Look what I discovered today.
The New Testament Greek word that we translate as 'sincere' is 'heilikrines'.
It comes from two Greek words - 'helio' meaning 'sun' and 'krino' meaning 'to judge'.
So 'heilikrines' = sun-judged or sun-tested.
Likewise, our English word 'sincere' comes from two Latin words - 'sine' meaning 'without' and 'cere' meaning 'wax'.
So 'sincere' = without wax.
Confusing?
No, absolutely beautiful.
Early marble workers would fill cracks or mistakes in their art pieces with a mixture of marble dust and wax to present a "perfect" product to sell.
When exposed to the heat of the sun the wax would often melt and expose the blemishes, and their dishonesty.
Similarly porcelain workers would use a pearly white wax to fill the cracks that appeared in their pieces during the firing process.
They looked OK in the shop, but the wax appeared as a dark seam in the white porcelain when held up to the sunlight.
Honest artists and craftsmen would mark their genuinely perfect pieces as 'sine cera' (without wax).
When we are sincere, we are without wax - open to God's penetrating light and found to be made of the right stuff all the way through.
I was blessed by that little gem and wanted to share it with you.
Have a great day.
Blessings, Barry
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