Jesus urged a no-frills honesty.
You also know that in the old days people said, You must not make a false vow, but must do what you have promised the Lord. But what I say is: do not make oaths at all. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair black or white. Let your communication be: "yes, yes" or "no, no." Anything beyond that comes from evil.
The prohibition against taking the name of Jehovah in vain included a prohibition against pledging to do something with God as a witness and then failing to do it.
A pledge given in exchange for a favor from God was obviously held to be binding. But, scholars say, Jewish legalists had decided that any oath given by heaven or earth was not binding. Neither was an oath by Jerusalem, though an oath toward Jerusalem was held to be binding (because God resided inside the Temple's Holy of Holies).
Jesus, ever focused on motive, is saying that such legalistic evasions don't work, as everything has the hand of God on it and in it. The "material world" is in fact holy – if we could only see that. In fact, what is the point of binding yourself in an oath to God? Should you not already be bound to do the next right thing? In particular, Jesus was guiding his new disciples on how they should behave once they had received the Holy Spirit.
Oaths tend to be sacreligious. Anyone can see that if you swear by Jehovah and fail to carry out your pledge, that is sacrilege. You have committed an offense against God. But it took Jesus to see that other oaths can also be offenses against God and man.
Why would you swear by the earth? Perhaps you wished to avoid the potential for uttering the name of God in vain. At that time period, Jews had become very circumspect about saying aloud any name for God.
But then what would have been the point of your oath? Really, you were invoking God, the maker of heaven and earth, as a witness. Swearing by Jerusalem is no better. Not only was it the city of God's great king, David, it was the city of God himself, whose presence was inside the Temple's Holy of Holies. Even swearing by your own head is sacrilegious! You didn't make it. God did. And you cannot assure that you will do anything. Only God can do that for you, or to you, as the case may be.
Have you ever heard the phrase foxhole prayer? That's a prayer a person offers up when a big crisis hits. It is often the case that once the crisis is over, the prayer is forgotten and the person returns to his usual foibles. He has taken the name of the Lord in vain. And, if that describes you, under God's law you are guilty. Best to avail yourself of God's mercy through Jesus.
Interestingly, the biblically conscious writers of the U.S. Constitution were careful to permit citizens, in legal matters, to give either an oath or an affirmation. A citizen is not required to solemnly swear. He may say, I affirm... or use words that mean I affirm.
Speak with love
Paul the Apostle had something to say on speaking the truth.
How does one handle such a question truthfully? Wisdom! -- the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit. Even if she is not all that appealing, for example, we know that God sees her as precious, and one can identify with that idea when replying, "Wonderful, Darling," or some such.
Now that example may seem trivial (is it?), but there are many situations that may arise in which one would not speak the unvarnished truth. Suppose it is 1942, and an SS man asks you whether there are any Jews in your house. The proper course is to lie, and say no -- even though several are hiding in your basement.
You answered with a simple no because the questioner was absolutely not entitled to the truth.
And if anyone wants to quibble with that assertion, we cite this verse:
A conflict?
Jehovah used the phrase "By Myself I have sworn..." when he made a promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:16-17; also see Exodus 32:13). A New Testament writer comments: "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself" (Hebrews 6:13).
Further, in a score of Old Testament verses, God announces that he swears that what he says will come to pass.
In fact, we also have verses that assume that men will take oaths.
Firstly, let us recall that Jesus is talking to his disciples.
Secondly, since God is perfect, Jehovah's use of an oath was pure-hearted. He used that mode of expression in his communication with ancient tribal people, I suggest, in order to assure that these promises were remembered down through the generations. It was a way of saying, "Never forget this..."
Exodus 20:7
In other words, the fourth of the Ten Commandments originally was aimed at the man who pledged to give some -- probably pricey -- animal offering to be burned by the priests in return for favor from God, only to see the man renege later. Later, people interpreted that commandment to mean that using God's name casually was irreverant -- and hence dangerous. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
A pledge given in exchange for a favor from God was obviously held to be binding. But, scholars say, Jewish legalists had decided that any oath given by heaven or earth was not binding. Neither was an oath by Jerusalem, though an oath toward Jerusalem was held to be binding (because God resided inside the Temple's Holy of Holies).
Jesus, ever focused on motive, is saying that such legalistic evasions don't work, as everything has the hand of God on it and in it. The "material world" is in fact holy – if we could only see that. In fact, what is the point of binding yourself in an oath to God? Should you not already be bound to do the next right thing? In particular, Jesus was guiding his new disciples on how they should behave once they had received the Holy Spirit.
Oaths tend to be sacreligious. Anyone can see that if you swear by Jehovah and fail to carry out your pledge, that is sacrilege. You have committed an offense against God. But it took Jesus to see that other oaths can also be offenses against God and man.
Why would you swear by the earth? Perhaps you wished to avoid the potential for uttering the name of God in vain. At that time period, Jews had become very circumspect about saying aloud any name for God.
But then what would have been the point of your oath? Really, you were invoking God, the maker of heaven and earth, as a witness. Swearing by Jerusalem is no better. Not only was it the city of God's great king, David, it was the city of God himself, whose presence was inside the Temple's Holy of Holies. Even swearing by your own head is sacrilegious! You didn't make it. God did. And you cannot assure that you will do anything. Only God can do that for you, or to you, as the case may be.
Have you ever heard the phrase foxhole prayer? That's a prayer a person offers up when a big crisis hits. It is often the case that once the crisis is over, the prayer is forgotten and the person returns to his usual foibles. He has taken the name of the Lord in vain. And, if that describes you, under God's law you are guilty. Best to avail yourself of God's mercy through Jesus.
Interestingly, the biblically conscious writers of the U.S. Constitution were careful to permit citizens, in legal matters, to give either an oath or an affirmation. A citizen is not required to solemnly swear. He may say, I affirm... or use words that mean I affirm.
Speak with love
Paul the Apostle had something to say on speaking the truth.
Ephesians 4:14-15
Speaking the "cold unvarnished truth" is not necessarily what is called for. We are to speak the truth in love. An ever-loving attitude should be behind all our words. Some "truths" would be unprofitable to utter. The classic example is a man's answer to the woman's question, "How do I look?" She doesn't want the truth -- or that is, the truth had better be that he thinks she looks marvelous.14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
How does one handle such a question truthfully? Wisdom! -- the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit. Even if she is not all that appealing, for example, we know that God sees her as precious, and one can identify with that idea when replying, "Wonderful, Darling," or some such.
Now that example may seem trivial (is it?), but there are many situations that may arise in which one would not speak the unvarnished truth. Suppose it is 1942, and an SS man asks you whether there are any Jews in your house. The proper course is to lie, and say no -- even though several are hiding in your basement.
You answered with a simple no because the questioner was absolutely not entitled to the truth.
And if anyone wants to quibble with that assertion, we cite this verse:
John 14:6
In other words, spiritual truth takes precedence over technical truths.
...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.
A conflict?
Jehovah used the phrase "By Myself I have sworn..." when he made a promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:16-17; also see Exodus 32:13). A New Testament writer comments: "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself" (Hebrews 6:13).
Further, in a score of Old Testament verses, God announces that he swears that what he says will come to pass.
In fact, we also have verses that assume that men will take oaths.
Deuteronomy 6:13
Does the existence of these verses tend to contradict what Jesus had to say on the subject?
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.Deuteronomy 10:20
Septuagint version
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; and thou shalt cleave to him, and by his name thou shalt swear.
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
Septuagint version
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt cleave to him, and shalt swear by his name.
Firstly, let us recall that Jesus is talking to his disciples.
My disciples, he is saying, should practice the principle that honesty is the best policy. They should always speak truthfully. My disciples should be so dedicated to the truth that there is no point in them swearing oaths. Yes, you are right, or Yes, I will do it, should be good enough.And when Jesus says everything beyond yes or no comes from evil, he means that only people who are sometimes corrupt -- or a little shady -- need to underscore a promise to do something or to tell the truth. This time I'm telling the truth, is the implication. Or, I'm making this special oath in order to purchase the favor of God. These motives surely don't come from a pure heart.
Secondly, since God is perfect, Jehovah's use of an oath was pure-hearted. He used that mode of expression in his communication with ancient tribal people, I suggest, in order to assure that these promises were remembered down through the generations. It was a way of saying, "Never forget this..."
Next Page: Section 21
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