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| Richard F. Speece Pastor Bob Moore Director of Music |
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PAGE 6
Page 6
Calvary Baptist
Bradenton, Florida
hypocrites, and I don’t want to be associated with a bunch of hypocrites,” how should we
respond?
(1) Without being defensive we should acknowledge that their objection contains
a valid observation. There are hypocrites in the church. There was even a hypocrite in
Jesus’ hand-picked group of Twelve. His name was Judas. There were hypocrites in the
church right from its inception (cf. Ananias and Saphira in AC 5:1-8; Barnabas and
Cephas GAL 2:11-14; The Laodicean Xians REV 3:15-17) and continue to be (cf. some
high-profile hypocrites like Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart). Jesus, in the story of the
wheat and the tares, even predicted that there would be hypocrites in the church as long
as the church endures until the final judgment (MT. 13:24-30).
(2) We ought to point out that the person who dislikes hypocrites and hypocrisy is
actually siding with Jesus, for no one was harder on hypocrites than Jesus Christ, who
is the centerpiece of Christianity. MT 6:2f; 23:1f. Not only did Jesus not condone
hypocrisy, he was dead against it in his followers.
(3) It is helpful to establish a working definition of a hypocrite. Ask the person who
brought up the matter of hypocrites in the church to give a succinct definition with which
you can work. Simply stated, a hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something
that he is not. More specifically, when a Xian is accused of being a hypocrite he is being
accused of pretending to be better or more righteous than he actually is; pretending to live
at a higher standard than he actually does.
In recent years the Roman Catholic Church has come under severe criticism because of
one blatant area of hypocrisy. It has traditionally demanded that its adherents live up to a
high moral standard, but at the same time many priests themselves were not maintaining
the high moral standard in private while pretending to do so in public.
At its core hypocrisy is dishonesty. Dishonesty about oneself.
(4) The fact that there actually are hypocrites in the church should not make us
conclude that Xity is worthless, but just the opposite, very worthwhile. This is
because hypocrites are phonies, and phonies pretend to be something they are not only
because what they pretend to be is of high value.
Certainly no one would deny that there are counterfeit 20 dollar bills in circulation. The
only reason there are counterfeit 20 dollar bills is because there are real 20 dollar bills,
which have real value. Without there being real 20 dollar bills there would be no
counterfeit 20 dollar bills. If 20-dollar bills had no value, would anyone counterfeit them?
Who counterfeits one-dollar bills? No one! Why? Because they have so little value.
No one would deny that there are fake diamonds and other gems in circulation. The
only reason there are fake gems in circulation is because there are real gems of
substantial value. Without real gems there would be no reason for anyone to go to all the
trouble to make fakes of the real thing.
No one would deny that there are quacks who pass themselves off as real doctors. But
the only reason there are quacks is because there are real doctors who are compensated
very well to treat our ailments effectively. Without the presence of real doctors whose
services are of value to us, there would be no quacks trying to pass themselves off as
legitimate doctors.
No one would deny that there are forged paintings in circulation. But the only reason
some crooks go to the trouble to forge paintings is because there are real priceless
paintings. What kind of paintings are forged, the fingerpaintings done by kindergartners?
No, because they have no commercial value. Masterpieces are forged because of their
great value.
The principle is undeniable. If there are fakes or phonies or forgeries around, then there
must also be the real thing, which in contrast to fakes and forgeries is of great value.
Otherwise there would be no reason for forgers to go to the lengths they do to pass off
fakes as genuine. Therefore, since there are phonies or hypocrites in the church we ought
to conclude that there must be genuine followers of Christ and being such has great
value. Otherwise, why would anyone fake being a Xian?
(5) An Observation: Just as light attracts bugs, any worthwhile institution usually
attracts some people who want to get in on a good thing without becoming
legitimate members but simply by pretending to be. We call such people impostors,
and they are not unlike hypocrites. They circumvent accepted channels for admittance.
How many times have people doctored their resumes, fabricated references, and altered
their education transcripts in order to make it into a position or group in which they do not
legitimately belong?
A judge sat on the bench for years in California until it was discovered that his credentials
were bogus. He hadn’t had a distinguished career in the military. He hadn’t even
graduated from law school, let alone with honors. All his credentials were a fabrication.
Why would he put on such an elaborate ruse? In order to cash in on the prestige, power
and money which accrues to a person who ascends to the position of judge.
A pastor led a large church in the mid-Atlantic states for nearly a decade until it was
discovered that he didn’t have an advanced degree in counseling from a particular ivy
league school as he had told the congregation when they hired him.
A plastic surgeon in California who specialized in lipo-suction had a thriving practice for
years until, during a malpractice lawsuit, it was uncovered that he had never been to
medical school at all. His degrees were bogus. Why would he fake his credentials? In
order to get set up in an esteemed profession enabling him to earn a very comfortable
living.
A university professor in the northeast was a much sought after speaker until someone
investigated the details of her life as recorded in her autobiography and found that much
had been fabricated. She hadn’t grown up a pauper abused by the wealthy landowners in
the Central American nation where she was born and raised. She herself had been born
into the land owning class and educated in private schools. She was exposed as a
hypocrite. Why had she concocted such a story about herself? In order to ascend to the
elite company of the ivory towers of academia.
A journalist named Jayson Blair worked for several years for the New York Times and
wrote numerous articles published in the elite newspaper. A substantial number of his
purportedly factual articles were eventually exposed as being completely bogus. He made
up interviews that never occurred. He fabricated quotes and statistics. Once he was
exposed, it wasn’t particularly surprising to learn that he had never graduated with a
degree in journalism as he had told his employer. Why did he pass himself off as
something he was not? In order to gain a job at an elite newspaper. The value of entering
the ranks of a journalist for the esteemed New York Times was so great that he was
willing to pass himself off as something he was not in order to gain acceptance.
It is only because being a professor or surgeon or judge is a most desirable
position to be in that people will fabricate things about themselves so they can join
such elite company in a desirable profession. It is the same with people who pretend
to be Christians. They realize that being a Christian is very, very desirable, and therefore
they pretend they are Christians in order to join such company.
(6) The legitimacy of an original cannot be judged accurately by looking at a
substitute or phony. Suppose you say to me, “Have you ever eaten carrot cake?”
I reply, “No, but I hear it is especially good.”
“Well, my mom made a carrot cake and said we could have a piece if we wanted. Would
you like to try it?”
“Sure,” I say. So you get the cake out and cut two pieces. I take a bite and savor it in
my mouth. You take a bite and do the same, only you frown. You can’t believe it. This
carrot cake is okay, but it certainly isn’t up to the quality your mom usually puts out. You
say to me, “I’m sorry. This cake is okay, but it is nothing like my mom usually makes. I’
m disappointed.” Then you call to your mom in the next room, “Mom, this carrot cake isn’
t all that great. Did you make it? It sure isn’t up to your usual level.”
Your mom sticks her head around the corner and says, “What do you mean the carrot
cake isn’t all that great? I followed the same recipe I always do.”
“Are you sure mom?”
“I’m sure I did, except I didn’t use real butter this time and I didn’t have time to add nuts,
and I was short an egg and didn’t have any raised flour.”
“That explains it,” you say. Then you turn to me and declare, “This isn’t the real thing, so
don’t form an opinion about carrot cake by what you are eating now. Real carrot cake is
really good. This is a poor excuse.”
The same is true of Christianity. You can’t get an accurate picture of what Christianity
is like by looking at a person who only pretends to be a Christian. You have to look at a
Christian who is genuine and serious about his faith. Better yet, look at Christ.
(7) If a hypocrite is one who pretends to be a Christian, what is a genuine
Christian? Is it someone who is perfect? No, a true Christian is one who humbly
acknowledges that he is a sinner and will be a sinner as long as he lives. At the same
time, because of his love for Jesus he really wants to obey the standards Jesus gave his
followers. So a genuine Christian is one who doesn’t pretend to be something other than
what he is, a sinner who has been forgiven by God, yet he is one who genuinely desires to
live in a manner pleasing to God.
All genuine Christians fail at times to keep the standards Jesus gave his followers. What
should be evident in a genuine Christian is that he is making progress in becoming
more and more obedient to Christ. There will always be inconsistencies, but with time
they should diminish and become fewer and fewer.
If you were having lunch with some people and a guy who was 100 lb. overweight
came up and began telling everyone they needed to adopt good eating habits, you would
probably think, “What a hypocrite!” But if you later learned that a year earlier he had been
200 lb. overweight, then you would see him in a totally different light. You would be
impressed with the progress he has made in the past year.
Therefore, before hurriedly pigeonholing anyone as a hypocrite, we need to ask ourselves
how much progress the guy has made in the past year in learning to obey Christ’s
standards. It may well be that he has made lots of progress, and when we find out how
he used to behave, we will be impressed with the amount of progress he has made. (This
observation also helps explain why there are some non-Christians who behave more like
genuine Christians than some genuine Christians do.)
(8) Just because there are some hypocrites in the church, it should not stop us
from following Jesus. It should simply make us more discerning.
There are fake doctors around, but that does not mean we stop going to doctors. We
simply become more discerning in order to insure that the doctor who treats us is a bona
fide doctor.
In addition, there are some doctors who are in the profession wholly for the money, but
that does not make the profession of being a doctor a bad thing. It only means that
despite their honorable profession their motivation is questionable.
There are some dentists around who are fakes. Because some dentists are fakes does
that mean that we quit going to dentists? No, we just become more discerning because
we realize real dentists render us valuable service.
Likewise, just because there are people around who call themselves Christians even
though they aren’t, it should not dissuade us from following Christ. It should only make us
more discerning.
(9) Staying away from church because there are some hypocrites is about as
logical as staying away from the doctor’s office because some hypocrites go
there.
(10) A story: A man lost at sea finally spotted a ship on the horizon coming in his
direction. Having spent several days alone and adrift he had lost all hope and never
expected he would be rescued. He could barely control his emotions. It was more than
two hours later when the vessel pulled up alongside him. The ship’s captain lowered a net
over the side on a boom. He called to the destitute man to climb into the net, but the man
shouted back. First, sir, I need to know if there are any hypocrites on board your ship.
How ridiculous! It would never happen.
That a person would refuse to come to the church and its head Christ for salvation just
shows they do not understand the plight they are in.
In her book The Cloister Walk, Kathleen Norris writes,
“Not long ago, I was asked how I could stand to go to church, how I could stand the
hypocrisy of Christians…and I replied, “The only hypocrite I have to worry about on
Sunday morning is myself.”
How true. To some degree we're all hypocrites, for none of us consistently live up to the
words we profess. We break promises, tell white lies, are often selfish, ungenerous and
ego-centric. We regularly think, say and do things we know we shouldn't, or fail to think,
say and do things we know we should.
Cliff Knechtle, in his book Give Me An Answer, (c) 1986 IVP, writes: "We all either try to
hide our bad sides or we try to make them look good. But deep inside we all know that
we fall short of living the way we know we should. No one can escape the charge of
"hypocrite" -- no one except Jesus, Himself. He is the only One who has lived up to
God's standards, the only One who has perfectly lived what He preached. Only through...
Christ can we escape the penalty due our hypocrisy... By living within the security of
Christ's love, we are free to peel off masks and to become real, honest people."
respond?
(1) Without being defensive we should acknowledge that their objection contains
a valid observation. There are hypocrites in the church. There was even a hypocrite in
Jesus’ hand-picked group of Twelve. His name was Judas. There were hypocrites in the
church right from its inception (cf. Ananias and Saphira in AC 5:1-8; Barnabas and
Cephas GAL 2:11-14; The Laodicean Xians REV 3:15-17) and continue to be (cf. some
high-profile hypocrites like Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart). Jesus, in the story of the
wheat and the tares, even predicted that there would be hypocrites in the church as long
as the church endures until the final judgment (MT. 13:24-30).
(2) We ought to point out that the person who dislikes hypocrites and hypocrisy is
actually siding with Jesus, for no one was harder on hypocrites than Jesus Christ, who
is the centerpiece of Christianity. MT 6:2f; 23:1f. Not only did Jesus not condone
hypocrisy, he was dead against it in his followers.
(3) It is helpful to establish a working definition of a hypocrite. Ask the person who
brought up the matter of hypocrites in the church to give a succinct definition with which
you can work. Simply stated, a hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something
that he is not. More specifically, when a Xian is accused of being a hypocrite he is being
accused of pretending to be better or more righteous than he actually is; pretending to live
at a higher standard than he actually does.
In recent years the Roman Catholic Church has come under severe criticism because of
one blatant area of hypocrisy. It has traditionally demanded that its adherents live up to a
high moral standard, but at the same time many priests themselves were not maintaining
the high moral standard in private while pretending to do so in public.
At its core hypocrisy is dishonesty. Dishonesty about oneself.
(4) The fact that there actually are hypocrites in the church should not make us
conclude that Xity is worthless, but just the opposite, very worthwhile. This is
because hypocrites are phonies, and phonies pretend to be something they are not only
because what they pretend to be is of high value.
Certainly no one would deny that there are counterfeit 20 dollar bills in circulation. The
only reason there are counterfeit 20 dollar bills is because there are real 20 dollar bills,
which have real value. Without there being real 20 dollar bills there would be no
counterfeit 20 dollar bills. If 20-dollar bills had no value, would anyone counterfeit them?
Who counterfeits one-dollar bills? No one! Why? Because they have so little value.
No one would deny that there are fake diamonds and other gems in circulation. The
only reason there are fake gems in circulation is because there are real gems of
substantial value. Without real gems there would be no reason for anyone to go to all the
trouble to make fakes of the real thing.
No one would deny that there are quacks who pass themselves off as real doctors. But
the only reason there are quacks is because there are real doctors who are compensated
very well to treat our ailments effectively. Without the presence of real doctors whose
services are of value to us, there would be no quacks trying to pass themselves off as
legitimate doctors.
No one would deny that there are forged paintings in circulation. But the only reason
some crooks go to the trouble to forge paintings is because there are real priceless
paintings. What kind of paintings are forged, the fingerpaintings done by kindergartners?
No, because they have no commercial value. Masterpieces are forged because of their
great value.
The principle is undeniable. If there are fakes or phonies or forgeries around, then there
must also be the real thing, which in contrast to fakes and forgeries is of great value.
Otherwise there would be no reason for forgers to go to the lengths they do to pass off
fakes as genuine. Therefore, since there are phonies or hypocrites in the church we ought
to conclude that there must be genuine followers of Christ and being such has great
value. Otherwise, why would anyone fake being a Xian?
(5) An Observation: Just as light attracts bugs, any worthwhile institution usually
attracts some people who want to get in on a good thing without becoming
legitimate members but simply by pretending to be. We call such people impostors,
and they are not unlike hypocrites. They circumvent accepted channels for admittance.
How many times have people doctored their resumes, fabricated references, and altered
their education transcripts in order to make it into a position or group in which they do not
legitimately belong?
A judge sat on the bench for years in California until it was discovered that his credentials
were bogus. He hadn’t had a distinguished career in the military. He hadn’t even
graduated from law school, let alone with honors. All his credentials were a fabrication.
Why would he put on such an elaborate ruse? In order to cash in on the prestige, power
and money which accrues to a person who ascends to the position of judge.
A pastor led a large church in the mid-Atlantic states for nearly a decade until it was
discovered that he didn’t have an advanced degree in counseling from a particular ivy
league school as he had told the congregation when they hired him.
A plastic surgeon in California who specialized in lipo-suction had a thriving practice for
years until, during a malpractice lawsuit, it was uncovered that he had never been to
medical school at all. His degrees were bogus. Why would he fake his credentials? In
order to get set up in an esteemed profession enabling him to earn a very comfortable
living.
A university professor in the northeast was a much sought after speaker until someone
investigated the details of her life as recorded in her autobiography and found that much
had been fabricated. She hadn’t grown up a pauper abused by the wealthy landowners in
the Central American nation where she was born and raised. She herself had been born
into the land owning class and educated in private schools. She was exposed as a
hypocrite. Why had she concocted such a story about herself? In order to ascend to the
elite company of the ivory towers of academia.
A journalist named Jayson Blair worked for several years for the New York Times and
wrote numerous articles published in the elite newspaper. A substantial number of his
purportedly factual articles were eventually exposed as being completely bogus. He made
up interviews that never occurred. He fabricated quotes and statistics. Once he was
exposed, it wasn’t particularly surprising to learn that he had never graduated with a
degree in journalism as he had told his employer. Why did he pass himself off as
something he was not? In order to gain a job at an elite newspaper. The value of entering
the ranks of a journalist for the esteemed New York Times was so great that he was
willing to pass himself off as something he was not in order to gain acceptance.
It is only because being a professor or surgeon or judge is a most desirable
position to be in that people will fabricate things about themselves so they can join
such elite company in a desirable profession. It is the same with people who pretend
to be Christians. They realize that being a Christian is very, very desirable, and therefore
they pretend they are Christians in order to join such company.
(6) The legitimacy of an original cannot be judged accurately by looking at a
substitute or phony. Suppose you say to me, “Have you ever eaten carrot cake?”
I reply, “No, but I hear it is especially good.”
“Well, my mom made a carrot cake and said we could have a piece if we wanted. Would
you like to try it?”
“Sure,” I say. So you get the cake out and cut two pieces. I take a bite and savor it in
my mouth. You take a bite and do the same, only you frown. You can’t believe it. This
carrot cake is okay, but it certainly isn’t up to the quality your mom usually puts out. You
say to me, “I’m sorry. This cake is okay, but it is nothing like my mom usually makes. I’
m disappointed.” Then you call to your mom in the next room, “Mom, this carrot cake isn’
t all that great. Did you make it? It sure isn’t up to your usual level.”
Your mom sticks her head around the corner and says, “What do you mean the carrot
cake isn’t all that great? I followed the same recipe I always do.”
“Are you sure mom?”
“I’m sure I did, except I didn’t use real butter this time and I didn’t have time to add nuts,
and I was short an egg and didn’t have any raised flour.”
“That explains it,” you say. Then you turn to me and declare, “This isn’t the real thing, so
don’t form an opinion about carrot cake by what you are eating now. Real carrot cake is
really good. This is a poor excuse.”
The same is true of Christianity. You can’t get an accurate picture of what Christianity
is like by looking at a person who only pretends to be a Christian. You have to look at a
Christian who is genuine and serious about his faith. Better yet, look at Christ.
(7) If a hypocrite is one who pretends to be a Christian, what is a genuine
Christian? Is it someone who is perfect? No, a true Christian is one who humbly
acknowledges that he is a sinner and will be a sinner as long as he lives. At the same
time, because of his love for Jesus he really wants to obey the standards Jesus gave his
followers. So a genuine Christian is one who doesn’t pretend to be something other than
what he is, a sinner who has been forgiven by God, yet he is one who genuinely desires to
live in a manner pleasing to God.
All genuine Christians fail at times to keep the standards Jesus gave his followers. What
should be evident in a genuine Christian is that he is making progress in becoming
more and more obedient to Christ. There will always be inconsistencies, but with time
they should diminish and become fewer and fewer.
If you were having lunch with some people and a guy who was 100 lb. overweight
came up and began telling everyone they needed to adopt good eating habits, you would
probably think, “What a hypocrite!” But if you later learned that a year earlier he had been
200 lb. overweight, then you would see him in a totally different light. You would be
impressed with the progress he has made in the past year.
Therefore, before hurriedly pigeonholing anyone as a hypocrite, we need to ask ourselves
how much progress the guy has made in the past year in learning to obey Christ’s
standards. It may well be that he has made lots of progress, and when we find out how
he used to behave, we will be impressed with the amount of progress he has made. (This
observation also helps explain why there are some non-Christians who behave more like
genuine Christians than some genuine Christians do.)
(8) Just because there are some hypocrites in the church, it should not stop us
from following Jesus. It should simply make us more discerning.
There are fake doctors around, but that does not mean we stop going to doctors. We
simply become more discerning in order to insure that the doctor who treats us is a bona
fide doctor.
In addition, there are some doctors who are in the profession wholly for the money, but
that does not make the profession of being a doctor a bad thing. It only means that
despite their honorable profession their motivation is questionable.
There are some dentists around who are fakes. Because some dentists are fakes does
that mean that we quit going to dentists? No, we just become more discerning because
we realize real dentists render us valuable service.
Likewise, just because there are people around who call themselves Christians even
though they aren’t, it should not dissuade us from following Christ. It should only make us
more discerning.
(9) Staying away from church because there are some hypocrites is about as
logical as staying away from the doctor’s office because some hypocrites go
there.
(10) A story: A man lost at sea finally spotted a ship on the horizon coming in his
direction. Having spent several days alone and adrift he had lost all hope and never
expected he would be rescued. He could barely control his emotions. It was more than
two hours later when the vessel pulled up alongside him. The ship’s captain lowered a net
over the side on a boom. He called to the destitute man to climb into the net, but the man
shouted back. First, sir, I need to know if there are any hypocrites on board your ship.
How ridiculous! It would never happen.
That a person would refuse to come to the church and its head Christ for salvation just
shows they do not understand the plight they are in.
In her book The Cloister Walk, Kathleen Norris writes,
“Not long ago, I was asked how I could stand to go to church, how I could stand the
hypocrisy of Christians…and I replied, “The only hypocrite I have to worry about on
Sunday morning is myself.”
How true. To some degree we're all hypocrites, for none of us consistently live up to the
words we profess. We break promises, tell white lies, are often selfish, ungenerous and
ego-centric. We regularly think, say and do things we know we shouldn't, or fail to think,
say and do things we know we should.
Cliff Knechtle, in his book Give Me An Answer, (c) 1986 IVP, writes: "We all either try to
hide our bad sides or we try to make them look good. But deep inside we all know that
we fall short of living the way we know we should. No one can escape the charge of
"hypocrite" -- no one except Jesus, Himself. He is the only One who has lived up to
God's standards, the only One who has perfectly lived what He preached. Only through...
Christ can we escape the penalty due our hypocrisy... By living within the security of
Christ's love, we are free to peel off masks and to become real, honest people."
| THE CHURCH IS ________ OF HYPOCRITES? |
| Pr Rick Speece December 2005 |
| Extracted from notes used in a Sunday School class on 19 June 03 at Calvary Baptist Church, Bradenton-FL. |
Church