James 5:12 - The Test of Truthfulness - A Call to Radical Honesty

Passage

James 5:12 “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.”

Relatable Introduction

Illustration

Growing up my dad had a clear set of rules. But the one that overshadowed it all was - Do Not Lie.

Transition

Frame

The Summary statement

Even in suffering, don’t groan to one another, but also don’t compromise your honesty. Speak simply and truthfully.

Hook

James 1:2-5 sets the theme and focus for the entire book:

Jas 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, 

The pressures, trails, and tribulations should be counted as joy. It’s a mind shift thing WE MUST DO. On our journey of sanctification, we will often have times where we need to CHOOSE how we will act or react.

Jas 1:3  knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance. 

This is the theme: The Testing of your Faith!

Firstly Trails tests our faith, and how we react or act in these various situations reveals to us two things.

1: Are we saved? Do we have saving faith. When we endure as God promised we would by His indwelling Spirit - we can know we are saved.

2: It tests our maturity in faith. And our Sanctification.

Jas 1:4  And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

We know this because if perseverance has it’s perfect work we will be perfect and complete

Jas 1:5  But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 

Through this epistle we’ve been presented various tests, and wisdom on how to ACT as Christians on a journey of sanctification - God’s Will for Us.

And if we lack in any of these areas, we should ask God who will give generously.

Now in chapter 5:12 we see the conclusion of all these things!

The Test:

The test of Truthfulness - a Call to radical honesty

This is the final ‘Do Not’ call in James and comes just before the closing theme of prayer

He presents this test to us in 4 points for us to remember:

1 The Priority of integrity

2 The Problem with Promises

3 The Practice of Simple Truth

4 The Purpose of Honesty

Expository Points

1. The Priority of integrity

a. But Above all - All the ‘Do Nots’

James starts this verse with the words ‘above all’ clearly indicating the distinction between the exhortation that follows and the others in the epistle, and sets it in the primary place before all.

The phrase πρὸ πάντων (pro pantōn usually marks precedence in importance or rank

It is preeminent

In other words it’s not standing above everything said, but more ‘ before everything else’ in order of importance.

Many commentators say that this verse is the climax / or conclusion of chapter 4:13- 5:11, and that is viable.

However, I agree more with others, that it is the concluding part of the whole book.

Throughout James we’ve been presented with 16 ‘Do Not’ imperetives. and this is the 17th and final imperative.

The ‘Do Nots’

James 1

1:6 – "Do not doubt" when asking God for wisdom.

1:13 – "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'" – i.e., Do not blame God for temptation.

1:16 – "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers."

1:19-20 – "Be slow to speak, slow to anger" – Do not be quick to speak or easily angered.

1:22 – "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." – i.e., Do not merely listen to the word.

James 2

2:1 – "Show no partiality as you hold the faith..." – i.e., Do not show favoritism.

2:4 – "Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves..." – Do not discriminate.

2:12-13 – "Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful." – Do not judge without mercy.

James 3

3:1 – "Not many of you should become teachers..." – i.e., Do not rush into teaching, since teachers are judged more strictly.

3:10 – "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." – i.e., Do not speak both good and evil.

3:14 – "Do not boast and be false to the truth."

James 4

4:1-2 – Describes quarrels and fights – Do not fight or covet.

4:4 – "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" – i.e., Do not love the world.

4:11 – "Do not speak evil against one another, brothers."

4:13-16 – Warns against arrogant planning – i.e., Do not boast about tomorrow or assume control of the future.

James 5

5:9 – "Do not grumble against one another, brothers."

And Finally here:

5:12 – "Do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath..."

But this one James distinguishes by saying - Above all / or before all the others - Do Not Swear!

b. Our Speech is important

It’s also no shock that in his conclusion he discusses speech. Of all the themes he discussed and ‘evidence’ of our spiritual maturity, James concludes with speech each chapter.

In 1:26 he wrote, “If anyone thinks himslef to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”

Those who fail to control their tongues give evidence of an evil heart.

In 2:12 he exhorts, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.”

Those who are set free from the law of sin and death through Jesus Christ will give evidence of that liberation in their speech.

In 3:2-11 James notes that it is very hard to control the tongue, then goes on to say believers should do just that. - And as we’ve studied that passage we’ve seen that it is possible through the empowering Holy Spirit. As we grow in sanctification, our tongue reflects it.

Then in 4:11 he prohibits speaking against a fellow believer, equating that with speaking against God’s Holy Law!

So it comes to no surprise that ‘above it all’ our speech is of the most importance. James emphasized that a person’s speech provides the most revealing glimpse of his spiritual condition

It is the ultimate test of living faith and maturity in Christ

Luke 6:43–45 ““For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a bramble bush. “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil. For his mouth speaks from the abundance of his heart.”

The Prohibition against false swearing in verse 12 reflects the truth that a spirit-transformed heart will reveal itself in honest, truthful speech.

How people speak is the most revealing test of their true spiritual state.

People sin more with their tongues than in any other way;

We can’t do everything, but we can say anything

That is why Jesus says in Matthew 12:34 “ For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”

c. Live with integrity - Do not swear.

Therefore if we take all the other ‘do not’s’ into account, Jame’s conclusion is: “With all being said, the most important of all is to live with integrity.”

Integrity is being honest and having strong moral principles, even when no one is watching

Or in other words - To live in a way where our words and actions match!

It is being the same person in private as you are in public.

Being radically (all-the-way-filled) honest!

2. The Problem with Promises

Do not swear

Having integrity under pressure.

Earlier having told us to have patience and restraint, he now tells us to ‘be honest’

a. The Context

In this context, swearing doesn't mean the use of illicit speech, dirty talk, double meanings, filthy jokes, or four-letter-words

Instead, it refers to the taking of oaths. The Jews of James’s day had developed a complex system of swearing oaths, the influences of which Jewish Christians brought with them into the church. It is against the abuses of that system that James wrote.

The Jewish system of swearing oaths had its roots in the Old Testament.

In a time when written contracts did not exist, oaths served to bind agreements between people.

To take an oath was to attest that what one said was true, to call God to witness to that, and to invoke His punishment if one’s word was violated.

To call God to witness to the truth of one’s promise and to invoke His judgment if one defaulted on that promise was a very serious matter.

Not only do we have Biblical proof, but according to The Jewish historian Josephus. The idea of swearing became common practice among the Jews

In fact this became so popular that we even find in the Mishnah (the Jewish oral Law that was compiled) that there are sections speaking about ‘valid and invalid’ oaths.

It was deeply ingrained in Jewish culture

The use of oaths eventually became a way for people

To gain trust

Defend themselves under pressure and persecution

Manipulate or impress people and circumstances

Make a divine judgement to gain control over situations

In situations specifically when under pressure, they would use oaths to give an illusiton of honesty, or even escape accountability

We see a similar thing today

‘I swear to God...’

‘I swear on my ,this or that of value’

‘The Jews, swore on heaven, the temple, etc. (as seen in James, ‘either heaven, or by earth, or other oaths)

An oath was a heightened form of confirming the truth of one’s words, whether one was affirming something about the past or promising to do something in the future. The Old Testament frequently endorses the use of oaths in both legal and private settings (Exodus 13:19; 22:11; Leviticus 5:4; Deuteronomy 23:21–23; 1 Samuel 20:3). The notion of heightened truth telling, however, could obviously be interpreted to mean that some forms of speaking the ‘truth’ were less serious, less binding. This problem already begins to be addressed by the Old Testament prophets (Jeremiah 5:2; Zechariah 5:3–4). By James’ day an elaborate system of oath-swearing had developed in which truthfulness could be graded according to the type of oath given. Swearing by Jerusalem or by the temple, for instance, was regarded as a non-binding oath. On the other hand, swearing by the gold of the temple or by some of the utensils used in the temple was considered fully binding. Other oaths involved swearing by ‘heaven’ or by ‘earth’, as James indicates here (see Matthew 23:16–22 and the texts in the Jewish Mishnah: Nedarim 1:3; Shabuot 4:13; Sanhedrin 3:2). The result of this system was that low level oaths, such as ones invoking Jerusalem, could be used to avoid telling the truth. It is in this context that Jesus rejected the first century oath-system entirely, claiming in Matthew 5:37 that it had its origins in the ‘devil’, the father of lies.

b. The problem - Using oaths to appear honest

The major problem here is that the Jews had so little integrity and honesty they had to oath/swear to seem honest.

Josephus also wrote about a certain sect of Jews called the Essenes. They seem to have a greater affection for one another than the other sects have. These Essenes reject pleasures as an evil, but esteem abstinence, and the conquest over our passions, to be virtue. These people had such a high regard to being virtuous, that they had a saying: “The one not believed without an oath, is already condemned”.

And this is exactly James’ point. We should be so trustworthy, that we don’t need an oath to be trusted. We should not be relying on an oath to be trustworthy. We should be, by nature trustworthy.

Jesus said in the sermon on the mount - revealing to us the fullness of God’s standards Matt 5:33-36

Matthew 5:33–36 LSB

“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

The phrase “you have heard that the ancients were told” does not refer to the teaching of Old Testament but to rabbinic tradition. The declaration “You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord” appears on the surface to be in harmony with the Old Testament teaching regarding the sacredness of taking oaths. But there was a hidden “out” in it: rabbinic teaching held that only vows to the Lord were binding. In their thinking, God was only a party to an oath if His name were invoked. All other oaths, they taught, could be (and were intended to be) violated without committing perjury—much as people in our culture invalidate their vows by saying, “I had my fingers crossed.” Attempting to deceive others, many Jews would swear by heaven, Jerusalem, the temple, the altar in the temple, the veil in the temple, their own heads, etc.—anything but the name of the Lord. Such evasive swearing was intended to hide their lying hearts.

The warning against false oaths are strinct

Leviticus 19:12 “‘And you shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am Yahweh.”

Deuteronomy 23:21–23 ““When you make a vow to Yahweh your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for Yahweh your God will surely require it of you; and it will be a sin in you. “However, if you refrain from vowing, it will not be a sin in you. “You shall be careful and do what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to Yahweh your God that which you spoke with your mouth.”

Jephthah’s foolish vow to the Lord cost the life of his only child - In Judges 11:30-36

c. Not all oaths are bad

The Bible does not forbid taking oaths, acknowledging that in a world filled with liars there are times when they are necessary. Certainly it is not wrong to take an oath when testifying in court, being ordained, or getting married. Oaths are wrong when they are misused with the intent to deceive others, or when taken rashly or flippantly. The Bible gives examples of godly men who took oaths, lists God’s commands that oaths be taken, and records instances of God Himself taking oaths.

b. The application - Live in honesty even when under pressure/persecution

The common message is that truthfulness should be dependable, so much so that no oath is needed to support it

3. The Practice of Simple Truth

Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

a. The sacredness of speech / your word

It’s clear by this point that the Jews had little issue with lying. Using oaths to ‘cover’ or even manipulate situations became common.

There argument is similar to what we would find today in terms of ‘White Lies’. There was a scale of of seriousness, without an understanding of the sacredness of speech.

While Paul writes in Colossians 3:9 “Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices,”

Emphasizing the sacredness of our words Matthew 12:36–37 ““But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””

Even in Proverbs we are told to ‘Proverbs 4:24 “Put away from you a perverse mouth And put devious lips far from you.”

The ultimate is found in Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, But doers of faithfulness are His delight.”

And so James says. Practice simple truth! How do we become people so trustworthy that we are in no need of using oaths? Simply, Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

b. The examples

The apostles were an example of this in 2 Corinthians 1:17–18 “Therefore, was I vacillating when I intended to do this? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no.”

c. Applicaiton

Jesus lifted all conversation in His church to the level of sacredness. Believers are to be known as people who keep their word, having such integrity that their simple yes and no will suffice for people. In the words of Paul, “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor” (Eph. 4:25). Speaking the truth in every situation will cause believers to shine forth in the darkness of a world of lies.

4. The Purpose of Honesty

As motivation against swearing false oaths, James points out the consequences of violating them. Those who do so, he warns, will fall under judgment.

a. The context -

On the surface we see that our false words will be judge one day

Matthew 12:36–37 ““But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””

Romans 14:12 “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Exodus 20:7 ““You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”

But the greek word here doesn’t refer to this judgement. Though true.

The greek word used here is: hupokrisis: Meaning ‘to pretend. Hypocrisy, dissimulation’

Instead of the obvious ‘Judgement to hell’

Given that James is speaking to believers and understanding by now that we cannot lose our salvation, this judgement here does not mean eternal damnation

Instead what James is saying is “Let your Yes, be yes and no be no, unless you become a hypocrite / pretender.

That’s why Jesus said on the sermon on the mount that

Matthew 5:37 ““But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the evil one.”

One commentator notes:

The noun hupókrisis was generally used for flattery or evil deception. Hypocrisy is a thing God cannot tolerate (Job_22:16), and which He is continually exposing (Job_5:13). Idolatry is a form of hypocrisy which keeps a man from being perfect, i.e., wholehearted, with the Lord his God (Deu_18:13).

In the NT and especially in the synoptics, few sins are so directly denounced as hypocrisy. In John's Gospel it is equated with pseúdos (G5579), falsehood, lying, which is equally condemned. Our Lord presents this evil as something hidden that one day will be made manifest, a sin which glories in misleading another by smooth flatteries (Mat_22:16). The religious hypocrites of Jesus' day went about in long robes seeking to be reverenced by public salutations, taking honor for granted and cloaking oppressive avarice with long prayers (Mar_12:38-40). Hypocrisy cleanses the outside of the cup and platter while leaving them full of extortion and wickedness. It makes men as hidden tombs, white and shining without but foul within (Luk_11:44).

(III) Hypocrisy is a sin which is exposed by our Lord as no other because it corrupts the conscience averting holiness of life. It substitutes the ceremonial and formal for the personal and practical (Mat_15:6). It uses ecclesiastical rule as a substitute for judgment and the love of God (Luk_11:42). It cannot receive the truth, because its eye is on man and not on God (Joh_5:44). It makes inquiries not in order to hear the truth, but in order to refute it (Joh_9:27-28). It is chained to its error by a confident assurance that it alone is right (Joh_9:41).

(IV) Direct denunciation is the only way to counter hypocrisy, a foe of all truth. The hypocrite is in a special sense the child of the father of lies (Joh_8:44). Hypocrisy not being able to live with truth, can defend itself only through the persecution of others (Joh_8:37). The reason for the vehement denunciation by Christ of the Pharisees in Matt. 23 was that sitting in Moses’ seat, they showed a spirit in which truth cannot dwell. The Pharisees neither entered the kingdom nor allowed others to enter (Mat_16:3-4). Hypocrisy stands in opposition to faith as it works to debase the whole man, just as faith works to regenerate him. It takes away the key of knowledge (Luk_11:52).

(V) In the Sermon on the Mount (Mat_5:1 ff.) hypocrisy is set in contrast to the kingdom of heaven. To a hypocrite, what is outwardly performed is most important and not what is believed in the heart. The Lord teaches that deliberate care must be taken that one’s righteousness be not done for the public eye. Hypocrisy is the opposite of that singleness of eye which fills the whole body with light; it turns the light that is in a man to darkness. Hypocrisy, though attempting to serve two masters, really serves none. It sees splinters in its brother’s eye while ignoring beams in its own. It is sheep’s clothing without, but a ravening wolf within. As it corrupted Judaism, it was ready to corrupt Christianity, and indeed has made inroads. The Lord treated the publican and the harlot as the lost sheep He had come to seek. For them He opened wide the door of the kingdom. But He knew that the hypocrites could only pretend to enter.

(VI) The ultimate hypocrite presented in Scripture is the Antichrist, the one who stands in place of Christ. He will represent the new hypocrisy. He will come in Christ’s name saying, “I am he” (Mar_13:6). He will try to deceive even the elect.

Application

a. A call to radical honesty

That is why James is calling us to Radical honesty. As a true reflection of holiness. Let our words and actions align.

b. Radical

Being radical means - Going to the root or core of something, to be completely, extrement, Different.

It’s a deep all-the-way-through kind of honesty we should possess. Not just towards others outwardly. But inwardly. Listening to the tests presented through James. Are you a hypocrite, or decieving yourself? Or are you with an all the way through, fully honest and truth driven heart?

Our speech will reflect our hears.

We are to be defined by a fully filled, all the way through honesty. The truth must indwell us so much, that when we say yes, it is yes, and no , it is no.

Conclusion

Our lives are to be honest and truth full all the way through. From our hearts that then overflow from our mouths with honesty and truth.

James makes it clear we are to:

1 The Priority of integrity

2 The Problem with Promises

3 The Practice of Simple Truth

4 The Purpose of Honesty

Prayer