Proposition # 19: Quoting Joel 2:32 Paul wrote at Romans 10:13 about Jesus, “All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But Joel was speaking about Yahweh. This proves that Jesus is God.
Response: Joel 2:32 was also quoted by Peter at Acts 2:21 while preaching to Jews who had not confessed Jesus as the Messiah. At this point in his sermon he had not yet mentioned Jesus; so his audience would have had to understand “the Lord” to mean God. His first reference to Jesus was one verse later where Peter calls him “a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.”
Next Peter accused, “you killed [Jesus] by nailing him to a cross by the hands of lawless men.” Peter’s audience would have understood that their action of crucifying a prophet of God, especially the promised Messiah, was the same as rejecting God, the opposite of calling upon His Name. Those convicted by Peter’s words understood that they were in danger of judgment, repented of their sin, and confessed Jesus as Lord and Messiah. — Acts 2:14-41
Act 2:14-41 REV But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke to them, saying, “Fellow Jews, and all you who are residing in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay close attention to my words. (15) For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. [About 9 a.m. At the time of Christ the day was divided into 12 hours starting at roughly 6 a.m.] (16) But this is that which has been spoken through the prophet Joel: (17) And it will be in the last days, says God, I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. (18) And even on my male servants and on my female servants I will pour out my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. (19) And I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood, and fire, and a cloud of smoke. (20) The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious Day of the Lord comes. (21) And it will be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. [From Joel 2:28-32] (22) “You men of Israel, listen to these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man pointed out to you by God by mighty works and wonders and signs, which God did through him in the midst of you, just as you yourselves know, (23) this man, delivered up by the decreed plan and foreknowledge of God, you, by lawless hands, crucified and killed. (24) But God raised him up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (25) For David says concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I would not be moved. (26) Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced, moreover my flesh also will rest in hope (27) because you will not abandon my soul to the grave, nor will you allow your Devout One to see corruption. (28) You made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence. [From Ps. 16:8-11] (29) “Men and brothers, I can speak to you with confidence about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. (30) Since he was a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body he would seat one of his descendants on his throne, [From Ps. 132:11] (31) he, foreseeing this, spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, [Lit. “the Anointed One”] that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his flesh see corruption. [From Ps. 16:10] (32) God has raised this Jesus; we all are witnesses of this. (33) Then, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promised holy spirit, he has poured out this that you see and hear. (34) For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, (35) until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ [From Ps. 110:1] (36) “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him—this Jesus whom you crucified—both Lord and Christ.” (37) Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brothers, what should we do?” (38) And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit. (39) For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even to as many as the Lord our God will call.” (40) And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (41) Then those who received his word were baptized, and in that day there were added to their number about 3,000 souls.
Unlike Peter, Paul was not addressing unbelievers, but Roman Christians. They already understood that ‘calling upon the name of the Lord’ God included confessing Jesus as Lord and Christ. [1] As the Mediator between God and man Jesus could say, “No one comes to the Father, but through me.” Therefore, one has to call upon Jesus [2] to call upon God. So while there appears to be a blurring of the scriptural application in Romans 10:13, there is no warrant for trinitarian conclusions. – 1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6
[1] Acts 4:12 reads, “And there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Contrast to the description given to the name of Yahweh in Psalms 148:13. [Prop # 19]
[2] Yeshua in Hebrew; the name means Yahweh Saves.