What is a vow? ‘A solemn promise made to God to perform some act, make some offering or gift, enter some service or condition, or abstain from certain things not unlawful in themselves. A vow was a voluntary expression made of one’s own free will.' (it v2 p1162)
In Israel, the making of vows was an accepted practice. People made vows for all sorts of personal reasons. They were not to be viewed flippantly. Therefore vow-making was regulated by The Law. Vows were to be accompanied by sacrifices; the type and the conditions of offering are stipulated in Leviticus. In Numbers there are two whole chapters regulating the practice of vowing. Chapter six discusses the terms and conditions of the Nazirite vow. Chapter thirty addresses general vowing; who could vow, the importance of not violating that promise, and under what circumstances a vow could be annulled and by whom. So it was all very serious.
However, Jesus came to earth, in part, to fulfil The Law. Having done so, his followers would no longer be bound by its obligations. How could they be? Who would enforce the legislation and how would they make sacrificial offerings? Just as the Sabbath, circumcision, sacrifices, the festivals and all the other features of life in Israel came to an end, so did the practice of vowing. How do we know? Well, as recorded in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus made this comment as part of his Sermon on the Mount:
5:33 “Again you heard that it was said to those of ancient times: ‘You must not swear without performing, but you must pay your vows to Jehovah.’ 34 However, I say to you: Do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not swear by your head, since you cannot turn one hair white or black. 37 Just let your word ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No’, no, for what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.
That seems very straight-forward. Just be honest, trustworthy and sincere in all your dealings. James, the brother of the Lord fully concurred:
5:12 Above all, my brothers, stop swearing, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” mean yes and your “No,” no, so that you do not become liable to judgement.
The word ‘vow’ appears only twice more in the New Testament, both in Acts. The first refers to a vow of the apostle Paul. We have no information about this vow; what it involved, when and why he made it. All we do know is that he was keen to fulfil it. The other involved four men in Jerusalem. We are left in equal darkness about this vow. The account in Acts 21 tells us of thousands of believers ‘all zealous for The Law’. Why such zealotry when The Law was no longer in force? That is another subject, one that can be satisfied by a deep dive into the epistle to those Hebrews in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, these men had unnecessarily and inadvisably made a vow and Paul was urged to assist in caring for their expenses, and performing the liturgy: ceremonial cleansing and the presentation of the offering.
As far as the New Testament is concerned, that is that on the subject of vows.
On a related subject, if one was to do a word-search in the NWT app, the word ‘dedicat…’ appears just ten times; four positively, six negatively. Those four refer to Aaron and his being consecrated by Jehovah in his role as High Priest (Heb 5:4). The others are found, two regarding idolatry in 1 Kings and Hosea, three in the synoptic gospels regarding Corban, and one in reference to the Festival of Dedication in John’s gospel, referring back to an event in the inter-testamentary years.
So vowing and dedication are things of the past that are of no concern to Christ’s followers today, right? An historical curiosity.
If one wishes to be baptised by Jehovah’s Witnesses, that person will be required to stand in public and state that he or she has made a vow of dedication, as a prerequisite for baptism. Why? That is a very good question! We know that salvation is dependant on faith in Jesus as the Son of God, repentance and baptism. As our introductory paragraphs demonstrate, the requirement for vows of dedication are not found in the New Testament and The Law is obsolete. Why then does the WTS demand that its adherents dedicate themselves in a solemn manner prior to baptism? It is important to realise that vows in Israel were voluntary, optional, and always for a limited period of time. Every vow had a start time and concluded with the offering of the prescribed sacrifice. Baptism is not optional for salvation. There are too many verses to list out to prove this point, but at Pentecost Peter had this advice:
2:38 Peter said to them: “Repent, and let each one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.
Let me reiterate that point. In order to receive the gift of holy spirit each person had to repent and get baptised. That was it. If this had to be accompanied by a solemn vow of dedication, then it seems that that fact slipped Peter’s mind. And at that time the temple in Jerusalem was still functioning so these new disciples could have made a sacrificial offering had it been required. When would the end point be? If we are to take The Law as a prototype, then there would have to come a time when this vow ceased. Jehovah has never required anyone to make a life-long vow. That would be a burden too great to carry for most of us. You see, if anyone breaks their vow, even in the smallest and most insignificant way, accidentally, inadvertently or subconsciously, then the whole vow is null and void. This is precisely why vows in Israel were only for a limited period. My yoke is kindly and my load is light said Jesus.
Let us consider this further. Most vows have clear terms of reference. I vow to do this. I vow to refrain from doing that. I vow to read at least one chapter of the Bible every day of my life. But have you taken account of the unexpected; accidents and emergencies for example? For just one day, you are unable to fulfil your vow, for whatever reason, however excusable. That vow has been broken. I vow never to consume any alcohol. But there you are at auntie Mary’s enjoying her home-made trifle and you suddenly realise it contains sherry. Your failure to carry out due diligence, a moment of carelessness, and your vow has been broken. The Congregator was very wise when he advised us not to vow. It is better not to make a vow than it is to make a vow and fail (Eccl 5:5).
So this lifetime vow of dedication: what is involved? What are we promising to do, and to not do? How do we know if we are doing it and when we are breaking that vow? The terms of this vow are nowhere specified. Perhaps it means something different to every devotee. In discussing the incident involving the four men in Jerusalem and their vow, along with the ingrained customary practices of The Law amongst Jewish believers, the Insight article says ‘the main point is that the Christians did not look to these things for salvation.’ (italics in original).
Salvation is by the grace of God. It is a gift freely and generously given. We do not deserve it; we cannot earn it. Any number of vows cannot change that. Therefore Jehovah’s Witnesses have no right to withhold baptism, and by extension, salvation, from anyone, to do so by demanding a lifelong burden be placed on the necks of each baptismal candidate, so that they can regularly remind us, as they do, that we must live up to our dedication vow, presumably by doing whatever they want us to do. It’s quite egregious. It reminds me of Jesus’s words to the Pharisees. He had many words for them, but these seem appropriate from Matthew 23:
4 They bind up heavy loads and put them on the shoulders of men,15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you travel over sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him a subject for Gehenna twice as much so as yourselves.
To prove this point, please note this paragraph from WT March 2020 p9 para4:
What is dedication? Before you can get baptised, you must make a dedication. When you make a dedication, you approach Jehovah in earnest prayer and tell him that you will use your life to serve him forever. When you dedicate yourself to God, you ‘disown’ yourself. (Read Matthew 16:24) You now belong to Jehovah, which is a great privilege. (Rom 14:8) You are telling him that from now on, you will be focused on serving him and not on pleasing yourself. Your dedication is a vow – a solemn promise made to God. Jehovah does not force us to make such a vow, but when we do, he expects us to fulfil it. – Ps 116:12,14
Let us dissect this.
‘…you must make a dedication.’ Where is the scriptural basis for this statement? Who says that we must dedicate? Why must we? For what purpose?
‘When you dedicate yourself… you ‘disown’ yourself.’ What does that mean? Is disowning the same as dedicating? Is it a vow or a promise? How do we disown ourselves? If disowning oneself, self-denial, means putting God’s interests ahead of our own, living for God not for self, where do dedication vows come from?
‘You belong to Jehovah’. Is that like goods and chattels? Do we become his slaves?
‘Your dedication is a vow’. Did not Jesus say to not swear by anything? Just be honest.
‘Jehovah does not force us to make such a vow’. If baptism is vital for salvation, and we are unable to be baptised without making such a vow of dedication, then perhaps he does force us, surely? So if Jehovah does not force us, who does? The finger of suspicion points directly to the Watchtower Society.
Later on in the same article, the current two baptism questions are printed in full. They are:
1. Have you repented of you sins, dedicated yourself to Jehovah, and accepted his way of salvation through Jesus Christ?
2. Do you understand that you baptism identifies you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with Jehovah’s organisation?
There is the dedication requirement in that first question. I have never heard anyone say ‘no’ to that question, but if they did, to which part of the triptych would they be referring? Would that person be apprehended and prevented from proceeding, even if they have repented and accepted Christ’s salvation but are objecting purely to the dedication bit? If they have not made such a vow, then a ‘yes’ may be viewed as a lie, and surely this is ‘the truth’, is it not?
In Matthew 28:18 Jesus’s instructions are to baptise ‘in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’. Where has the holy spirit gone? Why is it not mentioned? Has it been made redundant? Has it been usurped by a religion, Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Anyone who attends meetings will hear the phrase ‘Jehovah’s organisation’ repeatedly. This is Jehovah’s organisation, we are told. It would be reasonable to conclude that becoming one of Jehovah’s Witnesses ensures that we are also part of that organisation. But no! Baptism apparently merely associates the individual with this organisation. So what is Jehovah’s organisation? It is hard to say as the word ‘organisation’ is not found in the Bible. If it is not a biblical term, how can it be defined in a way that is meaningful to a Bible student?
The fact is that upon getting baptised, already having accepted Jesus as our saviour and repented, we are adopted as sons of God. That is a far greater privilege than simply being one of his belongings. As children of God and brothers of Christ we are in line to inherit everlasting life and to inherit the earth. These are prospects that are not available to the children of Adam. Unless Jehovah adopts us, we remain children of Adam and the only inheritance he left us is sin and death.
Those who are married might think back to their wedding day. The ceremony involved the exchanging of vows. According to song 131, in the lyrics of verse one we sing ‘he vowed before Jehovah…’ and in verse two ‘she vowed before Jehovah…’. Is this true? Do we vow before Jehovah on our wedding day? And what does the Bible say on the subject?
We do vow, not because the Bible demands so, but because the government requires certain words to be clearly stated before it recognises the marriage as legally binding. Although the law allows much leeway in the wording of most of the vow script, there are two parts that must conform to the prescribed wording. These are the declaration and the contracting. The first of these is the bit that goes ‘I know not of any lawful impediment why I, [blah]’, and the second is ‘I [blah] do take you [blah] to be my lawful wedded [wife/husband]…’. These are repeated before either a minister of religion or a registrar, a duly appointed representative of the State. And this is why we make our wedding vows – to satisfy the legal requirements of State.
It seems that the practice of making marriage vows began, in England at least, in the 16th century with the Sarum Rites and has developed from there. So what of weddings prior to that? What about weddings in Bible times? The common practice was for the groom to take his bride home and consummate the union. ‘The two will become one flesh’. This was most certainly not a casual, secretive or underhanded affair. The wedding day was a cause of great rejoicing for the whole community, with celebrations and feasting. The wedding in Cana is an example from the New Testament, noting the angst that arose when it was discovered that there was insufficient wine to go round. When the time came, members of the family and sometimes community too, would accompany the joyous pair back to their home in order to witness the consummation. The amount of privacy accorded seemed to differ according to local tradition – from standing outside the door whilst noisily partying, to helping the couple into bed, to actually witnessing the event in person! This is know as the bedding ceremony. There were no vows, just the act of consummation, the physical union of the man and woman into one flesh, the man coming into the woman. At that point they were married, man and wife, and what God had yoked together no man from here on was to put asunder. It was to be a lifelong union.
What is the nature of the union? It is not a contract. If any party to a contract fails to uphold the terms and conditions then the contract is declared null and void. A covenant is very different in that a failure to abide by its terms neither invalidates it nor terminates it. Covenants are couched in terms of blessings and curses. Whereas blessings will flow, if matters should go awry, if parties to the covenant fail to behave, then the opposite will prevail: hardship, difficulty, suffering, trauma and so on. In the case of a marriage, the only valid grounds for divorce is adultery; either or both parties forming a sexual union outwith that original union. While forgiveness is a possible means of reconciliation, divorce is an outcome that is accepted in Scripture, even though it is one hated by Jehovah. A divorce is a legal annulment of the marriage. It does not terminate that original marital covenant. Both the man and woman, irrespective of who misbehaved, move from the blessings that naturally flow from an harmonious and loving marriage to the pain and heartbreak that stems from sexual betrayal. The resulting pain and suffering flows out to everyone else in the wider family – predominantly, but not exclusively, to children, parents and grandparents. Divorce proceedings do not prevent or terminate this pain. The expectation of marital fidelity is part of our very being. It is how we are designed. Vows, kept or broken, do not change this fact. As discussed, we do make vows on the wedding day but whether they are said to be before men or before Jehovah makes little difference. To the State, weddings and divorces are merely legal transactions that allow the couple to claim benefits and privileges, often financial, that accrue to those in such a legally registered state, and for the State to rescind such as and when the circumstances demand. Government departments do not have the happiness and joy of the family at heart. They are dispassionate functions that exist to make the role of governance easier and efficient, and knowing who belongs to who helps them. On the other hand Jehovah loves us deeply and truly wants us to be happy, knowing that stable, loving, respectful marriages are the foundation of a secure society.
The covenantal nature of this union is illustrative of God’s relationship with his own people. Through Isaiah Jehovah refers to Israel as a wife and in Revelation 19:7 and 21:2 John tells of the marriage of the Lamb, the holy city New Jerusalem beautifully dressed in white linen and adorned as a bride for her husband. Returning to Jehovah’s Witnesses, anyone who becomes a full-time member of the Society and receives financial support, such as Circuit Overseers, construction workers, Special Pioneers, missionaries and Bethel family members, is required to take a ‘Vow of Obedience and Poverty’ in order to become a member of the ‘Worldwide [sic] Order of Special Full-Time Servants of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ (the Order).
I vow as follows:
1. While a member of the Order, to live the simple non-materialistic life-style that has traditionally existed for members of the Order;
2. In the spirit of the inspired words of the prophet Isaiah (6:8) and the prophetic expression of the Psalmist (110:3), to volunteer my services to do whatever is assigned to me in the advancement of Kingdom interests wherever I am assigned by the Order;
3. To be submissive to the theocratic arrangement for members of the Order (Heb 13:17);
4. To devote my best full-time efforts to my assignment;
5. To abstain from secular employment without permission from the Order;
6. To turn over to the local organisation of the Order all income received from any work or personal efforts in excess of my living expenses, unless released from this vow by the Order;
7. To accept such provisions for members of the Order (be they meals, lodging, expense reimbursement, or others) as are made in the country where I serve, regardless of the level of my responsibility and of the value of my services;
8. To be content and satisfied with the modest support that I receive from the Order and not expect any further remuneration should I choose to leave the Order or should the Order determine that I no longer qualify to serve in the Order (Matt 6:30-33; 1Tim 6:6-8; Heb 13:5);
9. To abide by the principles set out in God’s inspired Word, the Bible, in publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and in policies dispensed by the Order, and to follow the directions of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses; and
10. To accept readily any decision made by the Order regarding my membership status.
Putting aside for a moment the discussion as to whether it is valid to make vows, what stands out is the complete lack of dedication to Jehovah, His Son, or the holy spirit in the words of this vow. This is a vow of unconditional obedience to a corporation, a legal entity that exists according to the statutes of the country in which it is incorporated. For comparison, those who wish to become monks are also required to make vows. Benedictine monks for example are expected to make three vows. These vows incorporate Obedience to scripture, the Rule of Benedict and the Abbot. It means giving of one’s best and serving in whatever role the superiors deem suitable. Stability of the monastic tradition and Conversion to the monastic way of life – living simply, working hard and daily convening in the schedule of prayers, meals and readings. One enters as a novice for a year and a day after which one may leave without any further commitment. If the novice stays, he applies to become a junior with some simple, temporary first vows. He remains thus for a minimum of three years after which he may apply for solemn vows – a life-long commitment to monastic life and the community, made to the Abbot and signed on the church altar. There is no specific vow of poverty as all things are held in common, nor of celibacy although this latter is an inherent part of the monastic way of life.
The similarities and differences are interesting. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not force anyone to enter full-time service, although it is most conspicuously recommended as a goal for all baptised youngsters within the community. Neither do they offer a four-year trial period before requiring a life-long vow of obedience. What stands out is that even in this outpost of the Roman Catholic Church, the monks are not required to make life-long vows until at least four years of experiential monastic living have passed. Benedict and the Abbot do not wish to burden potential members of the community with yokes that are too heavy to bear, until such ones are absolutely sure that this life-style is really for them. Jehovah’s Witnesses on the other hand deny a fundamental requirement of salvation, baptism, unless the candidate has already made a life-long vow, one that is without the support of scripture. Salvation is freely offered by the grace of God, through the ransom of his Son already paid on our behalf, without asking anything in return other than that we truly believe and allow that belief to affect our everyday lives, in conforming to God’s moral standards, and in providing spiritual and pastoral care for one another, God’s sheep, practically and in communal worship.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, quite rightly, eschew the practice of infant baptism. How can a new-born baby exercise faith and be aware of sin and the need to repent of things it has yet to do? Yes, it has been conceived and born in sin but until any consciousness of right and wrong develops it cannot be held responsible for the specific nature of its future sin. However, the Witnesses do encourage baptism of children at an early age. The baptism of pre-teens, as young as ten or twelve, is quite common. Is this wise? An intelligent and articulate child may well be able to explain his or her Bible beliefs as taught by their parents and in the congregation. There are some extraordinary youngsters who, at such an early age, know their own mind and know what they are going to do with their lives. Such ones are few and far between. Most, even at school-leaving age, have no idea what they want to do in life. Some drift around until the demands of a mortgage and a family force them into some convenient yet unfulfilling rut. The expectation of higher education forces some to focus on their options whilst still at school, while for others the realisation that a decent education not only makes the ends meet much more readily but that it can be done in really satisfying and interesting way, only comes with experience and maturity.
It is really difficult to come by hard data regarding the retention rate of youngsters raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is well known that this group, of all major religions, has the highest turnover rate amongst members. It is estimated that at least half, possibly two-thirds of Witness children leave, either by rejecting completely what they have been taught, or by drifting away, or by leaving as a young adult after having got baptised. This latter group invokes the spectre of disfellowshipping. Aged eleven, it’s all very stimulating to be treated as an adult, to enjoy the excitement of enthusiastic parents and to accept the adulation and congratulations of the congregation. But aged seventeen, having discovered that they are not allowed to attend university, have a gap year to travel the world, to have a social life, to have an interesting career in favour of window-cleaning, and all the other aspirations that excite the young mind, well, then what? And this is when the awful realisation strikes – there is no exit! There really is no way out. Of course you can climb out of the window, shin up the drainpipe and jump from the roof, but this invokes danger, injury and pain. When someone is disfellowshipped, that person is shunned for the rest of their life, treated as if they no longer exist, and that is most injurious and painful. It is a case of being in or out. There is no in-between. Being raised as a Jehovah’s Witness is by no means a bad thing. It encourages belief in God and respect for spiritual values, a stable family environment, hard work and parental responsibility. Having a sound moral code in an amoral world can only be of benefit, providing for healthy physical and mental well-being. I wish that all children could have the opportunity of such a valuable up-bringing. But is it really fair and reasonable to burden a child with a life-long vow that they are expected to honour for ever more, made as a child who cannot comprehend the consequences (because that side is never explained), or who they might turn into having gone through the upheavals of adolescence? Is this why the vows of a young woman, or a young wife were subject to annulment by the father or husband in Israel? A safeguard against rashness, perhaps?
Is being a follower of Christ a burden? It is certainly not a life of luxury and indolence. Jesus has a yoke and we are expected to team up with him in carrying our load. But the load is light. Why? Because Jesus carries most of it for us, making it a light load. He does this so that we can help carry the burdens of one another (Gal 6:2). Through a word of encouragement, an offer of help, a phone call, we can help somebody through their day in a way that would be impossible if we were burdened with a load too great to bear.
The way of Christ brings freedom. Paul describes the ‘glorious freedom of the children of God’ (Rom 8:21); ‘Now the Lord is the spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’ (2 Cor 3:17); ‘For such freedom Christ set us free’ (Gal 5:1); ‘You were called to freedom, brothers’ (Gal 5:13); James tells of the perfect law that belongs to freedom (Jas 1:25); Peter tells us not to use our freedom as an excuse for evil (1 Pet 2:16). It is so sad to read experiences of those who are overloaded with feelings of guilt and unworthiness (as we often do in WTS publications – random example WT May 25 p9 pp6-7 ‘consumed by feelings of guilt’, ‘afflicted by a guilty conscience’), knowing that they have been forgiven, released and unburdened, but getting the feeling that they just cannot accept this. ‘Living up to your dedication’ seems to encourage a mentality of failure that can only be assuaged by ever greater works of The Society. Be at all the meetings, do more field ministry because what you are doing is never enough, study WT publications, read the Bible but only NWT, reach out for greater organisational privileges (more burdens), and so on. I cannot escape the feeling that this is a deliberate policy of control and coercion. It really is so sad.
To conclude, does the Bible require followers of Christ to make vows? No, none whatsoever. We simply need to be honest, sincere and trustworthy in all we do and say.
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