by Timothy W. Burnett
According to Young's Analytical Concordance to the King James Bible, the words "cal upon" are translated from the earlier Greek word epikaleo, which meant to call on another person of higher rank for help or to be rescued. In context, New Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon defines epikaleo as "to invoke or call upon for one's self, in one's behalf." In the context of a judge it means to appeal to, or make appeal unto (p. 239, Strong's Concordance number 1941).
In the context it refers to caling out to God in heaven upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was a new and unique way to worship God that was not available before Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. The thing that made it even more significant was that it resulted in salvation from having to face the period of time recorded in Revelations, that culminates in the event known as the "great and notable day of the Lord" (Acts 2:20-21).
To cal upon the name of the Lord is used in a worldly and spiritual sense. It is used in Acts 25:12 where Festus tells Paul, "Have you appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shall you go." Paul appealed to Caesar for justice related to charges from the Jewish leaders. Caesar was in a position to rescue Paul from possible punishment by the Jewish "kangaroo" court at that time. Acts 26:32 and 28:19 aso use appeal for epikaleo.
To call upon the name of the Lord is spiritual worship, and can be understood by Jesus Christ's words as recorded in John 4:24, "God is spirit, and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth." The only true way to worship God is with His spirit. Since God is the highest authority on this subject, it is best to let His word teach us what it means to call on the name of the Lord unto salvation.
The word epikaleo in the context of calling upon the Lord is also used in Romans 10:12-13. It uses the exact same quote from Joel found in Acts 2:21. A study of Romans 10:8-15 will shine more light on the subject. Verses 9-10 provide direct instructions for salvation, "If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." the combination of these two results in salvation. Verse 10 reveals more details, "For with the heart man believes unto righteousness. And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Verse 10 reveas the pre-requisite order and specifically shows what results from each. Believing with the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead results in righteousness, and confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus results in salvation. The chronological order is confirmed in verse 14, "how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed."
How can anybody call on the name of the Lord unto salvation, if they have not first believed that God raised Jesus from the dead unto righteousness?
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