Though hardly known, taking oaths is a big deal within Christianity. James, the half-brother of Jesus, instructed the church of Jerusalem, “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, NIV) He says “above all” at the end of a letter, including such tenents as faith without works, prayers of healing, and endurance through persecution. Above all these things, we should worry about taking oaths?! Whoa. Where does he get this from?

James’ instructions echo those of Jesus. In the first half of His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns His disciples against making oaths. He declared, “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not  make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. But make sure your statement is, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin” (Matthew 5:33-37, NASB) Well, where does Jesus get this from?

The Old Testament established the prohibition. Leviticus 5 warns, “if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil–in any matter one might carelessly swear about–even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty.” (Leviticus 5:4, NIV) Taking an oath, whatever its intention, required the payment of a sin offering–often a spotless lamb.

Of the infinite questions Christians could ask ourselves regarding eternity, salvation, and the supernatural, Jesus’ cautionary advice against swearing oaths admittedly feels frivolous. What difference can oaths make when there are cosmic consequences concerning faith and humility? Do oaths, especially caring or well-intended ones, really originate in evil, as Jesus claims? If we break it down, there’s a lot here for us to consider in our daily walk. Like any appropriate biblical interpretation, it is crucial for us to start with the cultural context.

As Jesus explains, our oaths have little value when they offer collateral that we have no imminent control or domain over. We cannot control heaven, offer Jerusalem, or even change our hair color–naturally. While we may include these as some assurance to whomever we are dealing with, we have no control to offer them legitimately.

However, Jesus’ concern goes deeper than our inability to meet our promised liabilities. Jewish, Greek, and Egyptian philosophies all have ancient texts similarly advocating against the use of oaths because it presupposes that the guarantor’s words are illegitimate without them. If I must convince you of my honesty by swearing on my city, doesn’t that incriminate my words in which I do not offer any oath? Instead, if we live truthfully with every word and action, then we have no need for grandiose assurances. The use of oaths indicts all of our words spoken without such promises.

Still, isn’t this a petty point? Can’t we accept the intention of the oath as assurance, with the cultural understanding that the collateral is meritless? What are the odds that men would manipulate oaths for their selfish interests?

Buckle up. 

There is a remarkable story at the end of Judges. Israel has been through civil war, as eleven of the tribes war against Benjamin in response to a horrid group rape. After a few battles, most of Benjamin is wiped out, with few women to help repopulate it. During the throes of the war, the eleven tribes swore an oath not to give their daughters in marriage to the brutal Benjamites and they issued a curse on anyone who chose to defy it; however, the tribes began to lament this vow after their victory. Their emotional haste before the war has vowed them into a corner. To skirt their obligation, the solution is to kidnap young women from a festival at Shiloh, a town within the tribe of Ephraim, as wives. By their logic, “when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, ‘Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each man of Benjamin a wife in battle, nor did you give them to them, otherwise you would now be guilty.’ ” (Judges 21:22, NASB) Essentially, the tribes want to backtrack on their oath. Instead of breaking it outright, they deem kidnapping a better alternative. This decision is seriously flawed but is not the worst example of manipulating oaths, unfortunately.

Earlier in Judges, a Judge named Jephthah is tapped to free Israel from the oppression of Ammonites. In his uncertainty, Jephthah makes a rash vow to sacrifice the first creature that approaches him on his return home, if God sees him through to victory and survival. Jephthah survives and returns home safely. In a terrible twist, it is Jephthah’s only child, his daughter, who greets him as he returns home. Judges 11 ends with the human sacrifice of Jephthah’s daughter (though liberal interpretations try to paint a different outcome).

Both examples reveal the heart of any vow: the oath-keepers become more concerned for their own well-being than anyone else’s. Oaths shift the focus from the honesty of keeping one’s word to the selfishness of avoiding the offered payment or punishment. By betting big in uncertainty, these biblical examples take advantage of vulnerable women for their own benefit. The tribes of Israel hope for victory, receive their request, and then decide to kidnap young women as payment. To save his own life, Jephthah murders his daughter, albeit unintentionally. We must not forget that God does not request or confirm any of these oaths, but the powerful men prefer to maintain their vow-keeping honor rather than humbly serve others. Nothing about these oaths is pure, just, or holy.

Now, there are examples of God making vows. That’s different because He is the One who can actually control the collateral of history and creation. We are accustomed to wedding vows, which follow through on God’s designed purpose for Man to leave his parents, form new families, and promise fidelity. These types of vows do not compare to the exploitation of others for selfish gain. God-ordained vows are the apples to the oranges of Man’s manipulative tactics.

By living in such a way where our ‘yes’ means ‘yes,’ Christians can live above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2). Living in a way that refutes criticism is a powerful ally in our testimony and faith in Jesus (1 Peter 3:16) Such truth and humility is vital for the success of the Great Commission. How will others trust our Gospel message if they have reason to suspect our legitimacy without oaths? Oaths—whether kept or broken—erode the legitimacy of our words and character. Let us not rely on oaths as the means to remain true to our word; instead, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” (Proverbs 11:3)

Let’s obey Christ and preserve the faithfulness of our every word by avoiding oaths. This way, the Gospel can reach the masses who need to hear it. A reputation built on everyday honesty is worth more than 1,000 oaths–I swear.

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