What is the spiritual significance of swearing on a Bible among the various churches and denominations?

Upvote:1

Matthew 5:33-37 and James 5:12

The bible is clear that swearing on anything and taking oaths is sinful. The premise is that you should always be trustworthy. If you are known to always tell the truth, then you would not need additional corroboration or incentive that you are telling the truth.

Does it swearing an oath on the bible have any additional significance beyond swearing on oath on nothing? I am not aware of any bible passages that directly deal with the question. One could argue that to knowingly lie while invoking God would be to treating Him with contempt. There is much the bible says on that topic but that is another question.

Upvote:3

Gospel Truth

The practice of swearing an oath on the Bible sits in the uncomfortable median between secular and religious practice. John Bouvier explains the motivation behind the practice in his Law Dictionary:

OATH. A declaration made according to law, before a competent tribunal or officer, to tell the truth; or it is the act of one who, when lawfully required to tell the truth, takes God to witness that what he says is true. It is a religious act by which the party invokes God not only to witness the truth and sincerity of his promise, but also to avenge his imposture or violated faith, or in other words to punish his perjury if he shall be guilty of it.

He cites Novisimi Recopilacion de las Leyes de Espafia as tracing the practice of holding a book back to Roman law. What book would have been used, I don't know. Bouvier notes that the "Gospel" is the usual book taken in hand. This seems appropriate since the words gospel and truth have had a strong association going as far back as Paul:

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation...
β€”Ephesians 1:13a (ESV)

These days, a Bible is not required by most courts nor do they require true oaths, but allow simple affirmations. One reason is that the Bible itself warns against taking oaths. Notice that the reason is not because oaths on the Bible are powerless superstition, but because oaths are supremely significant. Even God swears oaths:

Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
    scattering them among the lands.

β€”Psalm 106:26-27 (ESV)

Upvote:6

A very straight reading of Matthew and James would lead you to believe what Jeff wrote. But that may not be the end of it, or have anything to do at all with judicial oaths.

Christ meant, as the Fathers and ecclesiastical writers explain, to be so truthful that men could believe them without need of oath to confirm what they say. He did not forbid the use of oaths under proper conditions, when necessary to satisfy others of our truthfulness.

Oaths - Catholic Encylopedia

All the sacraments are oaths. Saying Amen is an oath. Every covenant God made is an oath. There's no reason you shouldn't "swear to God" when you're seriously "swearing to God". Just like you can say "God help us" or "Mother of the Saints!" without using God's name or other holy names in vain.

You shouldn't go down a path that is going to lead to perjury.

However, swearing on a Bible, or swearing on "The Precious" or your mother's ashes, etc doesn't seem necessary does it? Almost seems idolatrous. But, then again, you're not swearing on a Bible, you're just touching a Bible and swearing on the Holy Word of God and as long as you're not perjuring yourself and you're fulfilling your obligations, you're doing the right thing.

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