Matthew 5:33-34 33 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: (This expresses teaching from Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; and Deut. 23:21, 23.) 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is Gods throne “Swear not at all”: This should not be taken as a universal condemnation of oaths in all circumstances. God Himself confirmed a promise with an oath Christ Himself spoke under oath. And the law prescribed oaths in certain circumstances. What Christ is forbidding here is the flippant, profane or careless use of oaths in everyday speech. In that culture, such oaths were often employed for deceptive purposes To make the person being victimized believe the truth was being told, the Jews would swear by “heaven,” “earth,” “Jerusalem,” or their own “heads” (verses 34-36), not by God, hoping to avoid divine judgment for their lie. But it all was in God’s creation, so it drew Him in and produced guilt before Him, exactly as if the oath were made in His name. Jesus suggested that all our speech should be as if we were under an oath to tell the truth
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 23:47:20 +0000
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