Hypocrisy
By John Hendrix
People often complain about hypocrisy among Christians. I recently heard a non-believer say that almost all Christians were hypocrites. It would be interesting to see someone actually put Christianity into practice.
We might want to dismiss this as just so much salve for a hurting conscience. Maybe that is true in many cases. Yet the criticism can be just. Jesus harshly rebuked the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees (See Matthew 23:13ff). Hypocrisy is certainly still a problem today.
Maybe we should pause and "examine ourselves" concerning this matter.
The word hypocrite comes from the Greek language and history. Hypokrites were actors in the Greek theatres. A modern hypocrite is an actor in the public's eyes, one who pretends to be something he is not. In religion-where the word is mostly used-a hypocrite is one who pretends to be a better person than he actually is; better than he really wants to be.
Those who go to church-a public activity-are bound to be prime candidates for the label. The skeptical-and sometimes knowledgeable-scoff: "They wallow in sin on Saturday night but never miss church on Sunday morning."
This is not true of all Christians, of course. But it is too often true of Christians.
There are spiritual problems that are not hypocrisy. The mere presence of sin in someone's life is not evidence of hypocrisy. Everyone can and does sin.
For we all stumble in many ways. (James 3:2, NASB) But if the person at church pretends that he does not sin, he is definitely a hypocrite. Some hypocrites act and talk godly at church or around other Christians, but behave shamefully when around non-Christians. Other hypocrites put on other types of shows. The hypocrite-one way or another-is plays at being something he is not.
There is an important distinction to be made here: Hypocrisy is not demonstrated by a failure to live up to the ideal Christian life, but rather by a pretense of living up to it. We can-and should-advocate a life free of sin. We should not try to fool people that we have achieved it.
We may not know the difference between Brother Hypocrite and Brother Honest. Both exhort others to be pleasing to God. Both try to be active at church and in the community. Both want the light of Jesus to shine in their lives (Matthew 5:14ff); which is to say, both want the world to know that they are Christians.
Brother Honest occasionally sins, but he truly wants to be perfect. His sins trouble him greatly, and he strives for perfection. Brother Hypocrite sins, but he is only interested in covering his sins up.
Brother Honest, you see, wants always to do right, knowing that God is always watching. Brother Hypocrite has no intention of acting his part full time.
Brother Honest may rebuke a sinner, but he does so meekly, admitting to himself and everyone else that he is also weak (Galatians 6:1). Brother Hypocrite rebukes a sinner as though sinful thoughts, words or actions could never be attributed to him.
Brother Honest and Brother Hypocrite both go to church. Brother Honest goes because he wants to please God while edifying his brothers and being edified by them (Hebrews 10:23-25).
Brother Hypocrite is there to be seen. He wants people to see him as especially godly and morally superior.
Some activities put us at greater risk to both the charge and the actuality of hypocrisy. "Public edification"-teaching, preaching, writing articles-is going to put a Christian further into the spotlight. These activities do not make a person a better Christian, nor do they imply that a person has fewer struggles with sin. And yet the teacher risks the "greater condemnation" (James 3:1). A teacher or preacher who is effective and appreciated may be at greater risk of hypocrisy. People may think of him as a Christian who is a "cut above" the rest. He may like the admiration. Yet he has plenty of his own problems; His role-in his mind-may not permit this. More and more he must continue acting the part of "super" Christian. The more successful he is acting, the more his spiritual state declines.
God is not fooled, however. The only reward of a hypocrite is the praise of men (Matthew 6:2).
Think neither of yourself, nor of other Christians, more highly than is written (Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 4:6). To do so is to lay a trap for yourself or a stumbling block for someone else.
Those who seem eager to criticize and "expose" others are setting themselves up for the charge, and the reality, of hypocrisy. We are obligated to expose error (Ephesians 5:11), yet some desire to make a name for themselves in this way. Their own faults are minimized while the faults of others are magnified. Yet the "measure" they see fit to apply to others shall be stridently applied to themselves (Matthew 7:1-2).
I suppose that everyone feels pressure, at times, to pretend to be better than he is. No one wants to disappoint. But, at all times, the most important one to not disappoint is God. If we focus on pleasing God-who sees us both in public and in private-hypocrisy will be less of an issue.