Hypocrisy & Irony

"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." (Matthew 15: 7, 8 KJV)

What is hyprocrisy? Merriam Webster defines it as - "a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not" and "especially the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion."

There is thus, in hyprocrisy, as in irony, a contradiction in what is externally seen versus what is internal and hidden, the outward appearance seeming to evince something about a person that is opposite to the actual inner state.

Thus, a person who is a hypocrite is an actor, and a fake, a pretender, a liar, being insincere and not authentic, one who "wears a mask" and who seeks to "put on airs" and to pretend to be what they are are not. Hypocrites are, therefore, deceivers and dishonest souls.

In irony there is an incongruence of things, a contradiction, either in words (or verbal irony) or in situations (or situational irony).

The hypocrisy inherent in Puritan society, for instance, became the basis of situational irony as seen in Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter."

Jesus attacked instances and situations where hypocrites were demonstating their glaring hypocrisy and deceit.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Matthew 23: 27, 28 KJV)

Hypocrisy is thus well defined for us. We ought to be able to recognize it in ourselves and in others. It is to do things without the heart, and without genuine faith, with an eye towards having praise and recognition of men, rather than a single eye to having divine praise and recognition.

"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward...when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites...Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites." (Matthew 6: 2, 5, 16 KJV)

"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7: 5 KJV)

"And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16: 3 KJV)

It can be called a case of situational irony for the proud to give a speech on the virtues of humility, or for a man who lives in a pig sty to lecture others on good housekeeping. It is also a case of hypocrisy.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone...Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess...Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! f or ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." (Matthew 23: 23, 25, 27 KJV)

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." (Matthew 23: 14 KJV)

"Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it." (Mark 12: 14 KJV

We all have met hypocrites. Sometimes it is said that "the church is full of them." The truth is, however, that there is generally plenty of hypocrisy in everyone, even in the greatest saints, as we shall see. The question is then one of degree. It is also a question of whether a person truly desires to be inwardly holy and right with God, versus only having men think that you are such a person.

"In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." (Luke 12: 1 KJV)

Oh the great evil of the "leaven of hypocrisy"! There is such a great need to "sound the alarm" about this great damning and prevalent sin! What will be the end and destiny of the hypocrite and insincere religionist?

"For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?" (Job 27: 8 KJV)

"So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish." (Job 8: 13 KJV)

"He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him." (Job 13: 16 KJV)

"The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath" (Job 36: 13 KJV).

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Matthew 23: 15 KJV)

Is anything clearer? There is no hope for the insincere Christian, for the hypocrite, for the insincere and for the religious fake. They are "children of Hell" as Jesus said. Hypocrites may "fool others," yea, even themselves, but they will never deceive the Lord.

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron..." (I Timothy 4: 1, 2 KJV)

Practicing hypocrites will abound in the time just prior to the end of this age and the coming of Christ. They will not only abound in the number of practitioners, but in the quantity and quality of their acts of hypocrisy. Intimately connected with hypocrisy is a "cauterized (or deadened or unfeeling) conscience," and a devilish and worldly wisdom.

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." (James 3: 17 KJV)

Thus, as it was in days past, when Isaiah uttered the following words, so is it now in a greater way, and is increasing every minute.

"Therefore the LORD shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." (Isaiah 9: 17 KJV)

Thus, the admonition is to all men, especially to Christians, - "...lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies" (I Peter 2: 1 KJV). We ought to strive to do as David, who said - "I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites." (Psalm 26: 4 NIV)

Yes, as was said, even Christians sometimes practice hypocrisy. Even the great apostles, Peter and Barnabas, were guilty of it. Wrote Paul, their fellow apostle and "beloved brother."

"The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray." (Galatians 2: 13 NIV)

It was said long ago:

"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isaiah 33: 14 KJV)

Friends, has God shown you the evil of this sin? Do you see how our nature is prone to it? If you desire to be freed from sin, from all sin, then call upon the Lord Jesus Christ and ask him to save you.