Syncretism and Idolatry
Syncretism and idolatry go hand in hand and are powerful forces of which we need to be aware.
Syncretism is the mixing or blending of beliefs, practices or ideas from different cultures or religions. A prime example of syncretism is Christianity. This religion has blended together pagan customs with some of the teachings of Christianity.
Idolatry, on the other hand, is giving honor or worshipping any person or thing other than God – and treating them as though they were God.
A classic example of this is provided by the nation of Israel shortly after their departure from Egypt. At the foot of Mt. Sinai, when they grew tired of waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain, they demanded of Aaron that he allow them to make a golden calf.
What should not be lost on us is that this was not just simply worshipping a false god. They actually thought they were worshipping the true God. In Exodus 32:4, we read, “Then they said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” The molded calf represented God to them. The word “god” is actually Elohim. While it can refer to a pagan deity, it is also one of God’s names. In verse 5 Aaron said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord (YHVH).” They were actually trying to worship the true God.
We see in Deuteronomy 9:16 that towards the end of Moses’ life, he referenced this event. “And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God (YHVH Elohim) – and made for yourselves a molded calf! You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you.”
Israel had blended the true God with aspects of man-devised religious practices with which they had become comfortable. Syncretism and idolatry. Paul warns against this: “… because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man – and birds and four – footed animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23).
Is God concerned about how we worship Him? At one point Aaron’s sons offered fire before the Eternal. God had not told them to do that, but they took it upon themselves to worship in a profane way. They died as a result (Leviticus 10:1-3).
We must be careful to worship God in the manner He has prescribed. This means we must not appropriate some aspect of the world’s way of thinking and call it with a name representing the true God (Deuteronomy 12:1-4).
The title “Government of God” would be a case in point. If we take principles from the world’s Babylonian system and apply them to God, are we any different than the ancient Israelites?
The “gospel” is another area we need to be careful with. It is the gospel of God, or the gospel of Christ. In it the righteousness of God is revealed (Romans 1:16-17). It is therefore very important to God, and we need to be careful how we handle it and not insert our opinion of what the gospel is.
Syncretism and idolatry are rampant in this society. They form the world’s approach to God. We need to separate ourselves from these false concepts and truly represent God in this world.
Brian Orchard
