칼뱅의 소명론: 활동하는 하나님, 활동하는 인간

Abstract

Calvin’s God is not “otiose God”(Deus otiosus) but the “active God”(Deus vivus). As work is a behavior that resembles God, calling from God is essential. The vocation eliminates the ambition for a believer to go beyond the limits set by God. The recognition of God’s calling reminds us of our creation. A believer must act according to the limit and respect the boundary which is established by the Lord. There are three kinds of vocation that Calvin has claimed. The first is a call to be a believer, the second is a call to Church office and the third is a call to work. The election(first) is determined by calls. The calls can be distinguished by external vocation and internal vocation. Calvin distinguishes between objective and subjective vocation, emphasizing the importance of both. The illumination of the Holy Spirit is essential in making an external vocation to be an inner vocation. God calls believers competently and effectively through the Holy Spirit. The vocation to be a believer is linked to a vocation to church. The Offices of believers have a purpose of building up a body of Christ according to the measure of given grace. These callings are complementary. To keep an office loyally and in order, one should above all confirm its internal vocation, then will receive an external vocation through Church. Believers are called not only to be christians and to churches, but also called to the world which is their place of living. Before God, there is no hierarchy of occupation and every occupation has equal value. Under any condition, the attitude and the manner of a life according to the call as a Christian pleases God. Christians affirm the world while denying it. They deny the world with the purpose of its transformation. They live in the middle of the world, achieving their vocation. The purpose of the calling to the world is in public benefits, serving the others, and ultimately in the glory of God. That the call to a job is divine doesn’t mean that the job is intrinsically a prior or unalterable. Instead, the believers can have free choices of any job when they make responsible responses for God's demands. It is also essential to discern the calling, just as being conscious about the vocation. The standards to discern the vocation are as follows: 1. Service for others, 2. Personal motivation, 3. Objective ability, 4.Receiving guidance and lead from God.