The commentaries of M. John Calvin upon the Acts of the Apostles, faithfully translated…The commentaries of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the Actes of the Apostles, faithfully translated…

Separate to me. God commandeth that Paul and Barnabas be sent, by the consent of the Church, thither whither he had appointed them to be sent. Whereby we gather that there is no lawful election of Pastors, save only wherein God is chief. For whereas he hath commanded that the Church should elect pastors & Bishops, he hath not therefore granted men so much liberty, but that he will bear the chiefest sway as the chief governor. The ordinary election of Pastors differeth from this appointing of Paul & Barnabas, because it was requisite that they should be appointed by the heavenly Oracle, to be the Apostles of the Gentiles: which is not necessary to be done daily in ordaining Pastors. But they agree in this, that as God did testify that Paul and Barnabas ⟨p. 292⟩were already appointed by his decree to preach the gospel: so none may be called unto the office of teaching save only those whom God hath already chosen to himself after a sort. Furthermore there is no need that the Spirit should cry to us out of heaven, that he is called of God about whom we are, because we receive those as it were from hand to hand (as they say) whom God hath furnished with necessary gifts, forasmuch as they are framed and made fit by his hand. But whereas Luke saith in this place, that Paul was appointed by the voices and consents of the Church: it doth seem not to agree with Pauls own words,¹ where he doth deny that he was called of men or by men. I answer that he was made an Apostle long before (and that by no voices of men) before such time as he was sent unto the Gentiles: and he had now already executed the office of an Apostle many years, when he was called to go to the Gentiles by a new oracle. Wherefore that he may have God for the author of his apostleship, it is not without cause that he excludeth men. And he doth not now command that he be ordained by the church, therefore, that his calling may depend upon men: but God publisheth that his decree which was as yet known to a few, and that with a public commandment, and he commandeth that it be sealed with the solemn subscription of the Church.² Therefore this is the meaning of the words. That this is the time, wherein Paul must preach the Gospel, among the Gentiles, and the wall being pulled down, he must gather a Church of the Gentiles, who were before strangers from the kingdom of God.