Ungodly Word Games

Introduction:
The best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture.
Sometimes we come to a passage of Scripture that seems like a puzzle. If we take it at face value, based only on what we read in the immediate context, it seems to say something that is conflict with other portions of Scripture.
Whenever that happens, knowing what Scripture is — knowing that it does contradict itself — we begin thinking and comparing with Scripture to arrive at a legitimate understanding of what that puzzling section truly means.
In this case, at face value it seems that Jesus is disallowing ALL taking of vows, ALL swearing of oaths. But we know that Jesus did not come to contradict the Word of God. He is God in human flesh. It is HIS WORD.
He is not contradicting ANY portion of Scripture.
When you consider all of Scripture it is plain to see that there are legitimate uses of vows and oaths. We will see that today. Jesus cannot mean that He opposes that.
When you rule that out and pay careful attention to what Jesus is saying here, what becomes clear is that Jesus is dealing with THE MISUSE of vows. A misuse that involved WHEN a vow should be taken, and HOW a vow should be taken.
Yet even then, when we recognize THAT, I still don't believe that we have gotten to the heart of the issue.
WHAT JESUS TAKES ISSUE WITH IS NOT FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOUT VOWS. IT IS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT VOWS AND OATHS ARE CONCERNED WITH.
What Jesus is concerned with has to do with why people take a vow — why they declare an oath. JESUS IS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD TRUTHFULNESS.
What Jesus demonstrates is that true righteousness is concerned with the truth.
True righteousness is not dishonest.
True righteous