1689 LBCF 23:1 (2)

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In talking it over with Scott...
...we’ve come up with a strategy...
...to be able to EVENTUALLY (Lord Willing)...
...teach through the whole Confession.
As such, I am just going to...
...move forward to the very next chapter:

XXIII

LAWFUL OATHS AND VOWS

So, let me encourage you to...
Get your Bibles ready
Open your Confession
But, let’s first go to our Lord in prayer
Pray
The Confession begins chapter 23 with a definition of a lawful oath:
(It deals with vows down in the last paragraph)
What’s the most basic difference?
An oath is made to men.
A vow is made to God.

23:1

So, first of all, the authors of the Confession...
...make the assumption...
...that an “oath” can be “lawful.”

23:1

So, their taking a position in that...
...that assumes 2 things:
1.) An oath can be “lawful.” (i.e., righteous and holy)
2.) Not every oath is righteous (some are sinful)
This will make a lot more sense...
...once we’re aware of its historical context:
I have a SECOND commentator this time!!!
He tells us this:
A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 Chapter 23: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows (Jeffrey B. Johnson)

Historically, this chapter is

A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 Chapter 23: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows (Jeffrey B. Johnson)

Our spiritual forefathers have provided us with a balanced perspective on swearing to steer us clear of those two errors

So, their position right out of the gates, was:
We don’t affirm either of those extremes.
We think they can be made lawfully
But are often abused.
-Let’s read on:

A lawful oath is

What does that bring to mind?
The Language of Chapter 22, right?

He should be feared, loved, praised, called on, trusted in and served—with all the heart and all the soul and all the strength. But the acceptable way to worship the true God is instituted by Him, and it is delimited by His own revealed will.

Thus, He may not be worshipped according to human imagination or inventions or the suggestions of Satan, nor through any visible representations, nor in any other way that is not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures

So, what they’re getting at here, is...
The Bible does set forth oaths and vows...
...as an acceptable part of religious worship.
What’s one vow that we would...
...all easily affirm the propriety of?
Baptismal Vows!
Now, are the authors of the Confession correct?
Does the Bible Prescribe or Exemplify Oaths and Vows?
Without Question!
Here’s the foundation
Exodus 20:7 ESV
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Here’s how that applies:
Deuteronomy 10:20 ESV
20 You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.
This is the Language of Chapter 22 of the Confession
Leviticus 19:12 ESV
12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
Numbers 30:1–2 ESV
1 Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord has commanded. 2 If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Hebrews 6:13 ESV
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
Hebrews 6:17 ESV
17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
-Alright, let’s read on for now...
...and we’ll come back to...
...the issue of the general propriety of oath taking.
The Confession goes on to qualify that first assertion.

A

Let me show you where (I’m assuming) that comes from:
Jeremiah 4:1–2 ESV
1 “If you return, O Israel, declares the Lord, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, 2 and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”
Let’s break those down individually:
-What does it mean...
...for an oath to be sworn “in truth” ?
It’s accurate, honest, and based on truthful premises
Deuteronomy 23:21–23 ESV
21 “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. 23 You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.
What about “in righteousness” ?
It isn’t being used to support anything immoral, unjust, or disobedient
It can’t bind someone to sin
A negative example, in:
Acts 23:12 ESV
12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
That wouldn’t be “a lawful” oath.
Why?
Exodus 20:13 ESV
13 “You shall not murder.
-What about that phrase, “in judgment” ?
With proper discernment
With a recognition of the weight of its reality
Not flippantly or carelessly, etc.
Again, we have a negative example:
Genesis 25:29–34 ESV
29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
So our Particular Baptist forefathers are saying...
...such a hasty vow is not “lawful.”
-Alright, reading on...

A lawful oath is an element of religious worship in which a person swearing in truth, righteousness, and judgment

They’re saying that this is what an oath...
Is
Does
That’s sort of implied by necessity...
...in the Second Commandment:
Exodus 20:7 ESV
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
In other words, God is already going to...

...

It’s inherent within the Moral Law
-Do you remember that Old Testament Formula?
Ruth 1:16–17 ESV
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”
Remember Solomon’s prayer to God...
...at the dedication of the Temple?
2 Chronicles 6:22–23 ESV
22 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
Paul even said on multiple occasions:
Galatians 1:20 ESV
20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)
Romans 1:9–10 ESV
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers...
2 Corinthians 1:23 ESV
23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.
Acts 18:18 ESV
18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.
And this one tops the cake:
Matthew 26:59–64 ESV
59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’ ” 62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
-So, I’d say, “Yeah!” . . . .

A lawful oath is an element of religious worship

But then, what do we do with...
James 5...
Mathew 5???
James 5:12 ESV
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
And probably its inspiration:
Matthew 5:33–37 ESV
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
So, how do we reconcile these...
...with all those other passages that we looked at, that...
Affirmed
Exemplified
Even Commanded...
...the practice of making oaths and vows?
Well, first of all, we need to remember this:
Matthew 5:17–19 ESV
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
I think this is why Sam Waldron...
...introduces this dilemma...
...by saying, this:
“Whatever Christ and James mean by “Swear not at all” . . . they cannot mean that it is never right to take an oath.” — Sam Waldron
Why?
Matthew 5:19 ESV
19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Is He, just a few verses later...
...doing the very thing...
...that he just warned against?
Of course not!
So, what’s happening, then?
Well, first, I think we need to remember...
...of what Jesus said and did...
...throughout Matthew Chapter 5:
Matthew 5:21 ESV
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
Matthew 5:22 ESV
22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Was Jesus negating the sixth commandment?
Of course not!
He was getting to the heart of it.
He was speaking to its heart and essence.
AND...
He was correcting the legalistic idea...
...that you could get by these laws...
...based on legal technicalities.
(i.e., I hate my neighbor, but I’m righteous...
...because I haven’t LITERALLY murdered him)
The essence of the Law...
...was so much deeper than that, right?
Matthew 5:27–28 ESV
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Same thing, right?
Matthew 5:38–39 ESV
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also...
Again, a correction to their...
...sinful corruptions of the Divine Law
So, what does that mean for...
...what he said in Verses 33-37...
...and for what James repeated in Chapter 5, Verse 12?
Matthew 5:33–37 ESV
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
What was the problem?
What sinful error was he correcting?
Well, this is Waldron’s take...
(I’m imagining he’s pretty spot on)
“In the thinking of the scribes and Pharisees and their forerunners an oath sworn “to the Lord” must be kept;
on the contrary, an oath in connection with which the name of the Lord was not expressly mentioned was of lesser significance. One did not need to be quite so conscientious about keeping it.
And so in daily conversation oaths began to multiply “by heaven” and “by the earth” and “by Jerusalem” and, according to Matthew 23:16, 18, even “by the temple” and “by the altar.”
In order to make an impression a person might utter such an oath, “talking big” and dispensing enormous promises.
If the affirmation which he had made was a lie or if the promise was never even meant to be kept, that was not so bad, as long as he had not sworn “to the Lord.” — Waldron
Do you see how Jesus would be...
...correcting such latent dishonesty, by saying:
Matthew 5:33–37 ESV
34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
But who can?
So, it’s all still ULTIMATELY...
...an oath to God.
So, again, what’s Jesus doing?
He’s making a moral application...
...from the essence of the NINTH COMMANDMENT!
Which, at its essence, is simply:
Be honest and truthful...
Because God is true!
Jesus summarized it like this in Matthew 5:37:
Matthew 5:33–37 ESV
37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Or, as James said it:
James 5:12 ESV
12 ...do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Let’s finish with this important lesson:
Again, from Waldron:
There are important lessons in this distortion of the Scriptures. Beware of the danger and deception of the superficial, literal interpretations of the Bible.
How much needless suffering by Quakers and others was caused by this plausible, but superficial understanding of the Scriptures!
We must learn from this the necessity of serious Bible study and careful listening to expository and doctrinal teaching from the Bible.
We ought also to learn the necessity of studying the whole Bible on every issue. A passage or two divorced from the larger context may completely mislead you. Systematic theology and doctrinal preaching are necessary. — Waldron
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