WPC  F^ k1BBcR eI.RO)!BJ=KKz5j5}Gmտ(2IkD'^/H>ƻ`*UP&4/M`8Uhd rY EG$v¿[A#%h] \ϵD70 X;WO >\X 3+\c| 6X;ݷn^.5ޏfuKIWP w>C| O3!9$!>a.yMiC@_1UƪE1 ڶqGe3..Uţ>FxۆѨ5AAp$fb:W#~P4J`BMBoqF2z',}o?fcTb#\UN% %s 0:y U@ ^ 0c 0cb w 4   m  j HP LaserJet 5/5M PostScript0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,(O Z(Times New Roman {4 (;3u$ O!ʏ  (;3u$ O!ʏ  u4:i+003|xU u)XXXX  _  TheSermonontheMountLesson14  ` u*XXXX  _ TheLawofOaths !USUS.,  _TRO'3Avery 5198 Audio Tape LandscapeX3' Letter'3Avery 5198 Audio Tape LandscapeX3'3'LetterTXXXXXXXXXX USUS.,  `a k р X 'XX,` XX'@  THESERMONONTHEMOUNTLESSONFOURTEEN   #XX#(XX@KK #XX(0#7XX TheLawofOaths   #XX7#XX@  Matthew5:3337 |$ #XX#&k %XXffff#XX %&k#&k %XXINTRODUCTION C ffffI.0   Afalsewitnessthat_uttereth_ԀliesisasinextremelyodioustoGod, v andmaybeemployedeithertoinjuretheinnocentortoliberatethe > guilty.(Proverbs6:19.)^  pp   A.0  Perjuryisasincondemnedbyeverycodeoflaw,ancientand &   modern,whichIknow,excepttheRomanCatholicmoralcode    of mentalreservation,whichpermitsthegivingofafalse  ^  answerasameansofcoveringthetruthuntilpropertimeto ~ &  revealit.(ExplanationofCatholicMorals,pp.289292.)F pp   B.0  Thesinoffalseandprofaneswearingwasnotoriousamongthe   JewsinthetimeofChrist.~ pp   C.0  Bearingfalsewitnessisoneoftheoldestandmostcommon F  sins.fpp II.0  ThisisthethirdillustrationtheLordusedtoteachthedifference  betweentherighteousnesspracticedbythescribesandPhariseesand f therighteousnessGodrequiresinthekingdomofChrist..pp   A.0  Inatimeofmultipliedoaths,madewithGod'sname,thetemple, N altars,heaven,earth,etc.,aregardfortruthfulnesswas  shamefullylow.pp   B.0  Lyingandprofaneswearingnotonlyinjuretheliar,itisa N menacetotheorderofsociety.npp DISCUSSION   I.0  WHATTHELAWOFMOSESTAUGHT. 6pp   A.0  ThethirdcommandmentforbadeusingGod'snameinvain V  (footnote: forvanity,orfalsehood),anddeclaredGodwillnot ! holdhimguiltlesswhouseshisnameinvain.(Exodus20:7; " Deuteronomy5:11.)V#pp   B.0  Theninthcommandmentforbadethebearingoffalsewitnessor v$ perjury.(Exodus20:16;23:1,7;Deuteronomy5:20.)>%pp   C.0  Falseswearingto forswearthyself,orperjurywasstrictly  & forbiddenunderthelaw.(Leviticus19:12;Deuteronomy  v' 19:18,19.)!>(pp   D.0  ThelawpermittedswearingbyGod'sname.(Deuteronomy ^" ) 6:13;10:20.)&# *pp  #!+  II.0  THEPHARISAICEXTENSIONSANDPERVERSIONOF X THELAW. (Matthew23:1622.) pp   A.0  Theirdeductionshadledtoavastnumberofoaths,lightly  regarded.Xpp   B.0  TheytaughtthatoathswerebindingonlywhenGod'snamewas x  usedatthetimetheoathwastaken.(cf.Matthew5:3436.)@pp   C.0  Oneeffectwasthepracticeofoathsinordinaryconversation,  swearingbycreatedthingswhichtheydidnotregardasbinding; x hence,resultinginwidespreaddishonestybybreakingtheir @ word.`  pp   D.0  InMatthew23:1622,Jesusdoesnotdenouncetheirhypocrisy, (   ashedoesintheparagraphsprecedingandfollowing,butof    theirfollyas blindguideswithreferencetotheiroaths. Here  `  thepeopleweretaughtthebindingnatureofeveryoath,and  (  boththefollyandwickednessofthedistinctionmadebythe H  Pharisees._J.W._Ԁ_McGarvey_. pp  0  X III.THELORD'STEACHINGCONCERNINGOATHS. (Matthew H  5:3337.)hpp   A.0  Swearnotatall:  Again,yehaveheardthatitwassaidtothem 0 ofoldtimeThoushaltnotforswearthyself,butshaltperform  untotheLordthineoaths,butIsayuntoyou,Swearnotatall; h neitherbytheheaven,foritisthethroneofGod;norbythe 0 earth,foritisthefootstoolofhisfeet;norbyJerusalem,foritis P thecityofthegreatKing.Neithershaltthouswearbythyhead,  forthou_canst_Ԁnotmakeonehairwhiteorblack.(Matthew  5:3336).Ppp   0  1.0ppThereisnoconclusivereasontobelievethatJesus,bythese p words,meanttoabolishwhatMosesallowedinthelaw, 8 concerningoaths,ashedidinthecaseofdivorceand  remarriage.ppp       2.0  _McGarvey_'scommentseemsmostappropriatehere: Theonly 8 oathauthorizedbythelawofMoseswasonetakeninthe X  nameofGod.(Deut.6:13.)TheoathswhichJesushere  ! proceedstoprohibit byheaven, bytheearth, by " Jerusalem, bythyhead󄄀wereallunauthorizedbythelaw. X# Moreover,itwastaughtbythescribesthattheseoaths,andall x $ otherswhichdidnotincludethenameofGod,hadnotthe @% bindingforceofanoath.Theuniversalprohibition,'swearnot  & atall'isdistributedbythespecificationofthesefourformsof  x' oaths,andis,thereforemoststrictlyinterpretedasincluding !@( onlysuchoaths.Jesussurelydidnotintendtoabolishnow,in `" ) advanceofthegeneralabrogationofthelaw,thosestatutesof X Moseswhichallowed,andinsomeinstancesrequiredthe   administrationofanoath.(SeeExodus22:11;Num.5:19.)  WhatwestylethejudicialoathsofthelawofMoses,then, X werenotincludedintheprohibition.Thisconclusionisalso x  reachedwhenweinterprettheprohibitioninthelightof @ authoritativeexamples.Godhimself,'becausehecouldswear  bynogreater,sworebyhimself'inconfirmingthepromiseto x Abraham(Heb.6:13);andhedidthesameindeclaringthe @ priesthoodofChrist.(Heb.7:21.)Jesusansweredtoanoath `   beforethe_Sanhedrin_Ԅ_Caiaphas_Ԁadministeringtheoathinthe (   form:'IadjuretheebythelivingGod.'(Matt.26:63).)Paul    alsomadeoathtotheCorinthianChurch,saying:'Icallupon  `  Godasawitnessonmysoul,thattospareyouIcamenotas  (  yettoCorinth.'(2Cor.1:23.SeealsoRom.1:9;Gal.1:20; H  Phil.1:8;1Cor.15:31;Rev.10:5,6;1Thess.2:5.)We   conclude,then,thatjudicialoaths,andoathstakeninthename   ofGodonoccasionsofsolemnreligiousimportance,arenot H  includedintheprohibition;butasthesearetheonly h exceptionsfoundintheScriptures,weconcludethatallother 0 oathsareforbidden.Alloftheseremarksapplywiththesame  forcetotheparallelpassageinJames5:12.hpp 0  0pp0pp0pp0` ppCommentaryonMatthewMark,p.57.0` p` p G    3.0  MatthewHenrysays,inhisCommentary,Vol.V,p.63: P  Wemaybesworn,butwemustnotswear;wemaybe  adjured,andsoobligedtoit,butwemustnotthrust  ourselvesuponitforourownworldlyadvantage.Ppp     4.0  ButbynomeansdoesJesuscondemnswearingtrulybefore p amagistrate,orupongraveandsolemnoccasions;because 8 thatwouldhavebeentoprohibitboththebestmethodof  endingcontroversies,Heb.6:16,andanhighactofreligious p worship,Deut.6:13,Isaiah65:16,anoathbeingnotonlya 8 solemnappealtothedivineomniscience,fromwhich X  nothingcanbehid,butadirect_acknowledgement_ԀofGod,as  ! thegreatpatronandprotectorofright,andtheavengerof " falsehood._MacKnight_X#pp   B.0  Practicalreasons whyJesusforbadeswearingprofanely.@%pp     1.0  Itisuselesstohonestmen.(verse36.)Andadishonestman  & willusuallylieunderoathifhelieswhennotunderoath.  x' Swearingwillnotbindaliar,andanhonestmanwilltellthe !@( truthwithoutit.`" )pp     2.0  Profaneswearingisa positiveevil, whenitleadsoneto X believethatlyingislesshurtfulandlesswrongwhenno   oathistaken.pp       a.0  Profaneswearingisevidenceofanevilheart.Xpp       b.0  Anditdoesnotcauseotherstobelieveyoumore x  readily.@pp   C.0   But letyourspeechbe,Yea,yea;Nay,nay: andwhatsoeveris  morethantheseisoftheevilone.(v.37)xpp     1.0  Asimpleaffirmativeornegative, Yesor No,is @ sufficientinyourordinaryconversationsandeverywhere `   sincerespeechisaccepted.(  pp     2.0  Thereasonforthisinjunction, Whatsoeverismorethan    theseisoftheevilone;becauseitcomesfromalackof  `  veracityonthepartofhimwhomakestheoath,suspicionof  (  thisonthepartofhimrequiringtheoath,andthat yefall H  notunderjudgment.(James5:12.) pp  0  X IV.GODEXPECTSUSTOKEEPOURVOWS,PLEDGES, H  WORD. (Ecclesiastes5:4;Deuteronomy23:21.)hpp   A.0  GoodexamplesareAbraham(Genesis14:2224);Jacob 0 (Genesis28:2022);Jephthah(Judges11:39);Hannah  (1Samuel1:28);Prodigalson(Luke15);Paul(Acts18).hpp   B.0  LetuskeepthepledgewemaketoGodinbecomingChristians, 0 tolivealwaysbyhiswillandpurpose.(Matthew11:29;John P 4:24;Romans8:28;2Timothy2:15.)pp   C.0  Letusalwaysgiveaswehavepurposedinourhearts.  (2Corinthians9:7.)Ppp   D.0  Letusalwayskeepoursacredvowsofmarriage.(Matthew p 19:19).8pp   E.0  Letuspayourdebts,promisestofriends(Matthew21:30),and  toourbrothers(Proverbs29:20),andnotbeguiltyas covenant p breakers.(Romans1:31.)8pp   F.0  Thedestinyofallliarsisclearlyundesirable.(Revelation21:8, X  27.) !pp   G.0  Dishonesty,oneofmankind'sgreatestproblems,works " destructioninpersonalcharacter,conscience;inhome,church, X# society;inhonor,peace,love.x $pp   H.0  Mustputon wholearmorofGod,thefirstelementofwhich @% is loinsgirdedwithtruth.(Ephesians6:14.) Study  & Revelation2:10.  x'pp VV"pCharlesCrouch#&'% %&k#