Day 297

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

Chapter 23, Paragraph 4.

“An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation.”

Scripture Lookup

Psalm 24:4

Reflection

Texting and social media has taxed my grammar and spelling skills. Too often I read messages that are hastily written and sent without review, evidenced by obvious auto-correct goofs. Deciphering, rather than reading, becomes the task set before me. Sometimes I might know the writer and ask about his writing gaffe. “Well, you know what I meant!” is a response I’ve received.

An oath is an act of religious worship. As such, it ought to be taken in spirit and in truth. If we as Christians swear an oath with the intent to deceive, we are dishonoring the Lord by whom we are swearing. God is not merely concerned with the words we speak, but our meaning behind the words. Our oaths should be made with clarity and simplicity.

But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. -Matthew 5:37

When we take an oath, we are to be truthful. Our words are to be forthright, without a hint of deception. Such pure honesty is seen as foolish in a world that is willing to twist the meaning of words to fit an agenda, but our agenda as Christians is to glorify God. To that end, our oaths should actually reflect our true intentions, not a muddy statement that could be construed to be true.

Questions to Consider

• How does being forthright in taking an oath bear witness to God’s character?

 

Day 296

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

Chapter 23, Paragraph 3.

“Whosoever taketh an Oath warranted by the word of God, ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act; and therein to avouch nothing, but what he knows to be the truth; for that by rash, false, and vain Oaths the Lord is provoked, and for them this Land mourns.”

Scripture Lookup

Leviticus 19:12

Jeremiah 23:10

Reflection

How important is telling the truth? Is it okay to swear to something, even if everyone knows you don’t really mean it? It is assumed in our culture that everybody lies. Those in authority cannot be trusted to look out for the interests of those they have sworn to protect. Those not in authority cannot be trusted to keep their word as they try to get ahead. Promises are made are broken as soon as they become inconvenient. Oaths are viewed as meaningless, and the cynical effect it has upon our land is lamentable.

Christians above all ought to strive to speak truthfully and carefully. Without the truth, there can be no trust. Scripture warns over and over about guarding the tongue:

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. -Psalm 34:13

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of the sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. -Proverbs 12:18

But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. -James 3:8

Our words and our actions ought to be the same. Too many times we rush heedlessly into agreeing to things that are vain and false. When we swear an oath, it should be after much thought, and should be carried out to the best of our abilities.

Questions to Consider

• Do you often agree to things only to backtrack later?

Day 295

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

Chapter 23, Paragraph 2.

“…so a lawful Oath being imposed, by lawful Authority in such matters, ought to be taken.”

Scripture Lookup

Nehemiah 13:25

Reflection

Opinions and questions abound concerning the nature of government. What is its purpose? How far should its arm reach into the everyday lives of its citizens? What is the relationship between the Christian and the government?

Christians are to be subject to their rulers (Romans 13). Every law of the land that does not conflict with the moral law is to be obeyed. When the Confession was formulated, the influence of the Quakers and their refusal to take oaths of any kind was widely known. Particular Baptists, persecuted for their nonconformity to the civil religion, were forced to ask themselves whether oath-taking was Biblical.

As we have seen, there are times when an oath is fitting. When the oath to be taken follows the Biblical parameters for a lawful oath, it is permissible for a Christian to take it. When the authority imposing the oath is lawful, then the oath should be taken. It is no sin to take a lawful oath administered by a lawful government. To do so is to submit to the lawful authorities, as we are directed to do in Romans 13.

Questions to Consider

• When would it be permissible to refuse an oath administered by the government?

Day 294

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

Chapter 23, Paragraph 2.

“…yet as in matter of weight and moment, for confirmation of truth, and ending all strife, an Oath is warranted by the word of God;…”

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 6:16

2 Corinthians 1:23

Reflection

“Loose lips sink ships.” A phrase used during World War II, it cautioned against giving out too much information that could be used to the enemy’s advantage. The same phrase could be said today of our propensity to sin with our tongue. How many vows have been rashly made and then sinfully broken?

With such warnings given against improper oath-taking, it may seem easier to never take a vow again. But the Bible does not forbid all use of oaths. In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul himself calls upon God to witness the veracity of his statement. The writer of Hebrews mentions oath-taking as a common practice among men, and also the God Himself makes an oath: “In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath” (Hebrews 6:17). By these examples we see that lawful oath-taking is a reality.

There are times when the gravity of the situation calls for more than a simple “Sure, I’ll do it!” By entering into an oath, you are performing an act of worship that sets the vow apart from the ordinary. Serious, yes. But forbidden? No.

Questions to Consider

• Are those who forbid to take oaths justified Biblically in their reasoning?

Day 293

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

Chapter 23, Paragraph 2.

“The Name of God only is that by which men ought to swear; and therein it is to be used, with all Holy Fear and reverence, therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious, and dreadful name; or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred;…”

Scripture Lookup

Matthew 5:34,37

James 5:12

Reflection

In the movie The Princess Bride, the mercenary swordsman Inigo Montoya, told to kill the mysterious stranger who pursues his group, attempts to hasten the ascent of the hero onto the top of a cliff. The conversation goes like this:

While the man in black was impressed by Inigo swearing upon the soul of his own father, it was wrong for Inigo to do so. Why? When you swear by something, you are calling upon that thing to witness your vow and to judge you for it. In order for a vow to be truly in earnest, the one called upon must be all-knowing (in order to know your thoughts) and all-powerful (in order to have the authority and ability to judge you). Inigo’s dead father had neither of these abilities. Inigo as well did not have the power to affect the state of his father’s soul by his oath. Such an oath was meaningless.

God alone is the only being that humans ought to swear by. When He is invoked, it is not to be done rashly. Remember, this is the high king of heaven we are asking to witness our vow. The omniscient and omnipotent, most holy Being who created all things. He is most worthy of our adoration and respect, and His very name should not be tossed about glibly.

Inigo Montoya was quite determined to fulfill his vows. However, his vows were sinful and carried no weight. May we be careful to not swear by anything but God alone, and to do so reverently.

Questions to Consider

• How often do you hear people vow by anything other than God?

Day 292

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

Chapter 23, Paragraph 1.

…and to judge him according to the Truth or falseness thereof.”

Scripture Lookup

2 Chronicles 6:22, 23

Reflection

“So help me God.”

Such a phrase is used at the end of several oaths for public office in the United States. In our culture that thinks little of God it has come to mean that the one taking the oath is promising really hard that he or she will do what is said. For those of us who know the true and living God, how should we view those four words? Is it a call for aid to keep the promise, or a plea for mercy is it is not kept?

Taking an oath is not to be done lightly. Solemnly promising to do something, you are calling upon God to witness that you are making this vow. Not only that, you are asking God to judge you concerning the accomplishment of the oath. The phrase we speak today, “So help me God” is not so much a request for aid in fulfilling this promise, but a call to judgment. The phrase originally read thus: “So may God help me at the judgment day if I speak true, but if I speak false, then may He withdraw His help from me.”

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). As Christ’s people we are saved from condemnation and need not fear everlasting punishment. That does not prevent our sins from having consequences in this life, however. Think through the ramifications of the vows you take.

Questions to Consider

• How often do you agree to something before thinking it through?

 

 

Day 291

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

Chapter 23, Paragraph 1.

“A lawful Oath is a part of religious worship, wherein the person swearing in Truth, Righteousness, and Judgment, solemnly calleth God to witness what he sweareth;…”

Scripture Lookup

Exodus 20:7

Deuteronomy 10:20

Jeremiah 4:2

Reflection

A lawful oath is a part of religious worship…

Whoa.

Have you ever thought about that before? That when you make a solemn promise that invokes God you are participating in an act of religious worship? For that is what you are doing. While not praising God or praying to Him, you are asking God to stand as witness to the veracity of what you promise.

When you make an oath, you are stating that what you are promising to do you will do. The oath is a surety against the possibility that you are lying. And you are stating this in front of God Himself. It’s all a rather frightening scenario. Perhaps it should be avoided altogether? The Quakers thought so. They refused to take oaths in court, and due to this were penalized in England through “An Act for preventing the Mischeifs and Dangers that may arise by certaine Persons called Quakers and others refusing to take lawfull Oaths.”, enacted in 1662.

Were Quakers correct in their understanding? Should oaths not be taken? Scripture tells us that the Quakers were misguided. The Bible does not forbid all oath-taking, but rather gives directives for lawful oaths. While  a serious matter, it is not a sin to take an oath before God. On the contrary, it is an act of religious worship.

Questions to Consider

• Have you thought through whether oaths are lawful or not?