Hypocrisy

[7angel]

In Christianity, some translations of the Christian Bible, the Hebrew word chaneph is translated as "hypocritical", which means "profane". Moreover, the New Testament records Jesus Christ repeatedly condemning the hypocrisy of the religious and political leaders. Christ instructs his disciples warning than neat hypocrites who do not "vain repetitions" or "chatter" to pray, and not be like the hypocrites who want to be seen by men to do good works

Matthew 6
5 When you pray to the Lord, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men; Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles, who think they will be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father you know what things you need before you ask him.

Matthew 18-18
18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Do not bind to hypocrisy and hypocrites


Hypocrisy is constant or sporadic attitude of pretending beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that do not have or are not followed. The hypocrite pretends qualities or feelings contrary to those who truly have or experience. Hypocrisy itself is a kind of lie or screen reputation.
Hypocrisy may come from the desire to hide from the other real motives, or feelings. Hypocrisy is not simply the inconsistency between what is defended and what is done.
That is, a hypocritical person is one who seeks to see the greatness and goodness that builds with appearances on itself, spreading as an example and pretending or call for action in the same way also that their actions be glorified, even its aims and achievements are remote to reality.
In many languages ​​,, a hypocrite is someone who hides his true intentions and personality.

 

[joshuanazar]

I agree with the parts that I understood. But I want to look at the details of why Jesus was so angry with these pharisees. They were religious as in they tried to merit God's mercy by their own works. Though they were under the law, the problem for them is that they didn't recognize his grace when it came to them. They deceived themselves and tried deceiving others by their words and actions, but they were empty. But all of this was not why Jesus was angry with them. Sinners did the same but he had compassion on them. All of what I just wrote just means that they were in bondage. The part that Jesus was angry with was that they were trying to teach these empty traditions that they have made as if they were from God. This puts people even further into bondage and clouded their eyes even more from God's grace. Sadly this is also happening in a lot of churches today.

 

[Xalith]

In addition to what was said already, I believe He was also angry at the Pharisees because they weren't following their own laws half of the time.

They'd preach the law, they'd uphold the law, but it sounds to me like they thought the law didn't apply to them because they were the "leaders".

Or at least that's the image I get when I read about that particular time in the Bible.

 

[Norah63]

Didn't Jesus say 'do what they say, not what they do, because the pharasee had a good talk and a sloppy walk?
It's something we all must beware of. So many things in church tradition sound all good and proper, but are they really from the heart and led of the Spirit.
Being honest is quite a daily test of faith.

 

[arrowzahns]

When I think about being an hypocrite. I think about the bible verses that come to mind.

Matthew 7
3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4 or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye"; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

As the Pharisees were telling the people to follow the law which they made it look like they were following from outward appearances. In actuality they could not even follow their own laws.

What I learn and continually strive for is to let others see my christian walk with Jesus and not think I am any better than anyone else just because I see my brother or sister in Christ struggle with something that God has taken away. And let me not act like I don't have any struggles at all. I don't mean to, but I can be a hypocrite at times.

That is so amazing about serving a loving awesome God full of grace and mercy. Amazing grace.

I apologize if I am getting off topic.

This is my first post and I get extremely excited when talking about God

 

[Norah63]

Congrat's on posting, arrow.

 

[joshuanazar]

The thing is that we only see Jesus getting mad at the Pharisees and the religious crowd. So his anger had to be based on their religion. He was compassionate toward the ignorant lost. So I guess that it was their willfully hardened hats that angered him.

 

[Xalith]

I'm sure them turning His temple into a "den of thieves" (a marketplace) didn't help matters, either.

And also their complete lack of compassion or love for the sick people at the Temple that He healed (in fact they tried to persecute Him and/or the people He healed at the same time!), I'm sure only added to the things He didn't like about what was going on.

 

[bigo1984]

When I think about being an hypocrite. I think about the bible verses that come to mind.

Matthew 7
3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4 or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye"; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

As the Pharisees were telling the people to follow the law which they made it look like they were following from outward appearances. In actuality they could not even follow their own laws.

What I learn and continually strive for is to let others see my christian walk with Jesus and not think I am any better than anyone else just because I see my brother or sister in Christ struggle with something that God has taken away. And let me not act like I don't have any struggles at all. I don't mean to, but I can be a hypocrite at times.

That is so amazing about serving a loving awesome God full of grace and mercy. Amazing grace.

I apologize if I am getting off topic.

This is my first post and I get extremely excited when talking about God

Dont worry i think all of us are hypocritical at times. I know i am. Sometimes i will say or think something and then later think to myself wow i am being a hypocrite.

 

[joshuanazar]

I'm sure them turning His temple into a "den of thieves" (a marketplace) didn't help matters, either.

And also their complete lack of compassion or love for the sick people at the Temple that He healed (in fact they tried to persecute Him and/or the people He healed at the same time!), I'm sure only added to the things He didn't like about what was going on.

The key is in your last statement. We look at Jesus quoting "turned God's house into a den of robbers" and we automatically assume that he was talking about the temple that Herod had built. But shortly afterwards, they asked by whose authority do you do this? And Jesus replied tear down this temple and I will rebuild it in three days. But he was not talking about Herod's temple, but his body so we can see what Jesus meant by temple is the people. The pharisees were turning the people into thieves preying on God's people.

 

[Norah63]

Is turning it into 'a den' by selling tapes, CD, books, ect... now even shirts and cups?
Where do we even know to set the guidelines anymore for a holy body or dwelling place of prayer?
This world is turned upside-down and truly the scripture, what's right is made to look wrong and what's wrong is made to look right, is sign of the times.
I know I feel conviction from not hearing a word as often as I used to.
Hungry for a real spirit filled revival. May we not be beyond that in our time....

 

[NewEnglandGirl]

Matthew 6:7 should more aptly read: "And when you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do"....

Yes the Pharisees numbered around 6000 and controlled the synagogues as well as having great control over much of the population. Pharisee means "separated one". The Pharisees were largely responsible for transforming Judaism from a religion of sacrifice to one of law. They saw the path to God as being one of obedience to the law and were the "progressives" of the day adopting and adapting new ideas and laws to new situations. The Pharisees were opposed to Jesus mainly because he refused to accept their interpretations of the oral law.

 

[joshuanazar]

Is turning it into 'a den' by selling tapes, CD, books, ect... now even shirts and cups?
Where do we even know to set the guidelines anymore for a holy body or dwelling place of prayer?
This world is turned upside-down and truly the scripture, what's right is made to look wrong and what's wrong is made to look right, is sign of the times.
I know I feel conviction from not hearing a word as often as I used to.
Hungry for a real spirit filled revival. May we not be beyond that in our time....

All I can say is the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.

 

[Xalith]

Is turning it into 'a den' by selling tapes, CD, books, ect... now even shirts and cups?
Where do we even know to set the guidelines anymore for a holy body or dwelling place of prayer?
This world is turned upside-down and truly the scripture, what's right is made to look wrong and what's wrong is made to look right, is sign of the times.
I know I feel conviction from not hearing a word as often as I used to.
Hungry for a real spirit filled revival. May we not be beyond that in our time....

I'm more of a mind that the Cup of God's Wrath is surely nearing the full line. There is so much sin and filth in today's society, especially here in America. Our political leaders are ripping down the very morals our Nation was founded upon. We have printed on our money "In God We Trust", but yet our President is campaigning immorality like Gay Marriage and Abortion.

Fornication is everywhere; it is getting so bad that 30+ year old virgin men are looked upon scornfully and mocked, where everybody assumes the man has something wrong with him that no women want to sleep with him.

Younger Women have no modesty whatsoever these days for the most part, and you can't turn on the TV for more than an hour and not see half of a woman's breasts somewhere, either in a commercial, or in the actual programs. I walked out in the living room a few weeks ago, and during a crime drama, there was a woman standing there talking to a man, and she was in the middle of getting dressed, wearing nothing but a lingerie bra on her top while getting her shirt and coat out of the closet. The conversation was supposed to be a professional conversation (these were two cops) and the woman was in the middle of getting dressed. There was absolutely no reason to show her in mid-dressing, other than for sexuality sake.

Magazines and especially Tabloids nowadays frequently feature women wearing next-to-nothing on their covers, the schools are teaching our kids sex education (and some schools are even teaching homosexuality, and how it is "OK").

Kids are playing violent videogames that are so vile, that older people would get sick from seeing how realistic the gore looks. I am/was a videogamer myself, and even I am appalled at how bad and senseless the blood and gore is in some of today's games. There's a game coming out (or is already out) called "Hatred" in which a violent serial killer (the player's character) goes out and murders innocent people.... because.... that's what the game is about. Many violent games used to avoid violence against children, but not this game. The trailer very clearly depicts the heinous murder of innocent women, children, and even cop-killing. Grand Theft Auto, the newest one, is almost as bad, and millions of people are playing that. Everything from theft (obviously, it is right in the title), to prostitution, to murder and gang violence, to drug use, the game has it.

I very honestly don't see a "Spiritual Revival" outside the Second Coming of Christ, to be quite honest. Now, obviously if God wanted to, He could create a miracle revival, but why would He when all the signs are there, that we are swiftly approaching End Times?

Never before has the world been so vile and neck-deep in Sin, and we have ISIS which is spreading through the Middle East like wildfire. Not only ISIS, but also non-radical Islam as well.

And in the Churches, well... I think other people in this very thread described what is going on in many of our churches. There's heresy everywhere (look up Joel Osteen sometime), and there's downright blasphemy like Westboro Baptist "Church".

On the subject of Blasphemy, that's another thing that kids think is "fun" these days -- whether it be blasphemous video games, blasphemous movies, song lyrics, Jesus and God Himself are mocked routinely. Evil is made to be Good, and Good is made to be Evil.

You have Movie Stars openly admitting in interviews that they sold their soul to get their fame and wealth, and these movie stars are putting outright filth in the minds of people who watch some of these movies.

It just goes on and on and on and on.

I think the only thing that is going to cleanse this disease, is the Second Coming itself. The best we can do as Christians, is try to save who we can, and do our best not to get caught up in the roaring rapids of the rampant Sin everywhere around us. Now, more than ever, we need the Full Armor of God just to survive day-to-day.

 

[joshuanazar]

I'm more of a mind that the Cup of God's Wrath is surely nearing the full line. There is so much sin and filth in today's society, especially here in America. Our political leaders are ripping down the very morals our Nation was founded upon. We have printed on our money "In God We Trust", but yet our President is campaigning immorality like Gay Marriage and Abortion.

Fornication is everywhere; it is getting so bad that 30+ year old virgin men are looked upon scornfully and mocked, where everybody assumes the man has something wrong with him that no women want to sleep with him.

Younger Women have no modesty whatsoever these days for the most part, and you can't turn on the TV for more than an hour and not see half of a woman's breasts somewhere, either in a commercial, or in the actual programs. I walked out in the living room a few weeks ago, and during a crime drama, there was a woman standing there talking to a man, and she was in the middle of getting dressed, wearing nothing but a lingerie bra on her top while getting her shirt and coat out of the closet. The conversation was supposed to be a professional conversation (these were two cops) and the woman was in the middle of getting dressed. There was absolutely no reason to show her in mid-dressing, other than for sexuality sake.

Magazines and especially Tabloids nowadays frequently feature women wearing next-to-nothing on their covers, the schools are teaching our kids sex education (and some schools are even teaching homosexuality, and how it is "OK").

Kids are playing violent videogames that are so vile, that older people would get sick from seeing how realistic the gore looks. I am/was a videogamer myself, and even I am appalled at how bad and senseless the blood and gore is in some of today's games. There's a game coming out (or is already out) called "Hatred" in which a violent serial killer (the player's character) goes out and murders innocent people.... because.... that's what the game is about. Many violent games used to avoid violence against children, but not this game. The trailer very clearly depicts the heinous murder of innocent women, children, and even cop-killing. Grand Theft Auto, the newest one, is almost as bad, and millions of people are playing that. Everything from theft (obviously, it is right in the title), to prostitution, to murder and gang violence, to drug use, the game has it.

I very honestly don't see a "Spiritual Revival" outside the Second Coming of Christ, to be quite honest. Now, obviously if God wanted to, He could create a miracle revival, but why would He when all the signs are there, that we are swiftly approaching End Times?

Never before has the world been so vile and neck-deep in Sin, and we have ISIS which is spreading through the Middle East like wildfire. Not only ISIS, but also non-radical Islam as well.

And in the Churches, well... I think other people in this very thread described what is going on in many of our churches. There's heresy everywhere (look up Joel Osteen sometime), and there's downright blasphemy like Westboro Baptist "Church".

On the subject of Blasphemy, that's another thing that kids think is "fun" these days -- whether it be blasphemous video games, blasphemous movies, song lyrics, Jesus and God Himself are mocked routinely. Evil is made to be Good, and Good is made to be Evil.

You have Movie Stars openly admitting in interviews that they sold their soul to get their fame and wealth, and these movie stars are putting outright filth in the minds of people who watch some of these movies.

It just goes on and on and on and on.

I think the only thing that is going to cleanse this disease, is the Second Coming itself. The best we can do as Christians, is try to save who we can, and do our best not to get caught up in the roaring rapids of the rampant Sin everywhere around us. Now, more than ever, we need the Full Armor of God just to survive day-to-day.

I agree with you in part. This nation is diseased, and I believe that it will only get sicker. But I can still see a revival in the church. I see this revival making a impact on the nation, even if I cannot see it ever reviving the nation.

 

[Xalith]

I agree with you in part. This nation is diseased, and I believe that it will only get sicker. But I can still see a revival in the church. I see this revival making a impact on the nation, even if I cannot see it ever reviving the nation.

I guess the only thing a Christian can do is pray that you are right, and that He will cause such a revival in the Church, despite how unlikely that seems, given everything we know. I suppose either way, we shall see, and I've of the mind we're going to know one way or the other here fairly soon.

 

[joshuanazar]

The world is going to get worse, the bible is clear on that. But the bible also hints that the church will become stronger. Simply put, the church is supposed to become even more hated.