In ancient Greek theater, a hypocrite was an actor—someone who wore a mask and stepped into a role, performing not as himself, but as another. It was a term used to describe a performer skilled in his craft. But the word moved beyond stage plays and came to describe anyone who pretended to be something he was not. In the Bible, it became a strong word of rebuke—most memorably from Jesus, who denounced those who outwardly appeared religious but were inwardly filled with corruption. A religious hypocrite may not act on a literal stage, but he does put on a show before God and man.
The Bible teaches us to think about hypocrisy in different ways, each demonstrating what it looks and sounds like. It does this to warn us. Biblically, one of the greatest dangers of hypocrisy is that the hypocrite can dupe himself into thinking he is what he claims to be. If unrecognized and unrepented of, it poses an eternal danger. This is why the Lord’s words strike such a spiritual nerve: “And I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you’” (Matt. 7:23). In what ways does the hypocrite perform?
1. The hypocrite has performative worship.
God commands how we are to worship Him outwardly—preaching, reading, singing, praying, sacraments—but He also requires our hearts to be engaged. Anything less than this is to dishonor God’s name and fall short of the greatest commandment to love God. A hypocrite goes through motions, doing and saying the right things, while his heart is distanced from God. The Lord rebuked the church of the Old Testament for this very thing, saying,
This people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me. (Isa. 29:13)
2. The hypocrite has performative faith.
James asked an important question: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” (James 2:14). To illustrate his point, he says it is useless to see a poorly clothed and hungry person and simply wish them well with words—words neither feed nor clothe. Faith that is only a matter of words—saying “I believe” at all the right points—but does not show itself in good fruit is useless. It is dead. It is a hypocritical faith.
3. The hypocrite has performative service.
The Pharisees, the primary antagonists during Jesus’ earthly ministry, tithed from their mint and dill. That kind of meticulous attention to detail probably looked impressive to many, but Jesus was not impressed. He sharply criticized the Pharisees as hypocrites, saying, “You tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Matt. 23:23). They were exact in the little things—the minor details in their service—but they omitted the more important things that truly reflect the eternal and unchanging nature of God. Such was their hypocrisy.
May we be a people whose worship, faith, service, and speech are sincere—not masked performances, but true reflections of hearts made new by grace.
4. The hypocrite has performative displays.
In guiding our life of prayer, Jesus cautioned that we must not be like the hypocrites when we pray. He said, “For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others” (Matt. 6:5). With their voices, gestures, and wordiness, they seek to attract attention for themselves. The hypocritical heart is attention seeking, dissatisfied doing things quietly and away from the eyes of others.
5. The hypocrite has performative outrage.
Jesus’ words about seeing the speck in a brother’s eye while failing to notice the log in our own are well known (Matt. 7:1–5). We see an example of this in David’s life in the Old Testament. When the prophet Nathan confronted David for his sin, David was outraged by the rich man’s stealing of the poor man’s lamb (2 Sam. 12:1–6). In the moment, David’s hypocritical anger was kindled at the thought of another’s sin while neglecting the reality of his own (2 Sam. 12:7).
6. The hypocrite has performative generosity.
The fellowship of the early church was marked by communal generosity, providing for those who were in need. In a memorable scene, Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of property. Secretly, they held back some of the profit and laid the rest at the Apostles’ feet. This gave the appearance that they had donated the whole of their earnings to the needy. But the ruse was exposed, and they were found to have contriving hearts (Acts 5:4).
7. The hypocrite has performative language.
The tongue, we are told, is a restless evil. One of the most deceitful ways to speak is by using our words to disguise our hearts. In the Psalms, David recalled a friend who had betrayed him:
His speech was smooth as butter,
yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords. (Ps. 55:21)
That puts a graphic picture to what it means to be double-tongued—saying something with our words while our motives and intentions are far different.
Conclusion
The Bible does not give a dictionary definition of hypocrisy. Instead, by one example after another, it exposes the spiritual performances that deceive others and, more dangerously, oneself. Behind every outward show may lie a heart far from God. Christ’s warnings are not theatrical; they are urgent. May we be a people whose worship, faith, service, and speech are sincere—not masked performances, but true reflections of hearts made new by grace.
