A. INTRODUCTION
1. God's Word has much to say regarding speech, understood here as "active verbal communication," as opposed to listening, which we would define as "passive verbal communication." Material for excellent sermons is contained in any of the following passages.
a. James 1:19 ( ...be quick to l __ __ __ __, slow to s __ __ __ __... )
b. Ephesians 4:11-16 ( ...speaking the t __ __ __ __ in love... )
c. Colossians 4:5-6 ( ...let your speech always be with g __ __ __ __... )
d. Matthew 12:33-37 ( ...out of the abundance of the h __ __ __ __ the mouth speaks... )
e. Proverbs 10:19 ( ...he who r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ his speech is wise... )
f. Psalm 120:2-4 ( Deliver my soul, O Lord, from l __ __ __ __ lips... )
g. Exodus 20:16 ( Thou shalt not bear f __ __ __ __ w __ __ __ __ __ __... )
h. Colossians 3:8-9 ( ...do not l __ __ to one another... )
I. James 3:1-10 ( ...the tongue also is a f __ __ __... )
2. In our text passage today, however, Jesus zeroes in on one particular and unique speech "accessory:" the o __ __ __. Our speech culture of the 20th century western world does not involve itself much with the oath -- it was much more prevalent in Bible times. But we do sometimes become involved with v __ __ __ and pepper our communications with p __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Let us consider all three this morning in the light of our Lord's teaching on the Galilean mountainside.
B. TEXT: Matthew 5:33-37 [ NKJV ]
"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord. 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. But let your 'Yes' by 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."
1. For the first time in this passage Jesus does not quote directly from the Decalogue. This should serve to remind us yet again that Jesus in Matthew 5:17-48 does not take issue with the Mosaic law; His contention was with the centuries of scribal, rabbinical and Pharisaic tampering which had added layers of man-made doctrines and traditions to the 10 Commandments which God had delivered to His people at Sinai. As we have said, Jesus began His discourse on the law by declaring that He had not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law -- to "fill it full of meaning." That process, we have seen, often required that Jesus deal first with the popular "understanding" of the specific laws about which He taught and which had been tainted or slanted by generations of "creative" religious teaching.
2. What Jesus is addressing here is, of course, the 3rd Commandment.
a. Exodus 20:7
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
b. Leviticus 19:12
And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
3. Contrary to much popular Christian teaching, the issue here is not "swearing" in the sense of profane cursing. What Jesus addresses in these verses is the use of an oath or a vow to bind a promise. His primary concern is not that His disciples correctly understand the proper taking of an oath, but that His disciples embrace and exhibit a proper regard for t __ __ __ __.
a. DEFINITIONS
(1) "Oaths are solemn declarations invoking God as a witness to statements and promises, inviting Him to punish anything false."
(2) "Vows to God are the devotional equivalent of oaths, and must be treated with equal seriousness. What one swears or vows must at all costs be done." "Honest Speech, Oaths and Vows" study notes of Nehemiah 5:12 in The New Geneva Study Bible
b. Scripture References
(1) Vows approved by God
- Genesis 24:1-9
- Deuteronomy 6:13
- Ezra 10:1-5
- Nehemiah 5:1-13
(2) Rash Vows
- Judges 11:29-40
- 1 Samuel 14:24-35
(3) The Greatest Vow in History
- Hebrews 6:13-17
- Genesis 15:1-21
(4) The Grave Seriousness of Vows
- Numbers 30:2
If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
- Deuteronomy 23:21-23
When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. But if you shall abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.
4. It was the strict requirement of the laws of Israel that, in accordance with the Third Commandment, any oath taken or vow made in the name of God must be fulfilled under any and all circumstances. Hebrew scholars had subjected this matter of "guaranteed promises" to exhaustive study. Indeed, it is examined comprehensively in the Mishnah. By the time of the Pharisees, the rigid position of the law regarding oaths had been side-stepped in two ways.
a. f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ swearing
Taking an oath had become commonplace in Jewish society, even where one was in no way required. Not only had "swearing" become a common ingredient in normal conversation, but men had taken to swearing "on" or "by" powers other than the authority of Jehovah.
(1) Four such "authorities" are recited by Jesus in v.34-36 of our text passage:
- "by h __ __ __ __ __;"
- "by the e __ __ __ __;"
- "by J __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;" and
- "by my own h __ __ __."
(2) There are at least three contemporary examples of "frivolous" swearing:
- "colloquial" swearing;
- swearing "on the B __ __ __ __" in our courts; and
- casually invoking sacred names.
"There is still need of warning here. Far too often people use the most sacred language in the most meaningless way. They take the sacred names upon their lips in the most thoughtless and irreverent way. The sacred names should be kept for sacred things." - William Barclay: The Gospel of Matthew
b. e __ __ __ __ __ __ swearing
An oath "hierarchy" had been allowed to develop; there were "binding" and "non-binding" oaths. If God's name was involved, the promise was considered irrevocable, both legally and socially. If some lesser authority was called upon, the promise was seen as not so binding. Evasion, then, had been elevated to an art form.
(1) The notion contained in such an understanding of oaths and vows was that men were free to choose whether or not to "allow" God to be a partner in their promises.
(2) Jesus makes it clear in His discourse that no such option exists. No man can keep God out of his plans and promises. What effrontery! The omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and eternal God of the universe is already there!
- Heaven is God's t __ __ __ __ __.
- The earth is His f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
- Jerusalem is His h __ __ __ c __ __ __.
- Even the h __ __ __ __ of a man's head belong to their Creator!
"Here is a great eternal truth. Life cannot be divided into compartments in some of which God is involved and in others of which he is not involved; there cannot be one kind of language in the Church and another kind of language in the shipyard or the factory or the office; there cannot be one kind of standard of conduct in the Church and another kind of standard in the business world. The fact is that God does not need to be invited into certain departments of life, and kept out of others. He is everywhere, all through life and every activity of life. He hears not only the words which are spoken in his name; he hears all words; and there cannot be any such thing as a form of words which evades bringing God into a transaction. We will regard all promises as sacred, if we remember that all promises are made in the presence of God." - William Barclay: Op. cit
5. In v.37 Jesus moves to the heart of the matter.
a. The question of which "formula" is used in making a vow is totally irrelevant in the kingdom of God. The real implication is that Christ's disciples are expected to keep their promises irrespective of any attached oath.
b. "The very existence of a vow introduces a double standard. It implies that a person's word may not be reliable unless accompanied by some sort of verbal guarantee.
To be under the rule of God (that is, in his kingdom) is to be absolutely trustworthy and transparently honest. To depart from this is to fall under the influence of the evil one." - Robert H. Mounce: Matthew (Volume 1, New International Biblical Commentary)
c. "Jesus taught that our conversation should be so honest, and our character so true, that we would not need 'crutches' to get people to believe us. Words depend on character, and oaths cannot compensate for a poor character. The more words a man uses to convince us, the more suspicious we should be." - Warren W. Wiersbe: Be Loyal
d. James 5:12 [ NIV ]
Above all, my brothers, do not swear -- not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.
C. APPLICATION
1. How far should we take Christ's prohibition of swearing?
a. The Anabaptists during and after the Reformation and conservative Quakers to this day refuse in any situation to submit to an oath.
b. Many Christians feel Christ's teaching in Matthew 5:33-37 should cause believers to refuse to swear on the Bible in a court of law.
c. It is interesting to note Jesus' own behaviour in just such a situation. It is recorded in Matthew 26:59-65. Some scholars point to this passage as evidence that our Lord's prohibition refers only to p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ relationships and not to submitting to whatever oaths or vows might be required of citizens in legal proceedings, upon joining the armed forces, or when assuming a position of great responsibility.
d. An appropriate example: w __ __ __ __ __ __ vows.
2. What all believers can agree on here is the vital matter of absolute t __ __ __ __ in our relationships. The intentional breaking of any promise -- whether or not it is accompanied by an oath -- is p __ __ __ __ __ __ Coram Deo, "before the face of God."
3. In this brief passage of Scripture Jesus addresses three important elements of Christian speech:
a. s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
b. r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __; and
c. I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
4. Our speech must be disciplined in the sense of being brought under the control of the One we call "Lord." Let us each one refrain and refine our speech until:
a. all that we say is s __ __ __ __ __ __;
b. all that we say of God is absolutely r __ __ __ __ __ __ __; and
c. all that we tell is t __ __ __.
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Read Matthew 12:33-37 in several different translations.
a. What does Jesus mean by the term "idle words" in v.36?
b. Look again at v.37. In what way might a person be "justified" or "condemned" by his / her words?
2. Read Hebrews 6:13-17 and the passage to which it refers, Genesis 15:1-21.
a. What two "immutable" things God has provided for us which give us "strong consolation?"
b. Explain the seeming conflict between Genesis 15:6, where Abram believes God through faith, and Genesis 15:8, where he asks God for some "guarantee" of His promise.
c. What was the prophetic significance of the symbolism of the smoking oven and the burning torch in Abram's vision?
3. Read Judges 11:29-40.
a. Could Jephthah have "gone back on his word" to God? _______ Explain. _
b. Can you provide Scriptural support for "talking Jephthah out of" seeing his rash vow through?
4. Two more rash vows are recorded in 1 Samuel 14:24-35 and Matthew 14:1-11.
a. Was Jonathan wrong to ignore his father's vow? ________ Why, or why not?
b. What did the vows of Jephthah, Saul, and Herod all have in common?
c. Have you ever tried to "make a deal" with God? ________ In your opinion, is "making a deal" with God right or wrong? ___________ Explain.
5. In light of Christ's teaching in Matthew 5:33-37, what do you think of wedding vows?
6. It was mentioned in Sunday's sermon that Quakers have historically refused to submit to any kind of oath, including the standard oath of allegiance required of all military personnel and even the pledge to the flag. Certain Mennonite and Brethren groups feel the same way. How do you feel about that? Use Scripture to support your position.
7. What about swearing on the Bible in a court of law? Some denominations insist on "affirming" instead, often using James 5:12 and Matthew 5:33-37 in support of their position. How do you feel about this? Is God offended when we swear "on the Bible?" Which choice ("affirming" or "swearing" stands as the "best testimony" (a line I often heard in my own Sunday School)? Explain and defend your answers.
8. List some things you feel convicted to remove from your speech. Share some of them with the group if you feel comfortable enough to do so.
