Hypocrisy is condemned throughout the Bible. Scripture makes it clear that God detests hypocrisy and hypocrites. The Bible warns believers to avoid being hypocritical and to guard against hypocrisy creeping into the church.
The word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek word hypokrites, which means “stage actor, pretender, dissembler.” So a hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something he is not. A hypocrite is an actor playing a role, someone wearing a mask, a pretender presenting a false image to others.
Hypocrisy is the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform. In a sense, hypocrisy is lying by pretending to be something one is not. Jesus strongly condemned hypocrisy in the religious leaders of His day. Calling the scribes and Pharisees “hypocrites,” Jesus accused them of misleading people and honoring God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him (Mark 7:6).
The Bible reveals several characteristics of hypocrisy that believers should avoid:
1. Hypocrisy involves pretending to be something you’re not
Hypocrites pretend to be something they are not. They focus on outward appearances and ignore inward realities (Luke 11:39). The scribes and Pharisees appeared righteous outwardly by making shows of fasting, praying, and giving, but inwardly they were sinful and corrupt (Matthew 23:25-28). Jesus exposed their true condition by calling them “whitewashed tombs” – beautiful on the outside but full of dead men’s bones on the inside.
True righteousness is a matter of the heart, not just external appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). God looks at the heart and sees pretense and hypocrisy for what they are. Believers are called to walk in sincerity and truth, not just put on an act (1 John 1:6).
2. Hypocrisy focuses on minor issues while ignoring more important ones
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for focusing on minor issues like how to tithe mint and cumin while neglecting more important matters like justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). They strained out gnats but swallowed camels (Matthew 23:24). They obsessed over ceremonial washings while inside being defiled by greed and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:25).
Hypocrites major on minors and minor on majors. They focus on pet peeves and side issues while overlooking serious sins that infect their own lives. Believers should have a sense of priority and proportionality, focusing on the weightier matters first while not totally neglecting lesser issues.
3. Hypocrisy practices selective morality
Hypocrites are selective in their morality, holding others to a standard they excuse themselves from. Jesus said of the scribes and Pharisees, “They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:4). They were harsh judges of others while excusing their own failures.
Hypocrites condemn in others what they allow in themselves. Believers should first examine their own hearts and lives before passing judgment on someone else (Matthew 7:1-5). Christians are called to practice humility and self-examination when confronting sin in others (Galatians 6:1).
4. Hypocrisy loves praise and recognition from others
Jesus said the Pharisees loved to have the places of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they loved to be greeted in the marketplaces and have people call them ‘Rabbi’ (Matthew 23:6-7). They prayed and fasted and gave to impress people and receive praise (Matthew 6:1-18). Their outward religion was a pretense designed to win human approval and applause.
Hypocrites crave the praise and honor of men over the praise of God (John 5:44). Believers should do righteous deeds quietly and humbly, not to be seen by men but to honor God who sees what is done in secret (Matthew 6:1-6). The praise of God should be the focus, not the admiration of people (1 Corinthians 4:5).
5. Hypocrisy masks greed and prideful hearts
Jesus exposed the underlying motivations behind the Pharisees’ public persona – hearts full of greed, self-indulgence, pride and self-righteousness (Matthew 23:25-28; Luke 11:39). They used outward displays of piety to cover up hearts dominated by materialism, narcissism and contempt for others.
Hypocrisy hides greedy, prideful hearts behind a facade of religion. Believers should guard their hearts against subtle sins like greed that corrupt from within (1 Timothy 6:10). The church should strive after humility not self-exaltation (Philippians 2:3).
6. Hypocrisy blossoms into oppression and corruption
The scribes and Pharisees sat “in Moses’ seat” as authoritative interpreters of the Law (Matthew 23:2). But rather than lead people to God, they imposed heavy burdens on people unlike anything God intended (Matthew 23:4). Their hypocrisy led to oppressive corruption of God’s purposes.
Hypocrisy in leadership is especially damaging. Believers in positions of spiritual influence should take care lest they become oppressive hypocrites using people for selfish ends. Church leaders must exemplify sincere faith, genuine love, and Christ-like servanthood.
7. Hypocrisy shuts people off from the gospel
Jesus said the Pharisees shut people off from entering the kingdom of God because their hypocrisy hindered people from seeing the truth (Matthew 23:13). The damage done by religious hypocrisy is keeping people away from the transforming message of the gospel.
Hypocrisy in the church obscures the gospel message and repels unbelievers. Believers should expose hypocrisy where it exists in the church and point people to Jesus who alone is the perfect standard of truth. The church should strive to live out the gospel with integrity to draw people to Christ.
8. Hypocrites will face judgment for deception
Jesus pronounced seven “woes” of judgment on the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and deception (Matthew 23:13-29). He declared their sentence: “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33).
No hypocrite will escape facing the judgment of God. Pretense and deception might be rewarded in this world by people, but God sees through to the heart and will judge motives and actions (Jeremiah 17:10). Believers must stand true to Christ without pretense before his searching gaze.
9. Genuine faith produces good works
While hypocrites pretend to righteousness, true faith produces genuine good works. Jesus told His disciples “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, etc. – is the outward evidence of inward faith (Galatians 5:22-23).
Not all outward acts are hypocritical – good deeds and righteousness matter. But they must flow from sincere faith, not forced performance. Believers live out the gospel through Spirit-empowered Christlike actions, not by pretending or hiding sin behind a religious mask.
10. God desires truth and integrity
More than outward acts, God desires inward reality. He wants truth and integrity in the inner being (Psalm 51:6). Micah 6:8 summarizes the lifestyle God desires: “what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Hypocrisy focuses on projecting an image, but God focuses on shaping the heart. Believers must nurture their inward spiritual life through prayer, Scripture, confession, and accountability. Living out the gospel with integrity starts with an inner reality of walking with God in humble sincerity.
In summary, the Bible strongly warns against hypocrisy and calls all believers to live out their faith with sincerity. By God’s grace and the Spirit’s empowerment, followers of Jesus must exemplify integrity and truthfulness in all areas of life. The church must be committed to exposing and rooting out hypocrisy wherever it exists.
