Bible Reading
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
James 5:12
James 5:12
Devotional
For many readers, today's verse is a strange verse. Most would read it, form a quick opinion on what they thought James meant, and quickly move on to the next meatier passage. But it's important to slow down and really investigate what this verse is talking about and what it means for us today. For that, we need a bit more historical context.
Many Jewish people in the time James wrote these words made important legal distinctions between “binding oaths” and “non-binding oaths.” Oaths that did not include or reference the name of God were considered non-binding, and to use such oaths was a way of “crossing your fingers behind your back” when telling a lie. It presented the idea that a person could swear an oath or make a claim to truth, but as long as they did not invoke the name of God, they could actually lie or intentionally mislead someone and it would not be considered a sin. It is these, and only these kinds of dishonest oaths, that James condemned. The Bible does not forbid the swearing of all oaths, only against the swearing of deceptive, unwise, or flippant oaths. On occasion, God Himself swears oaths (such as in Luke 1:73, Hebrews 3:11, and Hebrews 6:13) The need to swear or make oaths beyond a simple and clear yes or no betrays the weakness of one’s word. It demonstrates that there is not enough weight in one’s own character to confirm their words. Another idea presented here in James' letter is that there are times and places when integrity and honesty can be switched off or on like a light switch. But James clearly tells God's people that their conviction of a yes or no should be just that, a conviction that happened all the time, no matter the circumstance or the person you are interacting with.
What does this mean to us today? It means there are not certain circumstances where we are to live in alignment with what is right and wrong, and other circumstances when those ways can be put on hold or suspended for a time. We should not only tell the truth after we've put our hand on a Bible in a courtroom and promised to tell the whole truth. We should speak the truth at all times and to all people. We should not do the right thing only after we promised or swore an oath that we would. We should do the right thing all the time, whether we've promised to or not. We should not only do business honestly after we've shaken hands and made a deal with a person. We should do honest business all the time, whether we are bound by a contract or not. If you do not live by this type of integrity, your lack of character will be exposed at the judgment seat of Christ. This idea should motivate us all the more to prepare for that judgment by speaking with integrity, whether we are swearing an oath or not.
Many Jewish people in the time James wrote these words made important legal distinctions between “binding oaths” and “non-binding oaths.” Oaths that did not include or reference the name of God were considered non-binding, and to use such oaths was a way of “crossing your fingers behind your back” when telling a lie. It presented the idea that a person could swear an oath or make a claim to truth, but as long as they did not invoke the name of God, they could actually lie or intentionally mislead someone and it would not be considered a sin. It is these, and only these kinds of dishonest oaths, that James condemned. The Bible does not forbid the swearing of all oaths, only against the swearing of deceptive, unwise, or flippant oaths. On occasion, God Himself swears oaths (such as in Luke 1:73, Hebrews 3:11, and Hebrews 6:13) The need to swear or make oaths beyond a simple and clear yes or no betrays the weakness of one’s word. It demonstrates that there is not enough weight in one’s own character to confirm their words. Another idea presented here in James' letter is that there are times and places when integrity and honesty can be switched off or on like a light switch. But James clearly tells God's people that their conviction of a yes or no should be just that, a conviction that happened all the time, no matter the circumstance or the person you are interacting with.
What does this mean to us today? It means there are not certain circumstances where we are to live in alignment with what is right and wrong, and other circumstances when those ways can be put on hold or suspended for a time. We should not only tell the truth after we've put our hand on a Bible in a courtroom and promised to tell the whole truth. We should speak the truth at all times and to all people. We should not do the right thing only after we promised or swore an oath that we would. We should do the right thing all the time, whether we've promised to or not. We should not only do business honestly after we've shaken hands and made a deal with a person. We should do honest business all the time, whether we are bound by a contract or not. If you do not live by this type of integrity, your lack of character will be exposed at the judgment seat of Christ. This idea should motivate us all the more to prepare for that judgment by speaking with integrity, whether we are swearing an oath or not.