Sincere Etymology

I was once taught some interesting history behind the word sincere, and ever since I've always liked the word.

In early days, furniture makers would hide holes in their wood by filling them with wax and then varnishing over their weak additive. All seemed well until an unsuspecting buyer placed his new furniture too near the fireplace. The wax would melt and run out, and the maker's low-grade materials and poor practices would be revealed. Whenever a piece of furniture was made completely of wood, then it could take the heat. It could withstand being near the fire without wax running out. Such a piece would be said to be sincere, meaning pure, whole, genuine. Sincere comes from the Middle French, from Latin sincerus whole, pure, genuine, probably from sem- one + -cerus (akin to Latin crescere to grow). Only the genuine could take the heat.

It is because of Jesus that I am whole. It is because of Him that I am able to take the heat. It is because of Him that I am sincere: pure, whole, genuine. Thus, it is quite fair to say that I am SONcere.

SONcerely,
Pastor J