【双语灵修】起誓TAKING OATHS
创世记 21:22-31
当那时候，亚比米勒同他军长非各对亚伯拉罕说：“凡你所行的事都有神的保佑。我愿你如今在这里指着神对我起誓，不要欺负我与我的儿子，并我的子孙。我怎样厚待了你，你也要照样厚待我与你所寄居这地的民。”亚伯拉罕说：“我情愿起誓。”从前亚比米勒的仆人霸占了一口水井，亚伯拉罕为这事指责亚比米勒。亚比米勒说：“谁做这事，我不知道，你也没有告诉我，今日我才听见了。”亚伯拉罕把羊和牛给了亚比米勒，二人就彼此立约。亚伯拉罕把七只母羊羔另放在一处。亚比米勒问亚伯拉罕说：“你把这七只母羊羔另放在一处，是什么意思呢？”他说：“你要从我手里受这七只母羊羔，做我挖这口井的证据。”所以他给那地方起名叫别是巴，因为他们二人在那里起了誓。
8月8日
起誓
“亚伯拉罕说：‘我指着神起誓。’” - 创世记 21:24
誓言是对真理的庄重承诺或宣告。在耶稣的时代，一般人习惯通过起誓来增加他的诺言或陈述的份量。例如，会声称指着“天”、“地”或“耶路撒冷”庄重起誓。但是这些誓言是否具有约束力，往往取决于措辞的方式。举例来说，指着耶路撒冷起誓不一定具有约束力，但对着耶路撒冷起誓却具有约束力。耶稣严厉谴责了这种诡诈的做法，祂说：“你们的话，是，就说是；不是，就说不是。”（《马太福音》5:37）。
这是否意味着，如果呼求神的名来起誓，就违反了“不可妄称神的名”这条诫命呢？简单的回答是：“既是，也不是”。如果你只是为了加强语气，就轻率地说出“我向神起誓”或“愿神为我作证”来做出承诺或陈述，这确实可能是妄称神的名—尤其是当你所陈述的内容有疑点、甚至并非出自真心时。然而，在法庭上或其他庄重的场合起誓则另当别论。在这些情况下，起誓可以是“为了神的荣耀和邻舍的益处，促进真理和信实”（《海德堡教理问答》第101问）。
总的来说，我们需要谨慎，在所说的一切话上都荣耀神；尤其是当我们凭爱心说诚实话（《以弗所书》4:15）时，便是在荣耀祂。
祷告
主啊，求你帮助我们，使我们能藉著述说真理来荣耀你。当我们有亏欠时，求你赦免我们。奉耶稣的名求，阿们。
Genesis 21:22-31
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8
TAKING OATHS
Abraham said, “I swear it.” —Genesis 21:24
An oath is a solemn promise or declaration of the truth. In Jesus’ day, it was common for people to offer oaths to add weight to their promises or statements. For example, people would claim to solemnly swear by “heaven,” “earth,” or “Jerusalem.” But depending on how their oaths were worded, they might or might not be binding. For instance, swearing by Jerusalem wasn’t necessarily binding, but swearing toward Jerusalem was binding. Jesus strongly denounced this deceptive approach, saying, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37).
Does this mean that if you take an oath, calling on God’s name, you would violate the commandment against misusing God’s name? The simple answer is both “yes” and “no.” If you rashly say something like “I swear to God” or “As God is my witness” to a promise or a statement just for the sake of emphasis, that may indeed be a misuse of God’s name—especially if what you are stating is questionable or not even sincere. It’s different, though, with oaths taken in a court of law or in some other weighty situation. In cases like that, an oath can “promote truth and trustworthiness for God’s glory and for our neighbor’s good” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 101).
In general, we need to take care that we honor God in all that we say, and we especially do so when we speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Help us, Lord, to honor you by speaking the truth. And please forgive us when we fall short. In Jesus’ name, Amen.