"Call upon the name of the Lord" = pray to Jesus (YHWH)
Aug 20, 2022 12:26:37 GMT -8
Obadiah and civic like this
Post by fred on Aug 20, 2022 12:26:37 GMT -8
In the Old Testament to "call upon the name of the Lord" (or slight variations of it) always means prayer/worship is being rendered unto YHWH.
Psalm 86:5-7
(5) For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
(6) Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
(7) In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me. (NASB)
Psalm 99:5-9
(5) Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He.
(6) Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them.
(7) He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies And the statute that He gave them.
(8) O LORD our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
(9) Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His holy hill, For holy is the LORD our God. (NASB)
Psalm 116:4
Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I beseech YOU, save my life!" (NASB)
Lamentations 3:55-57
(55) I called on Your name, O LORD, Out of the lowest pit.
(56) You have heard my voice, "Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, From my cry for help."
(57) You drew near when I called on You; You said, "Do not fear!" (NASB)
Zephaniah 3:9-10
(9) For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
(10) From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings. (NASB)
In the New Testament to "call upon the name of the Lord" (or slight variations of it) always means prayer/worship being rendered unto the Lord Jesus in that He is YHWH.
Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (ESV)
Acts 9:14
And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. (ESV)
Acts 9:21
And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” (ESV)
Acts 22:16
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. (ESV)
Romans 10:12-14
(12) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
(13) For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
(14) How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (ESV)
1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours (ESV)
2 Timothy 2:22
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (ESV)
1. A Greek and English Lexicon to the New Testament: To call upon, invoke, in prayer. Rom. 10:12, 14. 2 Tim. 2:22. Acts 7:59...JEHOVAH then was the name which eminently distinguished the true God from all false gods; and in the N.T. ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου imports invoking the true God, with a confession that he is Jehovah, i.e. with an acknowledgement of his essential and incommunicable attributes. And in this view the phrase is applied to Christ, Acts 2:21. (Comp. Joel 2:32. Acts 9:13, 14, 21.) Acts 22:16. Rom. 10:13, (comp ver. 9, 11) 1 Cor. 1:2. (epikaleō, page 243)
2. Theological Lexicon of the New Testament: First Corinthians is addressed to "those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in any place" (1 Cor 1:2), the church being the gathering of those who adore Christ, who celebrate his worship (cf. Ps 145:18) and pray to him from a pure heart. Over and against the religious individualism of the Greek cities, all believers are united in their adoration of Christ as Lord and God; their common "invocation" is the expression of their unity. (2:44, epikaleō)
3. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: to "call upon" the name of Yahweh was "to worship him" as God (Ge 21:33; 26:25, etc.)...men "called upon the name" of Jesus, as they had done on that of Yahweh (Ac 9:14, 21 (compare Ac 7:59); Ro 10:13-14). (Name, W. L. Walker)
www.internationalstandardbible.com/N/name.html
4. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: I call upon (on my behalf) the name of the Lord, i.e. to invoke, adore, worship, the Lord, i.e. Christ: Acts 2:21 (from Joel 2:32 (Joel 3:5)); Acts 9:14, 21; 22:16; Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2...Romans 10:12; 2 Timothy 2:22. (epikaleō, page 239)
Acts 2:21
a. Jesus is the Lord.
Some deny the "Lord" refers to the Lord Jesus. However, the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21) that Peter preaches to his audience corresponds to the name of Jesus Christ that they are to be baptized in (Acts 2:38). Notice also the use of the name by Peter in reference to Jesus afterwards (Acts 3:6, 16; 4:30; cf. Acts 5:28, 41; Luke 24:47).
Furthermore, the same Greek words for name (onoma) and saved (sōzō) that are used in association with the "Lord" in Acts 2:21 are spoken again by Peter in reference to the same "Lord" (Jesus) in Acts 4:12.
-> Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
-> There is no other name...by which we must be saved.
b. Praying to Jesus (YHWH) is an important component of the gospel that was (and is to be) preached.
Peter (recorded by Luke) applies YHWH from Joel 2:32 (3:5 in the Septuagint) unto the Lord in reference to Jesus thereby demonstrating Jesus is YHWH. Paul affirmed the same thing (see "Romans 10:12-14" below).
Joel 2:32 (3:5 in the Septuagint)
καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται
Acts 2:21
καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται
Romans 10:13
πᾶς γὰρ ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται
Jesus is both YHWH (Acts 2:21) and man (Acts 2:22) - precisely what Trinitarianism affirms.
Acts 9:14
To believe in Jesus is to pray to Jesus (YHWH).
And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. (Acts 9:14, ESV)
And I said, Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. (Acts 22:19, ESV)
Those who affirm they believe in Jesus but refuse to pray to Jesus (YHWH) do not have the biblical Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4).
Acts 9:21
The "faith" which Paul attempted to "destroy" involved praying to Jesus (YHWH) in which Christians are to "contend earnestly for".
Acts 9:21
All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” (NASB)
Galatians 1:23
but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy." (NASB)
Jude 1:3
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. (NASB)
Acts 22:16
a. "His name" refers to the Lord Jesus.
(14) And he said, The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.
(15) For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
(16) Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.
(17) And it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
(18) And I saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.
(19) And I said, Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.
(20) And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’
(21) And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” (NASB)
b. The Lord Jesus is Lord of the Temple.
Although occurring at different times, both of Paul's prayers to the Lord Jesus are brought together by Luke in Acts 22:16-17. Paul calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus in prayer (Acts 22:16), and immediately afterwards he is praying (προσευχομένου) in the temple (Acts 22:17). That the Lord Jesus responds (Acts 22:18) implies Paul was praying to Him on both occasions (Acts 22:16-17).
David Peterson: Moreover, Paul's vision implies that the risen Jesus is Lord of the temple, who reveals his will and commissions his servant in that context for his mission to the nations. The parallel with Isaiah's call in Isaiah 6 becomes all the more stunning when it is realised that the risen Lord Jesus takes the roll of 'the Lord God Almighty' in directing Paul and warning him about the opposition he will receive (cf. the recollection of Is. 6:9-10 in Acts 28:24-28) (The Acts of the Apostles, Pillar New Testament Commentary, page 604-605).
Romans 10:12-14
a. Jesus is the Lord.
(8) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
(9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(11) For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
(12) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
(13) For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.
(14) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (NKJV)
1. Some deny the "Lord" refers to Jesus in either v. 12 or v. 13 - or both. However, the use of "For" in the beginning of vv. 10-13 connects with what was previously asserted in the prior verse. This connection goes back to "the Lord Jesus" in verse 9. This demonstrates the Lord and Him are always in reference to the Lord Jesus. Romans 10:11 The "Him" refers to the Lord Jesus (cf. Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6).
Romans 10:12 "The same Lord" refers back to "the Lord Jesus" in verse 9.
Robert Bowman and J. Ed Komoszewski: In this context, the "Lord" here must be Jesus. Paul cannot be referring to this Lord as "the same" Lord if he is a different Lord than the one he just mentioned! (Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ, page 162).
Romans 10:13 The "Lord" (v. 13) that Paul is to "preach" (v. 8) is the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:5).
Romans 10:14 The "Him" (used twice) refers back to the "Lord" (Jesus) in Romans 10:13. Indeed, to "call on Him" and to "believe in Him" corresponds to what is taught in Acts 9:14 and Acts 22:19 (see 'Acts 9:14' above).
2. The Book of Romans was written to both Gentiles and Jews (cf. "all who are in Rome", Romans 1:7; Prisca and Aquila were Jewish converts, Romans 16:3). A Jew would have already called upon the name of the Lord in reference to the Father. Paul's point is that now they (and all others) need to call upon the name of the Lord in reference to Jesus.
b. Praying to Jesus (YHWH) is an important component of the gospel that was (and is to be) preached.
Paul applies YHWH from Joel 2:32 (3:5 in the Septuagint) unto the Lord in reference to Jesus thereby demonstrating Jesus is YHWH. Peter (recorded by Luke) affirmed the same thing (see "Acts 2:21" above). Indeed, Paul affirms "the word of faith which we preach" (Romans 10:8) includes praying to Jesus (YHWH).
1 Corinthians 1:2 - All who are Christians (saints) have prayed to the Lord Jesus (YHWH).
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. (NASB)
R. T. France: It is striking first to note the 'definition' of Christians in 1 Corinthians 1:2 as 'those who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'. Not only does the phrase itself indicate that prayer to Jesus was a normal and distinguishing characteristic of Christians in the 50's, but 'to call on the name of the Lord' is a regular OT formula for worship and prayer offered to God (Gen. 4:26, 13:4; Ps. 105:1; Jer. 10:25; Joel 2:32, etc.) ("The Worship of Jesus - A Neglected Factor In Christological Debate?", Vox Evangelica 12, c.1981, page 28).
1 Corinthians 1:2 and 2 Timothy 2:22
The Lord Jesus is our Master (despotēs) to whom we call upon in prayer!
2 Timothy 2:21-22
(21) Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
(22) Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the name of the Lord from a pure heart. (NASB)
Acts 26:18
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. (NASB)
1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. (NASB)
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT): Calling on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Tm. 2:22) is the same as worship with a clear conscience (2 Tm. 1:3). In the formal speech of the Pastorals the pure conscience is the total standing of the Christian. This is particularly plain when the difference between the life of the Christian and that of the heretic is formulated in compendious confessions (7:918, synoida, C. Maurer).
It is noteworthy that at the very heart of Jewish monotheism the Shema associates the "one Lord" (YHWH) with believers loving Him with all of one's heart.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
(4) Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
(5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (NASB)
a. Richard N. Longenecker: There is no commandment in the Jewish Scriptures that says simply "Thou shalt pray!" Rather, what one finds is a verse like Deut 11:13, which calls on Israel "to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." The rabbis of the Talmud asked about this verse: "What kind of service is it that takes place in the heart"? And they answered their own question: "It is prayer!" (b. Ta' anith 2a) (Studies in Paul, Exegetical and Theological, page 33).
b. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (NIDNTTE): The meaning of worship has been perpetuated in the synagogue. But it is used also of the inner worship of the heart. So it is said that to serve God means prayer (with ref. to Deut 11:13 and Dan 6:11, 16; cf. Str-B 3:26) (3:95, latreuō, Moisés Silva).
c. Peter Pett: To love the one Lord from the heart "was central to Jewish worship" (cf. Matthew 22:37).
www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/matthew-22.html
That Christians are to pray to the Lord Jesus from a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22) demonstrates that He is to be prayed to as being YHWH (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
Psalm 86:5-7
(5) For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
(6) Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
(7) In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me. (NASB)
Psalm 99:5-9
(5) Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He.
(6) Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them.
(7) He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies And the statute that He gave them.
(8) O LORD our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
(9) Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His holy hill, For holy is the LORD our God. (NASB)
Psalm 116:4
Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I beseech YOU, save my life!" (NASB)
Lamentations 3:55-57
(55) I called on Your name, O LORD, Out of the lowest pit.
(56) You have heard my voice, "Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, From my cry for help."
(57) You drew near when I called on You; You said, "Do not fear!" (NASB)
Zephaniah 3:9-10
(9) For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
(10) From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings. (NASB)
In the New Testament to "call upon the name of the Lord" (or slight variations of it) always means prayer/worship being rendered unto the Lord Jesus in that He is YHWH.
Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (ESV)
Acts 9:14
And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. (ESV)
Acts 9:21
And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” (ESV)
Acts 22:16
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. (ESV)
Romans 10:12-14
(12) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
(13) For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
(14) How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (ESV)
1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours (ESV)
2 Timothy 2:22
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (ESV)
1. A Greek and English Lexicon to the New Testament: To call upon, invoke, in prayer. Rom. 10:12, 14. 2 Tim. 2:22. Acts 7:59...JEHOVAH then was the name which eminently distinguished the true God from all false gods; and in the N.T. ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου imports invoking the true God, with a confession that he is Jehovah, i.e. with an acknowledgement of his essential and incommunicable attributes. And in this view the phrase is applied to Christ, Acts 2:21. (Comp. Joel 2:32. Acts 9:13, 14, 21.) Acts 22:16. Rom. 10:13, (comp ver. 9, 11) 1 Cor. 1:2. (epikaleō, page 243)
2. Theological Lexicon of the New Testament: First Corinthians is addressed to "those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in any place" (1 Cor 1:2), the church being the gathering of those who adore Christ, who celebrate his worship (cf. Ps 145:18) and pray to him from a pure heart. Over and against the religious individualism of the Greek cities, all believers are united in their adoration of Christ as Lord and God; their common "invocation" is the expression of their unity. (2:44, epikaleō)
3. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: to "call upon" the name of Yahweh was "to worship him" as God (Ge 21:33; 26:25, etc.)...men "called upon the name" of Jesus, as they had done on that of Yahweh (Ac 9:14, 21 (compare Ac 7:59); Ro 10:13-14). (Name, W. L. Walker)
www.internationalstandardbible.com/N/name.html
4. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: I call upon (on my behalf) the name of the Lord, i.e. to invoke, adore, worship, the Lord, i.e. Christ: Acts 2:21 (from Joel 2:32 (Joel 3:5)); Acts 9:14, 21; 22:16; Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2...Romans 10:12; 2 Timothy 2:22. (epikaleō, page 239)
Acts 2:21
a. Jesus is the Lord.
Some deny the "Lord" refers to the Lord Jesus. However, the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21) that Peter preaches to his audience corresponds to the name of Jesus Christ that they are to be baptized in (Acts 2:38). Notice also the use of the name by Peter in reference to Jesus afterwards (Acts 3:6, 16; 4:30; cf. Acts 5:28, 41; Luke 24:47).
Furthermore, the same Greek words for name (onoma) and saved (sōzō) that are used in association with the "Lord" in Acts 2:21 are spoken again by Peter in reference to the same "Lord" (Jesus) in Acts 4:12.
-> Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
-> There is no other name...by which we must be saved.
b. Praying to Jesus (YHWH) is an important component of the gospel that was (and is to be) preached.
Peter (recorded by Luke) applies YHWH from Joel 2:32 (3:5 in the Septuagint) unto the Lord in reference to Jesus thereby demonstrating Jesus is YHWH. Paul affirmed the same thing (see "Romans 10:12-14" below).
Joel 2:32 (3:5 in the Septuagint)
καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται
Acts 2:21
καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται
Romans 10:13
πᾶς γὰρ ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται
Jesus is both YHWH (Acts 2:21) and man (Acts 2:22) - precisely what Trinitarianism affirms.
Acts 9:14
To believe in Jesus is to pray to Jesus (YHWH).
And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. (Acts 9:14, ESV)
And I said, Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. (Acts 22:19, ESV)
Those who affirm they believe in Jesus but refuse to pray to Jesus (YHWH) do not have the biblical Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4).
Acts 9:21
The "faith" which Paul attempted to "destroy" involved praying to Jesus (YHWH) in which Christians are to "contend earnestly for".
Acts 9:21
All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” (NASB)
Galatians 1:23
but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy." (NASB)
Jude 1:3
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. (NASB)
Acts 22:16
a. "His name" refers to the Lord Jesus.
(14) And he said, The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.
(15) For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
(16) Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.
(17) And it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
(18) And I saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.
(19) And I said, Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.
(20) And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’
(21) And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” (NASB)
b. The Lord Jesus is Lord of the Temple.
Although occurring at different times, both of Paul's prayers to the Lord Jesus are brought together by Luke in Acts 22:16-17. Paul calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus in prayer (Acts 22:16), and immediately afterwards he is praying (προσευχομένου) in the temple (Acts 22:17). That the Lord Jesus responds (Acts 22:18) implies Paul was praying to Him on both occasions (Acts 22:16-17).
David Peterson: Moreover, Paul's vision implies that the risen Jesus is Lord of the temple, who reveals his will and commissions his servant in that context for his mission to the nations. The parallel with Isaiah's call in Isaiah 6 becomes all the more stunning when it is realised that the risen Lord Jesus takes the roll of 'the Lord God Almighty' in directing Paul and warning him about the opposition he will receive (cf. the recollection of Is. 6:9-10 in Acts 28:24-28) (The Acts of the Apostles, Pillar New Testament Commentary, page 604-605).
Romans 10:12-14
a. Jesus is the Lord.
(8) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
(9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(11) For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
(12) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
(13) For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.
(14) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (NKJV)
1. Some deny the "Lord" refers to Jesus in either v. 12 or v. 13 - or both. However, the use of "For" in the beginning of vv. 10-13 connects with what was previously asserted in the prior verse. This connection goes back to "the Lord Jesus" in verse 9. This demonstrates the Lord and Him are always in reference to the Lord Jesus. Romans 10:11 The "Him" refers to the Lord Jesus (cf. Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6).
Romans 10:12 "The same Lord" refers back to "the Lord Jesus" in verse 9.
Robert Bowman and J. Ed Komoszewski: In this context, the "Lord" here must be Jesus. Paul cannot be referring to this Lord as "the same" Lord if he is a different Lord than the one he just mentioned! (Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ, page 162).
Romans 10:13 The "Lord" (v. 13) that Paul is to "preach" (v. 8) is the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:5).
Romans 10:14 The "Him" (used twice) refers back to the "Lord" (Jesus) in Romans 10:13. Indeed, to "call on Him" and to "believe in Him" corresponds to what is taught in Acts 9:14 and Acts 22:19 (see 'Acts 9:14' above).
2. The Book of Romans was written to both Gentiles and Jews (cf. "all who are in Rome", Romans 1:7; Prisca and Aquila were Jewish converts, Romans 16:3). A Jew would have already called upon the name of the Lord in reference to the Father. Paul's point is that now they (and all others) need to call upon the name of the Lord in reference to Jesus.
b. Praying to Jesus (YHWH) is an important component of the gospel that was (and is to be) preached.
Paul applies YHWH from Joel 2:32 (3:5 in the Septuagint) unto the Lord in reference to Jesus thereby demonstrating Jesus is YHWH. Peter (recorded by Luke) affirmed the same thing (see "Acts 2:21" above). Indeed, Paul affirms "the word of faith which we preach" (Romans 10:8) includes praying to Jesus (YHWH).
1 Corinthians 1:2 - All who are Christians (saints) have prayed to the Lord Jesus (YHWH).
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. (NASB)
R. T. France: It is striking first to note the 'definition' of Christians in 1 Corinthians 1:2 as 'those who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'. Not only does the phrase itself indicate that prayer to Jesus was a normal and distinguishing characteristic of Christians in the 50's, but 'to call on the name of the Lord' is a regular OT formula for worship and prayer offered to God (Gen. 4:26, 13:4; Ps. 105:1; Jer. 10:25; Joel 2:32, etc.) ("The Worship of Jesus - A Neglected Factor In Christological Debate?", Vox Evangelica 12, c.1981, page 28).
1 Corinthians 1:2 and 2 Timothy 2:22
The Lord Jesus is our Master (despotēs) to whom we call upon in prayer!
2 Timothy 2:21-22
(21) Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
(22) Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the name of the Lord from a pure heart. (NASB)
Acts 26:18
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. (NASB)
1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. (NASB)
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT): Calling on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Tm. 2:22) is the same as worship with a clear conscience (2 Tm. 1:3). In the formal speech of the Pastorals the pure conscience is the total standing of the Christian. This is particularly plain when the difference between the life of the Christian and that of the heretic is formulated in compendious confessions (7:918, synoida, C. Maurer).
It is noteworthy that at the very heart of Jewish monotheism the Shema associates the "one Lord" (YHWH) with believers loving Him with all of one's heart.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
(4) Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
(5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (NASB)
a. Richard N. Longenecker: There is no commandment in the Jewish Scriptures that says simply "Thou shalt pray!" Rather, what one finds is a verse like Deut 11:13, which calls on Israel "to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." The rabbis of the Talmud asked about this verse: "What kind of service is it that takes place in the heart"? And they answered their own question: "It is prayer!" (b. Ta' anith 2a) (Studies in Paul, Exegetical and Theological, page 33).
b. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (NIDNTTE): The meaning of worship has been perpetuated in the synagogue. But it is used also of the inner worship of the heart. So it is said that to serve God means prayer (with ref. to Deut 11:13 and Dan 6:11, 16; cf. Str-B 3:26) (3:95, latreuō, Moisés Silva).
c. Peter Pett: To love the one Lord from the heart "was central to Jewish worship" (cf. Matthew 22:37).
www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/matthew-22.html
That Christians are to pray to the Lord Jesus from a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22) demonstrates that He is to be prayed to as being YHWH (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
