Tim Mackie, lead scholar for BibleProject, dives into Jesus’ teachings on oaths during the Sermon on the Mount. He explores the complexity of ancient oath-keeping practices, revealing how people manipulated oaths to avoid accountability. Mackie emphasizes the importance of honesty and integrity in our words, critiquing the cultural loopholes surrounding oaths. The conversation also addresses the ethics of claiming divine guidance, highlighting the dangers of deception in both religious and personal contexts.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Honest Communication
Communicate your intentions clearly and honestly.
Let your "yes" mean "yes" and your "no" mean "no" without invoking God's name.
insights INSIGHT
Oaths and Deception
Manipulating trust using oaths and God's name is diabolical.
This deceptive practice echoes the serpent's deceitful tactics in the Garden of Eden.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Gibeonites' Deception
In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites using worn-out clothes and a false story.
They tricked the Israelites into making a covenant, demonstrating how oaths can be used deceptively.
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In 'The Divine Conspiracy', Dallas Willard delves into the true meaning of Christian discipleship by examining Jesus' teachings, particularly the Sermon on the Mount. The book challenges contemporary Christian practices and encourages a deeper, more authentic faith. Willard argues for the relevance of God in every aspect of life, presenting a vision of discipleship that involves daily interaction with God and a transformation of one's life to become more like Jesus. The book is divided into sections that cover the kingdom of the heavens, the discourse on the hill, discipleship, and eschatology, providing a thorough and practical guide to living a Christ-centered life[1][2][5].
Sermon on the Mount E14 – In Matthew 5:33-48, Jesus offers three case studies about how people can work together in spite of conflict. The first case study focuses on the ancient practice of oath keeping. By the time of Jesus, ancient Israelites no longer spoke the divine name of Yahweh out of respect, but they would still swear oaths by things closely related to God—like the sky, land, temple, etc. Some people used these oaths as a loophole because they felt less serious to break (“I only swore by the temple!”). In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss Jesus’ teaching on oaths, which demonstrates God’s wisdom on the integrity of our words and the danger of even small deceptions.
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Show Music
Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
Additional music by UpsiDown
BibleProject theme song by TENTS
Show Credits
Jon Collins is the creative producer for today’s show, and Tim Mackie is the lead scholar. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey, Frank Garza, and Aaron Olsen are our audio editors. Tyler Bailey is also our audio engineer, and he also provided our sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.
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