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NASB | Matthew 5:34 "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 5:34 "But I say to you, do not make an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God; |
Bible Question: Is it wrong to swear or take an oath, as in a court of law or as when assuming a public office? |
Bible Answer: Hello Hank, Yes! We should avoid the swearing or taking of oaths! But of course, I'm coming from a Mennonite perspective. We, as Mennonites, commit ourselves to tell the truth, to give a simple yes or no, and to avoid swearing of oaths. Jesus told his disciples not to swear oaths at all, but to let their yes be yes, and their no be no. (Matt. 5:33-37, James 5:12) We believe that this teaching applies to "truth telling" as well as to avoiding profane language. (Eph. 4:15,29) An oath is often sworn as a guarantee that one is telling the truth. This implies that when one has not taken an oath, one may be less careful about telling the truth. Jesus' followers are always to speak the truth and, in legal matters, simply to affirm that their statements are true. Jesus also warned against using oaths to try to compel God to guarantee the future. In faith, we commit our futures to God. (Matt. 5:34-36) Throughout history, human governments have asked citizens to swear oaths of allegiance. As Christians, our first allegiance is to God. (Acts 5:29) In baptism we pledged our loyalty to Christ's community, a commitment that takes precedence over obedience to any other social and political communities. Blessings, Nolan |