We read in Acts 2:21 that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” A question that often arises is, “What is the name of this Lord who Saves us?”
When studying verses such as Romans 10:13, Acts 2:21, and Joel 2:32, it is essential to consider these translations within the context of scriptural uniformity. The Old and New Testament scriptures must be harmonious and consistent rather than contradictory.
In Joel 2:32, it’s relatively easy to see that “the Lord” is a false insertion because it replaces the name of Yahweh (H3068).
In the Old Testament, another word, with a completely different etymology, refers to men (H113), that is translated as master, lord or sir.
However, in the New Testament, the same word Lord (G2962) that is used to address men, is also used as a substitute for the name of Yahweh.
Due to a multitude of false translations, there is tremendous confusion about God’s plan for Salvation.
A Child asks, “How do I call upon the name of the Lord?”
Rebecca asks her youth Bible study leader, Harold, a logical question after reading Romans 10:13.
“What is the name of the Lord I am supposed to call upon so that I might be Saved”?
Harold quickly replies, “The Lord Jesus is his name; call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
Rebecca then reads Romans 10:9, which states, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
“So, if I confess that Jesus is the Lord and believe God raised him, I will be saved, right?”
Answering with a simple “yes,” he is not expecting the next questions.
“I read in Jude 1:4, that there is only one Lord God, do I need to call upon his name, as well as the Lord Jesus?
While Harold searches for an appropriate response and tries to gather his thoughts, Rebecca reads two more verses in quick succession.
Romans 14:10-11 says, “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ,” because it is written, “As I live,” declares the Lord, “every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
And then in Isaiah 45:22-23, God says, “Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess.”
The questions that follow are equally difficult to answer. He glances at his pocket watch, jots down a few more notes, and is thankful that the class is almost over.
“How can I acknowledge the Lord God if I do not know his name”? Rebecca asks, with a puzzled look on her face.
“And how can I kneel before the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord God? According to what we were already taught about the trinity, Jesus is one of the persons of the Godhead.”
In Philippians 2:9-10 it says, “God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave him a name above all others, to which every knee shall bow.”
Still pondering why one Lord is named and the other is not (a question he had never heard before), he is now just as confused as the curious child, and unsure how best to proceed; meanwhile, her inquiries continue.
“How can the Lord Jesus also be my Savior, if the Lord God in Isaiah 45:21 says he is the only Savior, and there is no other God?”
“Thomas called Jesus Lord and God in John 20:28, didn’t he?”
While contemplating the passage from Isaiah 42:8 that states, “I Am the Lord, that is my name,” Harold replays the words from Jude 1:4 in his mind, “the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ,” and realizes that “the Lord” could not possibly be the Father’s name.
His inability to rationalize the trinity is unsettling, and with Rebecca’s final question, that uncertainty will only grow stronger.
“Is that why the Lord God does not have a name like the Lord Jesus does, because only Jesus is exalted?” she asks.
The clock strikes seven, and Harold dismisses the class, relieved that it’s over for now. He tries to put on a smile but is visibly shaken and does his best not to show it to Rebecca or the other children.
As witnessed in the scenario above, confusion about the identity of the Savior is all too real, and there are many legitimate questions that most people cannot readily answer.
In fact, you may have your own questions, such as, “If the Lord Jesus is God, then why did he need the Lord God to raise him from the dead?”
If someone were to say to a group of atheists, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” would they understand? Probably not, as the word lord is a generic title that could be used to address many people.
Several lords are mentioned in the scriptures, and they are worth examining more closely to determine how they relate to the overall narrative of the Bible.
Calling upon the Lord in the New Testament
In the New Testament, the Greek word kyrios (G2962), is translated into English as lord, master, and sir.
A translation occurs when words (including titles) are converted from one language to another while preserving the original meaning. Names are not translated.
The etymology of kyrios (G2962) is from kuros which is another Greek word. This title that should be translated as master, is not derived from the Hebrew name of Yahweh (H3068).
Mat 18:27 Then the lord (G2962) of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him
the debt.
- Even though the title of lord can only be used to address men, as seen in Mat 18:27, the false scribes also used the word “Lord” as a substitute for the name of Yahweh in Rom 10:13. That is a spiritual crime of epic proportions.
- Also, two Saviors have been penned into the New Testament scriptures, and they are both called “the Lord” (Jude 1:4, 1 Tim 1:1).
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (G2962) shall be saved
Consider Mat 6:9 for additional context. How can one pray to the Father without knowing or using his name?
Our Heavenly Father’s name is not “the Lord,” contrary to what is written in Isaiah 42:8. To call upon God’s name, one would have to use His actual name which is Yahweh.
Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord (G1203) God, and our Lord (G2962) Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:4 mentions two Lords; the first Lord is a translation from despotēs (G1203).
The English word despot is derived from the Greek word despotēs, which describes one with power, such as a master. A despot can also refer to a tyrant or ruler with absolute power.
Do we call upon the Lord God whose name is not mentioned in the New Testament (Jude 1:4, 1 Tim 1:1, 2:3-5, 4:10), or the Lord Jesus Christ?
In the Old Testament, there is only one Savior whose name has been changed to ‘the LORD.’
Calling on the Lord in the Old Testament
It is said that God has many names, but this rhetoric contradicts what Yahweh declares (Eze 20:9, 22, 43:7, Isa 45:23).
Isa 43:11 I am Yahweh, and beside me there is no savior
Yahweh has one name, which is obviously Yahweh; God, Savior, Redeemer, and Messiah are all titles, not names.
According to the Bible, Baal was the lord, or master, of those who turned away from Yahweh. References to this can be found in Judges 2:11, 3:7, and 10:10, as well as in 1 Kings 16:31.
Elijah said to Ahab, ye have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh, and thou hast followed Baal.
Elijah did not call upon the name of the Lord; he called upon the name of Yahweh (1 Kings 18:24).
The false prophets foolishly called on the name of (their lord) Baal for many hours, but there was no answer (1 Kings 18:25).
Elijah called upon the name of Yahweh, and He answered with fire from Heaven (1 Kings 18:38).
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD (H3068): that is my name (H8034): and my glory (H3519) will I not give (H5414) to another (H312), neither my praise (H8416) to graven images (H6456)
- A transliteration is the process of changing words from one language into the corresponding characters of another alphabet or language. The goal is to preserve the sound of the original word.
- The Hebrew name of Yahweh (Strongs H 3068-YHWH) is pronounced “ee-ah-oo-eh.” The “Yod” and the first “Hay” would sound like like “Yah,” the “Waw” and the second “Hay” would sound like like “Way.” In English, the transliteration of YHWH is pronounced as “Yahweh” with two syllables.
- When the name of Yahweh is reinstated in Isaiah 42:8 it reads, “I AM Yahweh, that is my name, and my glory shall you not give to another, neither give praises to graven images.”
Which Lord Actually Saves Us?
Since “the Lord” is an incorrect transliteration of Yahweh’s name, how can anyone declare that Jesus is also the Lord?
- The deception regarding ‘Calling upon the name of the Lord’ has been exposed.
- Those who call upon the name of Yahweh shall be saved when he returns at the end of this age (Matt 10:22, Acts 2:21, 1 Thes 5:8, 1 Peter 1:9, Joel 2:31-32).
- This powerful and hopeful promise should bring us comfort and reassurance.
According to the trinity there is one God in three persons. One of these persons is named Jesus and called the Lord, and God (John 20:28). The other Lord (called by the titles of God and the Father) remains nameless in the New Testament.
1 Tim 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and the Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope
- If Jesus and Yahweh are addressed as Lord and God, then we’re talking about two Gods’.
- Refer to the cutting-edge study guide entitled ‘The Lord said to my Lord’ for an in-depth analysis.
- Two persons claiming to be God cannot become a singular God; it’s not Biblical, logical, or possible (John 20:28, Acts 3:22, Deut 18:15-19).
- Jesus and Yahweh cannot both be Saviors (1 Tim 1:1, Rom 10:9, Joel 2:32).
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be delivered (or Saved)
What is declared in Rom 10:13, John 2:19, Joel 2:32, and Isa 43:11 will refute what is written in Rom 10:9, when we remove the title of Lord and insert the name of Yahweh.
For the Messiah to be the Savior, He must also be Yahweh – which He is (Isa 45:21).
The earnest (which is a down payment) unto an inheritance with our Messiah, is that we are sealed with His Spirit of promise. The fulfillment of this contract is our redemption which is realized when Messiah returns with our Salvation (Eph 1:13-14, Heb 9:28, 1 Peter 1:5).
- Two pieces of defensive armor for believers include the breastplate of faith, and a helmet, which is the hope of our Salvation (1 Thes 5:8, Eph 6:17).
- We cannot hope for something that we claim (albeit falsely) to already possess (Romans 8:23-25).
In closing, it is essential to understand that Yahweh our Savior manifest Himself in the flesh as the Messiah.
Moreover, our Savior raised Himself from the Grave; He did not need another person (who is also called God) to do so (Rom 10:9).
John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again…