How is Moses' and Jesus' contradictory teaching regarding oaths reconciled?
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In Deuteronomy Moses teaches to make oaths in the Lord's name:
> Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.
Deuteronomy 6:13 NIV
> Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name.
Deuteronomy 10:20 NIV
The instructions surprised me because Jesus to take oaths at all and that we should simply say yes or no.
> “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Matthew 5:33-35, 37 NIV
God urges the people to do one thing and later the polar opposite thing. Surely, there must be something that I've missed.
I recall learning that there was a silly opinion among people that it was okay to break oaths made on the temple gate but it's not okay to break oaths made on the temple coins. Jesus calls out the silliness of that. So is this related to that in a way or the Deuteronomy one needs to be viewed in some context?
**How have various theologians resolved this contradiction?**
Asked by Dan
(61 rep)
Oct 5, 2019, 05:48 AM
Last activity: May 26, 2023, 04:46 PM
Last activity: May 26, 2023, 04:46 PM