Dictionaries :: Sincere; Sincerity

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Sincere; Sincerity:

sin-ser', sin-ser'-i-ti (tamim; aphtharsia, eilikrineia): "Sincerity" occurs once in the Old Testament as the translation of tamim, "complete," "entire," "sincere," etc. (Jos 24:14); the same word is translated "sincerity" (Jud 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" (1Pe 2:2 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "the spiritual," the American Revised Version margin "Greek, ‘belonging to the reason'; compare Ro 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" (Php 1:17); aphtharsia, "without corruption" (Eph 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.' See Ro 2:7," the English Revised Version "uncorruptness"; Tit 2:7, the King James Version "shewing uncorruptness.... sincerity," the Revised Version (British and American) "uncorruptness"); gnesios, "not spurious" (2Co 8:8); eilikrines, literally,, judged of in the sunlight, hence, "clear," "manifest" (Php 1:10); eilikrineia, with same meaning, is translated "sincerity" (1Co 5:8; 2Co 1:12; 2:17).

The Revised Version (British and American) has "sincere" for "pure" (2Pe 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."

Written by W. L. Walker