HYPOCRISY

HYPOCRISY

A hypocrite; everyone has been one at some time during their lifetime, save Christ Jesus. There's no denying it; life is a complicated thing. We may say one thing, and then find ourselves in a situation where we feel forced to do that which we spoke against! It's part of our human make up; it's part of our sin nature.

Let us see what Paul has to say about the root of hypocrisy. "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Rom. 7:14 - 25)

What a unique perspective Paul has of the hypocritical nature of man. He points out that man's (and woman's) personality has sin as a steering mechanism, directed by the human ego to selfishness rather than to serving God. While only real Christians would delight in the law of God after the inward man, yet Paul noted that while with his mind he served the law of God, yet, with the flesh, the law of sin. And so it is, that anyone, try as they might not to sin at all, knowing as much as they do of all God's laws, yet their flesh will force them to sin, and therein hypocrisy is born. I can't stop from sinning, try as I might, and you can't stop from sinning, try as YOU might!

Consider Adam and Eve. The first human couple. Only one way given that they could possibly sin. One commandment to obey. Even only one tree with which to be able to disobey! "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Gen. 3:6) Eve was deceived with Satan's lie, true, and Adam knew not to eat, and did it anyway, but the root of the sin was placing their desires ahead of God's. In other words, they rebelled against God's commandment. Another name for this root of hypocrisy could be: pride.

Isaiah also spoke of the hypocrite as a vile person whose heart works iniquity; "For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail." (Isa. 32:6) Here is a good place to make a point of the Pharisees and Saducees; Isaiah says that hypocrites utter error against the Lord. Let us visit the most grievous error of the Pharisees of all their utterances. "But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, 'This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.'" (Matt. 12:24) And in answer to this that the Pharisees uttered, Jesus said, "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." (Matt. 12:31 - 32)

Jesus proclaimed 8 woes against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes in the Gospel of Matthew: "Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples, saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, "Rabbi, Rabbi". But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, "Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!" Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, "Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty." Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, "If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets." Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?'" (Matt. 23:1 - 33) Sorry about the length, but in order to show the scathing tongue lashing Jesus gave concerning their hypocrisy, it was necessary.

As if this warning concerning religious hypocrisy were not enough, Jesus spoke yet more to have all who believe in Him strive to be as little one who practices hypocrisy as possible; "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:19 - 20)

Is it any wonder why it is written, "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation." (James 3:1) It means that teachers will be judged more strictly, since they instruct others, and therefore know better! Paul, too, wrote this of hypocrisy to the Romans; "And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written." (Rom. 2:19 - 24)

Herein let us strive because we know these things about hypocrisy, not to be as the Pharisees and scribes. For Paul also said, "(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." (Rom. 2:13) Let us obey the commandments Jesus gave us. "Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'" (Matt. 22:37 - 40) In obeying these two great commandments, we avoid hypocrisy as much as we humanly can!