Is it Proper for a Christian to Swear an Oath?

Some religious groups suggest that it is improper to swear by an oath, because Jesus said (as recorded at Matthew 5:36, 37):

‘Don’t swear oaths by the hairs on your head, for you can’t turn a hair black or white. Let your yes just mean yes, And let your no just mean no, For it’s things like this that lead you towards evil.’

But was Jesus really saying that the act of swearing that something you say is the truth (as in a courtroom) is wrong? No, for God told the IsraElites (at Deuteronomy 10:12):

‘You must fear Jehovah your God… Serve Him and stick to Him, and swear your oaths by His Name.’

He also said (as recorded at Deuteronomy 29:12):

‘And now, you must conclude a Sacred Agreement with your God Jehovah and swear as many oaths as Jehovah your God will be asking of you today.’

So is there a contradiction here? Not really, because each instance is speaking of a different situation.

Understand that swearing an oath in the name of God is a sacred, binding thing, and should never be done without understanding the full weight of what we are saying. So, doing so is not wrong, it is just extremely serious.

However, what Jesus was saying is that the common use of swearing that less important things we say will be or are true, as in the Jewish custom of swearing by the hairs of their head, is foolish. Rather, we should always be sure that what we promise or say can be trusted as true.