Sincere

Sincere - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

SINCE'RE, a. [L. sincerus, which is said to be composed of sine, without, and cera, wax; as if applied originally to pure honey.]

1. Pure; unmixed. As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word. 1 Pet 2. A joy which never was sincere till now. There is no sincere acid in any animal juice. I would have all gallicisms avoided, that our tongue may be sincere. [This sense is for the most part obsolete. We use the phrases, sincere joy, sincere pleasure; but we mean by them, unfeigned, real joy or pleasure.]

2. Unhurt; uninjured. The' inviolable body stood sincere.

3. Being in reality what it appears to be; not feigned; not simulated; not assumed or said for the sake of appearance; real; not hypocritical or pretended. This is the present use of the word. Let your intentions be pure and your declarations sincere. Let love and friendship be sincere. No prayer can avail with a heart-searching God, unless it is sincere.

Sincerity - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

SINCER'ITY, n. [L. sinceritas.]

1. Honesty of mind or intention; freedom from simulation or hypocrisy. We may question a man's prudence, when we cannot question his sincerity.

2. Freedom from hypocrisy, disguise or false pretense; as the sincerity of a declaration or of love.

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."

W. L. Walker