Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Etymology:The term "sincere" is derived from the Latin word "sincerus," meaning clean, pure, or sound. In the biblical context, sincerity refers to the quality of being genuine, honest, and free from pretense or deceit. It is a virtue that is highly esteemed in Scripture, reflecting the inner purity and authenticity of one's heart and actions.
Biblical Usage:The concept of sincerity is woven throughout the Bible, emphasizing the importance of genuine faith, love, and devotion to God and others. It is often associated with purity of heart and integrity in one's relationship with God.
Old Testament References:While the specific term "sincere" is not frequently used in the Old Testament, the concept is evident in various passages. For example, in
Psalm 51:6, David acknowledges God's desire for truth in the inward being: "Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place." This verse highlights the importance of inner sincerity and truthfulness before God.
New Testament References:The New Testament provides several explicit references to sincerity, particularly in the context of Christian conduct and relationships. In
1 Peter 1:22, believers are exhorted to love one another sincerely: "Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth, so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart." This passage underscores the necessity of sincere love that stems from a pure heart.
In
Philippians 1:10, Paul prays for the believers to be "pure and blameless for the day of Christ," which implies a life of sincerity and integrity. Similarly, in
2 Corinthians 1:12, Paul speaks of conducting himself with "simplicity and godly sincerity," indicating that his actions were free from worldly wisdom and deceit.
Theological Significance:Sincerity is a reflection of the believer's heart condition before God. It is not merely about outward actions but involves the inner motives and intentions. Jesus emphasized this in His teachings, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount, where He addressed the importance of sincerity in prayer, fasting, and giving (
Matthew 6:1-18).
The Apostle Paul frequently addressed the issue of sincerity in his letters, urging believers to live lives that are transparent and genuine. In
Ephesians 6:24, he speaks of "grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love," suggesting that true love for Christ is marked by sincerity and authenticity.
Practical Implications:For Christians, sincerity is a vital aspect of spiritual maturity and discipleship. It calls for a life that is consistent with one's professed beliefs, characterized by honesty, transparency, and a genuine love for God and others. Sincerity in worship, relationships, and daily conduct is essential for maintaining a credible witness to the world.
Conclusion:While the Bible does not provide an exhaustive definition of sincerity, it is clear that God values a sincere heart. Believers are called to cultivate sincerity in all aspects of their lives, reflecting the purity and truth of the Gospel in their interactions with others and their devotion to God.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
superl.) Pure; unmixed; unadulterated.
2. (superl.) Whole; perfect; unhurt; uninjured.
3. (superl.) Being in reality what it appears to be; having a character which corresponds with the appearance; not falsely assumed; genuine; true; real; as, a sincere desire for knowledge; a sincere contempt for meanness.
4. (superl.) Honest; free from hypocrisy or dissimulation; as, a sincere friend; a sincere person.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SINCERE; SINCERITYsin-ser', sin-ser'-i-ti (tamim; aphtharsia, eilikrineia): "Sincerity" occurs once in the Old Testament as the translation of tamim, "complete," "entire," "sincere," etc. (Joshua 24:14); the same word is translated "sincerity" (Judges 9:16, 19, the Revised Version (British and American) "uprightly"). Four different words are rendered "sincere," "sincerely" "sincerity," in the New Testament: adolos, "without guile," "unadulterated," "desire the sincere milk of the word" (1 Peter 2:2 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "the spiritual," the American Revised Version margin "Greek, `belonging to the reason'; compareRomans 12:1," the English Revised Version margin reasonable"), "milk which is without guile," with no other purpose but to nourish and benefit the soul (Alford); hagnos, "without blame," "pure," "preach Christ.... not sincerely" (Philippians 1:17); aphtharsia, "without corruption" (Ephesians 6:24, the King James Version "that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," the American Standard Revised Version "with a love incorruptible," margin " `in incorruption.' SeeRomans 2:7," the English Revised Version "uncorruptness";Titus 2:7, the King James Version "shewing uncorruptness.... sincerity," the Revised Version (British and American) "uncorruptness"); gnesios, "not spurious" (2 Corinthians 8:8); eilikrines, literally, judged of in the sunlight, hence, "clear," "manifest" (Philippians 1:10); eilikrineia, with same meaning, is translated "sincerity" (1 Corinthians 5:82 Corinthians 1:12;2 Corinthians 2:17).
The Revised Version (British and American) has "sincere" for "pure" (2 Peter 3:1), "sincerely" for "clearly" (Job 33:3).
In The Wisdom of Solomon 7:25 we have eilikrines in the description of Wisdom as a "pure influence," the Revised Version (British and American) "clear effluence."
W. L. Walker
Greek
1506. eilikrines -- judged by sunlight, unalloyed, pure... of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: eilikrines Phonetic Spelling: (i-lik-ree-nace')
Short Definition: pure, uncontaminated,
sincere Definition: (originally
...505. anupokritos -- unhypocritical, unfeigned
... anupokritos Phonetic Spelling: (an-oo-pok'-ree-tos) Short Definition: unfeigned,
without hypocrisy Definition: unfeigned, without hypocrisy,sincere....
97. adolos -- guileless, genuine
... undeceitful,sincere. From a (as a negative particle}; and dolos; undeceitful, ie
(figuratively) unadulterated --sincere. see GREEK a. see GREEK dolos....
185. akeraios -- unmixed, pure
... Phonetic Spelling: (ak-er'-ah-yos) Short Definition: simple, unsophisticated, innocent
Definition: (lit: unmixed) simple, unsophisticated,sincere, blameless....
1103. gnesios -- lawfully begotten, genuine
... 1103 (from 1085/, "offspring, birth") -- properly, true to (proper ); (figuratively)
"" because (totally legitimate); , ;sincere because ....
228. alethinos -- true.
... Word Origin from alethes Definition true. NASB Word Usagesincere (1), true (26),
true one (1). true. From alethes; truthful -- true. see GREEK alethes....
3852. paraggelia -- an instruction, a command
... See 3853 (). 1 Tim 1:5: "But the goal of our (3852 ) is love from a pure
heart and a good conscience and asincere (4102 )" ()....
908. baptisma -- (the result of) a dipping or sinking
... of baptism. Cognate: 908 -- (note the - suffix, emphasizing it is a , ie
ofsincere repentance.) 908 () indicates (, ). Word Origin...
2379. thusiasterion -- an altar
... 2379 -- ; (figuratively) the ; (figuratively) the "place" of consecration,
where the Lord meets and communes with thesincere believer....
1174. deisidaimonesteros -- very fearful of gods, religious...
... 1174 (from , "to dread" and , "a deity") -- properly, religious (superstitious)
fear, driven by a confused concept of God -- producing "sincere" but religion....
Library
Sincere Seekers Assured Finders
...Sincere Seekers Assured Finders. A Sermon (No.3490). Published on Thursday,
December 16th, 1915. Delivered by. CH SPURGEON,. At [16]the...
Simple andSincere. June 23.
... Simple andSincere. June 23. There are those, and, thanks to Almighty God,
they are to be numbered by tens of thousands, who will...
Is PelagiusSincere?
... A work on the proceedings of pelagius, Chapter 56 [XXXI.]"Is Pelagius
Sincere? How, then, can it be believed that Pelagius (if...
CM Alford.Sincere Worship.
... 482. CM Alford.Sincere Worship. 1 O Thou, who hast Thy servants taught That not
by words alone, But by the fruits of holiness, The life of God is shown;...
Psalm 32 Free Pardon andSincere Obedience; Or, Confession and...
... THE PSALMS OF DAVID PSALM 32 Free pardon andsincere obedience; or, Confession and
forgiveness. CM... His spirit hates deceit and lies,. His words are allsincere;...
Prayer is the Soul'sSincere Desire,
... The Treasury of Sacred Song. Book First CCXLI Prayer is the soul'ssincere desire,.
Utter'd, or unexpress'd; The motion of a hidden fire....
How Pure andSincere Prayer Can be Gained.
... II. Second Conference of Abbot Moses. Chapter III. How pure andsincere
prayer can be gained. And therefore in order that prayer...
"Truly" Said I, "You have Clearly Proved How Much aSincere Love...
... Dialogues of Sulpitius Severus. Chapter II. "Truly" said I, "you have clearly
proved how much asincere love can accomplish? "Truly...
Psalm 32:2. First Part. LM Free Pardon andSincere Obedience; Or...
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 32:2. First Part. LM Free pardon and
sincere obedience; or, Confession and forgiveness. 1 Happy...
The Few Next Remarks: "You, OSincere Believers, Find Fault with...
... Chapter XXXVIII. The few next remarks: "You, Osincere believers, find fault
with us? The few next remarks: "You, Osincere believers...
Thesaurus
Sincere (18 Occurrences)... in reality what it appears to be; having a character which corresponds with the
appearance; not falsely assumed; genuine; true; real; as, a
sincere desire for
...Sincerity (17 Occurrences)
... (n.) The quality or state of beingsincere; honesty of mind or intention; freedom
from simulation, hypocrisy, disguise, or false pretense; sincereness. Int....
Sincerely (8 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (adv.) In asincere manner. 2. (adv.) Purely;
without alloy. 3. (adv.) Honestly; unfeignedly; without...
Simple (40 Occurrences)
... dress. 3. (a.) Mere; not other than; being only. 4. (a.) Not given to artifice,
stratagem, or duplicity; undesigning;sincere; true. 5...
Eli (36 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 4:18). The character of Eli, whilesincere and devout, seems to
have been entirely lacking in firmness. He appears from...
Simon (75 Occurrences)
... by Peter himself and even written under his direction this circumstance may be
considered as an evidence of his integrity andsincere contrition." Nothing more...
Nature (80 Occurrences)
... wheel" probably means "circle of nature" (the whole creation; see COURSE)); gnesios,
"genuine" ("true to right nature") "legitimate," "sincere," is translated...
Unfeigned (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Not feigned; not counterfeit; not hypocritical; real;
sincere; genuine; as, unfeigned piety; unfeigned love to man. Int....
Offense (44 Occurrences)
... (WBS NIV). Philippians 1:10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent;
that you may besincere and without offense to the day of Christ; (WEB WBS)....
Open (586 Occurrences)
... 5. (a.) Without reserve or false pretense;sincere; characterized by sincerity;
unfeigned; frank; also, generous; liberal; bounteous; -- applied to personal...
Resources
What does the Bible say about sincerity? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the argument from disbelief? | GotQuestions.orgIs questioning the Bible wrong? | GotQuestions.orgSincere: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
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