The Oath
Some definitions.
Oath, noun. A solemn appeal to a deity, or
to some revered person or thing, to witness one's determination to speak the
truth, to keep a promise, etc.: Also, the form of words in which such a
statement or promise is made; and, an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name
of God or anything sacred, any profane expression; curse; swearword.
Swear, verb. To make a solemn declaration
or affirmation by some sacred being or object, as a deity or the Bible; to bind
oneself by oath. To curse, use vulgar words, or, to take God’s name in vain
(Exodus 20:7).
Forswear, swear falsely, commit perjury, verb.
Also can mean to renounce or deny under oath. επιορκεω / επιορκησεις (swear
falsely).
The text.
Matthew 5:33–37 Again, ye have heard that it hath
been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt
perform unto the Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, Swear not at all;
neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth; for it is his
footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither
shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or
black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever
is more than these cometh of evil.
Related texts.
Leviticus
19:12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither
shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.
Numbers
30:2 If
a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a
bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth
out of his mouth.
Deuteronomy
23:21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy
God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely
require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
Matthew
23:16-22 Woe unto you, ye
blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing;
but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools
and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the
gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever
sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for
whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso
therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And
whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth
therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and
by him that sitteth thereon.
James
5:12
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the
earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay;
lest ye fall into condemnation.
Absolute prohibition of oaths or a prohibition of certain oaths?
“They [the Essenes, rlv] are eminent for fidelity, and are the ministers of peace; whatsoever they say also is firmer than an oath; but swearing is avoided by them, and they esteem it worse than perjury for they say that he who cannot be believed without [swearing by] God is already condemned.” (Josephus, The Wars Of The Jews, Book 2 ,8:6/135. Note that the second set of brackets is in the original translation).
Not a few take the words of Jesus in Matthew 5 (and James in 5:12) as a prohibition of all kinds of oaths (“at all” – of all kinds, whether true or false). Many of our Anabaptist forefathers, especially those on the European Continent, refused to take vows and swear oaths. Some of their descendants still do the same. They do not swear in court, hold positions in government, or serve in the military. Quakers also took this position, and many still do. The majority of Baptists in America, mediated through England rather than the Continent, usually do not object to civil oaths.
Three objections sometimes made to this as an absolute prohibition look to the recorded words of God, Jesus, and Paul.
God swore oaths.
- Genesis 22:16-18
- Hebrews 6:13-17
- Luke 1:73 the oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
- Psalm 110:4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
- Hebrews 7:21 (for those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
In his oaths, God guarantees his word; he
shows “the immutability of his counsel” (Hebrews 6:17). God is no liar.
Jesus swore an oath.
It is possible that Jesus, in a sense, answered under a legal oath. See Matthew 26:63–64 I adjure (charge or command to answer under oath) thee by the living God εξορκιζω σε κατα του θεου του ζωντος (Cf. 2 Chronicles 18:15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord?)
Paul swore an oath.
Paul called on God as his witness. Writing under inspiration, Paul calls on God as a “record” of the truthfulness of his word, Philippians 1:8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
Considerations.
It appears that there may be times when a solemn oath may be taken. Jesus answered the high priest when possibly put under a charge to answer under oath. Paul called on God as his witness. The problem addressed shows a shift of the emphasis from the Old Testament command. Rather than focus on the truth asserted by the oath, focus is made on the formula of the oath. Emphasis is not on keeping one’s promise. Emphasis is changed to whether or not it was “to the Lord.”
Jesus’s counsel to tell the truth applies to family life, business / financial dealings, and any other agreements we make. He calls us to speak the truth. There is a single standard of truth for all times, not a double standard for different times. Conduct ourselves honestly at all times; that is the standard.
Is it possible we should apply it this way – making a difference between public and private speech? We should tell the truth. We should tell it so consistently and so completely that there is no need for oaths, no loud asseverations (emphatic or emotional declaration) of “that’s the truth”! God swore, or took vows, and if Jesus also spoke under oath, perhaps there is a place for his disciples to make public assertions (oaths) in a legal manner, and as a form of assurance to those who do not know the truth of their word.
Kinds of oaths Christians in America often take.
- Oaths of allegiance
- Oaths of office
- Oaths in courts of law (witness, juror) and in other legal matters
- Oaths of fraternal orders or secret societies (such as Masonry)
- Military oaths
- Profane oaths
- Wedding vows might be considered a sort of an oath
Without doubt, we should be able to agree that profane oaths are wrong. Further, it should be clear (though it is not to all) that many fraternal oaths go beyond the pale of Jesus’s words. To swear on having your throat cut from ear to ear, your tongue torn out by its roots, or your heart plucked out and given to the beasts of the field and the birds of the air as a prey is a “bit much.” With James Hahn I agree, “It is hard to believe that grown men would involve themselves in such foolishness.”
That said then, it seems the primary disagreements among us on swearing is regarding the civil type of oath. May we swear in court, before God, to tell the truth? May we swear, before God, to do the duties of a civil office or a military service? In this country (United States of America), those who conscientiously object to swearing usually have the option to “affirm” rather than “swear”[ii]
Should we swear allegiance to civil government? Our “yes” should be, according to the Bible, to be good law-abiding citizens (1 Peter 2:12-14). We as Christians acknowledge that our ultimate allegiance is to God, not man (Acts 5:29)
Summary.
An oath will not bind a liar. A truth teller does not need one. Our word should be our bond (something that binds or holds). Our reputations should be such that our word will be all that is needed, without an oath needed to strengthen it.
A yea is a yea; a nay is a nay; a promise is a promise; we should not be looking for a loophole. Yet, some oaths seem to be designed specifically for the option of not keeping the thing vowed.
The Christian’s goal is truthfulness. We who are disciples of Jesus Christ should admit and confess our failures in the arena of truth (James 3:8). We must seek and speak the word of truth, and appeal to the Word, who is the Truth.
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