Oath-taking is permitted, but it is not encouraged. In civil life, as in a courtroom, oath-taking is permitted. And when one is put under oath, he or she is not sinning against Christ’s teaching. Also, on rare occasions such a practice may be necessary, as it was for Paul. This said, oaths are not to be a part of everyday conversation. Christians should not need such devices. They should be known to be people of truth.
Kent Hughes

The First Epistle General of John

The First Epistle General of John

{1:1} That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard,that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and ourhands handled, concerning the Word of life {1:2} (and the life wasmanifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto youthe life, the eternal [life], which was with the Father, and wasmanifested unto us); {1:3} that which we have seen and heard declare weunto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and ourfellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ: {1:4} andthese things we write, that our joy may be made full. {1:5} And this isthe message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, thatGod is light, and in him is no darkness at all. {1:6} If we say that wehave fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do notthe truth: {1:7} but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, wehave fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Soncleanseth us from all sin. {1:8} If we say that we have no sin, wedeceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. {1:9} If we confess oursins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and tocleanse us from all unrighteousness. {1:10} If we say that we have notsinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

{2:1} My little children, these things write I unto you that ye maynot sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, JesusChrist the righteous: {2:2} and he is the propitiation for our sins;and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. {2:3} And herebywe know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. {2:4} He thatsaith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and thetruth is not in him; {2:5} but whoso keepeth his word, in him verilyhath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him:{2:6} he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk evenas he walked. {2:7} Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, butan old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandmentis the word which ye heard. {2:8} Again, a new commandment write I untoyou, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness ispassing away, and the true light already shineth. {2:9} He that saithhe is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness evenuntil now. {2:10} He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, andthere is no occasion of stumbling in him. {2:11} But he that hateth hisbrother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knowethnot whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.{2:12} I write unto you, [my] little children, because your sins areforgiven you for his name’s sake. {2:13} I write unto you, fathers,because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, youngmen, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you,little children, because ye know the Father. {2:14} I have written untoyou, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I havewritten unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of Godabideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one. {2:15} Love not theworld, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love theworld, the love of the Father is not in him. {2:16} For all that is inthe world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. {2:17} Andthe world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth thewill of God abideth for ever. {2:18} Little children, it is the lasthour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have therearisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour.{2:19} They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they hadbeen of us, they would have continued with us: but [they went out],that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us. {2:20}And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all the things.{2:21} I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, butbecause ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth. {2:22} Who isthe liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is theantichrist, [even] he that denieth the Father and the Son. {2:23}Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he thatconfesseth the Son hath the Father also. {2:24} As for you, let thatabide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heardfrom the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and inthe Father. {2:25} And this is the promise which he promised us, [even]the life eternal. {2:26} These things have I written unto youconcerning them that would lead you astray. {2:27} And as for you, theanointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not thatany one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you; concerning allthings, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abidein him. {2:28} And now, [my] little children, abide in him; that, if heshall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed beforehim at his coming. {2:29} If ye know that he is righteous, ye know thatevery one also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him.

{3:1} Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,that we should be called children of God; and [such] we are. For thiscause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. {3:2} Beloved,now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what weshall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be likehim; for we shall see him even as he is. {3:3} And every one that haththis hope [set] on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. {3:4}Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin islawlessness. {3:5} And ye know that he was manifested to take awaysins; and in him is no sin. {3:6} Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him. {3:7} [My]little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doethrighteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: {3:8} he thatdoeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. Tothis end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the worksof the devil. {3:9} Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, becausehis seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten ofGod. {3:10} In this the children of God are manifest, and the childrenof the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neitherhe that loveth not his brother. {3:11} For this is the message which yeheard from the beginning, that we should love one another: {3:12} notas Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slewhe him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.{3:13} Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you. {3:14} We knowthat we have passed out of death into life, because we love thebrethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. {3:15} Whosoever hatethhis brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternallife abiding in him. {3:16} Hereby know we love, because he laid downhis life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.{3:17} But whoso hath the world’s goods, and beholdeth his brother inneed, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of Godabide in him? {3:18} [My] Little children, let us not love in word,neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth. {3:19} Hereby shall weknow that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him:{3:20} because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart,and knoweth all things. {3:21} Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, wehave boldness toward God; {3:22} and whatsoever we ask we receive ofhim, because we keep his commandments and do the things that arepleasing in his sight. {3:23} And this is his commandment, that weshould believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love oneanother, even as he gave us commandment. {3:24} And he that keepeth hiscommandments abideth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that heabideth in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

{4:1} Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits,whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out intothe world. {4:2} Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit thatconfesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: {4:3} andevery spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the[spirit] of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; andnow it is in the world already. {4:4} Ye are of God, [my] littlechildren, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in youthan he that is in the world. {4:5} They are of the world: thereforespeak they [as] of the world, and the world heareth them. {4:6} We areof God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth usnot. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.{4:7} Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. {4:8} He thatloveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. {4:9} Herein was the loveof God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son intothe world that we might live through him. {4:10} Herein is love, notthat we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] thepropitiation for our sins. {4:11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we alsoought to love one another. {4:12} No man hath beheld God at any time:if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected inus: {4:13} hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because hehath given us of his Spirit. {4:14} And we have beheld and bear witnessthat the Father hath sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.{4:15} Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, Godabideth in him, and he in God. {4:16} And we know and have believed thelove which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in loveabideth in God, and God abideth in him. {4:17} Herein is love madeperfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment;because as he is, even so are we in this world. {4:18} There is no fearin love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hathpunishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. {4:19} Welove, because he first loved us. {4:20} If a man say, I love God, andhateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brotherwhom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. {4:21} Andthis commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love hisbrother also.

{5:1} Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten ofGod: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that isbegotten of him. {5:2} Hereby we know that we love the children of God,when we love God and do his commandments. {5:3} For this is the love ofGod, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are notgrievous. {5:4} For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world:and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, [even] our faith.{5:5} And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeththat Jesus is the Son of God? {5:6} This is he that came by water andblood, [even] Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the waterand with the blood. {5:7} And it is the Spirit that beareth witness,because the Spirit is the truth. {5:8} For there are three who bearwitness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agreein one. {5:9} If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God isgreater: for the witness of God is this, that he hath borne witnessconcerning his Son. {5:10} He that believeth on the Son of God hath thewitness in him: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; becausehe hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning hisSon. {5:11} And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternallife, and this life is in his Son. {5:12} He that hath the Son hath thelife; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life. {5:13} Thesethings have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternallife, [even] unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.{5:14} And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if weask anything according to his will, he heareth us: {5:15} and if weknow that he heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have thepetitions which we have asked of him. {5:16} If any man see his brothersinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and [God] will give himlife for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: notconcerning this do I say that he should make request. {5:17} Allunrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. {5:18} Weknow that whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not; but he that wasbegotten of God keepeth himself, and the evil one toucheth him not.{5:19} We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in theevil one. {5:20} And we know that the Son of God is come, and hathgiven us an understanding, that we know him that is true, and we are inhim that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God,and eternal life. {5:21} [My] little children, guard yourselves fromidols.

The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible is now in the Public Domain. Feel free to copy it for your friends, give it away, sell it,and publish it. http://www.ebible.org/bible/asv