I Corinthians 5:6 “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” 

Syncopation is the displacement of beats or accents in music or rhythm where strong beats become weak and vice versa. Many, even in Christian circles, like to see and/or use syncopation as more of a jolt/shock or to make a stress on an important word or phrase. As we have seen concerning God’s structure of music, God’s order places an emphasis on the 1st and 3rd beats. Satan’s disorder turns God’s music upside-down and does the opposite. The world’s music makes the 1st and 3rd beats weak and emphasizes the 2nd (and the 4th in 4/4). As we have seen, this latter method is opposite the way God made our own bodies’ natural rhythm and the rhythm of the entire universe. 

In our modern Christianity, there are varying opinions concerning the use of syncopation in music. Many view syncopation like salt or sugar in food: a little bit is not too bad. However, what if every song you sing and/or hear has “just a little bit”? Today, nearly every new “Christian” song written, produced, and/or sung has “just a little bit” (or a lot) of syncopation. Christian music of today is like our present food industry where every food produced has “just a little bit” (or a lot) of salt and sugar so that by the end of each day you have consumed more than what is healthy. This “little bit” of “leaven” has been one factor in the poor health of modern society. The same has happened to our modern Christian music where “just a little bit” of syncopation has resulted in Christians consuming way more syncopation overall than is healthy. This “little bit” of “leaven” has been one factor in the poor spiritual health of modern Christians. 

Our “glorying” in the use of syncopation “is not good”. “A little” of syncopation/”leaven” has “leavened the whole lump” of our churches, our families, and our lives. As we have pointed out previously, melody appeals to your soul. Rhythm excites your flesh. Syncopated rhythm, therefore, ignites and awakens your flesh. Friend, “a little leaven” of your flesh “is not good” (Rom 8:5 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh…”). Instead of viewing syncopation as salt or sugar, believers need to view it as “arsenic”. Sure, trace amounts of arsenic is found in our food and water, but that doesn’t mean it “is good” to “glory” in our consumption of it! “Just a little bit” of arsenic will kill you, and “just a little bit” of your flesh will kill you (Rom. 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death…”)! 

Independent, fundamental Christians need to get far away from the leaven of syncopation. Most in our circles are playing with a fire that is burning us! We need to get back to God’s pure, unadulterated method of music and rhythm that has existed since the beginning of time.