But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Let speech be plain and truthful, with yes meaning yes and no meaning no, making exact truth the rule of speech. Whatever goes beyond plain yes and no comes from evil and from the evil one. Truthful words are the standard that should make oath-taking unnecessary, and ordinary conversation is to be free from casual emphatic swearing such as swearing by one's life or head, calling heaven and earth to witness, or invoking harm upon oneself to prove truthfulness. A judicial oath is not forbidden, for one who must give lawful testimony may when actually necessary solemnly call God as witness that the testimony is true without violating God's word. The command carries the force of the commandment against taking God's name in vain, forbidding bringing God's name into conversation carelessly or irreverently, and it condemns meaningless phrases and expletives bordering on profanity, as well as flattery, evasion of truth, exaggeration, and misrepresentation in business and trade.
Words and Sermon Setting
Communication is to be plain and truthful, with yes meaning yes and no meaning no, and exact truth is made the rule of speech. A clear yes is to remain yes and a clear no to remain no, so that writing yes and no on the same matter with contradictory claims violates the principle. Whatever goes beyond plain yes and no comes from evil, and is of the evil one. This standard condemns meaningless phrases and expletives bordering on profanity, as well as deceptive compliments, flattery, evasion of truth, exaggeration, and misrepresentation in business and trade, and a person is not truthful when pretending to be what they are not or when words do not express the real sentiment of the heart.
The same exactness checks evil surmising and unkind criticism in commenting on the actions and motives of another, where exact truth cannot be certain. Pride, passion, and personal resentment color impressions, so that a glance, a word, or an intonation can carry falsehood, and even facts can be stated to convey a false impression, with whatsoever is more than truth being of the evil one.
The saying belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, spoken to the disciples in the hearing of the multitude to reach people ignorant of the way of life. It was spoken with the disciples close about Him yet designed to reach the hearts and consciences of the mixed crowd assembled. At that time the people expected a great display of power concerning the new kingdom, and believing Jews looked for freedom from the yoke of bondage and restoration to ancient glory. Those hopes of earthly glory were disappointed when the discourse opened with the principles to govern His kingdom of divine grace as contained in the beatitudes.
It shows that the law of God must be obeyed in spirit as well as in letter, exposing merely outward obedience as a fatal mistake. The state of the heart regulates life and character, and the spirit of the law must be in the heart when its claims are taught, or labor for new converts is lost. It gives the lesson on oath-taking requiring plain and truthful speech and forbidding what goes beyond it as coming of evil, carrying the force of the commandment against taking God's name in vain. Its spirit reaches farther to forbid bringing the name of God into conversation in a careless or irreverent manner and condemns the habit of using it lightly, requiring that even in prayers and exhortations the name be used with proper solemnity.
It belongs to Christ's far-reaching explanation of God's law, spoken with God's authority and free from misleading tradition, presenting its full claims in their true light against distorted, tradition-bound teaching. The law remains the standard of righteousness, condemning every evil action and demanding perfect obedience, so that following Christ includes faithfully doing duty to God and representing Him in character, with perfect obedience meaning no oppression or injustice but love, harmony, and joy. In that explanation He set aside the continually repeated They say and It has been said of the rabbinical schools of His day as corrupting to the mind, refused to encourage attendance at those schools for that reason, and required rejection of the unstable words of men as exalted wisdom in favor of the greater and certain wisdom from God, with His teaching in Matthew 5:21-48 to guide learners and teachers in contrast to repeated human traditions and teachings not grounded in Scripture.
Truthful Speech Without Oaths
Exact truth is the rule of speech, and truthful words are the standard that should make oath-taking unnecessary. The requirement applies to ordinary conversation, not to the judicial oath, and it forbids casual, emphatic swearing in everyday talk. Such forbidden swearing includes swearing by one's life or head, calling heaven and earth to witness, making exaggerated claims, and invoking God's destruction or self-destruction as proof of truthfulness. A judicial oath is not forbidden, so one who must give lawful testimony may, when actually necessary, solemnly call God as witness that the testimony is true without violating God's word.
The requirement carries the force of the commandment against taking God's name in vain. It forbids more than the profane oath of the swearer, reaching to forbid bringing the name of God into conversation in a careless or irreverent manner. The habit of using the divine name lightly is condemned, and even in prayers and exhortations the Supreme name must be used with proper solemnity. Plain speech means yes is to mean yes and no is to mean no, and whatever goes beyond this plain truth comes from evil and from the evil one. Condemned under this rule are meaningless phrases and expletives bordering on profanity, as well as deceptive compliments, flattery, evasion of truth, exaggeration, and misrepresentation in business and trade as practiced in society and the business world. A person is not truthful when pretending to be what he is not or when words do not express the real sentiment of the heart.
Keeping to exact truth also checks evil surmising and unkind criticism. The rule applies to commenting on the actions and motives of another, where no one can be certain of speaking exact truth. Pride, passion, and personal resentment color the impression given, so that a glance, a word, or even an intonation of the voice can carry falsehood. Even facts can be stated in a way that conveys a false impression, and whatsoever is more than truth is of the evil one.
Living the Principle Daily
The teachings in Matthew 5 are to be read, believed, and practiced, and this practice develops Christlike character and embeds divine principles in the heart, enabling faithfulness to truth despite loss, danger, or worldly disfavor. The verse belongs to a lesson on Christian character calling for speech and conduct that foster unity and love. That lesson is violated by accusing, finding fault, reporting evil, or destroying confidence among believers, and words should instead support Christlike fellowship. Workers seeking to help others are to exemplify these lessons by speaking modestly, hiding self in Christ, and letting words directed by the Holy Spirit impress hearts.
The words of Christ in Matthew 5 are to be often dwelt upon to bring divine virtues constantly into life, to hold the standard high, and to represent Christ in words, attitude, and actions. Such dwelling corrects the low grade and backsliding of the church. It breaks up unkindness, retaliation, strife, and the many words that tend to separate very friends.
The verse sets a holy standard requiring love to God with the whole heart and love to neighbor as God requires. Applied to business transactions, it requires right and holy methods, plain truth without mingling human wisdom with the divine, without confusing other minds, and without unjustly acquiring means at another's expense. Those who practice deception for gain and power prove they have not yet learned this law, and they need a cleansing process, a purging of the soul temple. This includes honest dealings with workers and rejecting manipulative schemes to draw them away from commitments or adding more to secure one's own purpose, since that excess is connected with evil.
Keeping conscience safe requires doing the very thing the Lord has marked out and knowing when to say yes and when to say no. Removing one safeguard from the conscience and taking one step in wrong principle often leads to an entire change of life and action. It is terrible for men in responsible positions not to understand this decided speech, because undecided men are used to deceive, allure, and betray souls to obtain some selfish purpose. Human devisings are no longer safe to follow, and safety is only in following where Christ leads the way on a path that grows clearer, brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
Speech should be clear and consistent, with a yes that remains yes and a no that remains no, without writing yes and no on the same matter in contradictory claims. Associates should not say yes to every proposal simply because another proposes it, but should think matters through and, when needed, disagree in a Christlike manner rather than become mere machines run by another person's mind. Poor eating can dull the mind so that a person who should say yes instead says no, or makes proposals that miss the mark. Speech should be plain and truthful, without unnecessary words or conduct that creates needless offense. In presenting truth, it is to be given carefully and in measure suited to what hearers can receive, rather than pressing every point at once and closing their minds to further light.
Let speech be plain and truthful, with yes meaning yes and no meaning no, making exact truth the rule of speech. Whatever goes beyond plain yes and no comes from evil and from the evil one. Truthful words are the standard that should make oath-taking unnecessary, and ordinary conversation is to be free from casual emphatic swearing such as swearing by one's life or head, calling heaven and earth to witness, or invoking harm upon oneself to prove truthfulness. A judicial oath is not forbidden, for one who must give lawful testimony may when actually necessary solemnly call God as witness that the testimony is true without violating God's word. The command carries the force of the commandment against taking God's name in vain, forbidding bringing God's name into conversation carelessly or irreverently, and it condemns meaningless phrases and expletives bordering on profanity, as well as flattery, evasion of truth, exaggeration, and misrepresentation in business and trade.
Words and Sermon Setting
Communication is to be plain and truthful, with yes meaning yes and no meaning no, and exact truth is made the rule of speech. A clear yes is to remain yes and a clear no to remain no, so that writing yes and no on the same matter with contradictory claims violates the principle. Whatever goes beyond plain yes and no comes from evil, and is of the evil one. This standard condemns meaningless phrases and expletives bordering on profanity, as well as deceptive compliments, flattery, evasion of truth, exaggeration, and misrepresentation in business and trade, and a person is not truthful when pretending to be what they are not or when words do not express the real sentiment of the heart.
The same exactness checks evil surmising and unkind criticism in commenting on the actions and motives of another, where exact truth cannot be certain. Pride, passion, and personal resentment color impressions, so that a glance, a word, or an intonation can carry falsehood, and even facts can be stated to convey a false impression, with whatsoever is more than truth being of the evil one.
The saying belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, spoken to the disciples in the hearing of the multitude to reach people ignorant of the way of life. It was spoken with the disciples close about Him yet designed to reach the hearts and consciences of the mixed crowd assembled. At that time the people expected a great display of power concerning the new kingdom, and believing Jews looked for freedom from the yoke of bondage and restoration to ancient glory. Those hopes of earthly glory were disappointed when the discourse opened with the principles to govern His kingdom of divine grace as contained in the beatitudes.
It shows that the law of God must be obeyed in spirit as well as in letter, exposing merely outward obedience as a fatal mistake. The state of the heart regulates life and character, and the spirit of the law must be in the heart when its claims are taught, or labor for new converts is lost. It gives the lesson on oath-taking requiring plain and truthful speech and forbidding what goes beyond it as coming of evil, carrying the force of the commandment against taking God's name in vain. Its spirit reaches farther to forbid bringing the name of God into conversation in a careless or irreverent manner and condemns the habit of using it lightly, requiring that even in prayers and exhortations the name be used with proper solemnity.
It belongs to Christ's far-reaching explanation of God's law, spoken with God's authority and free from misleading tradition, presenting its full claims in their true light against distorted, tradition-bound teaching. The law remains the standard of righteousness, condemning every evil action and demanding perfect obedience, so that following Christ includes faithfully doing duty to God and representing Him in character, with perfect obedience meaning no oppression or injustice but love, harmony, and joy. In that explanation He set aside the continually repeated They say and It has been said of the rabbinical schools of His day as corrupting to the mind, refused to encourage attendance at those schools for that reason, and required rejection of the unstable words of men as exalted wisdom in favor of the greater and certain wisdom from God, with His teaching in Matthew 5:21-48 to guide learners and teachers in contrast to repeated human traditions and teachings not grounded in Scripture.
Truthful Speech Without Oaths
Exact truth is the rule of speech, and truthful words are the standard that should make oath-taking unnecessary. The requirement applies to ordinary conversation, not to the judicial oath, and it forbids casual, emphatic swearing in everyday talk. Such forbidden swearing includes swearing by one's life or head, calling heaven and earth to witness, making exaggerated claims, and invoking God's destruction or self-destruction as proof of truthfulness. A judicial oath is not forbidden, so one who must give lawful testimony may, when actually necessary, solemnly call God as witness that the testimony is true without violating God's word.
The requirement carries the force of the commandment against taking God's name in vain. It forbids more than the profane oath of the swearer, reaching to forbid bringing the name of God into conversation in a careless or irreverent manner. The habit of using the divine name lightly is condemned, and even in prayers and exhortations the Supreme name must be used with proper solemnity. Plain speech means yes is to mean yes and no is to mean no, and whatever goes beyond this plain truth comes from evil and from the evil one. Condemned under this rule are meaningless phrases and expletives bordering on profanity, as well as deceptive compliments, flattery, evasion of truth, exaggeration, and misrepresentation in business and trade as practiced in society and the business world. A person is not truthful when pretending to be what he is not or when words do not express the real sentiment of the heart.
Keeping to exact truth also checks evil surmising and unkind criticism. The rule applies to commenting on the actions and motives of another, where no one can be certain of speaking exact truth. Pride, passion, and personal resentment color the impression given, so that a glance, a word, or even an intonation of the voice can carry falsehood. Even facts can be stated in a way that conveys a false impression, and whatsoever is more than truth is of the evil one.
Living the Principle Daily
The teachings in Matthew 5 are to be read, believed, and practiced, and this practice develops Christlike character and embeds divine principles in the heart, enabling faithfulness to truth despite loss, danger, or worldly disfavor. The verse belongs to a lesson on Christian character calling for speech and conduct that foster unity and love. That lesson is violated by accusing, finding fault, reporting evil, or destroying confidence among believers, and words should instead support Christlike fellowship. Workers seeking to help others are to exemplify these lessons by speaking modestly, hiding self in Christ, and letting words directed by the Holy Spirit impress hearts.
The words of Christ in Matthew 5 are to be often dwelt upon to bring divine virtues constantly into life, to hold the standard high, and to represent Christ in words, attitude, and actions. Such dwelling corrects the low grade and backsliding of the church. It breaks up unkindness, retaliation, strife, and the many words that tend to separate very friends.
The verse sets a holy standard requiring love to God with the whole heart and love to neighbor as God requires. Applied to business transactions, it requires right and holy methods, plain truth without mingling human wisdom with the divine, without confusing other minds, and without unjustly acquiring means at another's expense. Those who practice deception for gain and power prove they have not yet learned this law, and they need a cleansing process, a purging of the soul temple. This includes honest dealings with workers and rejecting manipulative schemes to draw them away from commitments or adding more to secure one's own purpose, since that excess is connected with evil.
Keeping conscience safe requires doing the very thing the Lord has marked out and knowing when to say yes and when to say no. Removing one safeguard from the conscience and taking one step in wrong principle often leads to an entire change of life and action. It is terrible for men in responsible positions not to understand this decided speech, because undecided men are used to deceive, allure, and betray souls to obtain some selfish purpose. Human devisings are no longer safe to follow, and safety is only in following where Christ leads the way on a path that grows clearer, brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
Speech should be clear and consistent, with a yes that remains yes and a no that remains no, without writing yes and no on the same matter in contradictory claims. Associates should not say yes to every proposal simply because another proposes it, but should think matters through and, when needed, disagree in a Christlike manner rather than become mere machines run by another person's mind. Poor eating can dull the mind so that a person who should say yes instead says no, or makes proposals that miss the mark. Speech should be plain and truthful, without unnecessary words or conduct that creates needless offense. In presenting truth, it is to be given carefully and in measure suited to what hearers can receive, rather than pressing every point at once and closing their minds to further light.