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Graduates of medical universities take the oath of a doctor; those liable for military service take the military oath; the president of the country publicly pledges his loyalty to the people. An oath is a special solemn promise that is given in exceptional cases. Signing the text of the oath is an indispensable condition for those who intend to become a deacon or priest of the Orthodox Church.
Why does a future priest take the oath? What obligations does he take on? Doesn’t this oath contradict the Bible, since in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus Christ directly called: “But I say to you: do not swear at all” (Matthew 5:34)? Archpriest Oleg Kruchinin, rector of the Boriso-Gleb Church of the Hours of Yar, answers these questions.
The Old Testament custom allowed the Jews to swear, as Joseph did
An oath is a solemn promise to do or not to do something depending on the situation. Also, an oath is an assurance of the authenticity of a particular fact.
The oath implies that if a person’s words do not match his deeds, some kind of punishment will befall him. Usually this is deprivation of what they swore, so they swear by something expensive in order, based on the risk they have taken, to confirm the seriousness of their statement.
There are many examples in the Old Testament of people swearing:
Life 47:29
“And the time came for Israel to die, and he called his son Joseph and said to him: If I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will show me mercy and righteousness, and will not bury me in Egypt.”
An oath carried more weight than a promise. In fact, taking an oath from Joseph was the surest option available to dying Israel. And his desire to be buried in his native land is an old tradition, known since prehistoric times.
It happened that travelers even carried with them their native land, or the bones of their ancestors. Burial next to parents and grandfathers was the most important culmination of life for ancient peoples.
The elderly Jacob took an oath from his son Joseph to bury him in his native land. In Rembrandt's painting, Jacob blesses Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim shortly before his death
That is why Israel acts so harshly, demanding an oath from Joseph in order to die calm for his posthumous fate.
But at the same time, it is symptomatic that Israel was not satisfied with a simple promise, but considered it necessary to put its son under strict conditions of an oath. However, he himself, as we remember, was not very sincere with his father when he received his blessing by deception, and he encountered the same attitude from his children.
The Jews swore before God
As is clear from the New Testament, an oath was taken before God:
Mf. 5:33
“Again you have heard that it was said to the ancients: Do not break your oath, but fulfill your oaths before the Lord.”
However, it is obvious that Jesus does not rely on the Old Testament text that we have. There are no such expressions literally in it. There are similar ones:
Lev.19:12
“Do not swear falsely by My name, and do not dishonor the name of your God. I am the Lord."
The Jews could swear by the name of God, but only if they told the truth:
Numbers 30:3
“If anyone makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath, placing a vow on his soul, then he must not break his word, but must fulfill everything that has come out of his mouth.”
Deut.23:21–23
“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, fulfill it immediately, for the Lord your God will exact it from you, and sin will be upon you; if you have not made a vow, then there will be no sin on you. Whatever has come out of your mouth, you shall observe and do, just as you promised the Lord your God the freewill offering that you spoke with your mouth.”
Honestly
Many of us have heard the words of Jesus Christ: “do not swear at all.” But many of us continue to swear. We swear by everything - God, mother, heart, Motherland, blood, children, ourselves, health, heaven, earth, memory, etc. Is it possible to do this? Why did Jesus say not to swear? What did He mean? Or are some oaths acceptable? In general, what is an oath? What is a promise? What is an oath? You see how many questions there are. Let's try to figure it out
Sheba
To begin with, let us quote Christ’s words about the oath in full. “Again you have heard what was said to the ancients: Do not break your oath, but fulfill your oaths before the Lord. But I say to you: do not swear at all: not by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King; Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your word be: yes, yes; no no; and anything beyond this is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:33–37).
The word "oath", in Hebrew "sheba" means "solemn promise, affirmation." In Russian it means the same thing.
In the time of Moses, the oath was known among the Jews as a very ancient custom. There were oaths in various types and forms. For example, there was an oath in the form of one person’s assurance to another person or group of persons of the correctness and truth of the words spoken by him. The Jews had an oath in the form of calling God to witness the truthfulness of what was said. Such an oath concerned the facts of the present, past and future, as well as assurances of the authenticity of any facts or actions. In many countries around the world there is an oath that is taken at the request of the government, for example before a court. There is an oath in the form of an oath, for example, taken before military service. There is an oath-promise, for example, about non-disclosure of secrets when joining any societies (for example, Masonic). There is an oath of people united by one profession. For example, the Hippocratic Oath among doctors.
Most often in the Bible, an oath had two forms: The first form is an oath confirming what a person was an eyewitness and the second form is a promising oath, in which a person promised to perform some act.
In different types of oaths, according to the customs of different nations, the name of God may be absent or present. So, for example, among pagan peoples they swore without referring to God. “They swear by the sin of Samaria and say: “As your God lives, Dan!” (Amos 8:14). The Lord God, turning to the prophet Jeremiah, said: “Your sons have forsaken Me and swear by those who are not gods” (Jer. 5:7). The pagans swore by objects of pleasure. “On that day the beautiful virgins and young men who swear by the sin of Samaria will melt with thirst” (Amos 8:13–14).
In pagan countries they swore by the name of kings and pharaohs. “This is how you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you will not come out of here unless your youngest brother comes here” (Gen. 42:15). Among the ancient Jews, the oath was also widely used since time immemorial. The Hebrew patriarch Abraham swore. “And Abraham said, I swear” (Gen. 21:24). The Hebrew patriarch Joseph swore to his father, Israel.
The oath was often used by ordinary people, prophets and patriarchs of the Jewish people. “But Abraham said to the king of Sodom: I lift up my hand to the Lord God Most High, the Lord of heaven and earth, that I will not take even a thread or a shoe strap from all yours” (Genesis 14:22-23).
Moses regulated the use of oaths in the Jewish environment and gave rules and restrictions associated with the use of oaths. So Moses prohibited the use of a false oath using the name of God. “Do not swear falsely by My name, and do not dishonor the name of your God. I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:12). Moses commanded that oath promises be fulfilled. “If anyone makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath, placing a pledge on his soul, then he must not break his word, but must fulfill everything that has come out of his mouth” (Num. 30:3). Moses declared that only the oath in which the name of God was invoked was firm. “Fear the Lord your God, and serve Him alone, and cleave to Him, and swear by His name” (Deut. 6:13). Moses allowed the Jews to use oaths in the form of justifying assurance during controversial issues, as well as the use of an oath before the court to confirm testimony “an oath before the Lord be between both, that the one who took did not stretch out his hand on his neighbor’s property” (Ex. 22:11 ).
But despite the instructions of Moses, over time the oath began to be used by Jews not only in especially important cases of life, but also for any trifles, and in ordinary colloquial speech. Back in Old Testament times, the ancient Jews on Mount Sinai were told: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Ex. 20:7). In vain, that is, in vain.
However, the ancient Jews very often violated this injunction and frivolously pronounced the name of God, using this name in their false oaths. Along with this, the Jews very often and unjustifiably referred to God, and also cursed themselves in His name, that is, they called upon their heads heavenly punishment, which should punish those who swear if they are wrong. That is, they swore in the name of God. At the same time, Jews used different formulations in their oaths. For example, after their statements they repeated the wording “As the Lord lives”, which meant that they swear by God. “Gideon said: These were my brothers, the sons of my mother. The Lord lives!” (Judges 8:19).
In addition, the Jews used in their oaths such formulations as “let God do this and that to me” (1 Kings 2:23). “And he said: Let God do this and that for me, and even more, if …” (2 Kings 6:31). Along with this, the Jews repeatedly and unjustifiably took God as a witness to confirm that they were right. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, in the words of the Jews when pronouncing oaths and references to God, rightness and truth were absent. “Although they say, “As the Lord lives,” they swear falsely” (Jer. 5:2). That is why Moses, in order to protect his people from the grave sin of perjury, and showing condescension to the hard-heartedness of the Jews, allowed them to pronounce oaths, but on the condition that these oaths were not false.
As researcher A.G. Dolzhenko writes, Moses pointed out that the oaths pronounced by the Jews must be fulfilled. This applies to vows, assurances and promises. “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, fulfill it immediately, for the Lord your God will exact it from you, and sin will be upon you” (Deut. 23:21). Moses also instructed the Jews not to refer to God in their false assurances, not to point to the Lord as a witness to the truth of their false statements, and not to take God's name in vain. “Do not swear falsely by My name, and do not dishonor the name of your God. I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:12).
The ancient Jews not only often took the name of God in vain, that is, to disguise their lies, to justify greed and money-grubbing, but they also openly violated their oaths sealed in the name of God.
…By the way, don’t think that we are talking here only about Jews and trying to show that they are worse than others. No nationality is worse than another. Everyone has the same sins. We talk about Jews in the context of Christ’s words, which apply to all of us...
So, such actions became widespread in the Jewish state, because the Pharisees, indulging in perjury, came up with numerous justifications for this sin. So, for example, the Pharisees, calming the conscience of the Jews, argued that in oaths it is forbidden to swear only in the name of God and therefore all other, obviously false oaths supposedly do not contain sin. It was the Pharisees who advised the Jews in such oaths to swear by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, their own heads, etc., instead of the name of God.
The Pharisees also falsely claimed that a false oath in the name of personal gain and selfishness was allegedly allowed in cases where the insincerity of the oath cannot be proven and if such an oath allows one to cleverly circumvent the Law and successfully arrange one’s affairs. At the same time, the Pharisees forgot to point out to the people that any false oath, regardless of whether it is pronounced in the name of God or not, still remains false and is a sin.
Honest people don't need an oath
That is why Jesus Christ irreconcilably condemned the Pharisees, declaring that such oaths in any case violate the Law of God.
Jesus Christ and the Pharisees
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ gave a comprehensive explanation of why such Pharisaic oaths cannot be used; we have given the text of these words above. Jesus Christ calls not to believe the Pharisees, who, condoning human weaknesses, allow an oath without the name of God. Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount explains why you cannot use Pharisee oaths and swear neither by heaven nor by earth, nor by Jerusalem, nor by your head.
The words of Jesus Christ must be understood in the sense that heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and everything else belongs only to God. Everything comes to man from God and everything in the world is God. And from what man received from God, everything was washed by the atoning blood of the Savior. Therefore, no matter what a person swears, in essence he swears by what does not belong to him, but to God, because a person has nothing of his own that is not given by God. In this case, a person should not put anything forward to confirm that he is right. Everything that people have, like human life itself, bears the imprint of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And it is from this point of view that the oath must be considered.
Therefore, a person should swear only by the name of God, which God allowed to be invoked in an oath. Therefore, one cannot swear by heaven, since man does not own it and because heaven is a symbol of the throne of God. You cannot swear by the earth, since it also belongs to God, being His footstool. One cannot swear by the earth because the earth is the human habitat and should not be tainted by a false oath. And also because the earth is not a symbol of holiness, since there is a lot of evil, sin, lies and injustice on it. And therefore, swearing by the earth, a person swears by the evil that dominates it. You cannot swear by Jerusalem, since it is the city of the great King. The great king in Jerusalem was Solomon, as he built the Great Temple in this city in honor of the True One God. But in the above words, Jesus Christ is called the Great King. The Bible speaks about Christ as a King: “I am a King. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I came into the world, to testify to the truth; “Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice” (John 18:37). It was in this city that His preaching activities took place. It was in this city that He was crucified and He was resurrected. Therefore, this city can be called the city of the great King, Jesus Christ.
One cannot swear by this city also because Jerusalem, after the public ministry of the Savior, became a symbol of religious and moral life, a city closely connected with the biography of Christ. You cannot swear by your head because the head is a symbol of the mind, the intellectual and moral life of a person. And intelligence and creative abilities are also given by God and do not belong to man. Therefore, you cannot swear by them either. The head is a symbol of human life in general, which, like the mind, belongs to God. And since a person has nothing of his own in this world, and everything is received from God, then one must swear only in the name of God. “For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Jesus Christ wanted His followers to demonstrate morality higher than that of the Pharisees. Therefore, it can be assumed that Jesus Christ believed that those people who became poor in spirit, crying over their own and others’ sins, became meek, truthful, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, cannot lie and are worthy of such trust that they do not need to be supported your words with an oath. Therefore, the words of such people, “yes” or “no,” will be more reliable and firmer than the oaths of sinners and deceivers. Jesus Christ called all other people to become just such, morally pure people and not to swear at all, because a morally pure person is not capable of deceiving. If a person is required to swear confirmation of his words, then this indicates that such a person is not believed, because he has stained himself with a false life and evil deeds, and it is not enough to hear the words “yes” or “no” from him, but confirmation is needed his words are also an oath. An honest person may not swear at all, since he always tells the truth. Therefore, for honest people, an oath is simply not needed.
A. Dolzhenko notes that for people with a low moral level, an oath is useful for the simple reason that it will keep a person from the sin of perjury. The idea that if a person did not take an oath, then he has nothing to break, and he can lie for the sake of profit, is incorrect because with or without an oath, a person must still remain honest. But for people with low morality and prone to sin, an oath is useful in that such a person, fearing God’s punishment, will still observe the oath and show honesty in relation to its fulfillment. Perhaps such a person will develop in the future in a moral sense and will no longer break his oath, not only because of the fear of God’s punishment, but also because of an awakened conscience.
Thus, an oath for a person at the first stage of his moral development will be useful in that it will play the role of a deterrent and protect a person from possible sin in the form of perjury.
Having said that the words of people should be “yes, yes,” “no, no,” and everything beyond this “is from the evil one,” Jesus Christ indicated that the guiding principle in all conversations of people should be the truth in its concise presentation. All other words, “what is beyond this,” that is, beyond the truth, “is from the evil one,” says the Lord. Truth comes only from God. Lies, misinterpretations, falsification and distortions come from the evil spirit, the “father of lies.” Therefore, the person who deviates from the truth thereby surrenders himself to the power of the evil one. The truth can be spoken only when a person lives according to the Precepts of God and is guided by the teachings of the One who is the Absolute Truth Himself. That is, God is the embodiment of Reason, Wisdom, Truth and Light. Therefore, all the actions and words of a true Christian should be bright and clear, like a ray of light.
Christ’s call that “Let your word be: yes, yes, no, no” also applies to the way of conducting conversations, constructing phrases and the culture of speech in general. With these words, Jesus Christ condemns insignificant conversations and idle talk, the use of rude and abusive expressions, flattery and lies in speech, and calls on people to ensure that their short speech is filled with clear meaning and deep meaning, and makes a favorable impression on the listener. “Let your word always be with grace” (Col. 4:6), the Apostle Paul explains the teaching of Christ.
Jesus Christ calls on people not only not to abuse the name of God, but also to take care that speech does not offend the interlocutor, is devoid of swear words, serves the ideals of goodness and strengthening of faith, has educational value and is pleasant for listeners. “Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but only that which is good for edification of the faith, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29).
Solemn promise
So, did Jesus forbid swearing at all? You can't say that. God hates false oaths and people who live according to God’s commandments are not allowed to be disingenuous when they swear in the name of God. And, in general, you don’t need to do this often. And, if possible, don’t do it at all. There is an old Russian proverb: he who swears often often lies.
In general, what does the word “oath” mean? This is a solemn promise. The oath was perceived by the Israeli people as the absolute truth and ended any dispute, because it called for judgment on the violator of the word. And you and I know that the Lord allowed us to swear in His name.
The Savior’s words “do not swear at all” do not need to be understood that Jesus is completely against swearing as such. But Jesus speaks in the sense that there is no need to swear in different ways, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by Jerusalem, nor by head. In other words, there is no need to swear by these things in different forms, types, and variations. And, in general, nothing and no one. Everything belongs to God. By his categorical denial of oaths, Jesus Christ rejects all loopholes and exceptions that distort the original meaning of these commandments.
In Matt. 23:16-22 Jesus, calling the Pharisees hypocrites, says: “Woe to you, blind leaders, who say: If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is guilty. Mad and blind! What is greater: gold, or the temple consecrating gold? Also: if anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on it, he is guilty. Mad and blind! What is greater: the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? So he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it; and he who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who dwells in it; and he who swears by heaven swears by the Throne of God and Him who sits on it.”
Likewise, it is very important for us to watch our words, the promises we make to our neighbors. Let us remember that Jesus is not against swearing in general, but He is condemning the distortion of Scripture by men regarding oaths. We cannot swear on our lives, or on our mother (“I swear on my mother”), on any part of our body or on God’s creation, because it all actually belongs to the Lord. We have no power over this. Unlike the Pharisees who were unfaithful to God, we need to avoid all guile and cunning in our words.
The second commandment that will help the believer to treat oaths correctly is that we need to live in such a way that we do not swear at all
Notice Jesus says, “But let your word be, yea, yea; no no; and anything beyond this is from the evil one.” With these words, Jesus Christ clearly shows that, in fact, a person can do without oaths even in the face of God; it is enough for him to say either “yes” or “no.” But if, due to his cunning and dishonest intentions, he again uses the famous oath formulations of the Pharisees, that is, says “beyond this,” then this is from the evil one.
The martyr Apollonius (180 A.D.) told his judge that it was something shameful for a Christian to take an oath, and immediately added: “If you want me to swear that we honor the emperor and pray for his government, then I will take a sure oath to this before the true God.” And do you know what the judge did to Apollonius after such an answer? He called his words excellent.
Likewise, it is important for us to treat the oath with wisdom. You and I know that the Holy Scriptures do not prohibit swearing in the name of God or before God (Abraham, prophets, apostles), but this should not lead us to think that we confirm every word with an oath.
Jesus shows us that a person should lead a life whose words people will trust. He must be honest and sincere in every word he utters. In order to fulfill your promise, you don’t need to swear or swear - you just need to be responsible about your words. Jesus shows that the guarantee of fulfillment of a word is not so much an oath as a person's faithfulness to what he says.
Craig Blomberg, in his commentary “The Old Testament in the Pages of the New,” writes that “the goal of the believer is to be so faithful to his promise that oaths are not needed at all.”
We need to be aware of our words. We should not make hasty promises, the fulfillment of which causes us difficulty. Some Christians, like the Pharisees, engage in casuistry, that is, they skillfully use various verbal constructions in order to justify their irresponsibility in fulfilling this or that promise. We need to live in such a way that our words, our promises are accepted by people without any oaths.
So is it necessary to swear? Here the author recalls the words of Father Mikhail from the wonderful feature film “Pop”. A little girl had just been baptized in the church. And she began to squeak with joy. And asked Fr. Mikhail: “Father, is it a sin to squeak?” To which he replied with an inner smile: “Squeak? It's not a sin to squeak. But it’s better not to squeak.”
Some people unknowingly swore by their children, parents, etc. They later continued to regret it all their lives and feared for those they swore to. Firstly, swearing on someone is a sin. And this sin must be repented before God. Secondly, don’t be afraid, nothing will happen to your loved ones. Their lives are in God's hands, not in your words.
They swear and swear
What is an oath? An oath is essentially an oath, a promise. The oath is taken only publicly and is expressed not only in a simple verbal oath (I swear, and so on), but often in a religious form, given in accordance with the rites of the faith that the person taking the oath professes, and necessarily, solemnly - in compliance with certain rituals. The presence and participation of the priest and officials in the ceremony is mandatory and strictly regulated.
An oath always imposes legal liability - and those who take the oath are prosecuted by law for failure to comply with it. Thus, the president takes the oath before taking office, and military personnel take the military oath. Witnesses take an oath in court (in some states and countries, placing their hand on the Bible).
Oath of the President of Russia: “When exercising the powers of the President of the Russian Federation, I swear to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, to observe and defend the Constitution of the Russian Federation, to protect the sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the state, to faithfully serve the people.”
Oath when obtaining Russian citizenship: “I (last name, first name, patronymic), voluntarily and consciously accepting the citizenship of the Russian Federation, swear: to comply with the Constitution and legislation of the Russian Federation, the rights and freedoms of its citizens; fulfill the duties of a citizen of the Russian Federation for the benefit of the state and society; defend the freedom and independence of the Russian Federation; to be loyal to Russia, respect its culture, history and traditions.”
Military oath: “I, (last name, first name, patronymic), solemnly swear allegiance to my Fatherland - the Russian Federation. I swear to sacredly observe the Constitution of the Russian Federation, strictly comply with the requirements of military regulations, orders of commanders and superiors. I swear to fulfill my military duty with dignity, to courageously defend the freedom, independence and constitutional system of Russia, the people and the Fatherland.”
Wonderful texts. The only question that arises is: to whom, by whom or by what does the one who utters these words swear? We understand that before the law, which, as you know, sometimes, whatever the drawbar is, wherever you turn, it goes there. In this sense, the pre-revolutionary military oath was much clearer:
“I promise and swear by Almighty God, before His Holy Gospel, that I want and owe His Imperial Majesty the Autocrat of All-Russia and His Imperial Majesty of the All-Russian Throne to serve faithfully and unhypocritically, not sparing my belly, to the last drop of blood and all to the Highness of His Imperial The rights and advantages belonging to the Majesty's Autocracy and power, legitimized and henceforth legitimized, according to the utmost understanding, strength and ability to fulfill.
His Imperial Majesty of the state and lands of His enemies with body and blood, in the field and fortresses, by water and by land, in battles, parties, sieges and assaults and in other military cases, bravely and strongly resist and try to advance in everything that is to His Imperial The Majesty’s service and the benefit of the state may in any case concern...”
Is it possible to take such an oath? Can. In our opinion, there are doubts about this. God is always inside a person. And if a person has doubts, if his faith is not strong, then how can he swear by God? It turns out that such a person has to be disingenuous. How can one not remember: “and deliver us from evil...”.
We all see from the history of our Fatherland what this formal attitude to the oath to God led to. The same soldiers in 1917 (rightly, under the influence of Bolshevik agitation) not only stuck their bayonets into the ground, but also directed these bayonets against officers, regimental priests, and, upon returning home, against village priests and ordinary Orthodox Christians.
How can one not recall a joke from modern KVN: “Yesterday I sinned so much, I sinned so much that now it’s easier for me to change my faith than to atone for my sins.” This is what the oathbreakers did in those years. They changed their faith. More precisely, they simply became atheists.
To prevent this from happening to us today, it is better, after all, to try not to swear in the name of God at all. It is more honest to live according to the commandments of the Lord, without taking His name in vain.
Prepared by Alexander OKONISHNIKOV, “WORD OF HONEST”
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Joshua fulfilled the oath that Moses swore
In the twelfth chapter of the book of Joshua, a descendant of Judah, Caleb, comes to him. He reports that Moses once swore an oath:
Joshua 14:9
“The land on which your feet have walked will be an inheritance for you and your children forever, for you have faithfully followed the Lord my God.”
But Moses is dead, so Caleb's fears can be understood. The Prophet died without keeping his oath. Caleb's entire hope is in Joshua's integrity.
In doing so, we can see that the words of Moses are equated with the words of God. Joshua fulfills the promise that Moses made and allocates the required land to Caleb.
Life in Christ and with Christ
The priest's oath also contains instructions on how reverently and reverently one should serve at the altar; how to take care of the spiritual care of parishioners and how to behave at home; how to worry about church farming.
The value of the oath lies in the fact that it is valid not only at the time of ordination, but also for the entire life of the clergyman - in Christ and with Christ.
It is not for nothing that in many dioceses there is a practice when a copy of the oath is given to the priest in his hands, drawn up in the form of a letter that can be hung on the wall. But hang it not for the sake of decorating the interior, but for the sake of a daily reminder of the promises made to God and the need to keep them.
In the Old Testament, God Himself takes an oath
But it is not only man who swears when required. In the book of Joshua, God tells the prophet:
Joshua 1:6
“Be strong and courageous; For you will give to this people a possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”
We know that God will keep this oath. It is noteworthy that the oath of God does not contain anything that the Almighty would specifically swear by. Obviously, in His position there is no need for this. God puts nothing at stake, for he will never break his oath.
The word of God itself should act as not just a given, but also an already fulfilled oath, because the Almighty is omniscient, and if He promises something tomorrow, it is because He knows for sure that this is exactly what happened.
God never breaks his oath. In the illustration, he shows Abraham the stars and promises to produce equally countless offspring from him.
This is also confirmed by the author of the letter to the Hebrews:
Hebrews 6:13–16
“God, making a promise to Abraham, as he could not swear by anyone higher, swore by himself, saying: truly blessing I will bless you and multiplying you. And so Abraham, being patient, received what was promised. People swear by the highest, and an oath as confirmation ends all their disputes.”
Every Sacrament of the Church contains promises
As can be seen from the text of the oath, there is no oath “by heaven and earth” here, but there are promises similar to those that a person takes upon himself in other Sacraments of the Church. To one degree or another, promises to remain faithful to God are present in each of them.
1. During Baptism, the person himself (or the godparents on his behalf, if they are baptizing a child) renounces Satan and is “united” with the Lord. As a sign of renunciation of Satan, he symbolically blows and spits on the floor, as if on Satan himself. And as a sign of union with God, he reads the Creed and bows.
2. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, a newly baptized Christian voluntarily takes upon himself “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The priest anoints him with myrrh (an fragrant composition brewed and consecrated according to a special rite), and the person thereby receives the grace of the Holy Spirit, strengthening him in spiritual life.
3. During Confession, a Christian, in the presence of a priest, repents of his sins and makes a promise not to repeat them.
4. Approaching the Chalice with Communion, the Christian says: “Let us not receive Communion of Your Holy Mysteries for judgment or condemnation, Lord, but for the healing of soul and body.” That is, we understand that it is possible to receive communion unworthily, and we ask God that this does not happen.
5. During the Wedding, the groom publicly declares that he “was not promised to another bride,” and the bride - that “she was not promised to another husband.” There are promises here too.
6. If a person has been sick for a long time and wants to be healed, then, according to the Apostle James, he can “call on the elders of the Church.” The Sacrament of Unction is performed over the sick person. By inviting a priest into his home, a person thereby confirms that he is a Christian and believes that Jesus Christ can heal him. 7. Taking the oath of the Sacrament of Priesthood, a Christian promises that with God’s help he will “try in every possible way to carry out his service in accordance with the Word of God, with the rules and canons of the Ecumenical Orthodox and Apostolic Church and the instructions of the church authorities.”
Jews were supposed to swear by the name of God, but this is not allowed for Christians
An interesting verse on the subject of oaths can be found in the Bible:
Ps.62:12
“The king will rejoice in God, everyone who swears by Him will be praised, for the lips that speak lies will be stopped.”
From this we understand that to the question of whether it is possible to swear by God, humanity was once given the answer: “Yes.” However, this point is not covered by most commentators. And those interpretations that exist contradict each other.
Theology teacher William MacDonald believes that this verse is about pledging allegiance to God:
William MacDonald
President of Emmaus Bible College, theologian
“I will continue to live, receiving joy from communication with God. In fact, everyone who swears allegiance to Him will rejoice, while those who love unrighteousness will remain silent.”
But the New Geneva Bible, on the contrary, is sure that it is about an oath by God. And he even gives a more accurate translation - “swearing in God’s name”:
“The king will rejoice in God; everyone who swears by His name will praise Him. God's justice will triumph. Those who love God will exalt their praises to Him, while the wicked will remain silent.”
King David in the psalms promises that anyone who swears in the name of God will be praised (according to another interpretation, in the name of David himself).
But Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus understands the verse in such a way that one must swear not by God, but by King David:
Theodoret of Cyrus
Bishop of Cyrus, theologian
“Finally, everyone will freely call him king and swear by his salvation, no longer afraid of slanderers, whose lips have become blocked by death. For during Saul’s life they were afraid to speak with David, but after his death everyone fearlessly gave him the honor due to a king, and began to swear by the king’s salvation, setting it up for themselves as an honor and a chance to gain favor.”
Euthymius Zigabenus agrees with Theodoret of Cyrus and even refers to an ancient custom:
Evfimy Zigaben
Byzantine theologian and exegete
“The subject peoples used to swear by their king and say: health to the king! that I didn’t do this, with the pronunciation and other similar words. But while Saul was alive, whoever dared to swear by the life and health of David became guilty and exposed his life to danger; and after the death of Saul, whoever swore by the life and health of King David, he greatly boasted of having discovered a partnership with him.”
Perhaps in this case he is right. But the Jewish tradition of swearing in the name of God did exist:
Vtrz 6:13
“Fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him [alone], and cleave to Him, and swear by His name.”
In any case, taking oaths was the custom of the Old Testament Jews. A lot has changed for Christians. So there is no point in relying on these traditions.
Jesus taught not to swear
The roots of the Christian attitude to the oath must be sought in the testimony of the Essenes. What does this statement mean? The simple fact is that the beliefs of John the Baptist apparently originated from the teachings of the Essenes. There are many things that point to this. And the ideas of the Essenes known today were indeed reflected in Christianity.
Jewish historian Josephus reports:
Josephus Flavius
Jewish historian and military leader
“They are known for their loyalty and accuracy, and they preach peace. Everything they say is truer than any oath. They avoid oaths and consider them worse than perjury. They say that a person who cannot be taken at his word (without an oath) has already been condemned.”
The ideas of the Essenes influenced the Christian rejection of oaths
And this is truly a Christian view of oaths. Just look at the words of Jesus Christ regarding oaths:
Mf. 5:34
“I tell you: do not swear at all: not by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King; Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your word be: “Yes, yes”; "no no"; and anything beyond this is from the evil one.”
The oath is a step on the path to the priesthood
Now let us turn to the oath to take holy orders. The first degree of priesthood is service in the rank of deacon. A Christian man who intends to devote his life to serving God submits a written petition addressed to the ruling bishop. He encloses a recommendation from the parish priest or dean, an autobiography and other documents. Next, the protege will have to undergo an interview with the bishop and members of the Diocesan Council. If the decision is positive, then he will have to confess to the confessor of the diocese.
The bishop then makes the final decision on the ordination of the candidate. The protege, in the presence of the bishop (or, with the blessing of the bishop, the priest), pronounces the oath, kisses the Cross and the Gospel and signs the text of the oath. The oath is signed by the bishop or priest who took it.
After this, the protege awaits one of the most important events in his life - ordination, that is, elevation to the priesthood. The ordination is performed by the bishop during the liturgy.
In the modern practice of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the oath to become a deacon or a priest is the same, although the procedure for ordaining a priest will differ.
It’s not forbidden to swear, it’s just that this tradition is outdated, it’s meaningless
The question of why you can’t swear is impossible to answer. There is no idea that swearing is a sin. This is a ritual, and not a pagan one, but part of the biblical tradition. But it was replaced by a new approach - calling God as a witness.
Priest Afanasy Gumerov says:
Afanasy Gumerov
archimandrite, philosopher and religious figure
“Now the witness of fidelity in the fulfillment of what was said is conscience (glorious conscience, co-messenger) - the voice of God in man. According to the words of the Apostle: “I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 9.1). Let us cite other passages from the Epistles of St. ap. Paul: “God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that I make constant mention of you” (Rom. 1.9), “I call God to be a witness against my soul, that, sparing you, I have not hitherto come to Corinth” ( 2 Cor. 1:23), “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, blessed forever, knows that I do not lie” (2 Cor. 11:31), “God is witness that I love you all with the love of Jesus Christ” ( Phil.1:8), “For we never had before you any words of flattery, as you know, nor any form of self-interest: God is my witness!” (1 Thess. 2:5). “And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth lifted up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created the heaven and everything that is in it, the earth and everything that is in it, and the sea and everything that is in it. in it, that there will be no more time” (Rev. 10:5-6). Jesus Christ with the words “do not swear” abolished a specific Old Testament rite, for conscience becomes a witness to the faithfulness of the word or deed.”
The call on God as an impartial witness is in many ways parallel to the Jewish custom of swearing only in His name in the name of truth. But the semantic load here is similar. That is, we have before us the transformation of a custom into a new form.
The main difference here is the emphasis on the fact that God is present here and now, in each of us. By continuing to swear simply in the name of God, we seem to neglect the theological heritage of Christianity and again distance ourselves from God.
Yes, it's not a sin. But there is no practical benefit in this either. As even the most superficial comments on this topic rightly note: either swear by what you have, or don’t swear at all.
Oath to God, mother, life, etc. - this is an empty matter, because none of this in reality belongs to a person.
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OATH
I, Full Name, now called to serve in the (deacon/priest) rank, promise to Almighty God and swear before His Holy Cross and the Gospel that, with the help of God, I will try in every possible way to carry out my service in accordance with the Word of God, with the rules and canons of the Ecumenical Orthodox and Apostolic Church and the instructions of the church hierarchy.
Perform divine services and Sacraments with care and reverence, according to Church rites, without arbitrarily changing anything. The doctrine of faith is to be maintained and taught to others according to the guidance of the Holy Orthodox Church and the Holy Fathers.
To lead a pious, sober life, removed from the vanities of the world, in the spirit of humility and meekness. Lead others to godliness by good example. In every work of my service, have in mind not my own honor or benefit, but the glory of the Holy Church and the salvation of my neighbors, in which may the Lord God help me through the grace of His prayers for the sake of the Most Pure Mother of God and all the saints.
I will forever remain faithful to the Holy Mother Church and under no circumstances will I enter into church communion with schismatics and apostates from the holy Orthodox faith.
With the fear of God and trembling standing at the Throne of the Altar of the Lord, I realize the responsibility of the service I now accept. As a guarantee of this, I promise: to mark the beginning of the ministry entrusted to me exclusively with sobriety and prayer.
For this purpose, I undertake to perform all sacred acts and prayers according to church rites, with reverence, being content with voluntary donations from my parishioners; without a good reason, do not omit the services required by the charter;
Confirm your parishioners in the truths of faith and piety, preaching to them the word of God “in good time and free of charge”;
To rule my own house, to support my household, as befits a servant of the altar, and not to give their behavior any reason to seduce the parishioners, and also to take care of the clergy entrusted to me;
In the holy altar and temple I will behave as the holiness of the place requires, instilling respect for the shrine and others;
In the ongoing service I will conduct myself piously, worthy of my high title, fearing that I might drop it or cause temptation to the believers with my unworthy behavior.
I will wear clothes appropriate to my clergy, modest and decent, and observe the fasts established by the Orthodox Church; I will not tolerate any shameful behavior - drunkenness, card and other gambling, smoking and the like.
I undertake to have constant care for the splendor of the temple, the proper management of church housekeeping and church documents.
Remembering that a clergyman does nothing without the will of his bishop, I undertake to carry out all orders of my spiritual superiors unquestioningly.
In conclusion of this oath, I kiss the Cross and the Gospel of my Savior. If I violate this Oath, then the Judgment of God and church repression will befall me. Amen.
