SOTM 17—Oaths

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil (Matthew 5:33-37).IntroductionWhile we may not swear by Jerusalem, or by our own heads, modern people often do swear on their mother’s grave, or (Muslims) by the beard of Muhammad. But we shouldn't need to swear by anything, if we are really men or women of integrity.Jesus has already addressed the 6th and 7th commandments (murder and adultery). Now he swings round to the 3rd commandment, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exod 20:7).Many falsely imagine this is a prohibition of profanity. In reality, it is about using God’s name in promises that we do not keep (or intend to keep). (It also has applies to using the divine name in magic.)First-century Jewish writers Josephus and Philo confirm this understanding of oaths.IntegrityDo I take oaths?Is my word my bond?Would I be ashamed if I reneged on a commitment? (But see Prov 6:1-5.)Do people trust me?Do I respect deadlines and time tags generally? Am I punctual?Do I skimp on work hours (arriving late, leaving early, stretching the lunch break)?Do I complete assignments?If I am a student, do I am to please the Lord Christ (Col 3:24)? Am I determined, in terms of integrity, to be an exemplary Christian student?Learning from historyThe Apostolic Constitutions state, “He formerly made a law about swearing truthfully. And he forbade perjury. However, he has now charged us not to swear at all."Jesus’ commandment was not just a new standard for Jews, but also for Gentiles. The Roman satirist Juvenal writes: “It is so simple and easy to disregard heavenly witnesses if no mortal man is privy to the secret. Hear how loudly a certain fellow denies the charge! See the assurance of his deceitful face! He swears by the rays of the sun, the Tarpeian thunderbolts, and the spear of Mars.” Satire 12.Even after the access of Constantine, for many decades Christians continued to obey Jesus’ words about swearinguntil Augustine (c.400 AD).Next lesson: Retaliation