WCF 22.1
Westminster Confession of Faith
22.1. Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth, or promiseth, and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth.
Proof texts
- Deut. 10:20 — [20] You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.
- Exod. 20:7 — [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.
- Lev. 19:12 — [12] You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
- 2 Cor. 1:23, 2 Chron. 6:22, 23 — [23] But I call God to witness against me — it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. [23] But I call God to witness against me — it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.
For discussion
- The Assembly cited Deut. 10:20 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
- 4 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
- BC 9.1 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
- BC 9.2 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
Read alongside
Leader's notes
A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): Section I. — A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly callett God to witness what he asserteth or proniiseth ; and to judge hiii; according to the truth or falsehood of what he .^weareth.'^ Section II. — The name of God only is tliat 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.* Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the word of God under the…
An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): These sections embrace the following points : Jirst, The nature of a lawful oath; secondly, 'By whose name men ought to swear; third! y, The warrantableness of taking an oath; fowthly, The manner in which an oath ought to be taken; and, fifthly. The binding obligation of an oath. 1. An oath is a solemn act of religious worship, in which the person swearing calls God to witness his sincerity in what he asserts or pi-omises, and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he swears. When a person swears to facts past or present, this is called an assertory oath; when one swears that he will perform a certain deed or deeds in time to…