False Oaths: Don't Take Them

The Pharisees said that if you swore by the Lord, you had to keep it -- but that any other form of oath was non-binding. Jesus profoundly disagreed. If you're going to swear as means of lying, then don't swear at all, He said. Because an oath calls on God to witness the truth of your speech, and because God hears all speech and knows whether it's true, then all oaths are binding. Fundamentally, oaths exist because lies exist. But that doesn't mean oaths are wicked. Not at all. Just use them wisely.