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Due to a misunderstanding of Matthew 5:34-37 some Christians today refuse to take the judicial oath of "swearing in" during court proceedings. This is the best way to get off to a wrong start when going into court with the opportunity to witness for the Living God and His laws. Two things happen when one refuses to be sworn in to tell the truth at judicial hearings. First, you have immediately agitated the judge with a bad impression that you are only out to give the court a hard time, when actually you are a Christian with good intentions wanting to uphold Bible law. Second - you have gone against the primary rule of court ordained by Yahweh Almighty, whose law requires that an oath be taken at judicial proceedings. Let's quote the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:34-37, then we'll search this all out to see how the Bible explains it. 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Some interpret this to mean that we are never to swear an oath at all, but that is not what Christ is saying here. The above verses are from the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus set about to correct certain perversions of the law which had been introduced by the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees. At the same time He was quick to point out that He was not abolishing proper obedience to God's laws as given to Moses: 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Christ's advise "to swear not at all" was in reference to hasty or rash oaths GIVEN IN DAILY COMMUNICATIONS, and was not referring to the lawfully required judicial oath or other proper commitments of vowing. Note verse 37 once more: 37 But let your COMMUNICATION be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay ......." Christ is warning against the emotional tendency to "swear by God" in everyday rash oaths. Someone might say, for example, "I swear to God I'll help you fix your fence tomorrow" without remembering a prior commitment which later makes it impossible to keep the promise. Most often this type of vow is never kept, and makes a mockery of the proper use of the divine solemn vow. The evil which can arrive from a spontaneous rash oath is best observed when Herod promised the head of John the Baptist in return for a dance by Salome (Mat.14:1-12) In one's everyday communication all that's needed to bind a man to his word is a "yes" or "no". (Yea, yea; Nay, nay) This is God's law of conduct between men, so we see here that Jesus was simply teaching about honesty. He was not doing away with Yahweh's judicial vow. Simply put: If you tell your neighbor that you are going to do something, then do it! Don't create a bad situation by swearing to do a certain thing, then breaking your word and defiling God's Name simultaneously. A "yes" or "no" is all Yahweh expects you tell tell your friend, but keep your word! However, beyond and above one's daily communication, God's law requires that either for court testimony, making a confirmed oath, or dedicating goods and services to The Almighty, an attestation is to be solemnly given and performed! This type of appeal is set before God as to the truth of a stated fact or promise. Saxon law, as we know, confirms an oath with the words, "... so help me God", or equivalent. See below "maxims of law": "There is no stronger link or bond between men than an oath." (Jenkins' Eight Centuries of Reports, pg 126, case54) "In law, none is credited unless he is sworn. All facts must, when established by witnesses, be under oath or affirmation." (Croke's English King's Bench Reports, 3 Cro.) To swear is to call God to witness, and is an act of religion." (Coke's Pleas, Pub. 1628) Abraham recognized the divine nature of a sworn oath: [Abimelech said], "Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: .... And Abraham said, I will swear." (Gen.21:22-24) The Apostle Paul swore before God to the church (ecclesia) at Galatia, as to the truth of his letter to them: "Now the things which I write unto you, behold before God, I lie not." (Gal. 1:20, same to the church at Corinth, II Cor,11:31) Sworn vows and oaths must be kept. (Eccl.5:4-6) Zedekiah, King of Judah, made an oath to God, with the King of Babylon. When Zedekiah dishonored the oath, Yahweh Almighty replied: "Therefore thus saith Yahweh God, surely MINE OATH that he (Zedekiah) hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. And will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me." (Ezek.17:19,20) Additionally, Yahweh confirmed blessings to Abraham by swearing in His own Name, the Scriptures here teaching that an oath puts an end to strife: "For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee ........ For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife." (see Heb.6:13-18) Paul cites this 30 years after Christ ascended yet Paul is still upholding the oath of the Law as valid and important. According to the Bible, judicial proceedings require an oath be given when one is testifying to a matter: "If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods. Then shall an oath of Yahweh be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good." (Ex.22:8,11; see Num.5:19-22) But some might say that we do not have honest courts any longer. Agreed, but the lawfully sworn oath makes Yahweh God Almighty a party to the testimony, and it is this factor which outweighs our concern about whether or not a person is before an honest judge. Yahweh deals with spurious judges on His own (see Psalm 82 verses 1 & 6. The word "gods" there reads "judges" in the Hebrew text) Our duty is to tell the truth before God, as He hears our words. The swearing of the oath is performed by lifting the hand to Yahweh as in the case of Abraham's explanation to the King of Sodom. (Gen.14:22) See the same action of raising the hand testified to by the angel in Revelation 10:5,6. The sworn oath is so honored by Yahweh that if a man swears an oath to his own hurt but still keeps it, that man is approved of God as having done a righteous act. (Psalm 154:4) In summary, the Bible teaches that our communications (daily conversations) must not be salted with rash oaths to the Almighty so as not to make light of the solemn legal procedural oath. Men must daily deal honestly with each other bound by their "yea" or "nay". The divine law requires that our legal and lawful testimonies, covenants, and dedications must be done with an appeal to God, raising the hand; and once vowed the oath must be followed through to its completion. |
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