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Matthew 5:33–37
“But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black” (vv. 34–36).
“Do not swear at all,” Jesus said. What could be plainer? This is clearly a universal prohibition against making oaths, right? We must always interpret Scripture with Scripture, and the broader context of the Bible suggests that it is acceptable to take oaths. What, then, is Jesus saying?
To begin to understand this teaching, we must remember what Jesus is doing in this section of the Sermon on the Mount. He is not reinterpreting or “correcting” the Old Testament; rather, He is correcting misinterpretations of it. In the Gospels, Jesus often uses the words ” ‘It is written’ ” to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures. This was a popular Jewish euphemism in Jesus’ time; that which was “written” was God’s Word. But here in Matthew 5, Jesus repeatedly uses variations of the words ” ‘It is spoken’ ” (vv. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). When He uses these words, He is referring to the oral tradition of the rabbis—the official Jewish interpretation of the Scriptures. And He is showing where that interpretation is off target. That is why each instance of “It is spoken” is followed by “But I say to you….” God in the flesh is showing how His own revealed Word is to be understood. He is setting Himself against human traditions that distort the meaning of Scripture.
What was the mistake the rabbis had made in relation to vows? Judging by the context of Jesus’ teaching, they had allowed the people to swear by inappropriate things, such as heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or their heads. The root of this problem lies in the very purpose for which we swear “by” something. That which is cited in an oath is being called as the witness of the vow: It is understood to hear what is promised and to stand guard over the one taking the vow to ensure compliance. But inanimate objects such as heaven or earth cannot fulfill this purpose. Therefore, Jesus is summoning the people to return to the proper method of making oaths and vows. Far from outlawing them, He is showing how they are not to be made—and stating, just as does the Old Testament, that it is better not to vow at all than to vow by improper things.
In tomorrow’s study, we will delve deeper into the core problem of making vows “by” inappropriate things.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Oaths and vows do have a place in the Christian life. But as Christians, we should be so devoted to truth that our “Yes” or “No” will always be taken as “Yes” or “No.” Is this true of you? If so, give God the glory. If not, pray for divine grace to develop a reputation for truthfulness in allyour dealings with other human beings.
For Further Study
- Prov. 12:19
- Isa. 59:4
- Eph. 4:25; 6:14