Oaths and Vows in the Synoptic Gospels (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from Oaths and Vows in the Synoptic Gospels

It is more likely, with Wellhausen and Merx, that Jesus' attack was not directed against oaths rendered by a court Of justice, but against unnecessary swearing in ordinary speech. Jesus demands Of his followers not to emphasize their statements by any Of these formulae Of oaths, whether expressly mentioning or imply ing God, but to answer with a simple and manly yea or nay. It is in a similar way that we have to understand the practice of the Essenes. Only on solemn occasions, as when accepting a new member into their fraternity or when called upon in a lawsuit, would they take recourse to an oath.

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Excerpt from Oaths and Vows in the Synoptic Gospels

Does this passage denote that Jesus was opposed altogether to every kind of oath even when imposed by Jewish courts in accordance with the Law? The different views of the gospel commentators on this question are well summarized by Montefiore in T he Synoptic Gospels, II, 511. He himself, following Loisy, is of the Opinion that the most probable interpretation of vs. 34 is that all oaths of every kind and on every occasion are forbidden for the disciples and the members of the coming Kingdom. This would be in accordance with the practice and ethics of the Essenes. But they themselves seem to have been inconsistent in the matter Of oaths. How are we to reconcile their practice, as mentioned before, with the fact which Josephus reports (war, ii, 8, 7, 137 42) that the Essenes imposed frightful oaths on those that were about to enter their sect? Nor is it likely that they would have Opposed the oaths prescribed in the Mosaic law, seeing that what they most of all honoured, after God himself, was the name of the law-giver, whom if anyone blasphemed, he was punished capitally (jos., ibid.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.