Leaven & Syncretism
In an earlier Saturday Post in this series I coined the teaching, preaching and study of Everythingology – definition:
1. Endless study of everything;
2. Theoretical theology of humanity as god.
Today our focus turns toward the ‘isms‘ applied to the Church. Specifically, syncretism is form of everythingology stirred into the beliefs of Christians and leavening the 21st century Church to its own destruction.
First, a couple of definitions for my fellow amateur theologians of the Church:
Syncretism
- Reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, as in philosophy or religion, especially when success is partial or the result is heterogeneous. – source: Wordnik.com
‘What’s wrong with that,’ you may ask. Sounds like a pretty good thing. ‘Can’t we all just get along?”
I even saw some syncretism on a bumper sticker of a pastor’s car.
We'll get back to the definition of Syncretism shortly, but here is where understanding leaven comes into our understanding. (So let's take a Biblical view at leaven -- and this, from the New Testament.)
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth 5:6 LSB
ζύμη – leaven
- metaph. of inveterate [chronic, deep-rooted] mental and moral corruption, viewed in its tendency to infect others
Leaven is applied to that substance which is small in quantity, yet thoroughly pervades a thing by its influence. The NT uses it in both a positive (cf. Mat 13:33) or negative sense (e.g., “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”).
- ζύμη zýmē, dzoo’-may; probably from G2204; ferment (as if boiling up):—leaven.
- source: BlueLetterBible.org linked above
Where Everythingism Leavens the Church
Note our definition of Syncretism where philosophy and religion, specifically Christology, intersect.
Two additional definitions [linked above]: - The merging of two or more originally different inflectional forms. - The attempted reconciliation or union of irreconcilable principles or parties, as in philosophy or religion; specifically, the doctrines of a certain school in the Lutheran Church, followers of Callixtus, who attempted to effect a union among all Christians, Protestant and Catholic. Sec syncretist.
Our 20th century trained tolerances sometimes cause us to pause, if not cringe, at any Scriptural reference to a culture other than our own. For example:
One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
Paul’s letter to Titus 1:12 LSB
Where does the Apostle Paul come off by saying this to a Pastor Titus about the culture of Crete?
(And dare we preach this in our mostly white or mostly black evangelical Christian churches?)
Syncretism from ancient Greek philosophy
The connection is true (as Paul says) and intersects once more with an origin of syncretism found in nearby ancient Greek philosophy.
That, of course, would be the world of the Greek culture of the Roman Empire; a world which universally embraced MANY gods — Greeks and Cretans and Romans to whom the Apostles proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ.
From συγκρητίζω (sunkrētízō) + -μός (-mós), or possibly from συν- (sun-) + Κρῆτες (Krêtes, “Cretans”) + -ισμός (-ismós, “-ism”) if the verb is a back-formation. - source: Wikipedia
Doesn’t Syncretism Multiply our numbers of Christians in the Evangelical Church?
If you do not agree with the Biblical caution of Paul for the churches in Crete; then, my fellow “evangelical Christian,’ you may want to reconsider a long-stagnant fermentation of Greek philosophy into a 21st century self-definition of syncretist:
What is it to be a Syncretist "Syncretism is the science of integrating and understanding all fields of human knowledge, whether it be theological, philosophical, alchemical, astrological or spiritual. All fields of human knowledge can be syncretized and unified rather than divided, dividing and separating is the modus operandi of the control... - Syncretism Society [not linked here] Consult your philosophers and alchemists (think magic potions) and astrologers (zodiac signs, earth worshipers) and spiritualists (palm readers or an enlightened Buddhist monk on a mountain).
Are these the humans YOU count as those in the Sunday gathering (or broadcast) of your evangelical church?
HOW WILL YOU CONVERT THEM TO CHRIST?
- Does the world see YOU and beloved friends of your local evangelical CHURCH as worshipers of Jesus Christ?
Here is the ‘Did god REALLY SAY’ QUESTION of the SYNCRETIST:
- WILL YOU AFFORD THE SAME HONOR TO BUDDA, VISHNU and MUHAMMED as you do Jesus?
That’s syncretism.
Must the CHURCH MULTIPLY our inclusion of so many anti-Christs of rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers.. upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain? [see: Titus 1:10-11]
- Didn’t these come to your ‘CHURCH’ because YOU, being Christ-like, live differently than others?
What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
Second letter of the Apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth Greece 6:15-16 NLT
How are Christians Different?
We examined philosophy (briefly).
Even Atheists make a religion of their teachings against God.
Religion, as we have seen, has many faces.
Even Atheists make a religion of their teachings against God, especially preaching a philosophic evangelism against Jesus Christ and against the Church and ALL Christians.
IS SYNCRYTISM a religion or is it a PHILOSOPY?
As you can see from their own self-defining society, we should probably be asking all of these syncretist churches:
SO WHY DON’T YOU TOLERATE ALL philosophies, ALL religions (as you claim), ALL gods and ALL idols and ALL human behaviors including worship of Jesus Christ? — AND WHY can’t you ever be ALL-INCLUSIVE of Christians?
“All fields of human knowledge can be syncretized and unified rather than divided..”
ANSWER: Because we are divinely ordained. [Isaiah 43:21] Although all have sinned [Romans 3:23] and deserve the wrath and punishment of God [Ezekiel 7:8], WE who believe in and follow our Lord Jesus Christ will have ETERNAL LIFE [numerous N.T. Scriptures].
Sadly, by their own disobedience to the Lord God and Jesus Christ, OTHERS will be judged!
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:31 LSB
Let no one deceive you with empty words,
for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Letter of Paul to the Church in Ephesus [Greece] 5:6 LSB
For many deceivers have gone out into the world..
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Second letter of the Apostle John to the Church 1:7 LSB
I could launch into a full sermon from John's letter and his CAUTION to the CHURCH here -- briefly -- Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. - v.9 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting, for the one who gives him a greeting [fellowships] participates in his evil deeds. vs.10-11
- The syncretist will NOT allow the true Biblical Christian into their all-inclusive fellowship.
- The Apostle John cautions that true believers should NOT EVEN GREET one who wants to become part of Christ’s Church who does not live [abide] in the teaching of Christ.
Syncretism, Humanism, Universalism, and ALL of the diverse ism’s of the philosophers who constantly ask their disciples, “DID god REALLY SAY…” would lure the faithful to turn altogether toward dark pits bubbling with the leaven of evil to torment all souls.
A Unitarian Universalist CAUTION:
One closing thought. (I cannot even begin to list every syncretist so-called ‘Church,’ but here’s an approach.)
The individual unitarian (all truths are equal) and humanist (man is god) are “anti-Christs” by definition. Their own false premise of self stands against salvation where Jesus must mediate between God and mankind. [1 John 2:1-2, 1 Timothy 2:5] For He IS both GOD and man. [John 10:30]
Faithful evangelical Christian theologians more studied than this lay theologian in such divisive arguments of philosopher-syncretists have CAUTIONED the Church many times in the past.
.. I have written three pieces about the Christological debate, and about the gravity of allowing flagrant Unitarian heresy to be unanswered, unchecked, and undisciplined in the church. The central issue is neither one of semantics nor of [church creeds], but rather of salvation, (whether Jesus can in any sense mediate between God and mankind if he is not himself both God and man) and of discipleship (for we cannot worship him, believe in him, or obey him if he is not God).
Already by the middle of the first century, the deity of Jesus was part of the faith of the universal church. It cannot and must not be compromised today.
John Stott – Christ the Cornerstone Conclusion – JESUS IS LORD! HAS WIDE RAMIFICATIONS; pp. 202-203
Stott has much more to say about this, some which I may quote as we continue in this Saturday Post Series: A 21st c. RECALL of the CHURCH {linked at the top of our homepage.
Please COMMENT and tell us what YOU observe and think about the leaven of SYNCRETISM in your church. – RH
