Romans 10:13

Analysis & Commentary

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved—Paul quotes Joel 2:32, a prophecy concerning the Day of the Lord when "whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be delivered." Pas gar hos an epikalesētai to onoma kyriou sōthēsetai (πᾶς γὰρ ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται)—pas (πᾶς, "all, everyone, whosoever") combined with hos an (ὃς ἄν, indefinite relative "whoever") emphasizes radical universality. Epikaleō to onoma (ἐπικαλέω τὸ ὄνομα, "call upon the name") is covenant invocation—personal appeal to the revealed character and authority of God.

The stunning apostolic move: Paul applies Joel's "name of Yahweh" to Jesus as kyrios (κύριος, Lord). This is explicit Christ-deity—Jesus is the Yahweh upon whose name salvation depends. Sōthēsetai (σωθήσεται, "shall be saved") is future passive divine action—God saves those who call. The simplicity is breathtaking: call on Christ, be saved. No ethnic heritage, ritual performance, moral perfection required. This is the scandal and glory of grace.

Historical Context

Joel 2:28-32 prophesied end-times Spirit outpouring on "all flesh" before "the great and terrible day of the Lord." Peter quoted this at Pentecost (Acts 2:17-21), marking the inauguration of the last days. "Calling on the name of the Lord" became early Christian shorthand for conversion (Acts 2:21; 9:14, 21; 22:16). Baptism was the liturgical context for this invocation. Jewish Christians applying Yahweh-texts to Jesus was the theological foundation for Trinitarian Christology, developed over subsequent centuries.

Questions for Reflection

• Have you personally called upon the name of the Lord Jesus for salvation, or are you relying on something else?
• How does the radical simplicity of "call and be saved" expose the complexity of human religious systems as satanic distractions?
• What does it mean to "call upon the name"—what kind of prayer/invocation is salvific?