The Life of Jesus in Harmony |
Index
Hypocrite
HYPOCRISY "to wear a mask"
Pretending to be what one is not. The New Testament meaning of hypocrisy and
hypocrite reflects its use in Greek drama. In the Greek theater, a hypocrite was
one who wore a mask and played a part on the stage, imitating the speech,
mannerisms, and conduct of the character portrayed.
Throughout His ministry,
Jesus vigorously exposed and denounced the hypocrisy of the
scribes and
Pharisees. They paraded their charitable deeds, praying and fasting as a theatrical
display to win the praise of men (Mt 6:1-2,5, 16). They sought to give the
appearance of being godly, but they were actually blind to the truth of God (Lk
20:19-20).
The apostle Paul encountered hypocrisy among some Jewish Christians, who
refused to eat with the Gentile converts. Paul said: "Let love be without hypocrisy"
(Rom 12:9).