What is Really a Hypocrite?

We hear the word “hypocrite” and we associate it with someone who says something, but really doesn’t mean it, or does something completely counter to what they said. Is that really the only meaning? The word is used in the Bible with a deeper meaning.

In ancient times, a hypocrite was an actor in a play. These actors wore masks representing different emotions or roles. An actor (think hypocrite) could change their masks as needed to show different emotions or even to switch roles. The audience saw only the mask, not the actor behind it.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses the term when he condemns the Pharisees. These religious leaders carefully followed the smallest religious rule, but inwardly they were filled with greed, self-indulgence, and corruption. Like the actors of their day, what the people saw on the outside was completely different from what was on the inside. Check out Matthew chapter 23 for the full condemnation.

With this new understanding of what a hypocrite is in God’s eyes, we have to ask ourselves if we qualify as a hypocrite. Do we go through the motions in our spiritual life, or do our actions truly reflect our deepest spiritual beliefs?

The answer to this question can lead us to a deeper inward spiritual conversion. I believe that Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is a step-by-step plan for this sort of spiritual conversion.