Appeal or Call Upon

Many teach all you need to do is say a prayer in Christ's name to be saved. They get this from Acts 2:21.

Act 2:21  AndG2532 it shall beG1510.8.3 allG3956 whoG3739 everG302 should call uponG1941 theG3588 nameG3686 of the LordG2962 shall be delivered.G4982

This is not a prayer to Christ since it is calling upon his name versus calling to Jesus. Calling upon is vesting authority vs calling to.

Faith only groups use this to say we do not have to get baptized to be saved, but because it is tied to Acts 2:38 in practice it proves baptism. Acts 2:21 is antecedent to Acts 2:38. Baptism makes Acts 2:21 possible in a sense. We can only call upon Christ's name after receiving his name through adoption. This occurs through baptism. Acts 2:21 then would only be possible after baptism and receiving christ's name through adoption. See Gal. 3:26-4:6.

It is interacting with the Father through the Name of Christ. Jesus is the mediator between ma and the Father. It is impossible for it to mean a prayer to Jesus. It is an appeal by being under his family name. In the judgment you will have to appeal to your adoption to be saved.

There is another link between Calling upon the Name of Christ and baptism.

I Peter 3:21, the word "answer" is the same root for "Call upon" in Acts 2:21, both actually meaning to appeal to.

In baptism we appeal to God for a clean conscience by Christ's resurrection. We are justified.

Since baptism is an appeal for cleansing the conscience it can't be because we are already clean.

1Pe 3:21  WhichG3739 [2alsoG2532 5usG1473 1antitypeG499 3nowG3568 4delivers] --G4982 immersion,G908 notG3756 the fleshG4561 getting rid ofG595 filth,G4509 butG235 [3conscienceG4893 2of a goodG18 1 the response]G1906 towardsG1519 God,G2316 throughG1223 the resurrectionG386 of JesusG* Christ,G5547

The word response or answer is the same as appeal or call upon. Notice baptism makes this possible in I Peter 3:21.

Acts 2:21 word

ἐπικαλέομαι

epikaleomai

ep-ee-kal-eh'-om-ahee

Middle voice from G1909 and G2564; to entitle; by implication to invoke (for aid, worship, testimony, decision, etc.): - appeal (unto), call (on, upon), surname.

Total KJV occurrences: 32

I Peter 3;21

ἐπερώτημα

eperōtēma

ep-er-o'-tay-mah

From G1905; an inquiry: - answer.

Total KJV occurrences: 1

G1905 actually comes from G1909 and G2564

Both have the same word origin and mean to appeal for something.