James 5 - Lessons for Rich Oppressors, Patience in Suffering, and Keeping the Letter of James AliveSample

"Above all" is a customary phrase meaning something like, “Let me underline this!”  Perhaps James added it to say, “I know I’m treating this theme briefly but it’s really important, okay!” 

The Old Testament endorses the use of oaths (Exodus 13:19 and 22:11, Leviticus 5:4, Deuteronomy 23:21-23, 1 Samuel 20:3), but by James’ day an elaborate system of oath-swearing had developed which graded the seriousness of the statement. Swearing by Jerusalem or by the temple for instance, was regarded as a non-binding oath. Swearing by the gold of the temple on the other hand, or by some of the utensils used in the temple was considered fully binding. Other oaths involved swearing "by heaven" or "by earth," as in today's verse. 

In this system, lower level oaths could be used to avoid telling the truth. But Jesus tells us that anything beyond, simply 'Yes' or ‘No,' comes from the devil (Matthew 5:37). Logically, James says that those who continue in that system, “will be condemned.” While, telling the truth does not earn our salvation, it does reveal people destined for salvation. Those who have been born through the "Word of truth" (James 1:18) will, in obedience to that Word, live truthfully. 

To Swear or Not to Swear

Are all oaths wrong in themselves? Some believe so, ( Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example). But this is not a simple question. The Old Testament, as we have said, endorses oaths. Even the New Testament tacitly approves of oaths in some contexts (Acts 2:30; Hebrews 6:13-16, 7:20-22 and 28; Romans 9:2). While the system of oath-swearing designed to permit graded-truthfulness, must be rejected by Christians, it is unlikely that James or Jesus intended to rule out all forms of oath-swearing. Oaths such as those used in modern day legal courts are obviously not designed to permit half-truths; they are intended to underline the gravity of speaking truthfully in a court of law.

More important than the question of oath-swearing, is the biblical insistence that believers always tell the truth. Their ‘yes’ must always mean yes, and their ‘no’ mean no. It hardly needs saying that we live in a culture with a high tolerance for lies. Many of us accept as normal an advertiser’s attempt to sell us half-truths (and sometimes straight-out lies). We almost expect big business to deceive in order to profit. And the lying and ‘spin-doctoring’ of modern politics is proverbial. 

In our day, just as much as in James’ day, we have to remember the high premium placed on truth-telling by the Bible. There is no such thing as graded truthfulness and, despite the growing acceptance of obfuscation and ‘little white lies’, Christians are to commit themselves afresh, to the principle of speaking truthfully at all times. If we are not known for speaking words of truth, how can we believably claim to know the Word of truth?