It is not accidental or coincidental that Paul couples these words with each other and also with unleavened bread. 1 Cor. 5:8. The thought is obvious with “Truth”. A little leaven spreads through the whole lump of dough to sour it ready to make bread. From this it is readily seen to apply to Spiritual matters. A small departure from the truth is error, and error multiplies, and if unchecked can permeate the whole body with consequent corruption and spiritual poisoning. We can thank our Father that we can keep the feast with truth, but what of sincerity?
The word “sincere” means “without wax”, from Latin “sine”-without and “cera”-wax. Thus honey separated from the wax is pure honey. In Scripture then the meaning is pure or without mixture. The sincere milk of the word is unmixed with errors of traditions or heresies or deceit. Sincerity and truth naturally are coupled together as purity and truth in opposition to impurity and error.
This is the usual thought with the word “sincere” and “sincerity”, but the origin of the word goes beyond this. We use the term in communicating with others such as “Yours sincerely”. In other words we mean: “It is not said for the sake of appearance” or “it is in reality what it appears to be”; “It is not feigned or simulated”; “It is not assumed; it is real and not hypocritical. It is honest, guileless, plain, frank, upright”.
Shakespeare gives much to think about on this subject:
“Mark you this, the devil can cite scripture for his purpose, an evil soul producing holy witness is like a villain with a smiling cheek; a goodly apple rotten at the heart: 0 what a goodly outside falsehood hath.”
This is the direct opposite of sincere.
There is another very important aspect of the word which can be traced back to Rome in its glory as a world power. The people as a whole were prosperous and as a man accumulated wealth he would purchase a statue for the grounds of his house. As he prospered he would buy more or trade in the old and buy newer, larger, and better statues. These were the status symbols of Rome. Although made carefully with the best marble, these statues developed cracks and flaws from being exposed to the elements. The slightest crack would allow water and dust to penetrate. Sun, wind, frost and rain, with extremes of temperatures would then damage the statue and it exaggerated the cracks and flaws in the stone. When an owner discovered this he would hastily trade it in with a dealer who would skillfully seal and patch the flaws and would even replace missing pieces such as fingers with wax. This unfair practice aroused anger in the next purchaser when the statue was exposed to the elements and found faulty. So prevalent was the custom that special laws were introduced to control the dealers. Every article had to be branded “cumcere” or “sincere” with very heavy punishment on misrepresentation.
With this thought in mind we can see more clearly the exhortation to be found in the word.
We cannot hide the blemishes of our character in the sight of God — we may seem to be righteous in the sight of men and hide our flaws under a patching of wax. This thought takes us back to the beginnings of man. “Adam —where art thou?” There was no room for deceit.
By one man sin entered into the world and we thank God that by one man many will be made righteous, many will be justified, have their sins forgiven and their flaws and blemishes hidden — not with earthy wax but by the precious blood of Jesus.
Can we see Jesus as the word of God typically broken by the sins of the people when Moses broke the tablets of stone? The word of God is eternal and indestructible and the word was restored on new tables of stone. In this we see the typical resurrection of the Word of God made flesh. The Word of God was not nullified by man’s puny efforts. The word of God on the tables of stone is now lost to view but is soon to be revealed to the world. In this we see a type of Jesus also — he is now not seen but shortly he will appear again with God’s life-giving power, in God’s might, to dispense justice and equity and peace and untold benefits.
That Jesus, as the word of God, is likened to a stone comes as no surprise. To those who believe, he is the corner stone on which the household of God is fitly framed. (Eph. 2: 19-21.) To those who do not believe, he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.
This is in full accord with the statement that when Jesus comes again, he will break the kingdoms of this world, for he is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands.
In the marble statues of Rome, the natural flaws in the stone are aggravated by the method of separating the individual pieces out of the mass in the quarry. Wedges are driven into the cracks so that the piece will be broken away by prising with a hammer and wedges. This severe jarring and concussion destroys cementation and cohesion along the planes of weakness and thus aggravates the natural cracks and flaws. In shaping the block more hammering is necessary and again the flaws are intensified. These flaws, either natural or caused by extraction and by shaping, are the cause of permanent damage with resulting disfigurement when exposed to the natural elements.
This principle can be used of men. The mass of mankind is the quarry, individuals are separated from the mass with their natural faults and in the shaping of character, some are not able to withstand the elements of the world and eventually are returned to dust — beyond redemption for further use. Others who are able to resist the deterioration of worldly influences by the operation of God’s word in their lives, are preserved unto life — their blemishes and flaws are covered, and they will be presented faultless before the throne with exceeding joy — because they are lively stones built up into a spiritual house. The principle that “a sawn stone is best” is true. We see this in the Lord Jesus Christ. There were no flaws and blemishes in him because he was sinless.
He was exposed to the same elements of the world as man and proved to have no weakness, therefore the grave could not hold him and he saw no corruption. He is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, not wrenched from the earth with blasting or forcing, so Isaiah was able to prophesy “I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation.” (28:16) This is the stone which will consume all the kingdoms of this age and grind them to powder and which will increase to such an extent that it will fill the earth. (Dan. 2) There is no weakness in this stone.
“Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord; look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father … Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men … my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation … the redeemed of the Lord shall … come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” (Isa. 51:1-7-11.)
Can we be anything less than sincere?
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay