“But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.” ???
12 But above all things. It has been a common vice almost in all ages, to swear lightly and inconsiderately. For so bad is our nature that we do not consider what an atrocious crime it is to profane the name of God. For though the Lord strictly commands us to reverence his name, yet men devise various subterfuges, and think that they can swear with impunity. They imagine, then, that there is no evil, provided they do not openly mention the name of God; and this is an old gloss. So the Jews, when they swore by heaven or earth, thought that they did not profane God's name, because they did not mention it. But while men seek to be ingenious in dissembling with God, they delude themselves with the most frivolous evasions.
It was a vain excuse of this kind that Christ condemned in Matthew 5:34. James, now subscribing to the decree of his master, commands us to abstain from these indirect forms of swearing: for whosoever swears in vain and on frivolous occasions, profanes God's name, whatever form he may give to his words. Then the meaning is, that it is not more lawful to swear by heaven or by the earth, than openly by the name of God. The reason is mentioned by Christ -- because the glory of God is everywhere inscribed, and everywhere shines forth. Nay, men take the words, heaven and earth, in their oaths, in no other sense and for no other purpose, than if they named God himself; for by thus speaking they only designate the Worker by his works.
But he says, above all things; because the profanation of God's name is not a slight offense. The Anabaptists, building on this passage, condemn all oaths, but they only shew their ignorance. For James does not speak of oaths in general, nor does Christ in the passage to which I have referred; but both condemn that evasion which had been devised, when men took the liberty to swear without expressing the name of God, which was a liberty repugnant to the prohibition of the law.
And this is what the words clearly mean, Neither by heaven, neither by the earth. For, if the question had been as to oaths in themselves, to what purpose were these forms mentioned? It then appears evident that both by Christ and by James the puerile astuteness of those is reproved who taught that they could swear with impunity, provided they adopted some circuitous expressions. That we may, then, understand the meaning of James, we must understand first the precept of the law, "Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain." It hence appears clear, that there is a right and lawful use of God's name. Now, James condemns those who did not indeed dare in a direct way to profane God's name, but endeavored to evade the profanation which the law condemns, by circumlocutions.
But let your yea be yea. He brings the best remedy to correct the vice which he condemns, that is, that they were habitually to keep themselves to truth and faithfulness in all their sayings. For whence is the wicked habit of swearing, except that such is the falsehood of men, that their words alone are not believed? For, if they observed faithfulness, as they ought, in their words, there would have been no necessity of so many superfluous oaths. As, then, the perfidy or levity of men is the fountain from which the vice of swearing flows, in order to take away the vice, James teaches us that the fountain ought to be removed; for the right way of healing is to begin with the cause of illness.
God himself takes an oath by his own name, and the Torah speaks many times to people taking proper oaths in God's name. Take a step back and look at God's Word on the whole and don't take one verse out of context to justify a simple and negligent view that there is no proper place for swearing by God's name. Oaths have place in the law and properly bind us in our marriages and most importantly, bind our faith that we might be reminded of the severe penalty from God for breaking our oaths in His name.
James is the New Testament, That’s after the old and telling you not to do it. They also performed sacrifices in the Old Testament, that doesn’t mean I should be cutting lambs.
“Oaths have a place in the law” the law (even in America) is derivative, if law keeps your marriage together it isn’t your Love. Laws of this world are unnecessary and used to take men away from God. (“No laws, just Love God and your neighbor” - Jesus)
Also, to swear an oath of office to a document that can be changed by a majority rule? A document that randomly outlaws alcohol and then not, a document that didn’t even consider black people full humans until it was amended? At least swear on the Declaration of Independence, there is truth there.
You will break your Oaths in his name. It’s pretty explicitly stated in the Bible that even his most trusted broke oaths (Peter is what I’m specifically referring to, but we can say Judas as well) we are human and fuck up all the time. This is why we shouldn’t make oaths, just be of our good word.
Did mine June 25th 2020 still have it too☺️☺️
“But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.” ???
God himself takes an oath by his own name, and the Torah speaks many times to people taking proper oaths in God's name. Take a step back and look at God's Word on the whole and don't take one verse out of context to justify a simple and negligent view that there is no proper place for swearing by God's name. Oaths have place in the law and properly bind us in our marriages and most importantly, bind our faith that we might be reminded of the severe penalty from God for breaking our oaths in His name.
James is the New Testament, That’s after the old and telling you not to do it. They also performed sacrifices in the Old Testament, that doesn’t mean I should be cutting lambs.
“Oaths have a place in the law” the law (even in America) is derivative, if law keeps your marriage together it isn’t your Love. Laws of this world are unnecessary and used to take men away from God. (“No laws, just Love God and your neighbor” - Jesus)
Also, to swear an oath of office to a document that can be changed by a majority rule? A document that randomly outlaws alcohol and then not, a document that didn’t even consider black people full humans until it was amended? At least swear on the Declaration of Independence, there is truth there.
You will break your Oaths in his name. It’s pretty explicitly stated in the Bible that even his most trusted broke oaths (Peter is what I’m specifically referring to, but we can say Judas as well) we are human and fuck up all the time. This is why we shouldn’t make oaths, just be of our good word.
Not my words - Jesus’ brother’s words.
Where did this originate?
Here anon: https://qagg.news/?read=4510
I'm not sure. I found it a year or so ago. Never found the original source but I thought it was an awesome video.
I agree. Thanks for sharing.