Acts 2:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

NIV: And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

NASB: AND IT SHALL BE that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED.’

CSB: Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

NLT: But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

KJV: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

NKJV: And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’

In this first sermon of the Christian church, Peter sets the standard for sharing the gospel with Jews. Around 900,000 Jews from around the Roman Empire have come to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. Although they all probably speak Greek or Aramaic, most were raised speaking a minor, regional dialect. A crowd of these travelers has come upon a group of Galileans who seem to know every one of those dialects. Peter uses Old Testament prophecy—their own Scriptures—to explain what is happening. As Joel promised, the Holy Spirit has come upon the servants of God, giving them the ability to prophecy, or reveal truth (Acts 2:17–18). Now, Peter starts to show how this prophecy relates to Jesus.

This verse quotes Joel 2:32. Joel 2:28–31 describes how those who repent will be given the Holy Spirit and special messages from God while those who continue to reject God will see blood, fire, smoke, and a darkened sky. There are two distinct groups, and whoever calls on the Lord will be saved.

Those who watched Jesus die on the cross witnessed this recently. One of the thieves who hanged with Him trusted Jesus with his eternal soul. With no other work or admission, Jesus assured him he would go to paradise (Luke 23:39–43). Now Peter's job is to show how "the Lord" is not a hoped-for Messiah who will arrive in the future, but Jesus of Nazareth who was murdered fifty days before and rose again. For that, Peter will transition from the words of Joel to the words of David (Acts 2:25–35).

"Name" is from the Greek root word onoma. It encompasses more than what someone is called. This idea includes all thoughts, feelings, and images that come to mind when thinking of the person. The "name of the Lord" includes Jesus' character, sovereignty, authority, power, and deity. To call on or pray in Jesus' name is to place our needs in the hands of the God of the universe.

Acts 2:14–36 transcribes the first sermon ever given by a Christian. The Holy Spirit that Jesus promised (John 14:16–17) has come upon 120 of His followers in Jerusalem (Acts 1:15; 2:1–4). They immediately start speaking in different languages, shocking a crowd of Jews and proselytes who are in town to celebrate Pentecost (Acts 2:5–11). Some of the crowd dismiss the speech as nonsense; others are very interested (Acts 2:12–13). Peter, combining his natural enthusiasm as spokesman for the group with wisdom from the Spirit, responds by obeying Jesus and being His witness (Acts 1:8).

Acts 2 describes the beginning of the church in three episodes. First, the Holy Spirit comes upon the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem, equipping them with the ability to teach the gospel in different languages (Acts 2:1–13). Second, Peter gives a public declaration using Old Testament prophecy to show Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah (Acts 2:14–36). Third, people believe. They repent, trust Jesus will forgive their sins, and agree to be baptized as a public sign that they are now Jesus-followers (Acts 2:37–47). That quickly, the church is born.

Acts 2 describes the creation of Jesus' church. Forty days after Jesus' resurrection He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). One hundred and twenty disciples obeyed His command to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4, 2–15). In Acts 2, they receive the Holy Spirit and share the gospel with a crowd of people who have come to celebrate Pentecost. Three thousand believe, and the church comes to life. In the following chapters, Jesus-followers fulfill Jesus' promise that they will be His witnesses ''in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth'' (Acts 1:8).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.