É lícito jurar?

 

         

           Por muitos anos foi perpetuada dentro da igreja evangélica brasileira uma teologia ruim que condenou e condena qualquer tipo de juramento ou promessa prestado mesmo que feita de maneira consciente e piedosa.

            Sem dúvida tal pratica acabou por afetar a Igreja Reformada, (uma vez mais que durante muitos anos se confundiu em muitos aspectos com a igreja evangélica) de maneira tão forte que por muitos anos cristãos verdadeiramente piedosos deixaram de lado o ensinamento Bíblico trazido por nossa Confissão de Fé ( Confissão de Fé de Westminster) e abraçaram o erro teológico ainda que de maneira inocente. 

            Baseados numa interpretação equivocada do Evangelho segundo Mateus Capítulo 5 versículos 33 até 37, os partidários da ideia que a proibição feita por nosso Senhor é universal, isto é, vale para toda e qualquer circunstancia e tipo de juramento, ignoram o fato  de que o próprio Jesus se submeteu a um juramento quando interrogado pelo sumo sacerdote no capítulo 26 versículo 63 do mesmo Evangelho.

            De modo semelhante o apóstolo Paulo procedeu no livro de Romanos 1:9 quando invoca Deus como sua testemunha. Conclui-se então que o juramento é lícito, porém deve obedecer a certas especificidades trazidas pela própria Bíblia. O juramento deve ter sempre um caráter solene e ser prestado sempre em ocasiões próprias com tremor e temor diante de Deus (Ex. 20:7) como uma parte do culto religioso (Dt. 10:20).

             Deve-se observar que o único nome pelo qual o cristão pode e deve jurar é o nome de Deus, procedendo de tal forma que sinta terror em saber que presta um juramento pelo nome do Criador, Mantenedor e Consumador de sua vida. (Dt. 6:13). Prestar juramento por qualquer outro nome que não o do Santo Deus de Israel é abominável e pecaminoso. (Jr. 5:7).

            Sinteticamente dizendo, o cristão pode prestar juramento, entretanto, os juramentos devem ser prestados com temor e solenidade além de plena consciência em relação àquilo que se está jurando, pois invocamos a justiça Divida  ou para ser nossa Bandeira e Estandarte da Verdade ou nossa Espada e Carrasco.

Evangelização - Tarefa Difícil e Urgente

 (Mateus 28.18-20)

Um teólogo ilustrando a urgência da tarefa evangelizadora imaginou uma cena muito curiosa: três diabos discutiam entre si sobre como atrapalhar a obra da Igreja de Cristo. Um disse: “Vamos dizer que não há inferno”; outro replicou: “Vamos dizer que não há céu”; finalmente o terceiro disse: “tudo está certo, mas não há pressa,

não há urgência”. Muitos cristãos ficaram assim convencidos.

A acomodação é grande obstáculo à tarefa da evangelização. Dificilmente encontraremos um cristão sincero que recuse anecessidade de evangelizar. Mas, iniciar essa obra e nela perseverar são os desafios. Consideremos alguns aspectos:

1. Ordem de Jesus Cristo – Com a plenitude da autoridade que lhe foi dada pelo Pai, mostra a tarefa para Seus discípulos como um imperativo; Ele não sugere, mas ordena. Ele não convida para o trabalho, mas impõe “ide e fazei discípulos”.

2. Testemunho da Igreja Primitiva – (Atos 2.37-47,Is 1.2-3) – Não havia destaques a grandes oradores, mas ao tipo de vida dos seus membros, vida sólida que retratava obediência e temor diante de Deus. Evangelizar não é um período na vida da Igreja ou em nossa vida pessoal, mas uma forma de viver que atende ao Senhor. Quando os “não crentes” veem em nós a família de Deus, estão também sendo evangelizados; é mais marcante o que se vê e não o que se fala. Enquanto isso o Senhor vai acrescentando os salvos.

3. Testemunho dos lares dos crentes – (II Timóteo 1.5) – A solidez da Igreja é um reflexo da solidez dos lares. Lares crentes, pessoas crentes, esses é um alvo evangelístico: Marcos 5.19, Atos 13.1-4 (início da missão em Chipre, terra de Barnabé), Cl 4.15.

4. Urgência – Temos boas novas que precisam ser compartilhadas, devemos responder ao amor de Deus com o nosso amor por Ele, é indispensável tratar essa tarefa como obrigação (I Co 9.16).

5. Participação fundamental do Espírito Santo nessa obra – Leia Atos 2.1-13, Atos 13.1-4 – O que se diz a respeito da ação doEspírito Santo? O que fazia a Igreja? Como começou o evangelismo?

O que isso representa para cada um de nós?

Rev. Carlos Aranha Neto – Pastor efetivo da Igreja Presbiteriana Unida de São Paulo

Daily Devotional - English ( Devocional diária em inglês)

Daily Devotional

November 3

Twilight: The Great but Unfinished Work

by the Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven

Monthly Theme:

Philippians is Paul's love letter. The epistle is also a good instrument for learning the secret of this great man. Paul considered living Christ and dying gain. And, although he wrote from a prison cell, his refrain was "Rejoice in the Lord always."

Bible Reading:

Philippians 1:1–6

Bible Text:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6).

Devotional:

Through the gospel God has begun "a good work" in all of us. But none of us has yet arrived.

In the meantime we share the discipline of God's grace. We are like classmates in school: We undertake the same studies, and we get the same training for the same goal. Yet all of us are imperfect this side of graduation.

Intimate knowledge of each other's shortcomings may cause us to lose respect for each other. "She may call herself a Christian, but she's got quite a mouth on her." Imperfections in other Christians get on our nerves.

But look at it this way: imperfections in Christians show that Christ's work in us is incomplete. Every one of us can see such an incomplete product in the mirror.

God does not excuse these flaws. He works on them. And he wants us to work on them too. But our Maker doesn't suspend fellowship with us until we reach perfection. And neither may we suspend fellowship with each other because of our flaws.

People leave a lot of unfinished business when they die. But God always finishes what he has begun. While we work diligently in God's school, we are "confident of this, that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

That will be graduation day. And our perfection will be not an accomplishment but a gift.

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Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Daily Devotional - English ( Devocional diária em inglês)

Daily Devotional

November 2

Twilight: Fellowship in the Gospel

by the Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven

Monthly Theme:

Philippians is Paul's love letter. The epistle is also a good instrument for learning the secret of this great man. Paul considered living Christ and dying gain. And, although he wrote from a prison cell, his refrain was "Rejoice in the Lord always."

Bible Reading:
 Philippians 1:3–5

Bible Text:
... joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now (Phil. 1:5 ).

Devotional:

Philippians is Paul's love letter. He writes to Christians who supported him and his ministry by prayers and gifts. With them, Paul had a "fellowship" or "partnership" in the gospel.

We use the word "fellowship" mostly for a friendly atmosphere in a public building, enhanced by the consumption of food and drink. Most of us like and all of us need such social occasions. But "fellowship" is also something deeper.

It's a common bond of interest that brings and holds a group together. For example, there is fellowship between revolutionaries in their secret meetings or among people who share a very strong interest in motorcycles or computers. Similarly Christians have a fellowship in the gospel of Christ.

Our enjoyment of the gospel is not the only thing we have in common. We also share an interest in activities that spread the gospel. So when Paul refers to the "partnership in the gospel" that he shares with the Philippians, he means that his brothers and sisters in this church have an interest as strong as his own in spreading the good news. They'll put life and limb on the line to keep and promote the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I like to believe that all readers of this page share with me that same all-consuming interest in the gospel. There's nothing greater than having a "partnership in the gospel." It binds us forever—and closer than flesh and blood.

---

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Daily Devotional - English ( Devocional diária em inglês)

Daily Devotional

November 1

Twilight: A Letter to the Saints

by the Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven

Monthly Theme:

Philippians is Paul's love letter. The epistle is also a good instrument for learning the secret of this great man. Paul considered living Christ and dying gain. And, although he wrote from a prison cell, his refrain was "Rejoice in the Lord always."

Bible Reading:

Philippians 1:1–3



Bible Text:

Paul and Timothy ... to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi together with the overseers and deacons... (Phil. 1:1).



Devotional:

Paul is in prison, probably at Rome. Timothy, his spiritual son and fellow evangelist is with him, although not a prisoner. The Christians in the town of Philippi had sent a gift to Paul. Now Paul sends this letter thanking his friends for the gift. Later, this letter to the Philippians became a part of the sacred writings through which the church of God knows the truth.

Paul calls himself and Timothy simply "servants of Christ Jesus." That title says it all.

He calls the church members "saints"—that is, holy people. In the Bible a person and a church are holy not because they have managed to make themselves noticed by their high moral standards and godly behavior, but because God has set them apart from other people. Once we are set apart, we try to honor God by our moral excellence. But don't reverse that order.

They are saints "in Christ Jesus." They believe in Christ and have been baptized in his name. They are holy because they belong to Jesus Christ.

Paul also mentions the "bishops" (overseers), a position originally the same as our office of elder, and "deacons." Elders (or bishops) and deacons (or helpers) should serve in every church of the saints.

That's the God-ordained way to preserve the grace and the peace that have come to us from God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

---

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version