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What does it mean that a vow is of “like nature” with a promissory oath? What is the difference between an oath and a vow? Can you give examples from the Bible about vows? What is a “social vow”? Can a vow be made to something the Bible requires? Can a vow be made to something the Bible doesn’t require? Why are self-imposed duties dangerous? What warnings or helps do we have from this paragraph? Tune in as Nathan, Joel, Shawn, and Kyle discuss WCF 22.5:

A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness.

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What is the practical relevance of this chapter? How does one determine the “plain and common sense of the words” of an oath? What does this tell us about the care and caution of writing an oath? What is equivocation and why is it sinful? Where do we see examples of equivocation? Why should an oath be made without mental reservation? What does someone do if they make a rash oath? How could keep an oath be to one’s own hurt? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 22.4:

An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation. It cannot oblige to sin; but in anything not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man’s own hurt: nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics or infidels.

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Can you remind us what an oath is? Why is swearing an oath “weighty” and “solemn”? How do you know if you’re making an oath according to the truth? Why does an oath need to be “good and just”? Why does one need to “believe” the oath to be true? Why did those American Presbyterians excise the last sentence of this paragraph? How does this help us practically in oath making? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 22.3:

Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth. Neither may any man bind himself by oath to anything but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform. Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touching anything that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority.

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Why is the only proper way to make an oath to swear in the name of God? How does one make an oath with holy fear and reverence? Why should they not be made rashly? What else do people swear by? What are appropriate times to make an oath? Why can lawful authorities impose an oath? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 22.2:

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. Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament, as well as under the Old, so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters ought to be taken.

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What is an “oath” and what is a “vow,” what are the differences between the two? Why does this chapter occur between the chapter on the Sabbath and the civil magistrate? How is oath taking consistent with Jesus’ words in Matthew 5? What are “just occasions”? How does God “witness and judge” the truth or falsehood of what is sworn? Are oaths useful? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 22.1:

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.

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What does it mean to “keep holy unto the Lord”? How do you prepare your heart for the Sabbath? What does this paragraph have to say to the first part of the command: work six days? Why do we rest from our works, words, and thoughts? What is meant by “recreations” and do we really need to rest from them on the Lord’s Day? Why the expression “whole time”? What are duties of necessity and mercy? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 21.8:

This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts, about their worldly employments and recreations;but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.

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What is the “law of nature”? How is it being used here in this paragraph? Where do we find the Sabbath command in the Bible? Can you explain: positive, moral, and perpetual? What does the Confession mean when it says “binding all men in all ages”? What significance did the Sabbath have in the old covenant? How do we know the Sabbath changed to the first day of the week? Why is it called the “Lord’s Day”? How do you deal with passages like Romans 14 and Colossians 2? How do we know we’re to continue observing the Lord’s Day until the end of the world? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 21.7:

As it is of the law of nature that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which in Scripture is called the Lord’s day,c and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.

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How did people approach God in worship during the different times of the Old Testament? Why were the Israelites to perform worship toward Jerusalem? Where does Jesus change the centrality of temple worship in the new covenant? What Old Testament passages does Jesus use to anticipate the change in worship? What is meant by family worship? How should someone do family worship? Is “secret” worship a biblical concept? Why should we not neglect public worship? What are the times of worship God calls us to by his Word or providence? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 21.6:

Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself, so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God, by his Word or providence, calleth thereunto.

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How is the Bible to be read? Who is supposed to publicly read the Bible? What is the Reformed doctrine of preaching? How should we listen to the preaching of the Word? What does singing “Psalms” mean? Can a case be made that the Assembly believed in exclusive Psalmody? What are the sacraments? Is anything missing from the ordinary parts of worship? What are oaths and vows? What is a fast? What is a day of thanksgiving? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 21.5:

The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear; the sound preaching; and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God with understanding, faith, and reverence; singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as, also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ; are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: besides religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon several occasions;which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.

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Why the emphasis on prayer? Is there a difference between praying the will of God and praying for things lawful? Why should we pray for all sorts of men? Why shouldn’t we pray for the dead? Who does that? What is the sin that leads to death? Tune in as Nathan, Shawn, Joel, and Kyle discuss WCF 21.4:

Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.

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