Q. Could you please speak on the meaning of the passage from the Gospel of Matthew 5:34-35 which says: “But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.”  How does this passage relate to swearing on a Bible in a court of law?
— C.W., Rockford

A.  Any oath is a declaration on our part calling Almighty God as a witness to the truth of what we have said. Therefore, taking an oath is not something that is done lightly, but only in solemn circumstances.

Among all peoples and circumstances sometimes oaths figure into the common profanity catalog of epithets that people use to wish other people bad luck or the disfavor of God. We are not to do that.

I suspect that in Christ’s time this was quite common and Jesus very wisely says don’t do that because the number of occasions that occur in our lives in which we are required to give our oath are few and greatly important such as when we must testify to the truth in a court of law or when one makes a solemn profession, vow or receives one of the sacred orders.

It is also helpful to remember the passage right before the one cited in the question (Mt 5:33), “… do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.”  We would do well to “make good to the Lord” all things in our lives.

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