Brethren teachers (Plymouth Brethren and related) use “calling upon the name of the Lord” mainly in two ways: (1) as the sinner’s faith‑response in conversion, especially in relation to Acts 22:16 and Rom 10:13, and (2) as a characteristic mark of Christians in general (1 Cor 1:2), often with strong resonance to Watchman Nee / Witness Lee’s emphasis on audible invocation.[1][2][3]
## Classic Plymouth Brethren lines
– In discussions of 1 Corinthians 1:2, early Brethren note that the Corinthians are described as those “calling upon the name of the Lord,” and argue that a person who truly calls on the Lord (not as a hypocrite) is sanctified, even if “calling on the name of the Lord does not give him title as such to be styled ‘sanctified in Christ Jesus’.” The phrase thus describes the *practice* of believers, not the formal ground of their status.[1]
– On Acts 22:16, Brethren expositors stress Ananias’ word: “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the Name of the Lord,” insisting that this means not baptism itself washing away sins, but baptism *with* the explicit invocation of the Lord’s name as the expression of faith in His blood.[4][5]
## William Kelly and Romans 10:13
– William Kelly, expounding Romans 10, underlines that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” and develops Paul’s chain: preaching → hearing → believing → calling. He emphasizes that God “had associated deliverance with calling upon His name; not with observance of law,” and that this promise is “in terms so large as to encourage and warrant any one whatever.”[3]
– Kelly reads calling on the Lord as the outward expression of faith that has been produced by hearing the gospel; it does not add to grace but shows that the heart has been drawn out toward Christ. This fits the Brethren stress that salvation is “without religious deeds or rites; by grace through faith in the perfect redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ.”[6][3]
## “Calling on the name” as Christian identity
– Brethren writers often note that 1 Corinthians 1:2 describes believers as those who “call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in every place,” and use this to argue that genuine Christians, wherever they meet, are gathered around Christ’s Name alone. “Calling on the name of the Lord Jesus, professing salvation through His [work]” is used as a concise description of their ecclesial identity: people gathered simply to Christ, apart from denominational titles.[7][8][9]
– A number of Brethren‑related critiques of other movements (e.g., “Russellites” or extreme dispensationalists) still acknowledge common belief that “salvation is without religious deeds or rites” and that baptism is linked with “calling on the Name of the Lord,” but insist that no rite may be added to make salvation more efficacious.[10][6]
## Watchman Nee / Witness Lee and “calling on the Lord”
– In the Little Flock / Local Church line influenced by Brethren ecclesiology, Witness Lee develops a distinctive practice of frequent, audible calling on “O Lord Jesus,” grounded in Rom 10:13 and 1 Cor 1:2. He explicitly states: “First Corinthians 1:2 tells us that the called saints are those who call upon the name of the Lord,” and then builds a spirituality of enjoying Christ by vocal invocation.[2][11]
– Lee argues that “Jesus is the name of the Lord, and the Spirit is the person of the Lord. When I call the Lord’s name, the Spirit comes… The Lord Jesus is real; therefore, when you call, He comes, and the One who comes is the Spirit.” In this development, “calling upon the name of the Lord” becomes not only conversion language but a continual, experiential way to “eat” and enjoy Christ.[11][2]
If you want, a next step could be a brief table distinguishing: (1) Darby/Kelly on Acts 22:16 & Rom 10:13, (2) assembly‑identity use of 1 Cor 1:2, and (3) Lee’s pneumatological and “enjoyment” reading of calling on the Lord.
Sources
[1] Notes Of Readings On 1 Corinthians | Plymouth Brethren Writings https://plymouthbrethren.org/
[2] The way to eat — calling upon the name of the Lord https://bibleread.online/all-
[3] Romans 10 William Kelly Major Works Commentary – Bible Hub https://biblehub.com/
[4] Section 7 – Plymouth Brethren Writings https://plymouthbrethren.org/
[5] The Keys of the Kingdom | Plymouth Brethren Writings https://plymouthbrethren.org/
[6] The Accuser of the Brethren – Berean Bible Society https://bereanbiblesociety.
[7] Reading at Notting Hill 1 Corinthians 1 – John Nelson Darby … https://bibletruthpublishers.
[8] [PDF] FOR THE CHURCH; – Plymouth Brethren Archive https://www.brethrenarchive.
[9] The Step I Have Taken. – STEM Publishing https://www.stempublishing.
[10] The Real Truth about Baptism in Jesus’ Name https://www.apostolic.edu/the-
[11] THE CALLED SAINTS CALLING UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD https://www.ministrysamples.
[12] It shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the … https://www.facebook.com/
[13] Acts 10 William Kelly Major Works Commentary – Bible Hub https://biblehub.com/
[14] Witness Lee and Local Church Doctrine: Calling on the Lord – Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/
[15] 1 Corinthians 2 – Kelly Commentary on Books of the Bible https://www.studylight.org/
