Chapter 23 – Lawful Oaths and Vows

1. A lawful oath is an element of religious worship in which a person swearing in truth, righteousness, and judgment solemnly calls God to witness what is sworn¹ and to judge the one swearing according to the truth or falsity of it.²

¹Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 10:20; Jeremiah 4:2. ²2 Chronicles 6:22, 23.

2. People should swear by the name of God alone and only with the utmost holy fear and reverence. Therefore to swear an empty or ill-advised oath by that glorious and awe-inspiring name, or to swear at all by anything else, is sinful and to be abhorred.³  Yet in weighty and significant matters, an oath is authorized by the Word of God to confirm truth and end all conflict.⁴  So a lawful oath should be taken when it is required by legitimate authority in such circumstances.⁵

³Matthew 5:34, 37; James 5:12. ⁴Hebrews 6:16; 2 Corinthians 1:23. ⁵Nehemiah 13:25.

3. Whoever takes an oath authorized by the Word of God should consider with due gravity the seriousness of such a weighty act and to affirm nothing in it except what one knows to be true. For the Lord is provoked by ill-advised, false, and empty oaths, and because of them this land mourns.⁶

⁶Leviticus 19:12; Jeremiah 23:10.

4. An oath is to be expressed in the plain and ordinary meaning of the words, without any ambiguity or mental reservation.⁷

⁷Psalms 24:4.

5. A vow must not be made to any creature but to God alone. Vows should be made and performed with the most conscientious care and faithfulness.⁸  However, Roman Catholic monastical vows of perpetual single life,⁹ professed poverty,¹⁰ and obedience to monastic rules, are by no means steps to higher perfection. Instead, they are superstitious and sinful snares in which Christians may not entangle themselves.¹¹

⁸Psalms 76:11; Genesis 28:20–22. ⁹1 Corinthians 7:2, 9. ¹⁰Ephesians 4:28. ¹¹Matthew 19:11.