TO TELL THE TRUTHMatthew 5:33-37; 23:16-22

THE DISCIPLE’S HANDBOOKStudies in the Sermon on the Mount

THE DISCIPLE’S HANDBOOK

Disciple’s Character

Code

Worship Economy

Relationships

Choices

THE DISCIPLE’S CODEGood Enough (5:17-20)

If Looks Could Kill (5:21-26)

Flames of Desire (5:27-30)

Breaking Up is Hard … on You! (5:31-32)

To Tell the Truth (5:33-37)

Sweet Revenge (5:38-41)

I Love Him … I Love Him NOT! (5:43-48)

41%

59%

2. Translations treat Matthew 5:33 differently. Which of the following do you think better expresses the idea of the Old

Testament reference?

Don't make promises you don't intend to keepDon't break your promises once you have made them

CROSS MY HEARTAnd hope to die – stick a needle in my eye!?

54%

46%

3. All other things being equal, do you put more, or less, con-fidence in another person's word if he/she swears to the

truthfulness of that word?

MoreLess

89%

11%

1. What is the purpose of oaths?

To demonstrate honestyTo mask dishonesty

Matthew 5:33

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'

Numbers 30:2

When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

Exodus 22:10-11 "If a man gives …[an] animal to his neighbor for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking, 11 the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath before the LORD that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person's property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required.

Hebrews 6:16

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.

27%

73%

5. When Jesus said "Do not swear at all" (NRSV), do you think he had common profanity in mind?

YesNo

Swearing & Cursing Validate …

• I didn’t take your cowThe truth of a statement

• A vow made to the LordThe certainty of a promise

Swearing an oath invokes a witness

“By God, I’m going to do it.”

“As God is my witness.”

“I swear on my mother’s grave.”

“That’s the God’s honest truth.”

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and

nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

Cursing invokes dire consequences

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

“God help you if you’re lying to me.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die. Stick a needle in

my eye.”

God Swore Oaths

If you swear

something is true, it

had better be true.

If you swear you’re

going to do

something, you had better do

it.Ex

pect

ation

sAb

out O

aths

Leviticus 19:12

"'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

Exodus 20:7

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

CROSSED MY FINGERSSo it doesn’t count – or does it?

Matthew 23:16-22 "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.'

Matthew 23:16-22 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

Matthew 5:34-36

But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

16%

84%

4. When Jesus says "Do not swear at all" (NRSV), do you be-lieve he intended to prohibit judicial oaths?

YesNo

DON’T CROSS THE LINEOnce you cross, you may never get back across!

Matthew 5:37

Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

James 5:12

Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

1 Peter 3:10

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Proverbs 12:22

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.

Proverbs 19:5

A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free.

Psalms 5:6

You destroy those who tell lies.

Revelation 21:8

The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Colossians 3:9-10

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Ephesians 4:25

Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

SUMMING UPGiving an Oath Matters

Giving an oath matters

Because not all words are true.

But if all your words are true,

Then giving an oath doesn’t

matter.