Here you will find a compilation of biblical texts on vocation, including all those cited or mentioned in the book Paths of Love: The Discernment of Vocation, located within their larger context.
Man asking about his vocation
- Matthew 19:16-30 And behold, one came up to him, saying,
"Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" 17 And
he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who
is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 18 He
said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall
not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false
witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love
your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man said to him, "All
these I have observed; what do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to
him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to
the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow
me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for
he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus said to his disciples,
"Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this they were
greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus
looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with
God all things are possible." 27 Then Peter said in reply, "Lo,
we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we
have?" 28 Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new
world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who
have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel. 29 And every one who has left houses or
brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my
name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal
life. 30 But many that are first will be last, and the last first.
Mark
10:17-31 And as Jesus was setting out on his journey, a man ran
up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do
to inherit eternal life?" 18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me
good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: `Do
not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false
witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" 20 And he said
to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." 21 And
Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing;
go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 At that saying his
countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great
possessions. 23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How
hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"
24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them
again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were exceedingly
astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" 27 Jesus looked
at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all
things are possible with God." 28 Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we
have left everything and followed you." 29 Jesus said, "Truly, I say to
you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or
mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,
30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and
brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with
persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many that are
first will be last, and the last first."
Invitation to celibacy
- Matthew
19:1-12 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away
from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; 2
and large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 3 And
Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to
divorce one's wife for any cause?" 4 He answered, "Have you not
read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and
female, 5 and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one
flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore
God has joined together, let not man put asunder." 7 They said to
him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce,
and to put her away?" 8 He said to them, "For your hardness of
heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning
it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife,
except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery." 10
The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife,
it is not expedient to marry." 11 But he said to them, "Not all
men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given.
12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are
eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who
have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He
who is able to receive this, let him receive it."
The beginning of the dialogue with Jeremiah
- Jeremiah
1:1-10 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests
who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word
of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah,
in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days
of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the
eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the
captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. 4 Now the word of the
LORD came to me saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew
you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a
prophet to the nations." 6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I
do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." 7 But the LORD
said to me, "Do not say, `I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send
you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak. 8
Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the
LORD." 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth;
and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your
mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over
kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant."
By love we live God's own life
- 1 John 4:15-16 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of
God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the
love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in
God, and God abides in him.
- Ephesians 3:14-19 I bow my
knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on
earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may
grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner
man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that
you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to
comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and
height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses
knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.
- Galatians
2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who
live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Christian perfection consists in love
- Matthew
22:35-40 A lawyer asked him a question, to test
him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the
law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is
like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
- Romans
8:13-20 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he
who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments,
“You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not
steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are
summed up in this sentence, “You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is
the fulfilling of the law.
- 1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
- Galatians 5:4-6 You are severed from Christ, you who would be
justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through
the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness. For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail,
but faith working through love.
- Colossians
3:12-17 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, 13
forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another,
forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must
forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds
everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of
Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one
body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to
God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
him.
Everything else is subordinate to love
- Romans
9:1-5 I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my
conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have
great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could
wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake
of my brethren, my kinsmen by race. 4 They are Israelites, and to
them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the
law, the worship, and the promises; 5 to them belong the
patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ.
God who is over all be blessed for ever. Amen.
Love of God implies obedience to him
- John
14:18-21 "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to
you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more,
but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In
that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in
you. 21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who
loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will
love him and manifest myself to him."
- 1 John 5:1-3 Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a
child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. 2 By
this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and
obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments.
All things work for good for those who love God
- Romans
8:28-39 We know that in everything God works for good with those
who love him, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image
of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many
brethren. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and
those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he
also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to this? If God is for
us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but
gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with
him? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God
who justifies; 34 who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who
died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of
God, who indeed intercedes for us? 35 Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written,
"For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as
sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is better to remain unmarried in order to more effectively devote one's life to God, but each has his own gift
- 1
Corinthians 7:1-40 Now concerning the matters about which you
wrote. It is well for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But because
of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and
each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife
her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For
the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does;
likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife
does. 5 Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for
a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come
together again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of
self-control. 6 I say this by way of concession, not of
command. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his
own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8
To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to
remain single as I do. 9 But if they cannot exercise
self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be
aflame with passion. 10 To the married I give charge, not I but
the Lord, that the wife should not separate from her husband 11
(but if she does, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her
husband) -- and that the husband should not divorce his wife. 12
To the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is
an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce
her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he
consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the
unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife, and the
unbelieving wife is consecrated through her husband. Otherwise, your
children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if
the unbelieving partner desires to separate, let it be so; in such a
case the brother or sister is not bound. For God has called us to
peace. 16 Wife, how do you know whether you will save your
husband? Husband, how do you know whether you will save your
wife? 17 Only, let every one lead the life which the Lord has
assigned to him, and in which God has called him. This is my rule in
all the churches. 18 Was any one at the time of his call already
circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was
any one at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek
circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor
uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Every one
should remain in the state in which he was called. 21 Were you a
slave when called? Never mind. But if you can gain your freedom, avail
yourself of the opportunity. 22 For he who was called in the Lord
as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when
called is a slave of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do
not become slaves of men. 24 So, brethren, in whatever state each
was called, there let him remain with God. 25 Now concerning the
unmarried, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one
who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think that in view
of the present distress it is well for a person to remain as he
is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you
free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. 28 But if you marry, you
do not sin, and if a girl marries she does not sin. Yet those who marry
will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29 I
mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on,
let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and
those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice
as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had
no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had
no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing away.
32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious
about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; 33 but the
married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his
wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman
or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in
body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly
affairs, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own
benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order
and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. 36 If any one
thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his
passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let
them marry -- it is no sin. 37 But whoever is firmly established
in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under
control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his
betrothed, he will do well. 38 So that he who marries his
betrothed does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do
better. 39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If
the husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in
the Lord. 40 But in my judgment she is happier if she remains as
she is. And I think that I have the Spirit of God.
Recognizing the spirit of God
- 1
John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have
gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God:
every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
of God, 3 and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of
God.
God desires all men to be saved and to be holy
- 1
Timothy 2:1-7 First of all, then, I urge that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, 2
for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. 3 This is
good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom
for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time. 7
For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the
truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and
truth.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Finally, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in
the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live and
to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more. 2 For
you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For
this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from
unchastity; 4 that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like heathen who
do not know God; 6 that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in
this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we
solemnly forewarned you. 7 For God has not called us for uncleanness,
but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not
man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
The need to be faithful to our Christian vocation
- Matthew
22:1-14 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage
feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were
invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. 4 Again
he sent other servants, saying, `Tell those who are invited, Behold, I
have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and
everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' 5 But they made
light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his
business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them
shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent
his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8
Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited
were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite
to the marriage feast as many as you find.' 10 And those servants
went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad
and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But
when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had
no wedding garment; 12 and he said to him, `Friend, how did you
get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13
Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast
him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their
teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
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