Promises and Vows

Published on Updated on Commands, Spirituality

We should not make promises. Or vows. Rather, our YES should mean YES. And our NO should mean NO.

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

In the Old Testament era, people routinely took vows.

However, the Lord Jesus forbade his followers from taking vows.

That said, by Acts chapter 21, the Christian community had already rejected the Lord’s explicit command:

Acts 21:23. Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow.

In our day, most Christians routinely make promises. They make sworn statements. And many Christians take vows. However, they should not.

 

BIBLE VERSES

 

Numbers 30:2. When a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Judges 11:30. Jephthah vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

1 Kings 1:30. most certainly as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place;’ I will most certainly do this today.”

Ecclesiastes 5:1. Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.

Sirach 29:3. Confirm your word, and keep faith with him; And at all seasons you shall find what you need.

Matthew 5:33. Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’

Matthew 5:34. but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

Matthew 5:35. nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5:36. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black.

Matthew 5:37. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

Acts 21:23. Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow.

James 5:12. But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear— not by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”, so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.