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“Again,
ye have heard that ... but I say unto you, Swear not at all; ... but let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh
of evil.” False swearing was forbidden in the Old Testament; but every
kind of swearing is now forbidden by our Lord, Jesus Christ. He mentions several
forms of swearing and oath-taking, and forbids them all. Then, He prescribes
simple forms of affirmation or denial - yes, yes or no, no. That’s all that His
followers should do.
Every
form of oath or swearing, however solemn or true, is forbidden to a true
believer in Christ. Whether in court of law or out of it, Christ’s command is,
“Swear not at all.” All kinds of swearing is set aside by all who
submit to Christ as the final Authority in their lives. A simple word of
affirmation or denial, calmly repeated, is a sufficient bond of truth. A truly
righteous man speaks the truth without an oath. As Christians, we should not
yield to the evil custom of swearing, however great the pressure put upon us.
We should abide by the plain and unmistakable command of our Lord: “Swear
not at all.”
“But I say unto you, Swear not
at all.” Christ is the highest
Authority on all points of christian doctrine and christian practice. Christ as
the authoritative Teacher, Lord and Saviour, commands God’s people in the
present dispensation: “Swear not at all.” We should faithfully and
unhesitatingly take Him at His Word, not using the oath or swearing under any
circumstances. Instead of taking an oath or swearing in a court of law,
Christians, in obedience to Christ, would rather ‘affirm’ the truth of what
they say. Instead of saying, ‘I do solemnly swear ...’ we say, ‘I do affirm
that ...’ There is an essential difference between an oath and an affirmation.
When we take an affirmation, we simply state that we mean to tell the truth so
far as we understand it, knowing that if we violate this promise we are held
under the same penalties as if we had violated an oath. Let us note that while
we are definitely commanded to “Swear not at all”, the inspired
writer does not hesitate to write, “I will that thou affirm”
(Titus 3:8).
“But let your communication be,
Yea, yea; Nay, nay.” Christ’s absolute, unchanging standard is truth
and sincerity in everything. In normal or legal matters, we should be totally
truthful and dependable. Whether in the court or in our day to day
conversations, we should be truthful in every detail. Every word spoken or
written in the course of daily speech or daily transaction should be truthful -
unqualified in regard to its truthfulness. A believer’s words should be as good
as his bond and as good as an oath or as a vow. Our yes should be yes and our
no should be no. God is holy and truthful. Holiness includes truthfulness.
There is no lie or lying in holiness. There is no falsehood or deception in
righteousness. God has called us to holiness and righteous living. Anything
less than absolute truth is unacceptable to God because it is from the evil
one. “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever
is more than these cometh of evil.”
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