Syncretism - What the Bible Says about Mixing Beliefs

Today we are going to be talking about syncretism. Do you know what this is? Syncretism is defined as: 

-the amalgamation, or the attempted amalgamation, of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought
-the combination of different forms of belief or practice
-incorporating pagan customs into the faith of the Bible

Just reading the definition of the word may be like flipping on a light switch for you. For most of my life it had never really crossed my mind that faith practices or beliefs could be combined, never mind that my own beliefs might be mixed with ideas not found in Scripture. Syncretism is mixing the word of YHWH with anything besides it. This is a big problem for us because while YHWH gives life, nothing else can.

What does Scripture say about mixing beliefs?

"You are not to worship YHWH in the way those nations worship their gods." -Deuteronomy 12:4

"Do not learn the ways of the nations." -Jeremiah 10:2

"When you pray, don't do so like the foreigners." -Matthew 6:7


These passages show that YHWH doesn't want us picking up ideas, customs, traditions, or beliefs from anyone besides himself. No matter how popular or 'nice' the practice may be, if it is not found in Scripture we are told not to take part. Unfortunately most sects of faith claiming to be based on Scripture have mixed in many customs and practices of foreign origin. (Please note that 'foreign' is used to denote things foreign from Scripture, not your nationality or traditions.) Examples of this would be mixing the ancient and ungodly customs of Christmas with the Biblical story of the birth of the Messiah. Or moving Sabbath worship and rest from the seventh day of the week to the first. Or using an image or statue as part of a worship service. Indeed there are a host of ideas not found in Scripture being welcomed into the Christian church today. We are expressly told not to combine YHWH's instructions on how to live with customs from other cultures. This mixing has lead many people away from the truth.

Mixing worship of the Living God with things he said not to do is syncretism and it is wrong. We are not allowed to worship however we please (see for example, the trouble the Israelites got themselves into with the golden calf incident), and that still applies to us today. The Messiah taught this with his words in Matthew telling us not to pray in the customs of other religions. It is important that we take these instructions seriously, and honestly evaluate our habits, beliefs, and practices in the light of Scripture. Are my beliefs consistent with what Scripture says? Do my daily life choices - from how I treat others, to what I eat, to what holidays I celebrate - reflect how Scripture says I should be living? Or does my lifestyle have more in common with the culture around me? Am I intentionally living in a way that honors YHWH's word? These are hard questions, but they are worth asking so that we can make the changes we need to. We are to be completely obedient to following his ways. In John 14:15 the Messiah tells us that if we love him we will keep his commands. Not his commands mixed with the ways of the nations.

The Meaning of Peter's Vision of the Unclean Animals in Acts 10 (As Explained by Acts 11)

This post explains the meaning of Peter's vision of the sheet of unclean animals descending from the heavens from Acts 10:13. Did you know that Peter himself actually explained the meaning of the words "kill and eat" to mean something besides what we have been told by churches and Bible commentary? Most of Acts chapter 11 addresses it's true meaning to be about people and not once does it say it's about what we eat! 

"Get up, Peter, kill and eat." -Acts 10:13

This passage makes it clear that it's now okay to eat anything and everything, right? Even the animals forbidden in Leviticus 11? I used to think so, but a deeper examination of this passage says otherwise. Are you familiar with Peter's vision of the animals on the sheet in Acts 10?

He became hungry and wished to eat. But while they were preparing, he fell into a trance, and he saw the heaven opened and a vessel like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth, in which were all kinds of four footed beasts, and wild beasts, and creeping creatures, and birds of the heavens. And a voice came and said, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat."
But Peter said, "Not at all, Master! Because I have never eaten anything unclean."
And a voice came to him again and said, "What YHWH has cleansed you do not consider common or unclean." -Acts 10:10-15

Well that's pretty obvious, right? He's looking at animals and being told to eat, so it must be about food. Peter initially thought it was about food too, which is why he responds by saying that he has never violated the dietary instructions of Scripture. That response of itself is very telling. Peter spent more time than perhaps anyone on earth in the presence of the Messiah. If Jesus had taught or believed it was okay to eat things forbidden by Scripture, Peter would have known that. This vision happened around a decade after Yahusha ascended into heaven, and Peter still hadn't eaten anything forbidden. Since he was convinced that nothing had changed, he was very confused by this vision. He was shown this vision of the animals three times (verse 17), and then it says he "doubted within himself" what this might mean. Why was he confused? Because he knew it couldn't have been about what we eat!

Peter was confused. This is a man who heard teachings first hand and received personal instruction from Yahusha the Messiah, son of YHWH for years. Someone who asked the Messiah questions, and had them answered. One of the best preachers of the Gospel in history. Arguably the clearest writer and teacher in the New Testament. He had no idea what that could mean. If Peter was unsure, is it reasonable to assume that we can spend 20 seconds on the text and have the correct understanding?

As you may know, Scripture tells us that while Peter was still trying to figure this out some men came to request that Peter come with them to teach to Cornelius and his household. The same voice that said "Kill and eat," told him to go with them, and he did. Why was a voice from Heaven needed to convince Peter to go? Because Cornelius wasn't Jewish, and going to his home was forbidden by Peter's tribe (Acts 10:28), though permissible according to Scripture. On his way there, the meaning of the vision became clear to Peter.

And he said to them, "You know a Jew is not allowed to associate with, or go to one of another race. But YHWH has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." -Acts 10:28

Peter himself explains this confusing vision to us. While Scripture is quick to correct Peter, ("Get behind me, Satan!") nothing is ever said to contradict his interpretation. He then reiterates his understanding of this again to the other Disciples in Acts 11, taking up almost an entire chapter to do so. Yes, that's right, there is a chapter of the Bible that explains this vision, showing us people are what we shouldn't call unclean or unfit for redemption. In fact, a fair amount of what happens in the rest of the book of Acts is about Paul and other Disciples going to share the Gospel with people they otherwise wouldn't have, considering them too 'unclean' or common for redemption. This vision corrected bad practices rooted in tradition instead of the word of God!

You see, the Disciples had fallen into some wrong beliefs about who can be grafted into Israel. YHWH wanted to be absolutely certain that no one was excluded from the Good News of the Messiah. He gave Peter this vision to show him that even people who didn't have ancestors in Israel (common), or people that had lived wrongly in sin (unclean), could repent and be welcomed into the family of YHWH.

Having heard this, they were silent, and praised YHWH, saying, "Then YHWH has indeed also given to the nations repentance to life." -Acts 11:18

This vision is about one of the root issues in Scripture...that we can all be grafted into the tree of Israel. It's not about our bloodline or family lineage, or knowing for sure our ancestors were part of ancient Israel. This is about the lost tribes being regathered into YHWH's people. No matter someone's past or where they are from, redemption is possible through the Messiah. 

That's how Peter explained his vision. That's what the other disciples understood this vision to mean. And that's what the Bible says it meant when God showed Peter the unclean animals and he heard the phrase, "Kill and eat!" Even though we have been told that this means God did away with the dietary instructions of the Old Testament, that is not at all what Peter or anyone else in the book of Acts thought about this. Acts 11 explains the meaning and not once does it mention food or what we eat.

More about what the New Testament says about food:
Understanding the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean
Romans 14 Explained (Key to Understanding New Testament Verses on Food)
Why 1 Timothy 4 Doesn't Mean that All Animals Should Be Eaten

Sabbath Friendly Oatmeal (Easy Breakfast Recipe)

Is making food ahead of time for the Sabbath stressful to you? You are definitely not alone, many people have expressed feeling overwhelmed attempting to do so much ahead of time in order to be able to rest from cooking duties on the Sabbath day. This easy, real food recipe is to the rescue! Here is a super simple recipe for a wholesome breakfast or snack that requires zero prep work ahead of time. Once again: zero prep work. Made with pantry staples, you're just some hot water away from a tasty breakfast or comforting snack.

Note: I know not everyone is comfortable with switching on the stove on the Sabbath, so if that's you please disregard this recipe and see this post for meals you can make ahead of time. I will also say that this requires no more effort than flipping a light switch, dirties only the bowl you eat it in, and has no risk of scorching to the pan. Any day of the week those are all wins to me!

Here's what you need:
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup flaked, dried coconut
2 tablespoons almonds
1 tsp chia seeds (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Turn your teakettle on to heat your water. While that's heating up, combine all of your ingredients except the chocolate chips in a bowl. When your water boils (or is close) pour about a half cup over the mixture, being careful to wet all the oatmeal. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and let sit 1-2 minutes before eating.

And that's it! It's a very simple recipe that you can obviously customize to your liking...oatmeal with dried apricots, pistachios, cinnamon, and honey is another of my favorite combinations. This makes a filling breakfast or a nice snack if you are craving something sweet, maybe even with some extra chocolate? You could also mix your ingredients ahead of time and just shake out about 3/4 of a cup into your bowl when you want to make this. Super easy either way!

*One more thing, no you do not need to use instant oatmeal. I have used old-fashioned oats from Aldi, Meijer, and Whole Foods and they all have worked well in this recipe. I find them to be cooked to my liking, and I think the texture is better in this recipe if you old-fashioned oats. If your oats are a bit thicker, or you like extra soft oatmeal, try adding a little extra water and let it sit an extra minute.

Related Posts:

The No Stress Guide to Sabbath Meals

Make Ahead Salads for the Sabbath

Stocking Your Pantry For Easy Sabbath Meals
Slow Cooker Sabbath Meal Ideas

Hebrew Holiday Dates 2019 + Printable

Sharing the dates for the Hebrew holidays for 2019! To be sure you make note of them, grab the printable with the dates and stick it on your fridge or in your planner. Get the dates put on your calendar and be intentional about taking off work and freeing yourself up during these times so you can take part in the set apart times that YHWH has for us. 

Once again, I am giving you two sets of dates. My aim is not to convince you of the correctness of one calendar over another but to encourage you to pick a set of dates and go with it for keeping the feasts. Work is allowed during certain days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles. I have made note of where the no-work days land for your convenience.

Traditional calendar:

Remember, traditional dates start at sundown on the date listed and go until sundown the next day. For example Passover starts at sundown on April 19 and ends at sundown on the 20th. The traditional calendar always gives an extra day to Shavuot and Yom Teruah, though Scripture treats both as one-day holidays.

Passover - April 19
Feast of Matzah - April 20-27
First Fruits - April 20
Shavuot - June 8-10
Yom Teruah - September 29 - October 1
Yom Kippur - October 8
Sukkot - October 13-21

High holy days/no work days:

Passover - April 19-20 (this is not a no work day in and of itself, but since it lands on Shabbat is treated as such)
First day of Matzah Week - April 20-21
Last day of Matzah Week - April 26-27 (this is also the weekly Sabbath)
Shavuot - June 8-10
Yom Teruah - September 29 - October 1
Yom Kippur - October 8-9
First day of Sukkot - October 13-14
Last day of Sukkot - October 20-21

Click here to download the Hebrew Holidays Traditional Dates.

Torah to the Tribes calendar:

This calendar uses daylight to daylight dates. For example, Passover starts at daylight on April 3 and goes until daylight April 4.

Passover - April 3
Feast of Matzah - April 4-10
First Fruits - April 7
Shavuot - May 26
Yom Teruah - September 17
Yom Kippur - September 26
Sukkot - October 1-8

High holy days/no work days:

First Day of Matzah Week - April 4
Last Day of Matzah Week - April 10
Shavuot - May 26
Yom Teruah - September 17
Yom Kippur - September 26
First Day of Sukkot - October 1
Last Day of Sukkot - October 8

Click here to download the Hebrew Holidays Torah to the Tribe Dates.


Not sure which calendar to go by? The calendar debate can be confusing and there are other sets of dates besides the ones I am sharing. If you have a congregation or group to celebrate with I would personally adhere to what they are using, as getting to celebrate with a like minded group of believers is very special. Each calendar has pros and cons and we probably won't know with 100% certainty what the dates are for the festivals of YHWH until Yahusha returns. As always, pray about what YHWH would have you to do and be willing to adjust as your understanding grows.

Let's starting planning to keep the feasts this year!