Matthew 5:33-37 Speaking of Vows

[hotcoffee]

Matthew 5:33-37

Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 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 swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.[g]


One commentary I read said something that I think sums up the intent of this part of the Sermon on the Mount....

God witnesses everything we say and do. So it's redundant to swear by God. My goal is to live a life in which my word should be enough.

 

[b23hqb]

You are really touching on some topics, for sure. Topics that are easily confused by many, or just not knowing the definitions. Here are some pretty good definitions of the words in your cited passages.

Oath, Swear: an oath is a solemn declaration, usually based on an appeal to God or to some revered person or object (Matthew 5:34-36), that someone will do some particular thing--like speak the truth, perform a particular act, keep a promise, etc. To swear is to make the oath. To forswear is to swear falsely.

Vow: in scripture, vow is both an noun and a verb. One can "vow a vow" (Numbers 6:2). A vow is a solemn promise made to the Lord. It usually involves dedicating oneself or some possession to an act, service, or way of life.

 

[hotcoffee]

You are really touching on some topics, for sure. Topics that are easily confused by many, or just not knowing the definitions. Here are some pretty good definitions of the words in your cited passages.

Oath, Swear: an oath is a solemn declaration, usually based on an appeal to God or to some revered person or object (Matthew 5:34-36), that someone will do some particular thing--like speak the truth, perform a particular act, keep a promise, etc. To swear is to make the oath. To forswear is to swear falsely.

Vow: in scripture, vow is both an noun and a verb. One can "vow a vow" (Numbers 6:2). A vow is a solemn promise made to the Lord. It usually involves dedicating oneself or some possession to an act, service, or way of life.

Not picking the topics.... just posting the Sermon on the Mount right now for discussion....

This all started when it seemed that this Religion Forum seemed to only be people bickering.... You know... Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, Calvanists, tree huggers.... atheists....too many to mention actually.... all of them battling.... over what ever religious tick they could pick.... So I started posting the scriptures beginning at Matthew 1:1....

Now we're at the Sermon at the Mount... There seem to be a couple hundred of us watching these threads pretty consistantly.... it's really cool... I'm enjoying it.... Most of all I'm staying in the Word and I'm learning from it....

So ... to go back to the topic.... sorry...

Another commentary I was reading on these verses prompted me back to the 10 Commandments.... the third Commandment says...

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."​

The concept of misusing the Lord's name when making a vow [or swearing an oath] and not fulfilling it is a pretty serious notion.

 

[cheezgrits]

So when I swore to protect and defend the Constitution, so help me God...where is that covered?

 

[hotcoffee]

So when I swore to protect and defend the Constitution, so help me God...where is that covered?

Good point.... what good does it do for an unbeliever to swear by God.

It's like saying you swear by someone you don't accept or don't believe in.

It's better to just say "yes" or "no" as Jesus says.

 

[Radiant1]

[33] This is not an exact quotation of any Old Testament text, but see Exodus 20:7; Deut 5:11; Lev 19:12. The purpose of an oath was to guarantee truthfulness by one's calling on God as witness.

[34-36] The use of these oath formularies that avoid the divine name is in fact equivalent to swearing by it, for all the things sworn by are related to God.

[37] Let your `Yes' mean `Yes,' and your `No' mean `No': literally, "let your speech be 'Yes, yes,' 'No, no.' " Some have understood this as a milder form of oath, permitted by Jesus. In view of Matthew 5:34, "Do not swear at all," that is unlikely. From the evil one: i.e., from the devil. Oath-taking presupposes a sinful weakness of the human race, namely, the tendency to lie. Jesus demands of his disciples a truthfulness that makes oaths unnecessary.

New American Bible Copyright © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

 

[Radiant1]

Let your `Yes' mean `Yes,' and your `No' mean `No': literally, "let your speech be 'Yes, yes,' 'No, no.'

Oath-taking presupposes a sinful weakness of the human race, namely, the tendency to lie. Jesus demands of his disciples a truthfulness that makes oaths unnecessary.

^^That makes perfect sense and pretty much sums it up for me.

I often repeat this phrase in my household, "Say what you mean and mean what you say." In other words, let your yes be yes and your no be no. Humans have need to trust in each other. That can't be done if someone is being deceitful no matter how large or small. In fact, losing the trust of someone important to us often causes irreparable damage to ones psyche; it's just plain unhealthy. As hotcoffee said, her goal in life is to live where her word is enough.

Now I wonder is Jesus saying we should never take an oath if it's required of us? Such as in the military to support and defend the constitution? I'm not sure He meant what he said so strictly (?), but was trying to make a point about how honesty should be a given when it comes to His disciples.

 

[hotcoffee]

Now I wonder is Jesus saying we should never take an oath if it's required of us? Such as in the military to support and defend the constitution? I'm not sure He meant what he said so strictly (?), but was trying to make a point about how honesty should be a given when it comes to His disciples.

As we read on we'll see Jesus giving Rome it's due. It might be the same here.

I remember a debate that went on some years ago about the oath people take in court "so help me God" was the verbiage in question. As I recall, the only reason it was to be left in was to stress the serious nature of the oath.

Guess the good Christians that were fighting to leave God in the oath hadn't read the Sermon on the Mount.... huh....

 

[countrygirl12]

Agree. The Sermon on the Mount set the standard for the higher law, and teaches more about true discipleship.

We should follow through with our oath or promise to our fellowmen and to God (See Deuteronomy 23:21). We should also keep our word/communication simple and clear, to avoid confusion or miscommunication, this almost always creates disputations and distrust in a relationship. The Lord is about love/peace not contention.

With regard to swearing, I feel that cursing really shows a lack of self control and can ultimately become destructive to an individual. Can you really take a person who swears serious? I don't. How many employers approve profanity or swearing? I think our creator expects a lot more from us.