Do Not Swear!

James 5:12
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.

Matthew 5:34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
Matthew 5:35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
Matthew 5:37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

To swear has two meanings. First, it is using offensive language to express anger. Secondly, it is making a promise in a manner that is considered highly formal or very serious. A promise with a level of seriousness added to it. The word of God today is straight and simple on this matter. Whether you read it in Greek or English it is simply the same unmistakable thing. Do not swear!

Swearing has been confused with oath-taking. Swearing happens casually in day to day conversations. Oath-taking is a formal occasion or ceremony to install a leader. Oath-taking comes with a formal script. Oath taking is an affirmation of agreement between the leader and the led. During oath-taking people swear. The swearing during oath-taking is different from the prohibited swearing of using cursing words to express anger or casual swearing in daily conversations. The Bible does not prohibit oath-taking. God’s covenant with His people always took a form of oath-taking. “ I will be your God and you will be My people.” “We will do all that the Lord has said.” “May the blood be upon us and our children.” “Until death does us part.” “Except if adultery takes place.” Oath taking is not prohibited. Swearing is prohibited. Do not swear!

What would make oath taking wrong is the promise being made. Oath taking by terrorists or criminal elements to commit crimes is sin and criminal because of the intention. Oath taking by the mafia in order to facilitate illegal drug business, illegal arms trafficking, and even human trafficking is criminal and sinful. Any oath taking that denies someone liberty is not of God. If you take an oath to do something and never change your mind or else you die, it is wrong and sinful. God has granted freedom to everyone and no one should take from another by an oath that enslaves. The purpose of swearing an oath can make it right or wrong, but all casual swearing is wrong. Do not swear!

Swearing as a way of cursing or expressing anger is wrong and sinful. Swearing is the sudden uncontrolled expression of anger. Believers full of the Holy Spirit have self-control as a fruit of the Spirit. To lack self-control is to demonstrate a lack of God in your life. We can get angry but our anger must and should be controlled. Swearing expresses anger without control therefore it is wrong. Do not swear!

Swearing as an expression of anger uses abusive and immoral words. Swearing uses an exclamation of an abusive word. The so-called four-letter word. Also known as the “S” or “F” word. The four-letter word could be expressing defecation activities (sh*t) or sexual activities (f**k). These are profane and dirty words. As popular as they get through music and movies, a Christian should not degrade themselves by using such words. The more one consumes secular music and movies, the more likely they will use such words showing that their minds are now corrupted. Expression of anger sometimes uses terms that question the intelligence of others. “Idiot.” “Silly.” “Stupid.” While they seem tolerated but they should be removed from our vocabulary. They are offensive and can trigger resentment and violence. Therefore the biblical command today is straight and simple. Do not swear!

Unless you control your consumption of music and movies. Unless you control the influential friends you keep. Unless you deliberately seek to weed out swearing in your manner of expression, you will one day embarrass yourself by swearing to the wrong people or at the wrong place and permanently tarnish your reputation. Do not swear!

Swearing that the Bible addresses in the two texts above were common among Jews. Jews in their casual talk would swear by things and creation in order to show how serious they were or that they meant what they said. Psalm 137:5-6 is an example of ordinary day to day swearing by Jewish people. The swearing was so casual and regular that truth became a casualty. Believers who are called upon to live the truth and propagate the truth, should not defeat the same truth by casual swearing. Do not swear!

Because of casual swearing, it was difficult to trust or take anyone by their word. This is why Jesus in the Matthew text cited above and Apostle James in his letter to the church cited above, prohibited swearing. Do not swear. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Be different be trusted. The greatest evidence of conversion is a totally changed person who doesn’t swear and whose simple promise is sure. The positive impact of a converted life is greater than a mere proclamation of truths that haven’t changed us. Therefore a greater priority is to be truly converted and not just a mere understanding of doctrines, prophecies, and the so-called present truth. If our lives are truly converted that friends and foes know that our yes is yes and our no is no, we will now be effective in teaching doctrine, proclaiming prophecies and present truths. To make all these possible the command is simple. Do not swear!

Do not swear by anything. Jews in reverence to God did not swear by God and we shouldn’t. Jews instead swore by any other thing. When they wanted to demonstrate seriousness they swore by heaven and If not very serious they swore by the earth. The warning given in scripture is, do not swear whichever way. Do not swear also because everything is associated with God. Heaven is God’s throne. Earth is God’s footstool. Jerusalem is God’s city. In short, there is nothing safe to swear with that isn’t associated with God. Therefore for your own safety follow this advice. Do not swear!

Praying in the name of Jesus is not oath taking. Praying in the name of Jesus is not swearing. Praying in the name of Jesus is seeking God’s help in what we are requesting.

Finally, the Bible tells us that the culture of swearing puts us at risk to be used by satan and be exposed to judgment. We are safe spiritually if we do not swear. The Bible warns against casual vow taking because we risk being punished by God who witnesses all vow takings. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 is a serious warning against vowing, oath-taking, and swearing and then failing to fulfill the promise. God, Himself will come after you and punish you. Be careful about baptismal vows, marriage vows, the oath of office, and even promises we make to those who help us with money or out of trouble or with jobs or whichever way. God immediately becomes a guarantor of such promises and will get offended if we do not fulfill the promise we made. For your own safety, spiritually and otherwise, follow this simple command. Do not swear!

Dear God empower us so that all the oaths we have taken and will take will be executed faithfully. Dear God rehabilitate us from the culture of swearing. Save us from addiction to swearing. Enable us to disassociate with people who make swearing a usual way of life. Help us to stop the consumption of music and movies that instill in us the swearing culture. May our simple promises be understood as final without a need to swear. May our lifestyle be changed and we be truly converted that there will never be a need to swear. In Jesus’ name, Amen!