nless you've been living alone
in a cave, by now you are probably familiar with the Promise Keepers "men's
movement" sweeping through American Churches. In fact, chances are that you
or someone you know have participated in a Promise Keeper rally, wake-up
call, men's group, book study, or other event.
So you are most likely also familiar with the fact that as a core tenet, individual Promise Keepers believe that they should to make & keep Promises.
"Seven Solid Promises That Will Change A Man's Life Forever" [1]
and...
"Twelve Promises That Will Change Your Life" [2]
And if you've had a chance to read or hear the seven promises, you may have felt that their goal was both moral and Godly, and that the promises were certainly biblical in nature.
But have you unknowingly accepted a core premise or "assumption" of Promise Keepers without examining it in the light of scripture?
[1] From dust jacket of PK Book: Seven Promises
of a Promise Keeper.
[2] From sub-title of PK Book: What Makes a
Man? Twelve Promises That Will Change Your Life.
hat "assumption" -- as it is called
by Promise Keepers itself [3] -- is the concept
that men both CAN and SHOULD make promises as the way to "...guide us
toward the life of Christ..." [4]
Thus--according to Promise Keepers--Godliness, Christ-likeness, and growth towards Christian maturity will result from these promises! And most especially from the "Seven Promises" - which:
"...emerged out of an intense time of prayer and discussion among our staff and board of directors. Here they are:Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper
1. A Man and His God: A Promise Keeper is committed to honoring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer and obedience to God's Word in the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. A Man and His Mentors: A Promise Keeper is committed to pursue vital relationships with a few other men, understanding that a man needs his brothers to help him keep his promises.
3. A Man and His Integrity: A Promise Keeper is committed to practicing spiritual, moral, ethical and sexual purity.
4. A Man and His Family: A Promise Keeper is committed to build strong marriages and families through love, protection and biblical values.
5. A Man and His Church: A Promise Keeper is committed to supporting the mission of the local church by honoring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources.
6. A Man and His Brothers: A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity.
7. A Man and His World: A Promise Keeper is committed to influencing the world, being obedient to the Great Commandment (see Mark 12:30-31) and the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:19-20)." [5]
hese promises, and "committing"
oneself to keep them seem so "right" to most men. But the question should
not be "Does it seem like what God would want?" the question should be: "Is
this what God says in His Word?"
We should not be so quick to accept these things, nor should we rely on what "seems" right to us, for we have to remember that the scriptures say:
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." -- Prov. 14:12; 16:25 NIV
And also:
"A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps." -- Prov. 14:14 NIV
[3] Promise Keepers, The Ambassador
- Candidate Handbook, page 8.
[4] Randy Phillips, Seven Promises of a Promise
Keeper, pg 9.
[5] Randy Phillips, Seven Promises of a Promise
Keeper, pg 8.
according to Randy Phillips, PK President
"Promise Keepers believes it starts by making some promises--promises we intend to keep. These promises emerged out of an intense time of prayer and discussion among our staff and board of directors."
--Randy Phillips, Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, pg 8."These promises are not designed as a new list of commandments to remind us of how badly we're doing with respect to the often-competing demands of the marketplace, the home, and the mission field. Rather they are meant to guide us toward the life of Christ and to transform us from within so that we might see transformation in our homes, among our friends, in our churches, and, ultimately, in our nation."
--Randy Phillips, Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, pg 9."We believe the Lord is now extending His kairos, an opportunity to make a difference. But His sons must respond and make the commitments that we believe will seize the moment...the seven promises of a Promise Keeper!"
--Randy Phillips, Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, pg 10. [6]
[6] Quotes from Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper --The introductory chapter, Seize the Moment, by Randy Phillips, Promise Keepers President. [Note: Bold Underlines were added for emphasis, otherwise text is unaltered.]
PK "assumption" from their manual for Ambassadors
Our Assumptions
Promise Keepers
We base our commitment to become promise keepers in the covenant-keeping nature of God.
"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19)"The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made." (Psalms 145:13)
God is our model. Consequently, a promise keeper chooses to reflect the trustworthy nature of His Lord. This character is summed up in the word integrity.
Integrity by definition is a "firm adherence to a code of moral values"; (1) utter sincerity, (2) honesty, (3) candor, (4) not artificial, (5) not shallow, (6) no empty promises. Actually, one could say that a man in the process of becoming a man of integrity is a Promise Keeper.
Wives, children, churches, and communities all seem to agree that what we desperately need today are men who are promise keepers: men who won't compromise the truth, men who are true to their word, men who are trustworthy. This is why we have chosen Promise Keepers as the name of this ministry. [7]
[7] Promise Keepers, The Ambassador - Candidate Handbook, page 8. [Note: Alll emphasis as in original--the entire subsection has been quoted verbatim--with no alterations or editing.]
All verses from NIV
"Or if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil--in anything one might carelessly swear about--even if he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty." -- Lev. 5:4
"Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord." -- Lev. 19:12
"Moses said to the tribes of Israel: 'This is what the Lord commands: When a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to oblidge himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.' " -- Num. 30:1-2
"When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, 'My vow was a mistake.' Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God." -- Eccl 5:4-7
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago,'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all; either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." -- Matt. 5:33-37
Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. -- James 5:12
Note: The above verses are cited in full, as these are the main teaching passages on the topic. Many other verses in the scriptures serve either as examples of manÕs constant passion to vows he cannot keep, or contain additional information concerning them; NONE of them contradict the teaching of the verses above. An exhaustive listing of all the relevant verses is too large to be included on this page, but is available on a second page at the following URL: Oath/Promise/Swear/Vow - Exhaustive Study Listing.
We strongly urge you not to simply make your decision (either to agree or disagree) based on the information we've provided. Instead, we literally BEG you to do some further study on your own.
The absolute BEST place to start is with your Bible... Why not open it and start doing some serious study of these things. Some suggestions:
Remember, the only way to avoid EVER being deceived is to truly LOVE the Lord's Word (see 2 Thes. 2:10-12), and to diligently desire to find out what the Bible is ACTUALLY teaching in a passage rather than simply glancing at the verse. Loving the Truth is more than giving it "lip service" (Mark 7:6-7) or "ear service" (James 1:22).
Those who are unwilling to put the effort -- of finding out what scripture teaches in order that they may discern what is truly good from what is evil, and thus listen to sound doctrine -- have little love of God's Word in them, and consequently have no guarantee that they will not be deceived. (2 Thes. 2:10-12; 2 Tim 4:3-4; Hebrews 5:11-14).
Actually, in the Bible, the word promise is used only of the promises made by God to men. When promises made by men to God are discussed, the terms vow, oath, swear & forswear are used. The specific Bible terms used are:
Promise: In OT Hebrew the main word used for "promise" is Dabar (1697). Defined by Strong as: "a word, by implication a matter (as spoken of) or thing...a decree...a promise..." By contextual usage of this term, it means "something spoken of by God." The NT Greek word is Epaggelia (1860). Defined: "an announcement...esp. a divine assurance of good."
Vow: The OT Hebrew word used for "vow" is always Neder (5088) or a word derived from it. This is defined by Strong as: "a promise to God. A vow." The NT Greek word used is Euche (2171). Strong¹s definition is "votive [meaning a devotional] obligation:- prayer, vow."
Oath: The OT Hebrew word translated as "oath" is Shebuwah (7621) (derived from Shaba - see "swear"). Defined by Strong's: "something sworn, i.e. an oath." The NT Greek word used is Horkos (3727). Defined to be: "a limit, i.e. sacred restraint (spec. oath)."
Swear/Forswear: The OT Hebrew word used for "swear" is Shaba (7650). Defined in Strong's to mean: "to seven oneself, i.e. to swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times)." The NT Greek word translated as "swear" is Omnuo (3660). Defined as: "to swear, i.e. to take (or declare on) oath"
In English we frequently abuse these words, but the dictionary defines what these words really mean based on how and to whom we make the promise, vow, oath, or sworn statement:
Promise: An assurance that one will do or refrain from doing a specified thing.
Vow: A solemn promise or pledge, especially one made to a deity.
Oath: The invoking of God or some sacred or revered person...as witness to...the binding nature of a promise.
Swear: a) to make a solemn oath; [8]
To solemnly state "Lord, I promise..." is in modern English, the equivalent of "Lord, I do hereby take and bind myself by an oath to..." Regardless of the phrasing used, the solemnity turns a promise into a vow, and the appeal to the Lord turns the vow into an oath.
[8] From the New Websters Dictionary and Thesaurus, © 1993, published by Lexicon Publications, Inc.
Some would say that we should not (and courts accept affirmations in place of sworn oaths). But I think Matthew Henry gives the best advice in his well known Commentary. On Matthew 5:33-37 he has this to say:
"Now the mind of Christ in this matter is... That we must in a special manner avoid promissary oaths... for they are oaths to be performed. The influence of an affirmative oath immediately ceases when we have spoken the truth---but a promissary oath binds for so long, and may be broken in so many ways... that it should not be used, except upon great necessity."
Taking an oath "to tell the truth" is vastly different from promising--without exception--to do something for the rest of one's life. The first is actually possible, and we have several instances in the New Testament where the Apostle Paul takes such oaths (that he is speaking or has spoken the truth). But the second, especially in matters of life-long commitment (and things that God has already ordered one to do) is foolish.
The Lord Jesus Christ told a parable that is very relative here:
"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' " 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go."Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered. -- Matt. 21:28-31a
From the content of this parable, it is obvious that "intent alone" is not considered by God to be sufficient. Jesus continued in the verses following (Matt. 21:31b-32) to apply the point specifically to the chief priests and elders of the Jews; while they claimed to follow and obey God, they in fact did not, and not only would not give Him an honest answer to His previous question (see Matt. 21:24-27, but that they also refused to follow through on their commitment and truly "repent and believe").
Despite what we may want to think, God is NOT pleased by a commitment that is not followed through on. The nation of Israel had many times "agreed" and "committed" to obeying the Lord, but had always failed to follow thru (much of the content of the Old Testament is testimony to this fact, and the consequences of it.)
Furthermore, God really does not want such "promises" in the first place -- within scripture He NEVER asks or insstructs us to make them -- because He knows that men lie constantly and do not complete what they say they will. And also from the other scriptures we have already cited, we have seen that God's Word states it is far better NOT to promise and then ACTUALLY DO what the Lord wants than to "promise" and fail to fulfill the promise -- that is what the scriptures teach quite clearly.
And this is especially so when the valid portions of the "Seven Promises" are things that God has already required men to do. If we fail to do them, have we not already sinned? Why add insult to injury by promising and then sin further by failing to keep the promise as well? (Often bringing shame on the Lord's name in doing so.) Surely that is foolishness, even if it "seems" right to men.
What God wants is humble obedience. Obedience that is humbly dependant upon HIM. Obedience that acknowledges that we will fail, and fail again (this does not surprise God, for He knows that none of us will be able to obey 100% of the time - if any of us could, then Christ need not have died!) yet confess, repent, and turn once again towards the Lord who provides for us, and asks us to live by Faith -- even as we were saved by Faith.
An interesting question, and one that puzzled us for some time as well. One
would almost naturally "assume" that a group of leaders who are trying to
get other men to commit to Bible study would themselves diligently
check the Bible before coming up with such a concept.
Unfortunately, it does not seem that they did so, for in his own words, PK President Randy Phillips states that:
"These promises emerged out of an intense time of prayer and discussion among our staff and board of directors." [9]
Now some will say that simply because he doesn't list Bible Study does not mean that it was absent. Yet Mr. Phillips is careful to emphasize both prayer, and discussion -- and we would certainly "assume" that both of these were present as well. One is forced to conclude that either the Scriptures were not opened, or if they were, they were not considered an important enough part of the development of the Seven Promises for Mr. Phillips to cite them.
But fortunately, we don't have to just go on what Mr. Phillips wrote. The founder of Promise Keepers, Bill McCartney, also records the "formation" of Promise Keepers in his autobiography, From Ashes To Glory. And on pages 286-287 of that book, Mr. McCartney states how they came up with the name "Promise Keepers":
"As for the name, Promise Keepers, we understood that for the movement to thrive, we had to have integrity as individuals and as a group. When we looked up the word [integrity] in the dictionary, we found that it meant 'utter sincerity, moral soundness, honesty, and candor with nothing artifical and no empty promises.' And the 'promise' part hit home with each of us--the simple truth that a man of integrity is a man who keeps his promises." [10]
and on pages 294-295 of the same book, Mr. McCartney describes the basis
for how they came up with the "Seven Promises":
"Today, I've committed myself to changing that pattern. I want to put my energy, my drive, toward leading my family, not toward winning more games......and I'm committed to encouraging other men to do the same--to see their shortcomings, confess and repent of them, and to turn their lives around.
In fact, it was thru those simple thoughts that we came up with the seven promises of a Promise Keeper." [11]
Noble sentiments to be sure. But what we end up with as a basis is...nothing...nothing more than men's thoughts. Scripture is once again notably absent.
Mr. McCartney states a "dictionary" was used to find the definition of the word "integrity" -- and he considered this important enough to cite in the anecdote (the Bible once again was either absent, or considered too unimportant to list). And while Mr. McCartney cites many scripture verses throughout the rest of his book, there are no verses given here. Instead, according to Mr. McCartney, the sole source of the Seven Promises is given as the "simple thoughts" of men.
I also find it interesting that while these men looked up "integrity" - they did not state that they bothered looking up the definition of "promise." Had they done so, certainly they would have found what we did above - that "promises" when solemnly made are considered to be vows or oaths, and that the act of making them before God is considered "swearing." This should have led to someone pulling down a concordance and finding the verses we have listed above; but if they did, they do not list them.
Yet they did find ONE verse from the Bible concerning "promises" (as we have
shown above - What Promise Keepers Believes about it's
"promises"...), and amazingly enough they use it as their basis for making
promises:
"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19) [12]
And even from this one verse alone, it is obvious that the Bible teaches: (1) that men lie, (2) that men change their mind, and (3) that men make promises and then do not fulfill them. God is different -- which is why HE can make promises (whhich is our hope and assurance).
But "Promise Keepers", whether saved, sanctified and redeemed -- or not -- are still men -- men who lie, change their mind, and break their promises, and therefore should NOT make them -- this verse does not teach otherwise, nor does any other verse in the entire Bible. And this will be known to anyone who TRULY desires to learn what God's counsel is about such matters.
[9] Randy Phillips, Seven Promises of a Promise
Keeper, pg. 8.
[10] Bill McCartney, From Ashes to Glory,
2nd Edition, pp. 286-287.
[11] Bill McCartney, From Ashes to Glory,
2nd Edition, pp. 294-295.
[12] Promise Keepers, The Ambassador
- Candidate Handbook, pg. 8.
Whether or not we DO search out what the Bible teaches IS important.
So, what does all this show about the PK leadership? Well, here we have a group of men who have COMMITED themselves to a series of promises - the very first of which is to be "obedient to the Lord's Word."
Yet the evidence they themselves give us does NOT show that they have cared to see what that very word has to say about these "promises". Instead, having formulated an idea as a method of reaching men, they began to promote it aggressively. Such men may have a great amount of zeal and enthusiasm--many men do, and it is often exhilirating to be around them--but the Apostle Paul tells us that such zeal is NOT always a good thing (see Gal. 4:18).
It is sad to say, but when those who claim to be "men of integrity" do not even begin with integrity towards their Promise #1, we must be concerned about how they will end. And if they show the same level of poor integrity and discernment along the way...what will they do? And what will they teach and lead others to do?
Perhaps even sadder is that fact that the same seems to be true of many within local leadership: men across the country, ministry leaders and pastors -- admiring the zeal and enthusiasm of PK and desiring to blend these into their own lives, ministries, and churches -- have accepted this core "assumption" of Promise Keepers and the rest of the movement wholesale. Without examining any of it in the Light of the Scripture -- the very same scriptures they themselves have ironically promised (or will promise) to obey.
If men desire to TRULY become men of INTEGRITY, and OBEDIENT to the Lord's Word -- then FIRST they must return to the Word as their guide -- and be WILLING to set aside the man-made idea that "promises" will guide them to Godliness -- when they find it is contrary to the commands of God.
The purpose behind this document is to simply present what the Promise Keepers organization is promoting, to make the "assumption" and supposed Biblical justification public, and to objectively show what the scripture clearly teaches concerning the topic of "promises."
It has been constructed by the author in obedience to scripture:
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
-- 2 Tim 4:2-5 NIV
...and it has been published free-of-charge, motivated by love.
Love for God, for His Word, and for His sheep -- both those who are unsure of whether they should become involved in this movement, and for those who, motivated by sincere zeal to serve God, have been emotionally captivated into unknowingly accepting false ideas of gaining godliness, and are being led astray from the simple truth and freedom of a living faith in Christ.
This document is one effort of the author towards the gentle, careful instruction & correction God commands in such cases--portions of the above ministerial charge--in response to this latest wave of teaching and misguided zeal.
Some who read this document -- being convinced by a sincere and highly emotional experience with the PK movement and who have already become enamored that it is a "move of God" beyond question -- will undoubtedly hate the author for publishing this (sadly, some few have written with hate-filled words). To these I can only exhort one last time that they set aside their emotional attachment and objectively examine the scriptures -- to see what the Bible teaches is TRUE, what is RIGHT, and what is pleasing to GOD for men to do (1 John 3:22).
Copyright © 1996 by W. Lee Miller. All Rights Reserved.
This document may not be reproduced or republished without permission of
the copyright holder.
If you have questions: most likely they will be answered by a more thorough reading of the text above and by honestly examining the scriptures to see what they teach; however...
Comments, as well as questions and concerns,
are welcomed by the author via Email at:
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THEN PLEASE CLICK HERE
All scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
"NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office by International Bible Society.
Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper. Copyright © 1994 by Promise Keepers. Published by Focus on the Family Publishing. (ISBN #1-56179-222-5).
What Makes a Man? Twelve Promises That Can Change Your Life. Copyright © 1992 by Promise Keepers. Published by NavPress (ISBN #08910-97074).
From Ashes To Glory. Copyright © 1990, 1995 by Bill McCartney. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. (ISBN #0-7852-7731-5).
