SWEARING
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Swearing
a) Taking oaths
i) Our Lord’s teaching regarding swearing (Matthew 5:33-37; James 5:12) is often thought to forbid our taking an oath in court or swearing an affidavit. Others think it no more than saying, "I assure you before God that I am not lying" (Galatians 1:20).
ii) God himself made an oath as a foundation of our faith. If anybody might have let their yes be yes, surely God might have, for "it is impossible for Him to lie". But wanting to fully assure us, God did something most exceptional: he "confirmed his counsel with an oath" (Hebrews 6:13-20).
iii) There are three kinds of swearing, however, which we certainly ought not to do at all, and the command, "Swear not at all" definitely refers to these.
b) Nothing less than God
i) Swearing by anything less than God is wrong. Jesus speaks of swearing by such things as Jerusalem, or one’s own head. He objects that, whatever one swears by, it belongs to God anyway. Would you say good afternoon to a person’s gumboots instead of acknowledging the person? Then why insult God by swearing by his belongings rather than by him? Perhaps, having sworn by something less, people think they are less bound?
c) Binding yourself foolishly
i) The foolishness of binding yourself by oath to fulfill commitments is seen in Acts 23:12-24. James says, "You do not know what will happen tomorrow... You ought to say, 'If the Lord wills we shall do this or that'" (James 4:13-17). By bringing integrity back into one’s word, one fights "the father of lies" (John 8:44-45). Swearing shows a lack of trust and truth.
The End ...
1. Swearinga) Taking oaths
i) Our Lord’s teaching regarding swearing (Matthew 5:33-37; James 5:12) is often thought to forbid our taking an oath in court or swearing an affidavit. Others think it no more than saying, "I assure you before God that I am not lying" (Galatians 1:20).
ii) God himself made an oath as a foundation of our faith. If anybody might have let their yes be yes, surely God might have, for "it is impossible for Him to lie". But wanting to fully assure us, God did something most exceptional: he "confirmed his counsel with an oath" (Hebrews 6:13-20).
iii) There are three kinds of swearing, however, which we certainly ought not to do at all, and the command, "Swear not at all" definitely refers to these.
b) Nothing less than God
i) Swearing by anything less than God is wrong. Jesus speaks of swearing by such things as Jerusalem, or one’s own head. He objects that, whatever one swears by, it belongs to God anyway. Would you say good afternoon to a person’s gumboots instead of acknowledging the person? Then why insult God by swearing by his belongings rather than by him? Perhaps, having sworn by something less, people think they are less bound?
c) Binding yourself foolishly
i) The foolishness of binding yourself by oath to fulfill commitments is seen in Acts 23:12-24. James says, "You do not know what will happen tomorrow... You ought to say, 'If the Lord wills we shall do this or that'" (James 4:13-17). By bringing integrity back into one’s word, one fights "the father of lies" (John 8:44-45). Swearing shows a lack of trust and truth.
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