Encounters with Ordinary People Who

Changed the World (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2016), 21-23.

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Finney, Aimee Semple Mcpherson, Smith Wigglesworth, D.L. Moody, and John G. Lake are

also among these men and women who changed the world after having a divine encounter that

served as a defining moment in their lives.

All of these individuals had unusual encounters with God

that changed absolutely everything about their life. Their thought life changed, as did their ministry gifts and their sense of what might be possible in their lifetime. Each person’s worldview also experienced radical transformation, as he or she was positioned to see the “big picture” through God’s eyes. But for most of them, perhaps their biggest paradigm shift came in relation to their idea of the nature of God and their ability to feel His heart for other people. Seeing these things more clearly always carries a summons with it. They said yes to the call of God and, as a result, became people who shaped the course of world history.49

These words that Bill Johnson uses to describe some of the defining moments and commissions

of people during the past three hundred years could also be said of Moses, Gideon, Isaiah,

Jeremiah, and Paul. Even though the visitation or encounter can take on various forms

(especially now that we have the Holy Spirit), the cause, nature, and result of the commissioning

are still the same. The process can ultimately look similar to the call narratives or differ from

them just as the type of encounter can be visitation or something else, but the process and/or type

is not as important as the result: people who take on roles in God’s redemptive history and turn

the world upside down for His glory and the advancement of the Kingdom. As well as people

knowing the heart of their God and being willing to go boldly into impossible situations with

only one guarantee: that their God will be with them.50

49 Ibid., 9.50 Dr. Tom Jones identified another important element of these encounters in that they help people to

keep pursuing what God has called them to even in the face of opposition: “Why is this important? Every dream, every vision, every ministry endeavor is going to be challenged by the enemy. Unfortunately, he [the enemy] is not going to roll over and play dead just because a person has received a call. He will do everything in his power to discourage and defeat the person who is following the ‘kingdom dream’ the Holy Spirit has birthed in their heart. Often, it is the memory of that unusual, supernatural experience that keeps the believer focused on what he or she has been called to do. It is that memory that releases great conviction of one’s call in the midst of adversity.” Jones, 85.

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The theological implications of the call/commission narratives are also applicable to

today’s commissions. Lives are transformed and the direction of a person’s life can be changed

immediately by God’s commission. God’s commission does not necessarily fit into an existing

power structure or religious structure and room needs to be made for this. The commission is

also not based on a certain skill set or prior success of the individual. It is God empowering and

calling the person to the task, not the person earning a right to do the task. “‘This is the word of

the LORD to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the LORD

Almighty’” (Zech 4:6).

Conclusion

Throughout history God has commissioned specific individuals to accomplish special

tasks to bring forth His redemptive purposes. In the OT, there are examples of this in the

specific form of the call/commission narratives. In the NT, this commissioning continues

specifically in the life of the Apostle Paul, but also to every believer through the words of Jesus

in the Great Commission. These commissions are God’s instruction to “go” as the people being

commissioned are “sent” by Him and the expectation is that they will go and God will go with

them. The promise to be with them is not just a promise to be by their side, it is a promise of

provision and power to accomplish what is being asked of them. Since God’s redemptive

purposes are still being brought forward on the earth, people are still being commissioned for

special tasks to carry out His purposes. God is still commissioning people today through

supernatural encounters. These commissions can look different and come by different means,

but the cause, nature, and result of the commissioning has not changed.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allison, Dale C. “Acts 9:1-9, 22:6-11, 26:12-18: Paul and Ezekiel.” Journal of Biblical Literature 135, no. 4 (Winter 2016): 807–26. doi:10.15699/jbl.1354.2016.3138.

Balcombe, Dennis. China’s Opening Door: Incredible Stories of the Holy Spirit at Work in One of the Greatest Revivals in Christianity. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2014.

Blenkinsopp, Joseph. Abraham: The Story of a Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015.

Boda, Mark. "Introduction to the Latter Prophets." Audio Powerpoint Lecture, Introduction to the Old Testament (BTHE 5003) from Family of Faith/Global Awakening Seminary, August-October 2018. Retrieved from http://faithglobal.populiweb.com.

Bratcher, Dennis. "The Prophetic ‘Call’ Narrative: Commissioning into Service." Accessed March 14, 2019. http://www.crivoice.org/prophetcall.html.

Bruce, F. F. The Book of the Acts. Revised Edition. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988.

Clark, Randy. There Is More!: Reclaiming the Power of Impartation. Mechanicsburg, PA: Global Awakening, 2006.

_____, Randy. “Lesson Seven.” Christian Theologies (BTHE 5173) from Family of Faith/Global Awakening Seminary, August-October 2018. Retrieved from http://faithglobal.populiweb.com.

Goll, James W., and Michal Ann Goll. God Encounters: The Prophetic Power of the Supernatural to Change Your Life. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 2005.

Guyette, Fred. “The Genre of the Call Narrative: Beyond Habel’s Model.” Jewish Bible Quarterly 43, no. 1, (2015): 54-58.

Habel, Norm. “The Form and Significance of the Call Narratives.” ZAW 77 (1965): 297-323.

Hart, Larry D. Truth Aflame: Theology for the Church in Renewal. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.

Hedrick, Charles W. “Paul’s Conversion/Call: A Comparative Analysis of the Three Reports in Acts.” Journal of Biblical Literature 100, no. 3 (September 1981): 415-432. doi:10.2307/3265962.

Johnson, Bill, and Jennifer A. Miskov. Defining Moments: God-Encounters with Ordinary People Who Changed the World. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2016.

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Jones, Tom. “Divine Encounters: Analysis of Encounters that Shape Lives.” PhD diss., United Theological Seminary, 2013.

Liardon, Roberts. Gods Generals: Why They Succeeded and Why Some Failed. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2003.

Nicholls, Rob. “Calling Jeremiah: The Pattern of the Call Narrative and the Unique Call of ‘A Fortified City.’” Accessed March 14, 2019. http://www.academia.edu.

Ostler, Blake T. “The Throne-Theophany and Prophetic Commission in 1 Nephi: A Form-Critical Analysis,” BYU Studies Quarterly 26, no. 3 (Fall 1986): 67-95.

Ricks, Stephen D. “The Narrative Call Pattern in the Prophetic Commission of Enoch (Moses 6),” BYU Studies Quarterly 26, no. 4 (1986): 97-105.

Swindoll, Charles R. Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication: Profiles in Character. Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1999.

von Rad, Gerhard. The Message of the Prophets. Translated by D.M.G. Stalker. London: SCM Press, 1972.

Williams, J. Rodman. Renewal Theology: Systematic Theology from a Charismatic Perspective. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007.

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APPENDIX A

Table 1.1: Mark Boda’s call narrative example:51

Table 1.2: Dennis Bratcher’s call narrative example:52

51 Mark Boda, "Introduction to the Latter Prophets." Audio Powerpoint Lecture, Introduction to the Old Testament (BTHE 5003) from Family of Faith/Global Awakening Seminary, August-October 2018. Retrieved from http://faithglobal.populiweb.com.

52 Dennis Bratcher, "The Prophetic ‘Call’ Narrative: Commissioning into Service."

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