Hypocrite – Don’t Be That Person!

I just cannot help it, total confession, I am a word nerd. I enjoy learning novel words and trying to use them, although my memory does not always cooperate with me. Thank the Lord for Google these days! It helps us out of a lot of ‘brain freeze’ embarrassing moments. What I really enjoy is exploring words in the scriptures. We should never read a word that we do not understand and just glaze over. Just take two seconds to look it up and expand your portfolio and mental dictionary. Words are one of the primary ways we communicate. There are also words that we might understand partially, they are familiar to us, but they could use a little more exploration and investigation. Join me as I tackle the word ‘Hypocrite’ in this article today. I will be using the passage from Matthew 23:13 as a text, as the preachers would say, “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.”

The dictionary definition of the word hypocrite and the essential meaning of the word is: “Disapproving: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs. Example given: The hypocrites who criticize other people for not voting but who do not always vote themselves. Full Definition of hypocrite: 1.) a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion. 2.)  a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.”  Therefore, hypocrites briefly put, are those who say one thing and do another or act one way just to impress another, but do not really agree with the premise of the words or actions they are engaged in. They are pretenders and some become surprisingly good actors and actresses.

Here is a story you might relate to, or that will give you a word picture to show the meaning of hypocrite: This can be found online at https://notalwaysright.com/tag/hypocrisy/page/2/, submitted on September 23,2021 – author not divulged. Titled:

TO BE FAIR, THEY’RE VERY DIFFERENT KINDS OF NEEDLES

“In the early 2000s, while waiting for my doctor’s appointment, I witnessed this incident. Another patient, a woman in her twenties, came out from the back exam area with a nurse. The patient was wearing a common and trendy outfit of low-rise sweatpants and a crop tank top. The nurse handed the patient her paperwork.

Nurse: “You need to make a follow-up appointment for 3 weeks from now. The receptionist can help you if you want to do it now.”

As she grabbed her paperwork, the patient responded:

Patient: “Ugh! Do I have to? I hate needles.”

The patient then walked quickly out of the office. As she did so, I could see that among the small collection of tattoos she had, was a trendy one on her tailbone. The nurse looked bemused but unsurprised and returned to the back. I managed to mind my manners and not laugh or giggle.”  I feel the author’s struggle there, of trying to keep a straight face. Watching people can really be a fun pastime, everyone has their own God given uniqueness. However, do not forget, you are also being watched.

Let us discuss the word hypocrite in general terms; Hypocrites are all around us. In the workplace: there may be rules that are being set forth by our bosses and other co-workers that you find as you work there no one is following in practicality. In the home: parents say one thing and do another. They should be aware of this especially when children’s eyes are constantly watching. The kids will begin to perceive you as a hypocrite and a liar, even if they cannot define what they feel or think yet. They will not know who to believe or what actions to follow. In the marketplace: The used car salesperson that is singing the praises of a certain vehicle, when he hates that make and model and would never drive it. He has a different, fancy car parked out in the parking lot. Is there a way to sell a used car? Yes, but by pretending that you would personally drive away in that car, right now, is being deceitful and could lead to outright lies. Your career should not trump your integrity (Another great word for another day). In government: lawmakers also say one thing and do another. Making things look like something it is not. Candy coating things if you will. Committing moral hypocrisy daily, by going against their own inner beliefs, portrayed, or expressed views when under pressure.

Finally, in the church: which is what we will be discussing primarily going forward. When you are in constant contact with a hypocrite you will feel a sense of failure, lack of accomplishment and defeated. They are always right (in their own eyes), and they portray themselves as the ones that know it all. When it comes to religion, the church, the kingdom of God and especially to salvation, they are walking on dangerous ground. We must remember whenever we have people’s lives, emotions and most importantly their eternity in our hands we are walking a fine line and should not try to put on airs that would lead them astray or cause them to stumble and waiver in their faith. The word hypocrite is most often used in the context of religion; however, as we have seen the word can be used for anyone who is pretending to be something they are not. You can also see in each setting how hypocrisy hurts both the hypocrite and the one being deceived.

Let us go back to our bible verse and examine it further:  Matthew 23:13, “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.”  Hypocrites will not inherit the kingdom of God, or aka, go to heaven. How do we know this? Because if you are a hypocrite, you are deceitful and a liar, and we know what the bible says about liars. Let me just throw one reminder verse at you about liars. Revelation 21:8 says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

The verse in Matthew is stating that the hypocrites are not going into the kingdom of heaven and by their hypocritical or deceitful actions they are keeping others from going in also. Why would that be? Because people are very trusting in others and will often believe what they are being told or shown. You may define that as gullible, but it is normal, especially in children. Young Christians who are not yet mature in the Lord, are as children. They are looking to those they perceive to be seasoned saints or their spiritual parents in the Lord, for guidance.

Matthew 23:27, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”  Because of their skills in deceit, they will be perceived as beautiful, even though they are filled with filth and death. Others around them can be fooled by their good acting skills. Luke 11:44 states, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.”  People are fellowshipping and hanging out with them and are unaware of what they truly are on the inside. Therein lies the danger.

Matthew 23:15 says, “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.” A hypocrite will go to the ends of the earth to ‘win a soul’ because they are doing it for the show. When they have brought someone in, the new saints have no one to learn from except the one who they perceive to be their spiritual leader and can end up falling into the same traps. There is really nothing more disheartening than hearing backbiting and gossiping going on about a fellow saint in the presence of a new believer. We should not abort the unborn or kill our young with our hypocritical actions and toxic tongues.

As noted already, there are several verses where woes are pronounced against the hypocrites. Why, you ask? Because God is omniscient, nothing is hidden from him, he knows the hearts of men unlike us. Job comments about hypocrites in a compilation of verses that he wrote: The hypocrites hope will perish, a hypocrite shall not come before me, saith the Lord, they shall be desolate, the innocent will stir up against them, their joy is just for a moment, God will take away his soul, they will not reign because their hearts are wrathful. Isaiah says in his writings in chapter 9, that the Lord will not take joy in the young men, nor show mercy to the fatherless or widows because of the hypocrites. How sad. The consequences of their actions hurt the innocent. Matthew addresses the subject of hypocrites fifteen times, bringing out the fact they are always pretending to be something they are not, they are always showy, and he states their end will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 24:51), which in the scripture, is equated to outer darkness or hell.

In the book of Luke, Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they are hypocrites and that they claim to be adhering to the Old Testament laws, which is just for show, while rejecting the true spirit of the Law that Jesus came to proclaim, of loving their neighbors. Yes, because they are hypocrites, they are not even able to do that, and Jesus calls them out on it in Luke 13:15, he states, “The Lord then answered him, and said, thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?”  So, they are not even keeping the Old Testament law like they want people to believe they are. Hypocrites are just a mess as are all liars because they cannot keep their thoughts and actions straight. If we stick to truth, we do not have to try to remember what we said or did the day before.

Let us end our discussion on a positive note. Keep in mind we may all have been guilty at one time or another of being hypocritical ourselves and we would not want to be doomed. There is hope even for a hypocrite and for those who have been deceived by one. Proverbs 11:9 states, “A hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.”  The Lord is merciful and loves us so much that he will send someone to help those who have been deceived by hypocrites. The young in the Lord can receive teaching, love and nurturing from God’s word and other saints, who genuinely love God. Those who are endeavoring to be Christ like will help them along their way, because they are sensitive to the Spirit of God. Do not lose hope, good will always triumph over evil. Hypocrites will be found out and exposed for who and what they are.

Let us keep in mind, like any of us, hypocrites do have an opportunity to change, repent and turn from their evil ways. Don’t be that person! Do not get mad, with immediate preconceived ideas. Do not kill the messenger! We all have access to the same blood of Jesus. He died for us all, therefore we should not be judgmental of hypocrites because that will put us right into the same category with them. This is exactly what Luke was talking about in Luke 6:42, “How canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself does not behold the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.”  If you are seeing other’s faults and flaws while not acknowledging your own, though different, yours may be even greater. Remember as we study the truth using a word-by-word approach, it takes words to define words. In this case, the words that we stumble on while looking at ‘hypocrites’ may also be, ‘judging,’ ‘lying,’ or more importantly, ‘repenting’ and ‘forgiveness.’ Let us not become a hypocrite by judging the hypocrites. Don’t be that person!

Jesus said, in John 8:7 when the crowd kept asking what should be done to the woman caught in adultery, “… he then said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”  When He looked up, they had all disappeared. Let us keep this in mind as we continue our search for truth daily, to have compassion as Jesus did rather than judging, because we may find ourselves in need of forgiveness on occasion for the same or greater offenses. Don’t be that person!