Would you swear an oath on the bible in a court of law?

[Prov910]

Would you swear an oath on the bible in a court of law?

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33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matt. 5: 33-37)
.​

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Given this, I find it ironic that courts of law in various countries around the world require us to swear on the bible. Would you?

 

[Lighthearted]

I plead the 1st Amendment. It is against my religion to swear. I promise in front of the Almighty God to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

 

[NayborBear]

Interesting observation! One I've not seen before. And, I've been around the block onced or twiced, in my 65 years!
Seeing this, I am able to see a little "clearer" now, how it is that "professional" "word manipulators", or manipulators of "light", are able to take a "piece" of truth, whilst hiding "light" which would put that piece of truth in its proper perspective, which could, and has, in times past, as well as current, Saved souls, that should not be saved", at the same time causing, or giving pain, to souls, that God, has not intended to receive pain!

This holds "doubly", for "politicians!"

 

[Prov910]

The thing is, I always sort of liked the idea that our court system recognizes God Almighty by requiring us to swear on the bible. But then I read that passage above from Matthew. And now I'm not sure what I would do. I mean, it seems pretty clear from that passage that we are not supposed to swear oaths either by things of God or by things of man. Fortunately I've never appeared in a court of law--other than traffic court. And the traffic court didn't swear me in by requiring me to swear on the bible. (btw, I won!)

I'm going to have to answer "Other". If I was in court and was asked to swear on the bible, I think I would point to the passages above from Matthew 5, and ask the judge to read them. Then I would ask him whether it would be acceptable to simply say, "yes, I will tell the truth", rather than swearing on the bible.

 

[hornetguy]

I thought most courts say "do you solemnly swear, or affirm, to tell the whole truth..... "

the phrase "or affirm" is supposed to ease the mind of Christians...

 

[Enow]

I plead the 1st Amendment. It is against my religion to swear. I promise in front of the Almighty God to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

Actually, Jesus was preaching against making an oath too and not just the swearing that people add to that oath to show their sincerity in performing and finishing that oath. Jesus said why we should not in verse 36.

Matthew 5:[SUP]33 [/SUP]Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: [SUP]34 [/SUP]But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: [SUP]35 [/SUP]Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. [SUP]36 [/SUP]Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. [SUP]37 [/SUP]But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

That is what an oath mean; you will do it. Numbers 30:2 cites God's will that those who vow has to do everything they vow to do.

Numbers 30:[SUP]2 [/SUP]If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

So regardless of the lie "so help me God" added to judicial court swearing of that oath, God cannot help any sinner perform or finish their oath.

Indeed, when the court insists that you answer yes or no to specifically to questions given when it is not really a yes or no answer, and if you don't, you will be held in contempt of court and fined, God cannot help you tell the whole truth. So the oath that the judicial court have every one make to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth is unrealistic and evil.

All the court needs to do is have the witness on the witness stand acknowledge the penalty for perjury; for lying on the witness stand, and that he or she is required to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but as the court allows it.

Which is the truth for what is going on in the court room.

This is one reason why Jesus spoke against christians making any oath or promises or commitments to God when they are supposed to be relying on Jesus Christ as their Good Shepherd all the time for helping them in living as His & in following Him.

Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage....[SUP]5 [/SUP]For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Philippians 1:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:....[SUP]11 [/SUP]Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

2 Timothy 4:[SUP]18 [/SUP]And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jude 1:[SUP]24 [/SUP]Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,[SUP] 25 [/SUP]To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

That is why it is written that the just shall live by faith; and not by keeping their commitment or promise to do so as if that is the power for living the christian life. Believing in Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd is the power for following Him.

Jesus has set me free from my commitment and all my yokes of bondages to rest in Him and all His promises to me so I can rest in Him thus relying on Him all the time for the fruits of the Spirit that I need from Him for following Him.

 

[Prov910]

Actually, Jesus was preaching against making an oath too and not just the swearing that people add to that oath to show their sincerity in performing and finishing that oath. Jesus said why we should not in verse 36.

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I'm trying to understand what you're saying, and I believe the gist of it is in this first part of your post that I've quoted above and below. (I'm not ignoring the rest of your post.)

I believe your first sentence above is saying that Jesus wasn't merely telling us to avoid swearing on things to bolster an oath we've made (e.g., swearing on the bible), but rather Jesus was telling us not to make an oath in the first place. Is that right?
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Matthew 5:[SUP]33 [/SUP]Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: [SUP]34 [/SUP]But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: [SUP]35 [/SUP]Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. [SUP]36 [/SUP]Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. [SUP]37 [/SUP]But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

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My take on the bolded part is that Jesus was saying that you shouldn't swear on your head because it's not like you'll die if you break your oath. In fact you can't even make one hair on your head white or black.

 

[Enow]

I'm trying to understand what you're saying, and I believe the gist of it is in this first part of your post that I've quoted above and below. (I'm not ignoring the rest of your post.)

I believe your first sentence above is saying that Jesus wasn't merely telling us to avoid swearing on things to bolster an oath we've made (e.g., swearing on the bible), but rather Jesus was telling us not to make an oath in the first place. Is that right?

Correct. If it is not we who live, but Christ Who lives in us, then no promises are needed from us to follow Him, but by applying faith in Him as our Good Shepherd to do His work in us so we can follow Him.

Jesus began by referencing the old times in how people would perform their oath, and includes those who swear to show their sincerity in performing and finishing that oath.

Matthew 5:[SUP]33 [/SUP]Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: [SUP]34 [/SUP]But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: [SUP]35 [/SUP]Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. [SUP]36 [/SUP]Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. [SUP]37 [/SUP]But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil..
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My take on the bolded part is that Jesus was saying that you shouldn't swear on your head because it's not like you'll die if you break your oath. In fact you can't even make one hair on your head white or black.

Look at this verse 36 in another way. Can you make a promise to make your hair white or black by your own power? ( Not counting hair colors today ) No. Who can? God can. Therefore do not make a promise that only God can keep & finish.

Do not promise to never sin again because you are unable to keep that promise by your sinful flesh. When you break that promise not to sin by sinning again, you double that sin by breaking that promise. That is why it is of evil.

How you seek to make yourself good and how you seek to follow Him is key.

Do you look to yourself in keeping a promise to make yourself good and do good in following Him or do you live by faith in Him & all His promises to you that you are His, and He will do His good work in you to help you to follow Him?

Luke 9:[SUP]23 [/SUP]And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

A believer is not denying himself if he is speaking of himself in keeping his commitment or promises in how he is following Him.

If we could not save ourselves; then neither can we follow Him. Therefore since we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we can follow Him by faith in Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd and thus by the grace of God, go I.

That is what Paul meant in not having any confidence in the flesh in getting to know Him and the power of His resurrection when he relies on Him all the time in heeding that upward call in Christ in Philippians 3rd chapter found at this link below.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+3&version=KJV

[video=youtube;_rR_Rdb1CTE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rR_Rdb1CTE[/video]

 

[bluto]

Would you swear an oath on the bible in a court of law?

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33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matt. 5: 33-37)
.​

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Given this, I find it ironic that courts of law in various countries around the world require us to swear on the bible. Would you?

I think what Jesus had in mind regarding Matthew 5:34-35 was not necessarily refering to swearing an oath in a court of law. Here He was referring to the common practice of taking an oath in the course of everyday speech as a "guarantee" of one's reliability. Please read Matthew 23:16-23. In other words, jesus commanded His followers not to make an oath of any kind, because a disciple must be dependable enough that his word alone is adequate, see vs37.It has to do with ones intergrity as a disciple.

Moreover, you have Jesus Christ Himself swearing an oath at His trial (a court room setting) at Matthew 26:63,64. And even God Himself swore by Himself at Genesis 22:16 and Hebrews 6:13. As a side note, technically it was the angel of the Lord who swore the oath at Genesis 22:16 who is the pre-incarnated Jesus Christ and Hebrews 6:13-16 backs it up.

IN GOD THE SON,
bluto

 

[Prov910]

I think what Jesus had in mind regarding Matthew 5:34-35 was not necessarily refering to swearing an oath in a court of law. Here He was referring to the common practice of taking an oath in the course of everyday speech as a "guarantee" of one's reliability. Please read Matthew 23:16-23. In other words, jesus commanded His followers not to make an oath of any kind, because a disciple must be dependable enough that his word alone is adequate, see vs37.It has to do with ones intergrity as a disciple.

Moreover, you have Jesus Christ Himself swearing an oath at His trial (a court room setting) at Matthew 26:63,64. And even God Himself swore by Himself at Genesis 22:16 and Hebrews 6:13. As a side note, technically it was the angel of the Lord who swore the oath at Genesis 22:16 who is the pre-incarnated Jesus Christ and Hebrews 6:13-16 backs it up.

IN GOD THE SON,
bluto

Agreed. OTOH, it's fine for God the Father or Jesus Christ to swear an oath. Those oaths won't be broken. But if I swear an oath or you swear an oath, there a possibility that we won't be able to live up to it.

For example, in a court of law a sneaky lawyer might ask a yes/no question for which the answer is neither yes nor no.

 

[Angela53510]

Have you been reading too much JW literature again? And what about the injunctions to obey those in authority? So, if you have to go to court, and the court requires you to "affirm" what you are saying is true, you are obligated as a Christian to do it. (This is not about disobeying a law that directly contradicts the Bible!)

I wish people would all take a course on Bible interpretation, or hermeneutics. Don't make a rigid doctrine about something that is barely mentioned in the Bible. And especially when the context is different, including what Jesus was actually talking about, the culture, etc!

 

[Prov910]

Have you been reading too much JW literature again?

Reading JW literature again? What is wrong with you? What would possibly cause you to ask this? Is this how you speak to people in your church? Or for that matter, people at the supermarket? I'm not a Jehovah's Witness. I don't recall the last time I read any JW literature.

And what about the injunctions to obey those in authority? So, if you have to go to court, and the court requires you to "affirm" what you are saying is true, you are obligated as a Christian to do it. (This is not about disobeying a law that directly contradicts the Bible!)

I try to obey the law. But I wouldn't hesitate to break man's law if I thought it conflicted with God's law. Let me ask you a question: If you were in the military and your commanding officer ordered you to wipe out a civilian village, would you do it? (lest you think this couldn't happen—do you recall Mỹ Lai?)

I wish people would all take a course on Bible interpretation, or hermeneutics.

I just wish people would quit throwing around the word hermeneutics in an effort to impress others.

Don't make a rigid doctrine about something that is barely mentioned in the Bible. And especially when the context is different, including what Jesus was actually talking about, the culture, etc!

I didn't realize that doctrine could be created by posting a poll thread on CC. Who knew?? lol

 

[stonesoffire]

I don't think an oath to tell truth in a courtroom is the same as saying, yes, by God. That's an oath that's error isn't it? Or no, by Godl Jesus then said let your yes be yes, no be no.

posting by memory so correct please if wrong.

 

[Depleted]

Would you swear an oath on the bible in a court of law?

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33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matt. 5: 33-37)
.​

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Given this, I find it ironic that courts of law in various countries around the world require us to swear on the bible. Would you?

It's not really a requirement. I would let the judge know, I'm a Christian so won't swear on it, nevertheless, I do really promise to tell the truth anyway, and do understand not telling the truth is perjury and punishable. And, I wouldn't be forced to swear on it.

 

[Ezekiel8]

"Other: Explain."

Well to be totally honest and tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing by the truth per their terms, so help me God, I have never been to court, so it would depend what I am in court for.

 

[OneFaith]

I would put my hand on the Bible and state that I will tell the truth in front of God and this court. If asked to say it word for word, using the word ‘swear’, I would explain that I can’t becuse the Bible says not to swear (promise to tell the truth), but to simply let my yes be yes and my no be no. That I am to obey God rather than man.

I did the same in high school, I answered “You want me to say that humans came from apes, but I believe what the Bible says.” It was taken to the principal. He said “If she said ‘You want me to say 3+4=7, but I believe 3+4=1’ her opinion is beside the point, she gave the answer reflecting the knowledge being taught”

My daughter was in Girl Scouts and was silent during the pledge when the word ‘promise’ was used. (Good girl).

 

[KelbyofGod]

I thought most courts say "do you solemnly swear, or affirm, to tell the whole truth..... "

the phrase "or affirm" is supposed to ease the mind of Christians...

When being "sworn in" to a public office and asked "Do you swear or affirm to...?" I answered "I affirm" which was acceptable instead of swearing. I had discussed it with the attorney prior to the ceremony.