Skip to content

T20 reasoning: Sword, magistracy and oaths

Reasoning steps: Sword, magistracy and oaths

Verdicts: T20 · Sword, magistracy and oaths. Method: conventions, scoring and proximity eras. Scripture is the primary measure; fathers are weighed by era (Era I to c. 150 = 1.0, II = 0.8, III = 0.6, IV = 0.4).

T20.1: May Christians bear the sword as magistrates or soldiers?

Step T20.1.1: Scripture

The ruler ‘does not bear the sword in vain; for he is the servant of God’ (Rom 13:4); soldiers told by John to ‘be content with your wages’ (Luke 3:14) are not told to leave the army; Cornelius the centurion is baptized (Acts 10). Personal non-retaliation (Matt 5:39) governs private conduct.

Step T20.1.2: Patristic evidence

Origen (Era II–III): ‘We do not indeed fight under him, although he require it; but we fight on his behalf … an army of piety’. Augustine (Era III): if Christianity condemned war, soldiers would be told ’to cast away their arms’, but Luke 3:14 implies ’no prohibition’. Sources: origen-t20-s1 · augustine-t20-s1.

Step T20.1.3: Weighing decision

Era II–III writers (Origen; Tertullian) discourage Christian military service; from Era III Augustine allows it on Luke 3:14. Scripture treats the magistrate’s sword as God’s ordinance and does not require soldiers to resign. Verdict: early reluctance (Era II–III), later acceptance (Era III); Scripture allows Christians in civil office and military service.

  • Confidence: Medium.

Step T20.1.4: Source-proximity weighing

  • Scripture (benchmark): Rom 13:4 and Luke 3:14 allow the sword in public office; Matt 5:39 concerns private retaliation. (Scripture confidence: medium)
  • Assessment: Here the earliest fathers lean to the Anabaptist position and Scripture to the majority; the weighting gives credit to both.

T20.2: May Christians swear oaths?

Step T20.2.1: Scripture

‘Do not take an oath at all’ (Matt 5:34; Jas 5:12); yet God swears ’to show … the unchangeable character of his purpose’ (Heb 6:17) and Paul calls God to witness (2 Cor 1:23; Gal 1:20). Read together, Jesus forbids casual and evasive oaths rather than every solemn oath.

Step T20.2.2: Patristic evidence

Justin (Era II): ‘with regard to our not swearing at all … Swear not at all’. Augustine (Era III): the apostle ‘often swore in this way’, so the precept must be read so that Paul did not act ‘contrary to the Lord’s precept’. Sources: justin-martyr-t20-s1 · augustine-t20-s2.

Step T20.2.3: Weighing decision

Era II reads Matt 5:34 absolutely; Era III permits solemn oaths on Paul’s example. Verdict: Era II forbids oaths; Era III allows solemn oaths; Scripture’s own examples support the Era III reading.

  • Confidence: Medium.

Step T20.2.4: Source-proximity weighing

  • Scripture (benchmark): Matt 5:34 read with Heb 6:16–17 and 2 Cor 1:23: casual oaths forbidden, solemn ones allowed. (Scripture confidence: medium)
  • Assessment: The earliest witness is absolute; Scripture’s examples favour the later, qualified reading.

Post-750 development by tradition

Catholic

Roman Catechism (1566).

  • T20.1 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 4/4): Roman Catechism, Fifth Commandment: ’the soldier is guiltless who … takes away the life of an enemy in a just war’ (verified, Wikisource).
  • T20.2 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 3/4): Roman Catechism, Second Commandment: oaths ‘although in themselves lawful, they should seldom be used’ (verified, Wikisource).

Orthodox

Not assessed.

  • T20.1 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not assessed: no Orthodox confessional text on military service was checked.
  • T20.2 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not assessed: no Orthodox text on oaths was checked.

Oriental Orthodox

Not assessed.

  • T20.1 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not assessed: no Oriental Orthodox text was checked.
  • T20.2 (fathers n/a/4; Scripture n/a/4): Not assessed: no Oriental Orthodox text was checked.

Lutheran

AC XVI.

  • T20.1 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 4/4): AC XVI: ‘it is right for Christians to bear civil office … to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers’ (verified).
  • T20.2 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 3/4): AC XVI: Christians may ‘make oath when required by the magistrates’ (verified).

Anglican

Arts. XXXVII, XXXIX.

  • T20.1 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 4/4): Art. XXXVII: ’lawful for Christian men, at the commandment of the Magistrate, to wear weapons, and serve in the wars’ (verified).
  • T20.2 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 3/4): Art. XXXIX: ‘Christian Religion doth not prohibit, but that a man may swear when the Magistrate requireth’ (verified).

Presbyterian

WCF XXII–XXIII.

  • T20.1 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 4/4): WCF XXIII.2: ’lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate … wage war, upon just and necessary occasion’ (verified).
  • T20.2 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 3/4): WCF XXII.1–3: ‘A lawful oath is a part of religious worship’ (verified).

Reformed Baptist

1689 23–24.

  • T20.1 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 4/4): 1689 24.2: Christians ‘may lawfully now, under the New Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasions’ (verified).
  • T20.2 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 3/4): 1689 23.2: ‘an oath is warranted by the Word of God’ in matters of weight (verified).

General Baptist

Standard Confession 25.

  • T20.1 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 4/4): Orthodox Creed (1679) art. XLV: the office of a magistrate ‘may be accepted of, and executed by Christians’; magistrates ‘may wage War upon just and necessary Occasions’ (verified, reformedontheweb.com transcription).
  • T20.2 (fathers 2/4; Scripture 3/4): Orthodox Creed (1679) art. XLVIII: ‘A Lawful Oath, is a part of Religious Worship’; Christians may take one ‘when lawfully called thereunto by the Magistrate’ (verified, reformedontheweb.com transcription).

Anabaptist

Dordrecht XIV–XV; Schleitheim 6–7.

  • T20.1 (fathers 3/4; Scripture 2/4): Dordrecht XIV: Christ ‘commanded them … to put the sword into the sheath’; Schleitheim 6: ‘The sword is ordained of God outside the perfection of Christ’ (verified).
  • T20.2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 2/4): Dordrecht XV: ‘all oaths, high and low, are forbidden’ (verified).