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Sincere Faith - 2 Tim. 1:5
Sincere Faith - 2 Tim. 1:5
Timothy had a sincere faith. What does that mean? The word ‘sincere’ translates the Greek word “ἀνυπόκριτος” which is defined by Strong’s to mean “‘unfeigned’, without hypocrisy’. Quite literally the word means without hypocrisy and is so translated twice in our NASB95:
Romans 12:9 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Such ‘geniune’ love is also mentioned in 2 Cor. 6:6 and 1 Pet. 1:22. James speaks of wisdom that is also to be ‘without hypocrisy’ (James 3:17).
Paul wrote that “the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). Such was the faith of Timothy – as well as Timothy’s grandmother and mother (2Tim. 1:5).
A faith that is unfeigned, real, not pretended? Would people really ‘pretend to believe’? YES. Twice we read about false brethren 2 Cor. 11:26 and Gal. 2:4. There has been those who would pretend to believe in order to have the ‘privilege’ of marriage: the girl says: “‘I will only marry a Christian: and ‘poof’ the boy become a ‘believer’. Some would do so for social prestige and others for money. If there were enough believers that one could gain social status in a community or make money off of believers, there would be those who would do it!
The saddest ones would be those who have deceived themselves and actually THINK of themselves as believing. No wonder that Paul insists that you “test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (2Cor. 13:5). Is YOUR faith ‘sincere’?
Hugh DeLong
