How does Acts 2:21 connect with Romans 10:13 on salvation through faith? Scripture Focus Acts 2:21 – “‘And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:13 – “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Shared Words, Shared Source • Both verses quote Joel 2:32 verbatim. • Peter (Acts 2) and Paul (Romans 10) reach back to the same Old Testament promise to explain the New Covenant way of salvation. • The phrase “everyone who calls” underlines God’s universal invitation. Pentecost: Peter’s Announcement • Context: Peter has just preached Jesus’ death, resurrection, and exaltation (Acts 2:22-36). • Conclusion: The crowd asks, “What shall we do?” (v. 37). Peter answers with repentance, baptism, and faith (vv. 38-41). • Verse 21 serves as the theological foundation for his altar call: salvation hinges on calling on the Lord—specifically, the risen Jesus he has just proclaimed. Rome: Paul’s Explanation • Paul’s theme in Romans 10 is righteousness by faith, not by law (vv. 4-8). • Verses 9-10 outline faith’s content—confess Jesus as Lord, believe He is risen. • Verse 13 clinches the argument: the same promise Joel gave and Peter preached applies to Jew and Gentile alike. One Unchanging Message: Calling on the Name 1. Recognition of Jesus’ Lordship (Acts 2:36; Romans 10:9). 2. Verbal, heart-level appeal—“call” implies personal dependence. 3. Immediate divine response: “will be saved,” a sovereign guarantee (John 6:37). 4. Scope: “everyone,” removing ethnic, social, or moral barriers (Galatians 3:28). Faith Expressed by Calling • Calling is faith in action; it is the outward cry of inward belief (Romans 10:10-11). • Salvation is “by grace…through faith” (Ephesians 2:8-9); the call does not earn grace, it receives it. • Repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38) flow naturally from authentic faith but never replace it. Old Testament Root, New Testament Fulfillment • Joel’s prophecy anticipated a Spirit-filled era (Joel 2:28-32), fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-18). • The same Spirit now draws hearts to confess Christ (1 Corinthians 12:3). • God’s redemptive plan has always centered on trust in His revealed name—culminating in Jesus (Isaiah 45:22-23; Philippians 2:9-11). Practical Takeaways for Today • The promise still stands: no one is beyond reach who will simply call on Jesus. • Evangelism can confidently center on this single, biblical invitation. • Assurance rests not on feelings but on God’s unbreakable word: “will be saved.” • Unity in the church grows when we remember that every believer entered by the same door of faith. |
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