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“Do Not Swear”
Do Not Swear (Jam. 5:12)
Wade Webster
As James draws his little letter to a close, he gives a succinct sermon on swearing. He wrote, “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment” (Jam. 5:12). As we examine this passage, we will see the prohibition, the prescription, and the precaution.
The Prohibition: James instructed his brethren not to swear by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. The words “above all” put a priority on the prohibition (Eph. 6:16; Col. 3:14; 1 Pet. 4:8). The Greek tense suggests that this was an ongoing problem for James’ brethren. They were instructed to stop doing it. Likely, the prohibition in this passage reminds the Bible of similar statements in Scripture. One of the Ten Commandments warned against swearing by the name of God. We read, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). The Hebrew word translated as “in vain” refers to a light or flippant use of God’s name. God’s name was to be used carefully and with great reverence. In the Sermon on the Mount , Jesus declared, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:33-37). It seems clear that Jesus and James were addressing the same problem. Individuals were swearing by a host of things - heaven, earth, the temple, the altar, Jerusalem, etc. They were careful not to invoke the name of God. They believed that only oaths that used the name of God were binding. Both James and Jesus were condemning this deceitful practice.
The Prescription: James’ prescription for the deceitful oaths was for the brethren to let their “Yes” be “Yes,” and their “No,” “No.”. Notice the little word “but.” It is a word of contrast. James’ brethren were supposed to be different. They were to be men and women of their word. They were not to lie one to another. To the Christians at Colosse, Paul wrote, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Col. 3:9-10). They were to provide for things honest in the sight of all men (Rom. 12:17).
The Precaution: James ended his words about swearing with a precaution. He warned the brethren about falling into judgment. God would not hold guiltless those who misused His name (Exod. 20:7). He would judge all liars (Rev. 21:8). These brethren might fool some with their deceitful oaths, but they would not fool God. Everything is naked and open to His eyes (Heb. 4:13). He would bring everything into judgment, even the secret things (Rom. 2:5-6, 16). Jesus declared, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mat. 12:36-37).
Having discussed the tongue in detail in the third chapter, James addressed it one final time before the book closes. Hopefully, his brethren were listening.
