PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)
NCE (English); Dip (Computer Studies); ND/HD (Journalism); Dip, BA (Theology) MA, PhD.
THE BELIEVER AND OATH-TAKING
DEVOTIONAL TEXT: MATT. 5: 33-37; JAMES 5:12
Introduction:
The Christian faith, as the Bible reveals, strictly forbids all forms of oath-taking, and the believer should adhere to this sacred tenet without compromise. According to the Scripture, the believer should not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, (Matt. 5:34). He should not swear by the earth, for it is the footstool of our Lord God, (vs. 35). He should equally not swear by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King, (vs. 35). Neither shall the believer swear by his head, that is, his person, for he cannot make one of his hair, white or black (vs. 36). But, the believer should always say the truth from his heart, without being compelled by any form of oath, for anything short of this, comes from the evil one, that is, Satan, the devil, (vs. 37).
GENERAL REMARKS
(1) The believer should not swear by any other oath, including the Bible, (James 5:12)
(2) The believer’s “yea”, should always be “yea”, and his “nay”, “nay”, (vs. 12)
(3) The believer should know that anything short of truth in his declaration brings condemnation (vs. 12)
(4) The believer, therefore, should not allow himself to be dragged into damnation by oath-taking (vs. 12)
THE BELIEVER AND OATH-TAKING IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
The Scripture enjoins that oath should not be sworn at all.. “neither by heaven, nor by the earth”… Swearing by heaven implies swearing by the authority of the kingdom of heaven, and the authority of the kingdom of heaven is the Lord God Almighty, whose name should not be taking for trivialities or belittled for self-justification. And, the injunction not to swear by the earth, which is referred to as the footstool of the Lord, as well implies that He controls everything under the sun, and Has the full knowledge of everyone’s guilt or innocence, and does not require any oath for the discharge or conviction of anyone. Therefore, to swear by heaven or the earth is a degrading of the person of God, and abuse of His supremacy, thus, a grave sin against the Most High, which leads to outright damnation. To this end, the believer should learn to:
(i) Speak the truth from his heart at all times, (Psalm 15:1-2)
(ii) Resist the temptation that leads to oath-taking, (Matt. 5:33-34)
(iii) Reject any call to swear by heaven or the earth, (vs. 35)
THE BELIEVER AND OATH-TAKING BY HIS PERSON
The Scripture also instructs the believer not to swear by his person (or head), since he cannot make one of the hair of his head, white or black, (Matt.5:36). To swear by one’s head is to evoke judgment or curses on self, as a way of declaring one’s innocence in a dispute. By implication, one under such an oath suffers the verdict of the judgment or curses of the oath, if guilty, but goes free if innocent. But, this is biblically wrong, as no one, except God, has the right to judge or justify self or others, where simple truth is required. By this, therefore, the believer should strictly refrain from:
(i) Anything that compels him to swear by his person or head (Matt.5:36)
(ii) Self –justification, in the name of oath-taking, which God forbids, (vs. 36)
(iii) Being disobedient to God’s Word, which forbids swearing by one’s head, (vs. 36)
THE BELIEVER AND ANY OTHER OATH
“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no”, “no”, lest you fall into judgment”, (James 5:12 NKJV). Here is the crux of the matter, as the verdict of “no oath-taking” is before the believer, and this, by extension, include judicial and oath of office. To the believer, affirmative statement in judicial process (in court) could be permitted, but on no account should he swear by the Bible or any other oath. Also, the believer should understand that the oath of office sworn by political office holders is Satan’s subtle way of leading people into oath-taking, which the Word of God is against, and here the choice of the believer is paramount. Based on this, the attention of the believer is drawn to the biblical truth that:
(i) Oath-taking leads to judgment, (James 5:12)
(ii) Satan is the brain behind oath-taking, (Matt. 5:37)
(iii) God desires simple truth, not oath-taking, (James 5:12)
In conclusion, please note that oath-taking is a serious violation of God’s word, and so, should not be treated with levity. A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE.
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