Description of Hypocrisy

Displaying Religion With no Love for God                                             
Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 6:2-6, 16-18 and Matthew 23:5-7
Isaiah 29:13  And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine.  They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
Matthew 6:2-6
2  When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.
3  But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
4  Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
16-18
16  “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.
17  But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.
18  Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 23:5-7
5  “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.
6  And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues.
7  They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called Rabbi.’

Claiming Love for God, Mistreating Others
Mark 12:38-40; I John 3:17 and I John 4:20
Mark 12:38-40
38  Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces.
39  And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.
40  Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”
I John 3:17  If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
I John 4:20  If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

Not Practicing What One Preaches
Matthew 23:3 and Romans 2:17-24
Matthew 23:3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.
Romans 2:17-24
17  You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him.
18  You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law.
19  You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.
20  You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.
21  Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?
22  You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?
23  You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.
24  No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”

Sticking Only to the Letter of the Law
Matthew 23:16-23 and Luke 13:15-16
Matthew 23:16-23
16  “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’
17  Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?
18  And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding.
19  How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20  When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it.
21  And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it.
22  And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.
23  “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
Luke 13:15-16
15  But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water?
16  This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”

Criticizing Another for One's  Own Sins
Matthew 7:3-5 and Mark 7:6-13
Matthew 7:3-5
3  “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
4  How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?
5  Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
Mark 7:6-13
6   Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
7   Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’
8   For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”
9   Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.
10  For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’
11  But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’
12  In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents.
13  And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

Being Outwardly Beautiful but Inwardly Rotten
Matthew 23:27-28
27  “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.
28  Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Having Only an Outward Form of Godliness
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 and 2 Timothy 3:5
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
13  These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
14  But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15  So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.
2 Timothy 3:5  They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Lying to Make Oneself Look Good
Acts 5:1-10  
1   But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property.
2   He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
3   Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.
4   The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
5   As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.
6   Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7   About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8   Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”  “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9   And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
10  Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.