To read the texts click on the texts:1 Kings 19:19-21; Mt 5:33-37
The fourth of
the six antitheses is completely a Matthean composition. There is no precedence
for the absolute prohibition of oaths in Judaism. Rather, an oath invoked God
to guarantee the truth of what was being sworn or promised, or to punish the
one taking the oath if he was not faithful to his word. The Matthean Jesus here
rules out oaths completely. He rejects not only false and unnecessary oaths,
but also any attempt to bolster one’s statement claim to truth beyond the bare
statement of it. It is a demand for truthfulness in everything that one says.
If we are
convinced that we are telling the truth as we see it, there may not be any need
for us to either raise our voices when making our point or to swear or even to
call others to witness what we have said.
No comments:
Post a Comment
You may use the "Anonymous" option to leave a comment if you do not possess a Google Account. But please leave your name and URL as www.errolsj.com