Swearing
“But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5.12
When I was quite young I would enjoy sitting with my mom watching the old black and white television. By today’s standards the shows were quite tame and never ventured into foul language or sexually explicit scenes. While much was left to the imagination, the imagination of a seven-year-old could only go so far. Our favorite shows were The Twilight Zone and Perry Mason.
Mom and I would often devour a half-gallon of ice cream while watching Perry Mason and I would generally hide behind the couch while watching The Twilight Zone. Through it all, the actors and actresses used proper English and told stories based more upon well thought out plots than upon sensationalism.
While watching Perry Mason, I noticed that each of the witnesses in court was asked to “swear, to tell the truth….” I picked up on that word “swear” and began using it. To say Mom was less than pleased would be a gross understatement. After Mom’s admonition, I ceased using the term and cringed whenever I heard someone else using it.
James enjoins his readers, quite sternly, to cease from swearing. This term, “swear,” (ómnumi) suggests that the individual involved is calling upon someone or something of higher rank than themselves as verification of their testimony. The writer of Hebrews bears this out when he says: “For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.” (Hebrews 6.16) By involving himself in this, the one swearing attempts to add weight to his own argument by calling on someone of greater renown. He is, essentially, calling upon God to verify something that should be a simple matter of fact – a statement of truth which needs no further verification.
When standing in a courtroom, with ones right hand raised in testimony, to “swear” to tell the truth is completely within the ability of the testifier. We should not call on heaven or earth, or on any other outside source to verify what should be our simple statement of factual truth.
The author of Hebrews verifies this by drawing upon the testimony of our Lord. “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, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” (Hebrews 6.13, 14) While the one testifying in court swears to tell the truth, God does the same. The ability of the testifier to perform his promise of telling the truth is limited by who he is – a fallen and flawed creature. To swear by a greater would be to swear to do something beyond his capability to accomplish.
Should we swear by the greater and our testimony be found in error, we will fall (píptō – “to be brought down to a lower position”) into the condemnation (hupókrisis – “judgment for hypocrisy”). The result of swearing by a greater, and then being found in error, results in that person’s testimony and character falling into question.
When God swore to bring His promises to fruition, He based His word upon His power and authority to do as He has said. Our word should never need emphatic oaths in order to be believed. A simple, “yes” or “no” should suffice. God’s Word never needs an emphatic oath because when He speaks, there is none greater. His Word is true and faithful.
Mom and I would often devour a half-gallon of ice cream while watching Perry Mason and I would generally hide behind the couch while watching The Twilight Zone. Through it all, the actors and actresses used proper English and told stories based more upon well thought out plots than upon sensationalism.
While watching Perry Mason, I noticed that each of the witnesses in court was asked to “swear, to tell the truth….” I picked up on that word “swear” and began using it. To say Mom was less than pleased would be a gross understatement. After Mom’s admonition, I ceased using the term and cringed whenever I heard someone else using it.
James enjoins his readers, quite sternly, to cease from swearing. This term, “swear,” (ómnumi) suggests that the individual involved is calling upon someone or something of higher rank than themselves as verification of their testimony. The writer of Hebrews bears this out when he says: “For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.” (Hebrews 6.16) By involving himself in this, the one swearing attempts to add weight to his own argument by calling on someone of greater renown. He is, essentially, calling upon God to verify something that should be a simple matter of fact – a statement of truth which needs no further verification.
When standing in a courtroom, with ones right hand raised in testimony, to “swear” to tell the truth is completely within the ability of the testifier. We should not call on heaven or earth, or on any other outside source to verify what should be our simple statement of factual truth.
The author of Hebrews verifies this by drawing upon the testimony of our Lord. “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, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” (Hebrews 6.13, 14) While the one testifying in court swears to tell the truth, God does the same. The ability of the testifier to perform his promise of telling the truth is limited by who he is – a fallen and flawed creature. To swear by a greater would be to swear to do something beyond his capability to accomplish.
Should we swear by the greater and our testimony be found in error, we will fall (píptō – “to be brought down to a lower position”) into the condemnation (hupókrisis – “judgment for hypocrisy”). The result of swearing by a greater, and then being found in error, results in that person’s testimony and character falling into question.
When God swore to bring His promises to fruition, He based His word upon His power and authority to do as He has said. Our word should never need emphatic oaths in order to be believed. A simple, “yes” or “no” should suffice. God’s Word never needs an emphatic oath because when He speaks, there is none greater. His Word is true and faithful.
Copyright © 2024 Dr. John H. Hill, All rights reserved.
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